Shah Rukh Khan puts his own money into his productions, now not borrowing even from distributors, due to the fact he doesn’t want to indulge his ardour—making films—on the threat of losing other people’smoney.
It’s 7.30 in the evening on 7 September, the day while we attain Mannat, Shah Rukh Khan’s historical pastbungalow in Bandra, a tony Mumbai suburb. we’re ushered into a study in the office complicated locatedin the back of the mansion, which stands as a image of the success—and wealth—he has completed in a 25-year profession as one of Bollywood’s most enduring stars.
Khan, now 49, paid Rs.thirteen.21 crore when he offered the belongings on a lease in 2001, consistent with assets portal Housing.com, which, in a 2013 record, envisioned its marketplace fee at Rs.2 hundredcrore, deliberating property, together with its history reputation and the ocean view it commands.
It’s also a visitor enchantment where Khan’s fans prevent by way of in the desire of getting a glimpse of the superstar, whose past 5 films (happy New year, Chennai explicit, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Don 2, and Ra.One) have all grossed over Rs.one hundred crore—the new degree of container workplaceachievement in Bollywood—and who has over 15 million fans on Twitter.
In a list of the sector’s 34 maximum paid actors released in August, Forbes ranked Khan 18th with every year earnings of $26 million, and defined him as “India’s Leonardo DiCaprio”.
The actor walks into the look at, which has wall-to-wall book cases and sofas, wearing a blue shirt andjeans. He has just been through a story narration, and appears worn-out. He lighting up a cigarette and sits returned to talk approximately money.
Khan has channelled his money into three avenues—films (his movie production and distribution business enterprise red Chillies amusement and publish–manufacturing and visible consequences unit VFX);sports (the Indian most beneficial League, or IPL, franchise Kolkata Knight Riders); and youngsters’sschooling and amusement (he has a stake within the Indian franchisee of KidZania, a Mexican chain ofown family enjoyment centres).
The actor says he has simply one concept whilst he invests in some thing—that it should serve a reason. “some thing product you promote—whether or not it’s miles cleaning soap, toothbrush, smartphone or a dream—it need to change something,” defined Khan, who has advocated a huge variety of product andprovider brands, along with Airtel, DishTV, Hyundai vehicles, Nerolac paints, Pepsi, fair and handsomeguys’s fairness cream, TAG Heuer watches and Lux Cozi vests.
“as an example, the iPhone modified the manner you use a telephone and subsequently changed yourexistence. further, via the business I do—which is film-making—I would really like to change lives.simply exchange it a little bit—one moment,” he brought.
Khan, regarded with the aid of many titles including Badshah of Bollywood and King Khan, says he doesn’t have it in him to be a businessman. “To be sincere, I surely don’t apprehend the commercial enterprise a part of it,” he says.
As a man of the films, he likes his movies big and exquisite. “i’m no longer a visionary; I just wantcinema to appearance very quality and beautiful—in whichever feel,” he says.
in the manner, he admits, he lost money when formidable and high-priced home productions includingPhir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and Asoka did no longer do properly on the box workplace.
but that hasn’t stopped him. “i have made extra high-priced films because then, Ra.One being one. Ipreserve to do so. And every time, once I finish a movie, we are saying next time we can make it less expensive. there’s nothing less expensive in movie-making,” Khan says.
“whenever I fail at the same time as making a film, I say it is okay to move wrong,” he says. “I don’tlearn any classes from having long past wrong due to the fact films have a lifestyles of their very own. Even in case you learn all the lessons, and do the entirety proper, a movie can nevertheless passincorrect. this is the lesson i have learnt in this enterprise. it is a excessive–danger commercial enterprise and a low-paying one.”
Ask him approximately his money and the “rich” tag and he responds with amusing. “human beingscommunicate about Rs.300-500 crore. (but) they don’t even know the difference between gross and netand submit-taxation, subsidies and lots more.”
a whole lot of time and effort—physical, intellectual, emotional and monetary—goes into creating afilm, and returns aren’t usually commensurate, he says. “Studios… they collect a film. they may be now not working on it; they simply take it and hire it. To be a creative producer is a difficult activity. I simplyfound out that it’s been 12 years seeing that we’ve had the organization. I think we are almost debt-unfastened. In some other two–3 years, we can have 25 negatives and with any luck, we can make more than one crores a year. For me, that could be a big dream for crimson Chillies.”
What approximately Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL cricket franchise? “it is a seven-yr–vintage organization. It has were given championships. It makes a touch cash, which in my opinion—i am no longerdisplaying off—I should make in someday as an actor,” he says. “I make that money and placed it intothese businesses to create something.”
Khan says he does no longer run purple Chillies any more. “however with any luck, all the human beings there’ll create cinema out of it as it grows old, which might also have a bit little bit of mypersona.”
The celeb places his own cash into his productions, now not borrowing even from distributors, due to the fact he doesn’t need to indulge his ardour—making movies—at the risk of losing other humans’s cash. “you need to placed your cash where your mouth is. there’s a big amount of money inside the market. I don’t work with that money. I work with my own cash. I don’t borrow from the banks.”
in line with him, money must now not be borrowed even for business purposes. “one of the lessonsthat i’d educate everybody in business is: don’t borrow. Earn it yourself. Do much less, but don’t borrow. And in case you borrow from, say, the marketplace or private equity, then your first allegiance, alliance andresponsibility is to the man or woman whom you borrow from.”
Khan additionally prefers to stay away from making an investment inside the equity markets. “I supposeit’s miles a very clever issue that very smart humans do. i know how it works, but i’d now not do it. i am not into brief cash,” he says.
“but, if my agency decides to do it (pass public) thru the CEO (leader government officer) and CFO (leader economic officer), and if they suppose it is a good aspect to do, or my accountant desires to do it for my family, i will say cross in advance. but i’m able to not take part.”
To make certain, he can manage to pay for to make investments, and lose a piece of it, because hisenterprise has the reserves to peer it thru after field workplace hits in Chennai specific and satisfied Newyr. Kolkata Knight Riders, too, has executed well in phrases of returns and titles.
“Now, I don’t thoughts making an investment, because if something is going wrong, i’m able to take it out and deliver it back,” he says. “Now that i have some reserves, I know i’ve a fallback (alternative) and have the confidence to show around, and return to human beings their money if it doesn’t work.”
Khan says he doesn’t accept as true with in “shrewd cash”. “I trust in dumb money. simply paintingsdifficult…and hold your palms soiled. I don’t store any cash. i have a completely small businessman kind of a thoughts.”
earlier, while he had not tasted this sort of success, he had determined that he might do two matters—build a house and provide his kids with a decent training. He has accomplished each.
Now he desires to construct a studio and a stadium, and purchase a plane for himself to fly around in. “Iwould like to invest in a world–elegance studio in India. For me, the making state in the global has the shoddiest studios to make movies. right now, i’m able to’t find the money for a studio, but with god’s grace, i’m able to. The returns on studios, i have been told, take 35-forty five years. It might be a sillybusiness, however I would like to (get into it).”
With so many commercial enterprise interests of his own, do begin–americalook like an appealingproposition? He says there are people in his office who want to put money into begin-ups, and if theyneed, he is willing to offer a few money. however he won’t spend money on one unless he is creativelyworried in it.
“as an instance, I recognize the eating place commercial enterprise due to the fact that my father used to run one. the next day, I ought to put money into one and personal it. however i’d not put money into, say, a sequence of restaurants that someone else is beginning. I don’t have that form of cash….”
So, where is the cash? “I just about smash in spite of the cinema I do. we’re making four films. valueneed to be Rs.two hundred–300 crore for making them. And all the cash is ours. At this factor of time, we don’t have money inside the financial institution,” he responds. when he falls quick, “I attend a feature orcut a ribbon and earn some money.”
Khan isn’t always the type of individual who quits halfway. He explains his philosophy: in case you don’t win it, then you have to maintain strolling till you do.
“(i am a) satisfied coincidence—an amazing twist of fate. i am no longer the most talented, truesearching, sharpest, coolest or quickest. but i have been there for 25 years. I must have achievedsomething right,” he says.
