Remember Shah Rukh Khan in 'Chaya Chaya'? Here is how difficult it was for the star to shoot the song on a moving train
Shah Rukh Khan remembers his days as a youngster when he once traveled on a train. Though his travel story is about a long time ago, SRK opens up about his train journeys in a candid interview.
After how long are you travelling by train?
In India, I'm travelling after a very long time. In London, I keep travelling. When I go to see my son and daughter in London, I have to take a train and travel for an hour. Here I don’t remember the last time I travelled by train.
Have your kids travelled on a train in India? Here? Not really. But in London, they do travel by train to school.
Do you have any of your train memories to share? I did travel to faraway destinations when I was young. I did travel once, I remember and it was actually quite funny. I was an usher at Pankaj Udhas' concert and we got paid Rs 50. Everybody wanted to go and see Taj Mahal. We all saved money and went there. At Taj Mahal, I remember they use to give that Pink coloured Lassi, we all were hungry, didn’t have anything to eat but I remember the Lassi was served in a big glass. I had it and I remember there was bumble bee in it so the whole way back from Agra to Delhi I was sitting in general compartment and throwing up. My second journey was with my friends to Mumbai, and I remember we had our berth reserved. We all know how after a certain time the berth system doesn’t really exist and the railways suddenly start to feel like local trains. Suddenly people started coming and pushing me as they wanted to sit. There was one lady and she wanted me to get up. She got very upset with me. I didn’t understand what she was saying. She was shouting at me in Marathi. I didn’t know what to say. I said 'this is my seat can I also sit?', but she started screaming. I got up and some other guy sat. I again said that it was my seat, and suddenly she slapped me. So I quietly stood outside. My train journeys have not been as romantic and beautiful as they have been in films.
Did you ever try to do 'Chaaya Chaaya' in real life? No yaar that was shot. You know except me everybody was tied on the train and that’s exactly why I could do the jumps. The dancers were all tied down, and that is why it was very difficult for them. The train was slow, it wasn’t so fast but many time those overhead bridges use to come and there was no communication like the speakers we have now. I remember Farah and the rest carried a white cloth. Every time they put it up it was meant to stop the song and bend down. It was very scary. Because even when you lie down it was like you could literally hear the bridge pass you. That song was shot guerrilla style. A couple of people inside the train fell. You know the train would stop and suddenly start. It was very difficult to shoot the song. It was fun, but difficult!