Veteran actor-writer M M Faruqui, popularly known as Lilliput, recently shared his candid thoughts on superstar Shah Rukh Khan. During a new interaction, Lilliput reflected on SRK’s performance in Zero, questioned his script choices, and also explained why action-heavy films like Jawan don’t appeal to him.
‘Shah Rukh didn’t leave any stone unturned’ in Zero
Speaking about Shah Rukh Khan’s portrayal of Bauua Singh in Zero, Lilliput acknowledged the actor’s sincerity and hard work, even though he felt the film itself did not work effectively.“He tried his best. Shah Rukh didn’t leave any stone unturned. He worked with complete honesty and dedication. But if something is not effective, what can the poor man do? It’s like saying someone is very handsome, but they don’t look good on screen,” Lilliput told Siddharth Kannan.The 2018 film, directed by Aanand L. Rai, saw Shah Rukh play a vertically challenged man and was one of the most ambitious projects of his career, though it failed to perform as expected at the box office.
On predicting Zero’s fate
When asked if he had predicted the film’s box office failure, Lilliput clarified that he never made such a bold claim.“I didn’t have that kind of courage, brother. What I had said was that a lot of money had been spent on the film. Now it is for the audience to decide what the film really is,” he explained.“I’m not a critic. I’m not that educated either that I can analyze something deeply and give a judgment.”
Questions SRK’s script sense
During the conversation, Lilliput also spoke about what he believes could be a gap in Shah Rukh Khan’s script choices, even while acknowledging the superstar’s sincerity.“Yes, absolutely. I did say that,” he said when asked if he had earlier remarked that Shah Rukh sometimes chooses weak scripts.“Because after watching Shah Rukh’s films, it feels like he doesn’t have the same sense of scripts that Aamir Khan has.”He added that even the biggest personalities can have shortcomings.“When you become successful, it doesn’t mean you have become God. You are still a human being. No matter how great a person is, they will have flaws. Did Mahatma Gandhi not have flaws? Did Rabindranath Tagore not have flaws? Did Maulana Abul Kalam Azad not have flaws?”He further emphasised that criticism should be taken constructively.“You may work with complete honesty, and Shah Rukh certainly works with honesty. There is no doubt about that. But many people don’t have a sense of scripts. He may not have it either. And that’s not something shameful or bad.”
On SRK’s superstardom
Addressing the question of how Shah Rukh Khan became one of India’s biggest stars despite such criticism, Lilliput pointed to the banners and filmmakers he collaborated with.“If you look at his films, most of them are films made by outside banners, like Yash Raj Films and others,” he said.“By ‘outside’, I mean films that are not his own home production where he himself is the producer. When he works as a producer, the writer and director sometimes compromise. They might say yes to things easily.”He reiterated that no individual excels in everything and that such criticism should not be taken negatively.
Why he didn’t enjoy Jawan
Lilliput also shared his personal dislike for violent films while discussing Shah Rukh Khan’s blockbuster Jawan.“I didn’t like it. Personally, I don’t like violent films at all,” he said.“These action-heavy films, in my opinion, are very harmful to society. Because I believe society functions through imitation. Since the beginning of civilization, human beings copy what they see.”Explaining his perspective, he added that social practices often spread through imitation — whether it is buying expensive items, following trends, or even relationships.“Society runs on copying. Someone buys a car, and I feel I should also have a car. Someone has a love marriage, and suddenly I also feel like I’m in love. This is the truth. And anyone who denies this reality is a complete fool.”
