Sahir Lodhi opens up in insightful, yet morbid interview

Television presenter was extremely candid

Host and actor Sahir Lodhi was recently interviewed on the Cinevision YouTube channel. The conversation was insightful, at times morbid, and overall, a great way to understand Lodhi's personality. When asked about who Sahir is, Lodhi stated, "Sahir and Sahir Lodhi are two different people. Sahir is somebody that I know. Sahir Lodhi is somebody that everyone knows. Everyone has access to Sahir Lodhi. But only Sahir Lodhi has access to Sahir."

When asked why others can't know him, Lodhi said, "I'm not here to prove any point, nor am I here to explain my life story - I don't understand it myself. I think I'm quite private, I don't go to parties or anywhere else. I have a very limited set of friends. And I think differently. Due to that, I think I don't fit in that well." However, when he was asked if he felt he did not fit into the entertainment industry, he responded, "This industry has given me everything. I'm just a very private person, that's all. I've received everything from this industry - money, fame, respect, and a lot of love. [I've received] criticism, hate, jealousy."

Lodhi was asked about his preference in terms of the various media. "II say this in my interviews a lot - even if I'm dying, and someone whispers in my ear that I have to do radio, I might survive," said the star. He added, "I was always conscious of my face. A person should neither be delusional nor mistaken. I never thought that I was the guy whom people would see and their breaths would halt...When I was growing up, my skin was quite tan due to playing cricket. In fact, I was a lot more than tan. I faced a lot of criticism. I had one skill, I could speak a lot better. I understood later why God gave me this skill. I wanted to be a doctor but did not become one. I realised why this was so. God gave me the skill to talk, which is why, it's been 15 years now. I feel that whatever I say holds more weight, as opposed to the way I look."

Lodhi also reminisced about the time he spent with Bollywood superstars, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol Devgan. "We were sitting with Shah Rukh and Kajol, and they were talking. Shah Rukh Sahab goes, 'What does it mean? Your name?' I said, 'It means magician.' Kajol goes, 'So do you do magic on your show?'" Lodhi recalled, laughing at the absurdity of the exchange. 

He further added, "I don't think the conflict [between India and Pakistan] is between celebrities or even the common man. Someone here is facing the same kind of problems as someone there. Sahir Ludhianvi said a while back, 'Whether tanks proceed or retreat, the earth's womb is left barren. Thus, noble people, delaying wars is better. Within our homes, it is better if lights stay lit.' Both sides must listen to this." 

Talking about King Khan, the star shared, "Shah Rukh Sahab's inner core, as far as I could tell in our brief meeting, he's a very soulful person. One question that I asked - and whenever I've seen his interviews - everyone has a hollowness about them. We're all empty in our own ways...Everyone has that deficit, I do too, for another reason. Shah Rukh Sahab's deficit, according to whatever I've studied about him - he lost his father a long time ago."

Lodhi continued, "I asked him, and I remember that moment till this day, 'You missed your father so much that you assumed his responsibility and took on his role.' And he just kept looking at me. I could never forget that. That reminds you, that when a person has that connection with you, you get to know their soul...All of us have a flaw, a deficit. And that deficit is a part of someone else's existence. And we are only complete when we find that deficit...Often, we do not find it."

Speaking about his debut film, Lodhi revealed, "[Raasta] was my child, my brainchild. I felt I should do a film, so I did one. Raasta did not do too well in cinemas, as far as money is concerned. We received both praise and criticism. We were the most awaited and most [looked forward to] film at that time...However, a film being made well or not, doing well or not, is uncertain. Amitabh Bachchan's great saying goes, 'Making a bad film takes as much time as making a good film.' I've never worked in my life for results. I want to work, I'm passionate about it. Fame, money - these aren't my issues. At the end of the day, I will be wrapped in a shroud, placed six feet under, and I'll be dead...Within such a short life, small world, to hold such great feelings where I have grudges - all is forgiven. We're working on other films...Thank God I'm not producing it. 

Lodhi also shared a heartfelt incident involving his mother. When asked if he's worried about anything, he said, "Never, not even death. The only thing I'm scared of: my mother was sick, we were shooting Raasta, she was shifted to the ICU. I stopped shooting and went to the hospital. Mother was in the ICU, I held her hand. She looked at me and said, 'I'm not sad that I will die, I'm sad that when I die, where will I see you?' I'm not scared of being dead or alive - alive is perhaps more difficult...You don't know what's on the other side. And if you don't know, why worry?"

When asked about morning shows, Lodhi said, "It's just a show, it happens to be in the morning...You've fixed the target audience as women according to your understanding. This is not true. At the end of the day, I don't think I come first when it comes to ratings. I say one thing about myself: The ratings are where I am...Some people are going to watch me because they really hate me, some people are going to watch me because they really, really, really hate me. And a lot of people are going to watch me because they love me."

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