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When Shah Rukh Khan made Brad Pitt do his signature pose - arms wide open

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Suhani Singh
Suhani SinghMay 25, 2017 | 14:05

When Shah Rukh Khan made Brad Pitt do his signature pose - arms wide open

On Wednesday (May 24), Mumbai got a pleasant surprise when Brad Pitt decided to make a pit stop in the Bollywood capital to promote his latest release, the Netflix-produced film, War Machine.

Based on Michael Hastings’ book, The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan, about the failed exploits of General Stanley McChrystal, War Machine is an anti-war satire which follows the misadventures of the self-obsessed General Glen McMahon (Brad Pitt) and his band of ill-equipped brothers who are brought in to resolve the rising insurgency in Afghanistan.

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Brad Pitt sat down for an interview with Shah Rukh Khan.

Starring an ensemble of talented actors, including Ben Kingsley, Topher Grace, Will Poulter, Anthony Michael Hall, Emory Cohen and Keith Stanfield, the film will be available to stream on Netflix from May 26.

Pitt arrived in Mumbai in the wee hours of May 24 along with his producing partners from Plan B Entertainment, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, better known as the award-winning producers of the latest Oscar-winning film Moonlight. With Netflix keeping his visit confidential, Pitt managed to evade the airport shutterbugs. The pictures that he did agree to pose for were taken on the rooftop of Oberoi Trident Towers in Mumbai where he was staying.

His interactions with the media were limited. Pitt sat down for an interview with Shah Rukh Khan, whose company Red Chillies recently signed a lucrative deal with Netflix making its movie catalogue available to the streaming giant. Later, writer-director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom, The Rover) joined in the conversation to talk specifically about his third feature.

The interview itself was low on highlights with Pitt in particular striking a more reserved tone, sticking to one-line answers and not offering much insight about his acting craft and his popular films. Instead he was more willing to talk about his work as producer with Plan B and why he feels that Netflix, which has faced considerable backlash at Cannes Film festival in France for refusing to release its productions in theatres, is relevant to show business. 

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“I find it really rewarding to be able to open the doorways for other filmmakers to tell their stories and putting those out in the world,” he said of Plan B, which has acclaimed films to its credit, including The Tree of Life and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. About Netflix, he said, “We made a film like we make a film. If anything we had possible even more freedom than we normally did.”

There were brief moments of genuine mirth and they came when Pitt was more curious about how Bollywood works. There was a question on how long does it take to shoot a film and about the dancing tradition in Indian cinema. Pitt told Khan that he doesn’t stand a chance in Bollywood because he “just can’t dance”, adding he can't sing either. Asking about the dance rehearsal process, Pitt asked Shah Rukh Khan about the process and Khan, exuding his trademark charm, downplayed his terpsichorean skills.

Khan said he gave up on rehearsals a decade or so ago, relying on the choreographers to save his face and stuck to what he knows best — demonstrating the arms wide open pose. He managed to quickly teach Pitt the iconic move and offered to give him more tips in his next visit. 

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As soon as the 50-minute conversation ended, Pitt had one more surprise up his sleeves. The actor then made his way to PVR Phoenix where the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image, which as part of its MAMI Year Round programme, had organised a special screening for its members. This time around, Pitt was accompanied not just by Michod but even producers Gardner and Kleiner for a conversation. 

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Pitt with writer-director David Michôd and producers Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner. (Photo: Twitter)

The visit marks the first time Netflix has made its intent clear that it considers India a pivotal market. The streaming giant, which faces stiff competition from local players like HotStar and Voot as well its international rival, Amazon Prime Video, which offers its services for a nominal fee, has also ventured into outdoor advertising with billboards flashing the arrival of the latest season of House of Cards.  

Last updated: May 26, 2017 | 14:15
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