Saurabh Shukla: I have never had a personal PR running behind me

For actor Saurabh Shukla, who has been a part of the industry for more than two decades now, the idea of success has never been tied to expensive cars and more, a visible symbol that often dominates conversations around actors today. In an industry where perception can sometimes overshadow performance, he draws a clear, almost old-school distinction between personal choices and professional worth, insisting that the two should never be confused.

While he admits that he enjoys the finer things in life, he says they shouldn’t define him as an actor. “I love driving, I enjoy cars. I have a taste for expensive cars,” he says. “But I prefer not showing all that. I prefer to be known for my work, my talent. Whether I drive a certain car or not, whether I show it or don’t show it, that is not going to decide how good an actor I am. These are completely separate things,” he explains, pushing back against the growing tendency to equate lifestyle with success. “If you start believing that these things define you, then there is a problem. They are just personal choices, nothing more.”

Further elaborating his thoughts, the actor addresses the industry’s increasing dependence on PR, hype culture, and image-building. The 63-year-old does not deny its relevance; in fact, he acknowledges it as an essential part of the ecosystem but also asserts its limitations.

“Dekhiye, mai bina PR ke chalta hoon. Itne salon mei mera koi PR nahi raha hai, meri toh bathroom ki tilon ke bare mei koi charcha nahi kar raha, aur kare bhi kyu.” He adds, “PR is important, it is a part of the strategy. It helps your work reach people, it helps people know that something is coming. But it cannot replace the work itself. You cannot build yourself only on hype, because eventually the audience is not staying for that. They stay for what you do on screen.”

Unlike many of his contemporaries navigating a hyper-visible space, Shukla, who recently directed Jab Khuli Kitab, says he has largely stayed away from a constant, personality-driven PR machinery. “In my entire career, I have never had a personal PR running behind me all the time. It was always project to project,” he shares. “But it never stopped me. People still know me, they connect with my work. That has always been enough and that’s how it should be,” he ends.