All a-twitter: In conversation with the notorious Kamaal R Khan

Type KRK (Kamaal Rashid Khan) on Google and the backlash seems neverending against the man for whom Twitter, it appears, is a virtual toilet to flush, as some say, verbal diarrhoea. Among the many outcomes of being the 'twit' in Twitter, like some say, was an FIR backed by the Maharashtra State Women Commission for harassing 18 actresses – from Alia Bhatt being called a "bacchi in a panty" for a bikini photoshoot to Asin being a recipient of "goodnight, good morning" kisses daily. Sonakshi Sinha, who he really riled up, had tweeted he "deserves to be hung upside down and given 4 tight slaps (sic)."

KRK's more-spoiler-than-movie-reviews on his YouTube channel from a wooden seat and an in-your-face camera-angle seals scripts, dialogues, music and action with volatile phrases "Bahut hi vahiyat/ghatiya/kharaab (bad)" or "Kya c******** hai" with a gunshot graphic that echoes the leitmotif pistol pendant around his neck.

KRK lives up to what Madonna once said: "I'm like a cockroach. You can't get rid of me."

We had incidentally met the Twit-terati at his Versova bungalow a month ago. Initial goosebumps and skin-crawl die over his calm reasoning and his man-Friday at the main door chasing flies with a swatter in hand.

Getting candid

We start with his current controversies. Like the defamation case over his allegation about director Vikram Bhatt's casting couch. This one's clearly an ouch for KRK. "Maybe because his films flopped and I rated them negatively. I later apologised to him." Did he respond? "Shaayad (Maybe)," is the ambiguous reply.

On his poll to find a Kim Kardashian butt in Bollywood, he asserts, "If the same thing was said at the AIB roast, it wouldn't matter. If you're so conservative, what's Sunny Leone doing in the industry?"

What about Photoshopping Shah Rukh Khan's tweet? 'If Narendra Modi became PM, he would leave the country?' "Because (my) handle is not verified," a hassled KRK offers,

Why so? "I don't know," he feigns, "My Facebook profile is. There are many duplicate handles in my name with my face. I don't have time for such things. I learnt Twitter with great difficulty"

And pray, why did he "learn" Twitter? "Easy fame," he quips.

By the time we get to his credentials as a film critic, KRK's back in form. "Other critics give stars depending on what their editors say. I only review for fame and to save people's money." So is there no good critic? "Only Anupama Chopra," he says and modestly adds, "But honest critics...none like me."

He's aghast that we're aghast with his views. "Have you ever read about me having an affair? Some heroines and their directors, who I won't name, ask me to tweet about their films for publicity." This rings a bell to the Ajay Devgn-Karan Johar face-off.

He brushes aside talk of his four wives and a girlfriend. "I just have one wife and two kids in Dubai. If I do something like this, my conservative family will throw me out. I can't even hire a girl in any of my offices!"

But what about the girl who answered our call to his Versova office? "Yes, but only in Mumbai," he shifts the goalpost sheepishly.

On the fake accounts to increase "fan-following," he rattles off names of "real" followers – Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Johar, Vivek Oberoi and Riteish Deshmukh.

Amitabh Bachchan is a name tough to digest, though the Big B inaugurated www.krkboxoffice.com despite KRK slamming Abhishek's film, Happy New Year, 15 days prior. "That was the media's first question at the launch. But he's a mahanayak. He said, 'Maybe he (KRK) felt it deserved one star. Why should I feel bad about it? He's doing his job and we're doing ours'."

How it started

Big B was why KRK ran away from his village in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh to become hero when only 12, and also why he entered Bigg Boss 3 later.

"I loved watching his movies in tent ke cinema that came to our village. He inspired me to become an actor." So much so that he fled to Mumbai. But sleeping on the streets soon saw his Bollywood dreams go kaput and he took off to Delhi. Here, he says, he got a diploma in air conditioning and began a recruitment firm for overseas employment in 1996. He is vague about joining these dots.

In time, KRK concluded that fame weighs more than money. So he returned to his Bollywood dreams, produced his first film, Sitam (2005) and debuted as actor with Deshdrohi (2008). Despite the government ban on it for the controversial plot on Bihari migrants, he's proud. "I got publicity so mera maksad pura ho gaya." Today he owns a garment export company, Kamal Fashion, four wholesale showrooms in Saudi Arabia, the recruitment firm, and some real estate.

Before he poses against a wall of his photographs that scream narcissism, KRK says he get 8-10 bespoke suits made every month. "I'm 90 per cent a businessman. People won't take me seriously if I don't wear one."

Lastly, why "Two rupees person?" "'Do kaudi ke log' is so poorana zamana. College kids can understand this denomination."