He came, he mouthed dialogues from his super-hit films and he conquered. In his own signature style. And very few can say ‘Kem cho Amdavad’ with so much of warmth. Well, when you are talking about superstar Shah Rukh Khan, everything has to be in perfect harmony.
And yes, he didn’t forget to promote his friend Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots. “3 Idiots is a very nice film, I want each one of you to see it,” says Shah Rukh who came to Ahmedabad after a decade. “I hardly get time to go on a holiday, I travel only while I am shooting. The city roads are very beautiful here. I have friends here whom I call Jaybhai and Juhiben,” he laughs. And he loves his share of “khandvi, dhokla and theplas. I love Gujarati food.”
Talking about his forthcoming film My Name Is Khan, SRK who was in town to inaugurate a miniplex in the city says, “It has got nothing to do with my real name. My last film was Billoo. It is the subject of the film and this is the name that suits the film. It is just a co-incidence.” clarifies SRK.
And after years, he’s back with Kajol on the silver screen and the entire nation is waiting to see them together. And when the film is directed by Karan Johar, it has to be more special. “They (Karan and Kajol) both are talented. I am working with Kajol after years — she is marvellous and beautiful. Karan feels a lot for me — whenever he wishes to cast me, he writes a film for me,” he says.
The film is different from what he has done in the past. So is it a conscious decision to do such a film? “I am not someone who believes to doing a film just because it is off beat. There is something special in every role I do. The essence is that I leave something of me in every role — not 100 per cent. This role is very special as it is more technical and I had to learn a lot about it,” he says.
And he dismisses all talks of reinventing himself as an actor. “I am the same old actor. When people question me I really look back and think but I feel people love characters like Rahul or Raj because they are different. Every role is different and I am not reinventing myself as an actor,” says SRK.
In the midst of talks on films and success, he adds, “I wasn’t supposed to work for nine months after my surgery but I did work on a slow pace. I believe the show must go on. This is also the price a star has to pay. But the good thing was that I got to spend a lot of time with my kids. Both my children boss over me and it is meant to be like that. My strength to work in such situations comes from my family and people who love to watch me,” he says.
And how does he see tomorrow? On a philosophical note, he says, “I am where I never thought I would be. I got much more that what I had expected. I am strong believer in God, hard work and honesty. My family and my close relationships keep me grounded and they are more important than my career. My family likes me as a person and not because I am an actor. I never mix the two. I don’t know how much I earn or how many awards I have received.”
And yes, the man who has ruled many hearts across the world has a word of advice: “Money is a good thing to run after. It is very important to be financially stable but you have to keep your wrongs and rights in mind. Don’t shy away from earning but without selling your soul.”