‘I LOVE BEING A SUPERSTAR’

Not mincing words, Shah Rukh Khan says it’s ‘the greatest thing to be’, nothing negative in stardom

Actor Shah Rukh Khan is someone who knows what stardom is like. And, he loves everything about it! SRK, 51, recently completed 25 years in Bollywood, and the reigning star, unlike many others, says there’s nothing negative about all the fame and success. Excerpts What’s the worst thing about being a superstar? I watched a Madonna interview when I was young. Someone asked her, ‘What do you want to be?’ Her answer: ‘Rich, famous and I want it forever.’ I’m unabashedly like that! I wish stardom upon everyone. I think it’s the greatest thing to be. There’s no negative to being a star as long as you don’t lose hair. Otherwise, there will be issues (laughs) How would you define stardom? Stardom is not controlled by me... If I knew [about] it, I’d tell my son to become one... I’m just hard-working, goodlooking, sexy and talented. You and your son AbRam waved to fans from the balcony of your house, Mannat, on Eid. What does it mean to you? For a few special days such as Diwali, Eid, or my birthday, people create an environment that I have to share with them. ... I’ve started to get bigger opportunities to do that. My family is bigger now... it’s in thousands. I’m fortunate the numbers have increased.

Do you remember how the last 25 years [in the industry] have gone by? A few days back, I was sitting with my kids and (wife) Gauri, and I was like, ‘Yeh kaise chale gaye 25 saal.’ She was also like, ‘How did it happen.’ In my personal and professional life, these 25 years have passed in a blink. My family asks me, ‘How do you do this every day?’ Mujhe lagta hai maine parson hi shuru kiya hai toh abhi toh wahi excitement hai.’ Do you think you have managed to retain the innocence and simplicity that you came with into the industry? I think I have managed to retain it because my children say it to me, ‘Papa, people don’t know this but you are too simple.’ So, bahar se lagta hai arre bada ghar hai, mujhe na shauk kisi cheez ka nahi hai, main badi simple life lead karta hoon. I have thousands of clothes and hundreds of shoes, but I wear the same ones which I like and roam in them. I don’t think the simplicity is gone but the experience has increased. I can’t deny that. The experience, of course, sometimes makes me think more. But, I think, when it comes to a choice, simplicity and innocence win every time.

PHOTO: AFP

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