What's ra-cking the world of Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh in Ra.One. PICTURE BY ARANYA SEN

He doesn’t believe in link-ups with heroines, so he chooses to endorse Linc pens! PJ? Well, everyone laughed when Shah Rukh Khan said it at ITC, The Sonar on Tuesday evening when the Bollywood superstar launched a new product from the pen brand.

Within minutes of touching down in town in the afternoon, Shah Rukh had called t2. “Hi, I have just landed... I have a lot of programmes lined up at ITC. How long will it take you to come down to the hotel?” If the King is calling, it better be fast, like the Goopy-Bagha taali. But taking the monsoon and michhil traffic mess into account, we say “30-45” minutes.

“Okay, I will call you over, once I am free.”

We reached, he rocked. As always.

Do the painful losses of the Knight Riders haunt you when you come to Calcutta now?

No, no, not at all! From the moment I come out of the airport in Calcutta and I find a sea of people waiting for me, I just feel that I have returned to my other home. It’s always a good feeling. In fact, Calcutta reminds me more of football. I think Calcutta is the motherland of soccer in India. Apart from Calcutta, Tamil Nadu and Goa, football has no importance in the rest of the country.

Your tweets during the World Cup showed your love for football. Do you love the sport even more than cricket?

Oh yes, I love football. Right from the time I was a child. Football sab se sasti aur tikaau khel hai. It’s not like cricket. I remember when we were small, only the guy who had the bat called the shots. Jiske paas bat hota hai, woh hero hota hai! All of us couldn’t afford to play cricket. But for football, you don’t need anything. Just get out there and run. Football gives you an instant kick. I think every kid should play football. Abhi cricketers bhi kitni badmaashi kar rahein hain (wry dimpled grin). Footballer log sirf ladkiyon ke saath bhaagte hain! That’s okay. Also, both my kids (Aryan and Suhana) play football. So, I love the sport.

"I learnt very early in life that whenever there is a choice between peace of mind and piece of ass, go for the former" — Shah Rukh Khan

But you still own a cricket team!

(Laughs a little) Arre, these three years we made so many plans and strategies around our team. So many ideas, so many thoughts. And every time we thought that ab toh hum kamaal karenge but baar baar haar gaye. Dil bahut dukhta hai. In fact, I was supposed to come for this event sometime back. But it was right after we lost another season and I cancelled that last meet. I am happy for the city, though. I am sure sports is getting promoted here because of Kolkata Knight Riders. But you know, it’s very important to win. Hopefully after all the controversies (around IPL) are over, we will make fresh strategies. And next time, saare ke saare teams ko KKR 100 per cent harayega!

You’ve been busy with your home production Ra.One. It’s brand new territory for you...

Ra.One is an expensive film. Ra.One is a big film. I hope kids like the film. It’s not an out-and-out only-for kids film but I hope the parents take them to the theatres and they have fun. We have worked really hard on the film. We have used new technology for the film. I believe innovation is very important today in cinema. Especially for the new generation. Nowadays our films do well in Europe and USA. I am known as an overseas star, anyway. But maybe we are losing out on our own audience. The young audience who have started thinking that we cannot match up to the world in terms of technology and science. That we are not just good enough.

Shah Rukh in Ra.One.

Ra.One is a step towards that direction, to tell everyone that we can. It’s a superhero film. I have worn the undies outside (laughs cheekily). But seriously, it’s about goodness. I had loved Krrish which was a superhero film with a message. This is the same, a couple of notches higher.

You even got Karan Johar to direct a scene in the film like Robert Rodriguez had got Quentin Tarantino to direct a scene in Sin City...

Karan was in London at that time. And he was shopping. That’s the only thing he does when he is not making films! Now, Ra.One is a very expensive film. And I knew Karan cannot take money from me. Also he has the expertise in shooting emotional scenes. So I called him over. Anubhav (Sinha, director of Ra.One) was very happy with the idea. We need good vibes on a project. That’s not just the secret of a good film, but also the secret of life. If tomorrow Karan needs Anubhav to direct an action scene, he will do it.

But your enemies in the industry have been growing by the day...

‘Football sab se sasti aur tikaau khel hai. I think every kid should play football. Abhi cricketers bhi kitni badmaashi kar rahein hain (wry dimpled grin). Footballer log sirf ladkiyon ke saath bhaagte hain!’ — Shah Rukh Khan

See, these things like enmity and fighting... I don’t think I am at that age anymore. My two kids... one is 12 and the other is 10... can go and have a fight with other kids. That’s okay. I don’t feel ill about anyone. I don’t even feel nice about anyone. I just don’t think about them. I am selfish that way. I think about myself, my films and my friends.

In My Name is Khan, you told us you play a superhero with only one super power — humanity. Now you are actually playing a superhero. What next?

Thoda bahut acting seekh loon! People believe I can’t act. Just because I am cheerful and jovial and look good, doesn’t mean that I can’t act. Aishwarya (Rai) and Katrina (Kaif) have the same problem. Only if you look bad and your hair is not in place, you are considered a good actor.

See, for me, jo mann ko bha jaaye, wohi achha hai. If I can make you happy in those two-and-a-half hours in the dark theatre, I am happy. Serious acting ke liye toh poori life baki hai. Abhi chhichhodapan se kaam chala lunga.

SRK on why he has no link-ups

I learnt very early in life that whenever there is a choice between peace of mind and piece of ass, go for the former. My wife (Gauri) is a Punjabi and she can really hit me if she wants to. Main sirf kaam karta hoon... boring kism ka aadmi hoon. Also, I believe that my wife is the most beautiful woman in the world. It’s been 27 years now that we know each other. Ab toh aadat ho gayi hai...