'Dimple Darling' of Bollywood SRK

Interview excerpts

Prateeksha: There are so many epithets being showered on him at this point that I don't know what I can call him, so let me ask him. So SRK, all of 42 years... young, should I say? What should I call you?

Shah Rukh: You can call me anything you want. I have been called worse, and better than this! It's not important what i am called, it's important what I do. With the years that I have been given in this line of work and otherwise. But I am happy with whatever you call me, you say whatever you want to.

Prateeksha: Could we call you 'Dimple Darling' - because since we were children we have been identifying you with that?

Shah Rukh: Yeah that sounds nice. But there are so many people I see with dimples now. Kiron Kher has dimples, Shreyas Talpade has dimples, Deepika Padukone has big dimples - the other day my kids were trying to compare my dimples with everybody eles's - But yes, Dimple Darling is good. I am the original Dimple Darling.

Prateeksha: Completely. Now, this year we were all surprised by SRK's new leaner, meaner look that he sprung on us, so what are we looking forward to next year?

Shah Rukh: As an actor if I get an opportunity - as a performer more than an actor - to entertain people in different ways I never have shirked that - whether through serious cinema like say 'Chak De' or a family show like 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'. I always like to go ahead and try something new. I know there will be times when people may not like it, there are a lot of comparisons, sometimes they are good and sometimes they are bad.

But as someone who believes that I can entertain a lot of people through television, through films and through magazines I give it the best shot. So I haven't planned anything for next year - this year has hopefully been a good one, KBCs and 'Chak De' and now 'Om Shanti Om'.

And when I say it's a good year it's not about the success but whether people have been happy, have I been able to make more people happy than I did last year.

Prateeksha: Over 15 years how would you rate the importance of the people who made you King Khan - would it be the fans, the critics, or the film makers you have worked with?

Shah Rukh: I think everybody has a little bit of input, but over the last three-four years I have realised that I am right in the middle of what is - and rightly so - the most happening platform or aspect of India right now, which is the media. - whether it's entertainment, news, television or internet - I would first like to thank you guys.

I mean, everybody has been very fair to me. There have been incidents where I have gotten disturbed with some stories, sometimes people talk about xyz, but it's absolutely alright. I think overall the media has been very kind to me. Thank you for making me the star I am.

More than that I have always said and always will maintain that maybe I do not deserve this much, but only because of the goodness of the audience - so I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. And I will work day and night and put in my blood and sweat to make sure that I will never let you down. Till I am alive and working in front of a camera I will try to pass on entertainment to everyone. Obviously my directors have been good also - I think life has been more than fair to me.

Prateeksha Menon, TimesNow