I feel old: Dr Shah Rukh Khan

Ironical, it is. Shah Rukh Khan is now a doctor; but he is also very pained.

He has been awarded a doctorate from the Bedfordshire University in UK for his contribution to arts and culture. “The honour brought me a lot of joy,’’ says SRK, who is currently on vacation with Gauri and his children Aryan and Suhana. He laughs when he is addressed as ‘Dr’ and says, “Somehow it makes me feel slightly older when someone calls me Dr Shah Rukh Khan.’’

Describing his time on the podium where he received the honour, he says, “Wearing that square cap with tassels tilted to the left, brought images of the heroes of the 70s; it was an oft-repeated thing in films those days. I didn’t know whether etiquette required me to take Aryan and Suhana along for the convocation ceremony. So I left the children behind.’’ Happily, Gauri was by his side when he received the honour. “I sincerely hope my parents could have watched this... and I hope that it was a proud moment for them wherever they are,’’ the Bollywood Badshah says emotionally.

It is five months since he underwent shoulder surgery, but SRK is still in pain. “I completed a long spell for Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan in San Francisco,’’ he says. “We got lucky because we had long days and could pack in ample work. However, my shoulder still hurts.’’ He recounts how he shot for a song sequence for Dulha Mil Gaya in which he has a guest appearance and strained his operated shoulder. The actor has been in touch with his surgeon in Mumbai and has been reassured that the recurring pain is part of the rehab, so he continues to go about his daily chores with enthusiasm.

“My shoulder makes strange clicking sounds,’’ he says. “However, I’ve been asked to open doors, lift small objects and keep giving it small doses of regular exercise,’’ he adds. The actor who lost a lot of muscle mass because he has been unable to do any active bodybuilding, says his main regret is that Anubhav Sinha’s Ra 1, Farah Khan’s Happy New Year and Farhan Akhtar’s Don-2 will be postponed by three-four months.

“However, there is heavy duty action involved in these films and I can’t attempt that till such time as my shoulder is completely healed,” says SRK enthused by the very thought of being able to participate in the ‘filmi action’ that he so revels in.

And, since he is just not the type to sit around doing nothing, right now Bollywood’s biggest icon is indulging in a game of cricket with his children at Hyde Park in central London. “I also promised the children that I will wear the black cape and square hat and do a repeat of the convocation ceremony for them because they missed the occasion,’’ he says.