Next movie, I’m just going to wear an underwear over tights and be a superhero: Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan is shooting a dreamy number for his home production Om Shanti Om at Yashraj Studios and you wonder whether he can switch into Chak De India mode. He does, telling you all about how he played hockey with his father and how his son can beat him at soccer.

Does your role in Chak De India mirror your real feelings on hockey?

This film is my take on sports in general, hockey, cricket or football, plus the role that women should play in society.

See, every year I do a film like that. I love women and make no bones about it. I have an immense amount of respect for them. I think I’m brought up like that because being with my mom early, then my sister, then my wife. Even my best friends are girls, whether it’s Farah or Juhi. I like girls more than guys.

Did your father teach you hockey?

Yeah, we used to play together. Like I play hockey with my son. Whatever sport I’m at, my rule is that I teach him for a year and then he should overtake me. In soccer, he’s much better than what I was at his age. Of course, he’s smaller so I can push him around.

Even my daughter — I want her to be a runner and swimmer. Because she’s good at that, not because I’m pushing her. I think she runs like a gazelle (laughs).

I run with her every evening or whenever we get time. I would like to encourage them and hope they start beating me. My dad did the same. Even in chess.

In your school magazine, you were the star sportsman in hockey, cricket and soccer.

Yeah, I was (grins) but now I don’t play as well.

Which was your favourite?

I think I played hockey the best. Then I was a very good wicketkeeper and soccer came next. I wasn’t very good at soccer, but I had stamina. You know midfield, running around, giving my life for the game.

Apparently you hated the beard in Chak De...

Yeah yeah, I don’t like it. I’ve never grown a beard. You take a bath, but it doesn’t make you look clean in the morning. My daughter wouldn’t kiss me.

Yes, during Paheli they hated the moustache…

Yeah, I think my kids hate me with moustaches and beards. Next movie, I’m just going to wear an underwear over tights and be a superhero. They don’t like me with all this stuff.

I think they have an image of a father in the house who’s easygoing and soft, clean-shaven. My daughter gets very disturbed. My son is very conscious of how I dress up.

He doesn’t like me wearing churidars and achkans. My daughter is very opinionated with my hair, beard, moustache. She’d say, ‘I don’t like it papa, I won’t kiss you.’ Even I don’t like it. I like my cotton clothes and hair all ruffled.

What do they think of your long hair now?

My daughter is ok with it because she looks a lot more like me now. They don’t mind my long hair. See once I bathe, it just flops in front. They like it.

How do youngsters treat sport today as opposed to when you were playing?

I would like my children to be sportspeople above actors, actresses or producers — if they chose to. I would be really proud. I feel proud when I see kids wearing studs on a soccer field.

I go every Sunday now to play soccer. I take my son. I have this group that’s very good — Dino and all — they allow me to play. I think I must be the oldest there so they are kind to me.

I play with my kids — I’m now clearing up a place in my house and asking my wife if we can make a soccer field there. I play any game. I play pittoo with my children, breaking those stones.

You have to sweat in a day. I remember when I initially started doing movies, when I did Dilwale, I didn’t think that I had done a good film because I hadn’t sweated. It was a love story and I had never done one before that. You have to sweat everyday.

I make it a point to play an hour every day, even if it’s Playstation in the night. In my house, we play dog and the bone, langdi, chor sipahi, soccer, badminton, everything.

Except swimming, I’m not good at that. My kids are always sweating, always dirty — I love it. I believe kids till the age of 15 should be disheveled, dirty, sweaty, rolling in the mud and have marks all over them. And their shoes should always stink.

ShradhaSukumaran, MidDay