Shah Rukh Khan doesn't fret over top-star status

The commercial success of others has never made him feel "any lesser or more successful," Khan, who turned 42 Friday, told The Times of India newspaper.

Over the past decade, Indian movie magazines have given Khan the highest rating in polls on the country's best actors, but stars like Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar are serious contenders for the top slot.

"Today the concept of a single star ruling seems to be slowly phasing out," said Khan. "It's like a league of movie stars, all very secure, happy, singing, dancing."

Bollywood - India's prolific movie industry - is famous for romantic, musical films filled with song and dance numbers that often have little connection to the plot.

Khan has acted in more than 50 movies. He played the coach of an Indian women's hockey team in his recent blockbuster "Chak De" or "Go for it."

He compared Bollywood's number-one slot to professional tennis rankings that change based on current performance. "It's beautiful. Aamir, Salman, Akshay and I, we are all big stars today," Khan said. "It's like tennis ranking. One Grand Slam and there you go."

The Canadian Press