Too Old To Give Up Bad Habits

Megastar Shahrukh Khan regaled a wide-eyed audience of fans and media persons in Kolkata on Friday with his characteristic wit and a promise to cut down on smoking.

Though it was a press conference to announce the inauguration of the annexe building of a city hospital, which he endorsed free of cost, the larger than life image of the star prevailed as the soft spoken gentleman charmed everyone with his ready wit.

"The organisers have told me that they are distributing Rs 40 lakh among needy patients because I have just turned 40. I will meet you all again when I turn 100!" the 'King' Khan said as he handed over cheques to poor patients.

Even young women journalists and policemen on duty could not resist taking pictures of the star on their mobile phones.

"I met old ladies in the wards of this hospital. And I met one lady whose nephew had broken his head trying to dance like me...I'm glad she let me go unscathed," he said.

To a question if he thought the law on banning on-screen smoking was any good, he said, "I respect the law. But where does such censorship stop? Creativity needs to be left alone, I feel."

On his own habit of chain smoking, Khan said," It is injurious to health. It is a bad habit. Anybody who doesn't smoke must not get into it ever. As for me, I am too old to give up bad habits!"

Known to smoke as many as 80 cigarettes a day, Khan, however, said he had cut down his smoking and wanted to quit altogether.