SRK: an actor, a host, a producer, a husband and a father

If you think earning lots of moolah is the only thing on Shah Rukh Khan’s mind, think again.

The actor who already has helped set up a pediatric ward at a city hospital now wants to set up a ward for cancer patients too. "I get embarrassed to talk about such things. The hospital people were kind enough to name the pediatric ward after my mother. I hope to set up a centre for cancer patients later this year," he reveals. But that’s not all, SRK even has plans to set up a hospital.

"That’s my final dream. Though I don’t know when that will be possible. I keep telling my wife that I have to do this and she keeps telling me that I can do it only when I stop doing the other things," he says.
But of course, there’s loads of work to be done too. Besides his role, that of a host in Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai?, the actor is back at the studios doing what he does best acting!

His two films this year are Billoo Barber and Aditya Chopra’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. But there’s no denying the fact that we are seeing a lot of SRK on the small screen than the big one. "It’s not that I am too much on TV, it’s just that there’s lot of TV happening these days. Cinema is no more the only form of entertainment. We are talking about watching films on mobile phones. Five years from now, I may be doing a movie that may be released on cellphones. Does that mean I become smaller or has the reach increased," he questions. And the talk of his big comeback on TV, doesn’t impress SRK much. "This thing of ‘you started with TV and came back to TV...’ I have always been on TV."

But aren’t there too many endorsements, shows, etc that he’s doing on TV? "No, just day before yesterday I was thinking I am doing very less," he smiles the famous dimpled smile. Be it films, TV or cricket, SRK has conquered every pitch. It looks like the name SRK is now synonymous with success. "For success you need to know that you can go wrong and yet go ahead and do it. People who do wrong things, like stealing or murder, have overcome the thought that this is wrong. They have found their justification. Positively, if we apply the same, it will work. As soon as you accept that this can go wrong, the fear of failure decreases. If tomorrow I face failure, I hope I can say I enjoyed failure too," he philosophises.

Astrologers and industry people often talk about the brilliant planetary positions that SRK has been blessed with, so is luck as important for his success? "Giving all the credit to luck takes away from the hard work involved. People will say I got a good show and it’s our luck that the show’s doing well. But there’s a lot of hard work involved here. I am not successful by luck, but because I am in the right place. I am not special. Eight years ago I thought I was, but after that, I think there is a set of audience that likes my work," he states matter-of-factly.

And despite spending so many years in the industry, Shah Rukh thrives on one thing, "Giving a perfect shot. Be it in films or TV. For example, when I get the timing of a joke right. I can live off it for 10-20 days." But hosting is one thing that tires even the super-energetic King Khan. "TV work is very difficult. Especially quiz shows. It’s almost live. Also, there are many factors like unknown contestants, dealing with kids, the 200 lights and after all that, there’s a deadline to adhere to. I can work for 20 hours. I can dance, fight, do press conferences and not get tired, but with this I get tired. Also a show like Kya Aap... needs something from the host. There is a certain responsibility and I never shirk away from responsibilities. But yes, it is tiring and I get a headache at the end of the day. But the problem is when I return home, my kids want me to ask them the same questions again. So I have to sit down and do that," he says.

An actor, a host, a producer, a husband and a father. SRK has many roles, so who’s the real SRK? He says, "Honestly, even I don’t know myself. You keep acting the whole day. You do lot of things that are larger than life. Lines start getting blurred after a point. The closest I came to playing myself was in KBC and now this show. On the show I emote the way I would in real life."