They’ve all run away: Shahrukh Khan

His Ra.One may be a massive VFX extravaganza but after the release of the superhero flick and the sequel to Don, Shah Rukh Khan wants to make a “small” romantic comedy.

Khan reveals that he’s been meeting with newer directors to work out the logistics of the movie. “But no one wants to make a small film with me,” he jokes. “I’ve had a chat with a lot of wonderful, new guys like Anurag Basu, Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Bharadwaj and I’ve told them that I want to make a small, interesting and stylised purely romantic film on characters my age. I want to produce it under the Red Chillies banner, but no one’s come up with a script yet.”

Shahrukh KhanAfter seeing the success of recent small-budget Hindi films, Khan thinks that small is the new big, and is determined to make one too. “I’m already making a low-budget, sweet film about college and high school kids called Always Kabhi Kabhi, directed by Roshan Abbas, which should release in the next few months,” he says.

The superstar admits that small films are commercially viable but insists that’s not why he’s made the movie. “It has the same idea as 3 Idiots, that parents expect certain things of their children, and there’s a lot of pressure on the children when they start falling short of those expectations. It’s a sweet film, and I hope youngsters like it.”

Despite being a big budget movie star, Khan insists, “I have always believed in small, cosy films and from the beginning of my career, I’ve done many, be it Yes Boss or Chalte Chalte. I don’t know what I’m doing after Don 2 wraps up in February, so I’ve approached a lot of directors, but they’ve all run away! They believe that if they make a film with Shah Rukh Khan, it should be a big film.”

Though he’s at the shoot of the youth fashion brand, Belmonte, of which he is the ambassador, Khan says that he wants to make films that appeal to every section of the audience.

“It’s very important for me that absolutely everyone can watch my movies,” he says. “I’ve always respected the tastes of the people. My mom used to tell me, ‘Eat what you like to eat but wear clothes that people like to see.’ Even with Belmonte, the range of clothes I endorse appeals to all consumers. So, it’s fortunate that the brand mirrors what I wear in real life.”