While celebrating 30 years of his journey in the film industry, Shah Rukh Khan remembered how he felt awkward while romancing “way younger” co-stars on screen but had to act like their age as part of his job.
Be it Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’s Rahul or Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’s Raj, Shah Rukh Khan’s most memorable and cherished characters have been from some of his popular romantic films. However, now he is in no mood to feature in true blue rom-coms. During an Instagram live session, Shah Rukh Khan said he feels “too old to do romantic films now.” Shah Rukh’s reply came in response to a fan’s question who asked if he ever misses playing characters like Rahul or Raj. The actor stated that he feels “awkward at times” to romance actresses who are “way younger” than him.
“I don’t want to sound strange but I don’t remember when was the last time when I played Rahul. I only remember, ‘Rahul, naam toh suna hoga.’ So, I don’t miss roles/characters. Also, I think I am too old to do romantic films now. It is awkward at times. I remember, many years ago, I was working in a film and the lady opposite me was way younger than me. It was awkward to do a romantic scene with her. I was a little shy. But then you are an actor. I have to imagine that I am her age. Maybe characters like Rahul or Raj are for the younger ones to do,” he said, thanking Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar for offering him “these phenomenal characters.”
“When I joined films, I never thought I would be known by the names of the character. There is a part of me in them. And there is a lot of me in Pathaan. I feel like a Pathaan,” he chuckled.
As the live continued, Shah Rukh Khan cherished 30 years of his journey in Bollywood. He remembered how he started shooting for Hema Malini’s Dil Aashna Hai 30 years ago. He said the reason he wanted to become an actor was to make people smile, and bring a difference to their day.
“I have always believed that I will try to do as much work as possible because for the first time, when I did my serial Fauji, I remember I was in a three-wheeler and two ladies looked at me and shouted, ‘Abhi’ (his character name from the series). At that point, I thought to myself that this is the reason I am going to act and make people smile,” he said, adding that it doesn’t feel like he has completed 30 years in the industry. “I was speaking to my wife and kids. No one realises that it has been such a long time. It is a lifetime. I came down to Mumbai hoping to work for maximum of 10 films or for a couple of years. If things don’t work out, I thought I would find some kind of job in films – even if it is lighting the sets or assisting the director. I just love films,” he continued. He said that if things didn’t work for him as an actor, he was ready to be on anyone’s set because “cinema inspires” him.
“My wife (Gauri Khan) keeps asking me how after so many years I get up in the morning, wear make-up and go to work and do the same thing. I don’t know. I just find it exciting to go on set and create something that might make a difference to someone’s day. But that is not the motivation. It goes back to my three wheeler story,” he concluded.
On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan is returning to films after hiatus of four years. He will be seen in YRF’s Pathaan, followed by Atlee’s Jawan and Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki.
Source:indianexpress.com