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“Oh! That’s different. I always ask myself whether the projects I am doing, whether the people I am working with and the brands I am endorsing are right. I do it on a yearly basis. And once I am sure it is right, there is no looking back.”

Shah Rukh is one star and probably the first to have taken the elusiveness out of stardom. Something his contemporaries often complain about. “See, at the beginning of my career I also used to think that I should not open up to the media. Gradually I realised we both needed each other, even if I didn’t agree with everything the media says about me. But I respect the point of view.”

He cites an example. “Recently I read an article which said that more than the humble beginnings that made Shah Rukh Khan the darling of the masses, it is his ability to sell almost everything that makes him popular. I don’t agree with the point, but it is an interesting idea at the same time.”

In the same vein he adds that he doesn’t refuse to endorse any brand. “I only quote an astronomical price for something I don’t want to do.”

Interestingly, despite his overdose of publicity, he hasn’t lost that mystery element that defines a star. He smiles. “Yes, for an actor to succeed, the enigma has to last. That’s why perhaps people turn up to see you in larger-than-life roles. I am not special but I have this ability to make people happy. And no ego. Be it at the sets or home, I keep on looking for opportunities to make others happy. And the process keeps me going. I must add that it is with this ability that I make the media believe they know everything about me. The reality is, they don’t.”

Those dimples are back and again he has an instance to quote. “Once as a kid I went to watch a cricket match in Delhi. My favourite batsman (he refuses to name him) got out cheaply. As he was coming out, I asked for his autograph and he snapped at me. I made a mental note of it and said to myself if I were to become a public figure I wouldn’t deny any child his share of happiness. In fact it is very simple. You just have to go out and do it.” Very much like how he holds the chair for female journalists.

In the form of ‘Om Shanti Om’ he has delivered a huge entertainer. But still, one of the country’s biggest stars doing a spoof? “I don’t intellectualise cinema. My mantra is: keep it simple, keep it real. At the cost of sounding repetitive, I say I am a bhand who believes nautanki is an art form. Also, from the beginning we wanted to release the film during the festival period, as during this period entertainers work well. And already within the first six weeks it has become one of my biggest hits.”

The film makes fun of almost every big name in Indian cinema and the irreverence has been defended by saying that the film also makes fun of the current lot, including Shah Rukh. So if people living in glass houses don’t mind throwing stones at themselves, they get the right to throw stones at others? “No, it is not this way. We wanted to show people how the industry works in a light-hearted manner. Many people believe they know how films are made. We wanted to surprise them by giving some insight into the industry.”

He might not believe in intellectualising cinema, but he does dabble in parallel cinema after every commercial venture. “Yes, ‘Asoka’ and ‘Paheli’ were part of this plan. But again in a way it is a commercial exercise. I don’t sell these films at a high price. Once again, as I am jobless these days, I am going through scripts to make a small film under my banner.”

He has evinced interest in bidding for the Indian Premier League? “I am interested but it depends on whether I can afford it.”

Time for a photo shoot and King Khan is at it again: Making people happy.

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