Shah Rukh Khan feels "awkward" when people call him the ‘King of Bollywood’.
The 51-year-old actor – also known as SRK – has been bestowed the title having appeared in more than 80 Bollywood films and won numerous awards for his films.
His latest movie is action thriller ‘Raees’, a crime drama set in India in the 1980s, sees Khan makes his 84th feature film appearance but he still struggles to get his head around the extent of his fame.
In an interview with the Metro newspaper, Khan said: "I come from a very humble background in Dehli. I came to the movie industry from the outside – from TV and theatre. So when they started calling me ‘King of Bollywood’ I felt awkward – I don’t feel so entitled. But I’m glad they call me ‘king’ rather than something derogatory. It’s a nice name. I don’t have a crown. Maybe someday like Mr [Sir] Elton John!"
Khan also vehemently disagrees with suggestions that the appeal of Bollywood is lessening.
He said: "Every few years there is a conversation about this. The solution is that change is gradual as society changes – but Bollywood is certainly not in crisis. The stories remain more or less the same as when I was a 26 playing a sweet college kid, it’s just the language for telling them is changing. And the technology is such that Indian cinema can venture into different genres, such as science fiction and superhero films, which is exciting for me as a producer."
And when it comes to superheroes, Khan has revealed he’d love to play the role of Batman one day.
He said: "I was a big Batman fan growing up – I still am. I don’t know if I have the height to play him but I have the darkness and I love the costume."
Khan has a net worth of $600 million but he claims he doesn’t worry about what he’s earning or has amassed and lets other people do that for him.
He said: "I’m not a businessman at all. To be honest I’m not successful at it. I keep telling Forbes when they list me, ‘You’ve got the wrong guy!’ I have 200 to 300 people all working for me, all professional people. I just do the stuff I know which is acting. My experts handle all the other stuff."
Shah Rukh Khan feels ‘awkward’ being called the King of Bollywood
