I’m the monk with a Ferrari: Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan, who turned 50 a month ago, has discovered that the more heights he scales, the more detached he gets. Hear it from the monk himself...

He may have been voted the second richest actor in the world, but Shah Rukh Khan likes to call himself a “monk”. The superstar, who has just completed a half-century, continues to remain at the top of his game. But on a personal level, he says that he is a very detached man.

He shares with me something he scribbled on his way to this interview. It read, “I have understood something very beautiful. I used to value only certain kinds of work, because of the way I grew up. It was more worthwhile for instance to do charity, or to do a good big job than being anything else. Then I understood that work has its own value. Like the lady and the cook who work in my house, they work hard, as hard as me or may be even harder. Strangely, for them work is everything. They never ask for days off, even when they are unwell. I used to think doing things with a higher purpose had greater importance. But I have understood now that the highest purpose is actually the purity of doing whatever it is that is being done with all your heart and physical activity.”

Having read out this little note, King Khan settles down to chat about his newfound approach to life. And we begin

According to Wealth X, you are the second richest actor in the world. What does being on top mean to you

It’s very strange. I have an amazing personal and professional life. God has been kind. But after a point, you no longer work for personal satisfaction. You become part of a higher order, you are just rolling. I don’t know how to explain this. I am extremely Sufi about my life. The joke at home is that I have all the good things but I haven’t even used them.

I believe that spirituality lies in the work. My work in Fan, for instance, might be spoken of as great ‘kalakari’, Dilwale will be more commercial. One needs to be detached to it. It’s a strange thing to say because most of the time I am surrounded by material riches — best clothes, best planes. That’s why I say, I am not the monk who sold his Ferrari, I am the monk with a Ferrari and I will always be that. I may not have the time to drive it. I think that’s what being on top is. I like the fact that I don’t have time for my achievements. You can’t get attached to this level bigness that I have. People tell me, you have achieved everything in life. There is nothing like achieving everything in life. There comes a strange kind of detachment when you are at the top. I can’t describe it just by how the fans love me or how I am being called the second richest actor. I asked my team, really am I the second richest It was an irony. Why an irony I was driving when my production guy called to say we didn’t have the money to create a set for the climax of the film we were making at that time. He said we needed to do two appearances. I was very tired but I did that and got the money. And after that I got a call saying I am declared the second richest actor in the world. One who doesn’t have the money to put up a set. I called my office and asked them if it’s true. They said, ‘sir, all that is valuation, we don’t have money now’. (Laughs) The 90s, when you started, is described as a time when the industry was not organised. Would you agree

I have been very fortunate as I have only worked with organised people. Mr Yash Chopra was always organised, so were Dharma, Rakesh Roshan, Subhash Ghai, Vivek Vaswani, Rahul Rawail I have always worked with people at the top. And actually, in a way, they were the pioneers of the organised set up and then the corporates came in.

We’ve also heard stories of how the fear of the underworld was prevalent in the film industry those days, how actors were forced to dance at their functions at gunpoint

There wasn’t any fear. Yes, the underworld existed and there was a time when the police were on top of it. I remember getting calls once or twice. I had security without me knowing it. They would call and tell me that they have some information and that I would be provided security for some days. See, this nuisance is still there. Even during Chennai Express, we got a call. These things still happen but now you don’t have to succumb to them. I have always been big enough, I never needed to succumb. Also, I was very lucky because of the people I worked with. Having said that, the pressure of threats and seeing sometimes that they can be real, can scare you.

Is it true that you have not visited your first house (Amrit) in Mumbai in a long time The house where you signed DDLJ, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Aryan was also born there. Is that an expression of your detachment Now that you are reminding me, I feel like going there. But it’s true, I have no sense of attachment. I haven’t preserved my parents’ clothes — you know people keep them, my sister had it. A few years ago I told her, they are not in the clothes, they are in our hearts. Memories that you create in the house are more important than the house you live in.

Aryan was born in that house, yes. I am happy the house is still there. Being born in a place and being attached to it is not important. What do you do with that birth is more important. You can die unknown, but what did you do in that life counts. Some people do small things in life but they are very interesting. I am a blatant case and an exaggerated case of success. I find it strange