Shah Rukh Khan talked about leading a simple life despite his immense stardom. He named Jackie Chan as one of his favourite actors and shared how a newborn Aryan Khan resembled the global star.

Shah Rukh Khan opened up on leading a simple life.. (Photo: Pooja Dadlani/Instagram)

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, recently honoured with the Pardo Alla Carriera award at the Locarno Film Festival, sat down for an interview with Giona A. Nazzaro, the artistic director of the festival, where he discussed a variety of topics, including his family and children.  During the interaction, the Badshah of Bollywood spoke about how he leads a simple life despite his immense stardom and how he instills the same values in his kids Aryan Khan, Suhana Khan and Abram Khan.

He said, “We have a very normal family life. I want people to know this because outside stardom, it’s larger than life, thousands of people look at you, you wave at the crowds. There is a lot of madness, it’s like a rockstar and my dashing, gorgeous looks… It can seem very alien and different but it is not. The family is simple, the kids are simple, like a father I spend a lot of time with them.”

Talking about how he wants his kids to be ‘humble’ and ‘grounded,’ he said, “I want them to learn and I want them to be humble about the privileges they have because of me becoming a star. I want them to understand that they have to come out of the shadow both positive and negative of being a star’s son.” Complimenting wife Gauri Khan, he said, “The wife is sweet, she keeps a balance, there’s some wisdom there. So, we lead a very simple life.”

The actor shared how his family has always supported him in his career, encouraging him to continue his work. “Stardom is the byproduct of what I do. Being rich and famous isn’t the important part, though it is essential to earn well and take care of my family. What matters more to me is touching people’s lives through my work,” SRK expressed.

When asked about his admiration for Jackie Chan and the references to the global star in his 2011 film Ra.One, Shah Rukh responded,, “If I have to count my favourite actors of all times – Michael J Fox, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro – Jackie Chan will be right up there. I love him. He is physically amazing. He enacts things very well and he continues to inspire me.”

Shah Rukh also revealed that he thought his eldest son Aryan looked like Jackie Chan when he was born. “When my first son, Aryan, was born, I felt he looked like Jackie Chan. He looked very Jackie Chan-ish to me. I trained him in Taekwondo assuming he’ll grow up to be Jackie Chan. I really wanted him to be that. A few years later, Jackie Chan signed a cap for Aryan,” he said.

Sharing his experience of meeting Jackie Chan, he said, “Many years later, like 3-4 years ago, I had the privilege of meeting him in Saudi Arabia. He was as sweet and humble as I had expected him to be.” Adding a dose of his trademark wit, he quipped, “If he (Jackie Chan) ever sees this interview, he promised to open a Chinese restaurant in partnership and he hasn’t done so.”

On the professional front, Shah Rukh Khan will next appear in Sujoy Roy’s The King, which also stars his daughter Suhana Khan. His son, Aryan Khan, is set to make his directorial debut with an Amazon Prime Video series titled Stardom. According to reports, the show will feature Bobby Deol, Mona Singh, and even a cameo by SRK himself.