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SRK telly talks
Shah Rukh, 'the charmer' Khan shares his experience about his transition from television to cinema...
King Khan, the Baadshah... whatever you decide to call him, the one thing you can't do is ignore him. Shah Rukh first came to the fore while appearing on various television series, particularly when playing the role of 'Abhimanyu' in Fauji (Soldier) in 1988, he also had a minor role in Circus in 1989, which depicted the life of circus performers.
An achiever, a role model, a legend, a father and now, the winner of the most coveted Padmashree Award for his excellence in cinema - Mr 'Nice-Guy' Shah Rukh 'the charmer' Khan, here in a web-exclusive interview!
Shah Rukh, you started off your career with television, what kind of memories do you have of it?
Main television se kabhi duur gaya hi nahi… Yes, there are some fond memories because it is because of TV that I am here talking to you right now. It gave me that platform to perform and showcase whatever I had to make it big. Fauji aur Circus ki bahut saari baatein aaj bhi mujhe yaad aate hai, because at that time, the concept was so novel that people accepted each character with great warmth.
Have you ever thought of going back to television, or any plans of going back?
For me as an actor, all kinds of mediums - whether theatre, cinema or the small screen, are attached to each other. Of course, if given a chance… why not? But film gives me the time to spend with my family after a long schedule, whereas shooting for television dailies would require me at the sets for more than 10-14 hours. Shaadishuda nahi hota toh shaayad TV bhi kar raha hota (Laughs)… On a serious note… I would love to do something for kids on television, right now…
Shah Rukh, what's the difference between the television of the present and the kind of television you did, 15-17 years back?
Fauji was a path breaking venture, people loved the special effects used in those days, but today, with the amount of technological developments, we are getting to watch a great quality of programming on television, and probably better than the cinema circuit. That's also because of a consistent healthy competition between players like STAR, Zee, Sony etc.
So, which serials do you watch?
(laughs) That's a good one. Actually, I don't watch 'a' particular serial… because of my shoot schedules, I have no clue who the characters are, and what is the latest in the story, the plots etc. Of course, I know the likes of Ronit Roy and others who are doing great on the small screen and Bollywood actors like Karishma, Amrita and Srideviji with whom I have had the pleasure of working before. So, the question can be answered by saying that I will keep track of all serials the day - I become a non-working housewife... (laughs)