Im International Says, Bollywood Baadshah Shah Rukh

It was just another day on the sets of Rohit Shetty's upcoming film Dilwale... except that it was superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was standing at the entrance welcoming every journalist who walked in, with an unwavering sense of warmth and gratitude - in a refreshing change from the snooty attitude that Tollywood stars often display.

Just as you are getting over the overwhelming feeling of admiration and wonderment, Shah Rukh stuns you with his humility, grace and composure. Even after 23 years in Bollywood and more than 70 films, the nervousness is palpable on the Baadshah's face, as he shows a few rushes from the film.

Away from the buzz and chaos of everyday life in a metropolitan city, the evergreen pair of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol were shooting at a quaint location on a pleasant evening at Ramoji Film City. It was a typical Rohit Shetty location - unfathomably huge and luxurious cars and old-fashioned Goan cottages with a sense of secluded charm. Technicians were busy getting things in place, lights were on and the familiar sound of action!' boomed right across. Everything seemed normal about the shoot - except it wasn't.

For the first time after an extensive, strenuous shoot in Hyderabad, team Dilwale was ready to address the media and give a sneak peek into the film. In Shah Rukh's own words, it was far from being a finished product, only 30 per cent is done, in fact. But they had something to show for their efforts and were eager for honest feedback.

Rohit Shetty's Dilwale is significant as it re-unites Bollywood's most magical couple on-screen - 20 years after they created history with Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge. As they sat down to address the press and questions started flying in, it's quite evident that the couple share a sizzling chemistry off-screen as well.

"When you know a person for so long, I suppose it comes naturally to you. Some people just figure out ways to be comfortable with each other and I think the two of us share that level of comfort and understanding," explains SRK.

Like any Rohit Shetty film, Dilwale promises to be a complete family entertainer with action-packed sequences and romantic songs at picturesque locales. But according to Shah Rukh, it's the comedy one needs to watch out for. "The comedy is of genuinely high standards in the film. Johnny Lever and Sanjay Mishra have done a wonderful job," he shares.

While Shah Rukh is widely admired for his sense of humour, it was Kajol who had us all in splits, and stole the show with her witty, spontaneous remarks.

When he was asked what's left for him to achieve in life after rising to superstardom in Bollywood, starting his own production house and owning a cricket team, "Another baby," quips Kajol.

On a more serious note, Shah Rukh replies, "See, we've been around for some time and for me, at the end of the day it's not about awards or rewards or anything else that matters, it's about making people happy with the work that you do. Each time you succeed, it becomes all the more difficult to replicate or surpass it."

"For any big star, if you make a big hit like DDLJ, it's a challenge to meet up to its standards. Maybe we won't surpass it in our lives, maybe nobody else will. But what we can do is strive to work harder and that's what an artist does. We try and make the next film better than the previous one - not in comparison, but in terms of entertainment,"

And entertainment is exactly what Dilwale promises. Shah Rukh, who's producing the film under his Red Chillies Entertainment banner, admits that he spent a fair bit on the film's making.

"It should be a film that people can go and watch it with their families, whether they like the story or not. The experience should be technically and visually rewarding. Yes, it is an expensive film. My friends Adi and Karan often ask me why I spend so much money on a film. I spend so much because people spend a lot of money to watch my films," the 49-year-old reveals.

A recent video of Shah Rukh and Kajol made to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge went viral on social media.

"All your life you try to make that one special film and I think we've been very fortunate (everybody associated with DDLJ) to have been a part of it. Dilwale too offers great entertainment, whether we can surpass it, we never know, I hope it does. But we are not trying to keep DDLJ as the bar or raise comparisons with it - we are trying to keep the two separate," says an emotional Shah Rukh.

When quizzed about what he likes and dislikes about Kajol, the actor says, "I don't like the fact that Kajol works so less. Of course, she has her reasons, she's also a mother and she has to look after her children. But she's so talented and she hasn't done enough work as she should have, and I think she deserves to get more opportunities to show her talent."

"What I like about her is that she would never give up on you. There's nothing technically you can teach Kajol. She is the most honest person you can ever come across. She doesn't do a scene if she doesn't believe or feel it. She has an interpretation beyond technicality. She's extremely imaginative," he says, and a flattered Kajol immediately chips in and says, "I agree with everything."

When asked what has changed between them over the years, Kajol quips, "I was lighter, and SRK was less fluffy."

Kajol's actor-husband Ajay Devgn has worked with Rohit Shetty in a number of films, while the actress is working with him for the first time. When quizzed about taking any advice from Ajay, she says, "Not really, I've known Rohit for a very, very long time, so we're actually quite comfortable with each other. Maybe Rohit got some advice about how to deal with me."

Kajol, who is back on screen after five years, looks gorgeous than ever before. "I have great genes," she remarks, when asked about the secret behind her regimen. "My mother does not look her age either, so I have a lot to look forward to," she explains.

So what made her come back to films after so long? "I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and do something different and we had a blast on the sets," Kajol cheerfully adds.

Dilwale also features Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in important roles and the young actors were completely in awe of the senior stars and are thrilled to be a part of the film.

"To be honest, I have done this film because I am selfish. As I heard that Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol will be a part of the cast, I joined board immediately. There is so much you can learn from them, it's amazing," expresses an elated Varun.

Agreeing, Kriti Sanon, who starred opposite Tiger Shroff in 2014 film Heropanti, says, "With a cast like Shahrukh and Kajol, I was wondering what will be there for me to do. But they made us feel extremely comfortable."

Even though he's popularly called Bollywood's Baadshah, Shah Rukh Khan is loved across the country, including south India, where the audience have expressed a desire to watch him on-screen in south Indian films. Shahrukh, however, admits that the language is an issue.

"I would love to do movies here but I'm not good with the language. Many people say that some of the best talent in the country, in the world, lies down south and it's unfortunate that I don't know the language," he candidly, points out.

With the advancement of technology and the prominence of social media, the publicity and marketing of a film has evolved over the years. Considering Shah Rukh was around before the digital makeover, he has taken to this change like a fish to water and the actor feels digital technology must be embraced.

"Now there is no longer a hierarchy that a top star should only meet with the top journalists and so on. There was a time when stars would have a certain enigma around them, when people wouldn't know much about us. So social media takes that away, which is a good thing. The real enigma is that Kajol, Varun or I can talk to the audience about just about anything in life, while still keeping our personal lives private. A time will come where you will have just normal, regular guys who will just treat this like a regular job," he says, demonstrating tremendous insight.

Another quality that makes Shah Rukh standout is his global presence as a superstar and his increasing popularity overseas.

"I'm International," he quips, before adding, "In the 1990s, when Kajol and I were working, there was a huge shift in how Indian films were made. We had crossed overseas because there were a lot of Indians who missed their homes and that's how we connected. 1990s was the revival of Indian movies."

Narrating an incident he had with a German lady while attending a conference, Shah Rukh says, "I was very curious about why they liked my films, when a German lady said, There is a button for coffee, button for your car, a button for everything. But there is no button for crying - you are our button for crying."

"There are fewer moments to express their emotions in the west, than perhaps in our country, where there is an over-indulgence as far as emotions are concerned," he adds.

Over the course of his lengthy shooting schedule in Hyderabad, the actor gave fan' moments after he met Tollywood stars Mahesh Babu and Ram Charan, ace-shuttler Saina Nehwal and Tennis sensation Sania Mirza.

"It does get a little lonely in Ramoji. Mahesh has been a friend for years and I know Ram as well. They were shooting here so I decided to drop by. More than my own films, I like watching other people's films," he shares.

When asked about the message Dilwale gives, Shah Rukh says, "Messages are for the postman. The only message you can carry is family values and goodness of heart. Love conquers all."

Dilwale will hit screens on December 18.