‘There is discomfort at times!’-SRK

'There is discomfort at times!'

Shah Rukh Khan on how not everybody on the hot seat is comfortable with his kind of humour

DEEPALI DHINGRA

"I'm the biggest movie star in the world!" says Shah Rukh Khan and just when you think the man's being pompous, he gives a cheeky grin. Now that the actor's a few episodes old on Kaun Banega Crorepati on Star Plus, he says that he's overwhelmed with the number of SMSs and compliments that he's received. "After the first episode was aired, I received 372 SMSs on the same day. For a super-duper hit film, I get around 250. Here, I get audience reaction instantly and can improve my performance in the next episode," he adds.
Comparisons with Amitabh Bachchan are inevitable and some people, including Siddharth Basu, the man behind KBC, have said that SRK has brought his own sense of wit and humour to the show. "There's been no effort to copy or not copy somebody. The personality of the host comes out through the show. And since I'm the king of entertainment, I have to entertain people!" he laughs. But Shah Rukh admits that he has had some uncomfortable moments on the show. "There is discomfort at times. Not everybody who sits on the hot seat is comfortable with my kind of humour. They're from different backgrounds, speak a different language. I have to respect all that and have to make them feel comfortable," he says.
But when it comes to being diplomatic, Shah Rukh can manage that too. He says that he's not spoken to Amitabh after the show's been aired. "I wouldn't know if he's seen it. He lives quite far from my house," he says with a smile. And who would he like to see on the hot seat with him? "I really like the guys who sit with me here," he says, ducking the question again. "The best performers are the common people. I'm sure I'll enjoy when the celebrities also come, most of them are friends but I feel happiest when I'm with the real people," he adds. Considering that Amitabh used to sit on the host's chair, have they lowered the chair for him? "No, they haven't done that. They just keep pulling my legs to make them longer," he says in jest.
Shah Rukh is appreciative of his wife and children's gesture. "In my 18 years of acting, they have never come to the sets but they come here almost for every show. The other day, my son went and sat on the hot seat. One of his friends told him that your dad has an awesome sense of humour. And my daughter's teacher gave me a 1A!" he laughs.

PLAYING GAMES: Shah Rukh Khan

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