Shah Rukh Khan: I connect to people, not stories

New Delhi: Shah Rukh's choice of a little off-beat, author-backed films have led many to believe that he is trying to make a transition in his career, but the actor says there is no conscious thinking behind the decisions.

His glorious 25-year run in the film industry may suggest that Shah Rukh Khan has a meticulous process of choosing his projects but the superstar says his lone requirement to get onboard a film has always been to find a connect with the filmmaker.

"I don't connect to stories, I just connect to people. Ashutosh (Gowariker) is a friend, he made 'Lagaan', I could have gone ahead with it but I chose 'Swades'. I didn't choose the film, I chose him because of his feeling of wanting to make 'Swades'.

"People think 'I will make a film with him because he will make a superhit'. It is not like that, I never ever listen to stories and people think I am lying when I say it, but I am not," Shah Rukh told PTI in an interview.

The actor says director Aanand L Rai, with whom he is collaborating next, wants to narrate him the script of the film but he has declined. SRK believes it is an inconsequential exercise since he connected with Rai already and does not need to hear the story.

"I haven't even heard Aanand's story. He calls me and says 'when should I narrate the story?' and I asked him to tell it to me on the sets when we begin shooting. I really connect to people and that is how it should be.

"Sometimes it goes right and sometimes the expectations are differed. I really believe that the film is a filmmaker's prerogative and an actor should not come in the way."

The "Fan" star says people assume that he has achieved it all in life considering his long, continuing career, fame and success but it is not true. He says although he does not believe in planning his next move, he knows that there is so much more to do and greater things to achieve.

"I don't believe in shaping, designing my career. I just do films. I haven't seen it all and done it all. There is so much more to do.

"The best part of being an actor is that with every passing day you realise how little you are. Everyday I realise how little I know about acting. I feel the less you know, the better actor you will be."

Shah Rukh's last release "Fan" saw the superstar play a performance-oriented role and a stark departure from his popular films, which contributed to the tag of 'King of Romance'.

Next is Gauri Shinde's slice-of-life film "Dear Zindagi", releasing this Friday, in which he plays a life coach. It will be followed by "Raees" where he essays the role of a bootlegger, Imtiaz Ali's next and Rai's film.

Shah Rukh's choice of a little off-beat, author-backed films have led many to believe that he is trying to make a transition in his career, but the actor says there is no conscious thinking behind the decisions.

"Transition from what? I took up 'Fan' because I wanted to do something challenging which I haven't done before. I thought I did well. It was a very intense film and after that I would have loved to do a comedy but nobody offered me a comedy. Then 'Dear Zindagi' happened.

"Everyday you are in a state of mind to do a particular kind of film, if you are lucky and someone offers you that, you take it. You don't try to plan, stratergise and try to transit. It's not a transition phase. When I started off I never thought, I think even less now. I feel more. I just need to feel happy."

Shah Rukh says he has everything going as a star yet he has the same zeal for work as he did when he started off in the early '90s and still "gets turned on" by his job.

"Now after 25 years, you need to have the same gusto and feel happy to put on make-up and go to work, otherwise there is no point.

"Genuinely, God has been kind, business has been good, money is good, family is nice. I have everything going as a star. So my children ask me why do I still do it? I tell them that I am really turned on by my work."