Actor Shah Rukh Khan received the Pardo Alla Carriera award at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on Saturday. On Sunday, he opened up about his life and career at a Q&A session at the festival, where he discussed his tryst with stardom and how important it is to have a simple family life. 

‘I wear it like a tee, not a tuxedo’

Shah Rukh was asked about how he deals with the stardom, given that he’s one of the most proficient actors in the country. He said, “I come from a background where if I touch people’s lives, there’s nothing more important. I’ve never understood stardom; I want to give them joy. I am like a monkey; I’ll do anything for you. When people like me for that, it makes me happy. Everyone has a life, but they take the time to love me. Stardom is just a byproduct of that, but it all has to only do with me and them.”

The actor also claimed that stardom isn’t ‘important’ to him but that he ‘respects’ it, reinstating that he just does what he loves in hope that he gets to spread joy in people’s lives. “Stardom isn’t important; I respect it. I always say I wear it like a tee, not a tuxedo. I don’t need to understand or own it. The day I don’t spread joy; it won’t matter. I try not to be a star; I just try to be myself both on and off screen.”

‘We are a normal family’

When speaking about his family, Shah Rukh claimed that his family asks him if he doesn’t get tired of doing the same thing for over three decades. He said, “I know I am limited. I don’t have the scope more talented actors have but I don’t want to give up. My family asks me how I don’t get tired. Acting keeps me happy, not because I’m the focus, but because I might bring joy to someone I might never meet. I hate wearing makeup (for work), but I do it.”

The actor also claimed that despite how it looks from the outside like he has a ‘rockstar life’, his focus is on having a normal and simple life at home. “Beyond my drop-dead gorgeous looks (grins) and stardom, we are a normal family. I know it looks alien and different from the outside. But I want my kids (Aryan Khan, Suhana Khan, AbRam) to be humble about their privileges. The wife (Gauri Khan) keeps the balance with her wisdom. At the core of it is simplicity. I’m just someone who found a way to spread happiness, so they support me,” he added.

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