At the World Government Summit, actor Shah Rukh Khan emphasized that irrespective of how his films do, "you have to say your prayers and go back to work."
Having spent over three decades in the film industry, renowned Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan holds an unparalleled superstar status. Despite experiencing both huge successes and terrible failures in the course of his career, the actor made a triumphant return after a four-year hiatus in 2023. The massive successes of films like ‘Pathaan,’ ‘Jawan,’ and the recently released ‘Dunki’ have brought back King Khan in the game.
Currently in Dubai for the World Government Summit, the actor spoke with CNN journalist, Richard Quest, at ‘The Making of a Star: A Conversation with Shah Rukh Khan’ about his pre-movie release preparations and his approach to handling both success and failures.
“In India, films mostly release on Fridays. So on Thursday evenings, at my home in Mumbai, a day before my movie releases, I give myself a two-and-a-half-hour bath and rinse myself of all my work,” he stated, emphasizing that bath-salt dips are something he finds extremely satisfying.
While it’s safe to say that last year in the Bollywood fraternity belonged to SRK, he faced a less favourable period before that, marked by underwhelming performances of films like ‘Fan’ and ‘Zero.’ Reacting to it, he said, “You work hard, thinking you made the best of films, and you’re telling the nicest of stories, expecting the world to love it. But you wake up on a Friday morning and the film that you made with so much love, flops. Oftentimes, you don’t like the film that you’re making and those become the biggest hits.”
“If your film is a blockbuster, you celebrate on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and everyone is jumping with joy, but on Monday, you’re back to work to make a better film. Similarly, if it tanked, you cry over the weekend. You mop and don’t get out of bed on Saturday and Sunday, you have to return to the sets to make better cinema,” said the 58-year-old actor, adding, “We must not forget that you have to say your prayers and go back to work. So, Mondays are dedicated to trying to make better films.”
Post his response, Quest pointed out that a star of his stature doesn’t necessarily need the money, to which Shah Rukh, known for his wit, humourously remarked that he does require money because “bath oils are very expensive.”