While it is a known fact that stardom comes with its perks, at times there are also oddities attached to it. Moreover, when you are a superstar like Shah Rukh Khan, it is obvious that all eyes would be on you during every step of your life. This is what SRK reveals when he fondly talks about how his children have reacted to stardom over the years.
Presenting Shah Rukh Khan, who reveals it all in his own words!
Does everyone work on TV, dad?
Initially when my kids were young, they had this strange thought about everyone attached to our life working on TV. Whoever came to our house, my children had seen them on TV. Whether it was Karan (Johar), Sushmita (Sen), Farah (Khan), Mr. (Amitabh) Bachchan, Hrithik (Roshan) – they thought and believed that everyone works on TV. This thought process stayed on with them for a good period of five to seven years. It was funny.
Why are these strangers after us, dad?
My children used to find it very awkward that wherever my car stopped, everyone just rushed towards it. They used to feel scared that are they trying to hurt us and that this was not normal. I explained to them later that they like me, and this is why they are coming towards us. It may not look like that way but since they are doing this with a lot of energy, you are not seeing this as something normal. So, the solution for that was they won’t travel with their dad again. Gradually, they understood that other professions exist as well. Thank God!
Why do they call you just Shah Rukh, dad?
When I dropped my daughter to school then for the first five days, she didn’t speak to me. It was because everyone else was called Arnab’s papa or Kavita’s mom. However, I was called Shah Rukh. She thought that it was disrespectful for her father to be called like that by just his first name. Later she understood that this is the way I am addressed by most.
Basically, to make my children feel as normal as they can, I just follow a few basic things. When I reach home then I don’t pick up my phone. When I absolutely need to make a call then I go to the bathroom. Also, at home I don’t talk about work. I try to understand my children’s day at school. Moreover, there has never been any kind of pressure on my kids to see a film on Friday. They see my film when they want to. It works for them, and they are happy this way.