There’s nothing romantic about being poor: King Khan

Bollywood’s romance king, one of the Forbes list of world’s top 20 highest-paid actors, Shah Rukh Khan says people should make money first and then philosophise. The onscreen ‘King of Romance’ says there’s nothing romantic about being poor.

“Don’t philosophise until you’re rich first. I used to be poor, and I can tell you there’s nothing romantic about it. When young people, friends, say they want to be great creative novelists, I advise them to be a copywriter first, make a little money. Don’t be a struggling artist; be a happy one,” Khan said in an interview to GQ India’s January 2017 issue.

When enquired about what he likes spending money on, Khan said, “It’s very important for me to smell good. I mix two fragrances – a Dunhill scent that’s only available at their London store as well as a Diptyque one. I’m not big on fashion, but I have a good eye.”

Talking about the impact on of losing his parents fairly early on, Khan said, “I’m 51. I lost my dad when I was 14 or 15, and my mother when I was 25. That void never gets filled. If you lose your parents too early, you have to grow up too fast. You can’t play with toys; you have to start playing in the real world.”

“I play with my children’s toys now. People find it odd and think perhaps I’m just a good father, but that’s not true. I’m just a father who didn’t have toys.”

He said his father passed away suddenly, and then his mother redeemed the situation for a bit.

“Then she died suddenly and we were all shaken up again. Today, I don’t know whether it’s better to lose your parents when you’re young and get over it faster, or to have them around and see them get older.”

Asked about his bucket list, he said, “My family used to own restaurants, so there’s a part of me that’s quite servile. I’m learning how to cook Italian food. I can make pasta, risotto and tiramisu right now – but what I really enjoy is serving people, and making sure they’re well fed. I’m building a new kitchen, so I can cook more.”

“I also want to learn to play the guitar well. A few years ago in Spain, I bought two really expensive guitars – one for me and one for my son Aryan – and told him that we should learn to play together. The good thing is he has, and he’s pretty good. Abram, my three-and-a-half-year-old, is musically inclined too. If I ever do learn the guitar, we could have our own boy band.”

He also spoke of his thoughts on social media, “We live in an age where we are over-informed. There’s a lot of noise – the TV guys think I’m five hours late, the newspaper guys feel they’re a day late – the emphasis is on putting news out there. Doesn’t matter if it’s true or not because it’s no skin off their back. But the truth is, it does matter, and there are real implications.”