Shah Rukh Khan after a 18-hour long work-day
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; July 24, 2015)

Given the constant competition in the film industry, stars tend to get insecure after a point. Not Shah Rukh Khan. The actor claims that he’s too busy to feel that way.

“When do I even feel insecure? There’s no time. All the time, I am either shooting, or doing my look tests, make up, shooting for my brand commitments, attending events, finishing my TV show commitments. I am working almost 17-18 hours a day. Where’s the time to feel insecure?” he laughs.

Even consistent chatter about box office figures and rankings does not affect him. “If anyone feels that Aamir, Salman or Shah Rukh are bothered by what they write about us or what they number us, they are simply being silly. We are not born with numbers. People don’t say you are the 1 billion 65 lakh 23 thousand forty fifth person in India. Everyone has their own individual identity. I can say this for all of us and the industry as a whole that we are not ready to be numbered by anyone.”

Is this why he doesn’t mind doing ensemble films or multiple hero films? “These are things that people have built throughout the years. I can honestly say that I had the most fun shooting for a Happy New Year. We used to dance, shoot, go out for dinners and enjoy ourselves thoroughly. What’s the big deal about being in an ensemble film? It has got nothing to do with security or insecurity. I love working on a film, that’s it. It does not matter if it’s a solo hero film or an ensemble film. If I like the script, I will do it,” he added.

But has he never cracked under pressure? “No, I haven’t,” he smiles. “However arrogant or pompous it may sound, I feel the pressure keeps me going. If I don’t work that much and I don’t feel tired at the end of the day, I don’t think I have worked enough. I don’t crack under pressure, instead I thrive under it. That’s one of the reasons I took up three films back-to-back. I felt I enjoyed too much during HNY, so I wanted to take on that pressure.”