On Wednesday evening Brad Pitt was in Mumbai for an event, but the highlight of it all was his bonhomie with Shah Rukh Khan and the interesting exchange of ideas and views between the two utterly charming actors.

During an interview session, they spoke about the process of filmmaking, Bollywood dancing and the enormous pressure of being a star. Brad clearly declared that he is not cut out for Bollywood. He laughed and said, “I wouldn't make it in Bollywood, I can't dance.“ SRK quickly retorted, “We can make anyone dance.“ Then, Khan went on to tell the Hollywood star that he's no expert at dancing either, adding, “Whenever anything goes wrong in dancing, or there are complicated hip-hop steps, I tell my choreographer that I will just stand with my arms stretched out (referring to his signature style).“

Talking about the enormous pressures of being a star, both SRK and Brad agreed that it is imperative that they draw a line between their personal and public lives. Brad said, “You have to make time for yourself, your friends and family and let the next idea percolate. It isn't so difficult to achieve a balance and I'm able to compartmentalise my private and public life.“ SRK added, “I do that too, completely. My family, kids and my friends keep me grounded. My kids most often don't like my films and my films doing well is not the biggest discussion in the house. At home, you are nobody and as long as you can be nobody at home and with your friends you can be a big star like Brad Pitt.“

Elaborating on the discussion about stars being self-absorbed, SRK said, “As an actor you need to love yourself the least. As a star you need to love yourself the most. Brad and I are both stars and actors (laughs).“

Though they both come from different worlds of cinema, as actors, they confessed that they can detach from their screen characters without much struggle. “I guess that feeds into your life when you are investigating the film, it has to some way , but I quickly discard them and move on to the next project,“ explained Brad. To that, SRK agreed and said, “I have been asked several times if playing different characters has changed my life, but it hasn't. I can never say as an actor that, 'Oh, this was difficult and it took the life out of me.'“ When asked about his long innings in the business, Brad replied, “I always try to look for something different and try to reinvent myself. It is also important to survive our mistakes.“

The two went on to discuss how the world of filmmaking is evolving around them, and SRK told Brad that he admired his work, especially in films like 12 Monkeys and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. “I found you amazing in 12 Monkeys; you were mind-blowing in that film. That's when I became a fan of Brad Pitt,“ said SRK. Remembering that role, Brad added, “I locked myself in a room for a couple of weeks for 12 Monkeys and just saw where that will take us.“

While talking about the huge influence and impact of Hollywood films in India, SRK expressed his concern and said, “If we don't hone our skills in a few areas like script writing, screenplay, marketing and technology, we will be taken over. If we don't learn from them (Hollywood) in the area of technology and their professionalism, there is a big fear. We have such wonderful stories to tell but we aren't telling them in a way that they should be told.“

Talking about Indian cinema Brad didn't say much, except, “Indian cinema has its own film language, its own stars and a place of its own.“ Summing it up in his tongue-in-cheek style, SRK said, “Of course, our singing and dancing has to stay so that we can keep Brad away from Bollywood.“

While Brad impressed without saying too much, SRK, with his quintessential wit and humour, stole the show.