Shah Rukh Khan is enjoying shooting for Fan as Maneesh Sharma, the director, keeps challenging the Bollywood superstar to come up with a different approach.
Khan says he has to reinvent himself as Sharma does not hesitate to tell him when he slips into familiar zones.
“It is interesting as everybody who is working on Fan has seen all my films. They are my biggest fans but whenever I try to act like myself they will go ‘No, no, you have done this before. Please change it and try to do it like this.’ For me, it is like going back to school. So, I am evolving with Fan,” Khan said.
“When you have worked for 25 years, you have more or less covered all areas of your talent. It is really nice to rediscover some aspects of your talent that you have not done in the past,” he added.
Though the makers have not revealed any plot details, reports suggest that Khan will be seen in a double role as a fan and as a superstar in the YRF movie, which also stars former supermodel Waluscha De Sousa.
Fan was supposed to hit theatres on Independence Day (August 15) weekend but has been postponed. The new release date is yet to be announced.
The 49-year-old actor says he does not like being told what to do by people of his own age but when his children or young people come up with suggestions, he always listens.
“I will be very honest, I have to do certain films because I have to do them as that’s the way it is, but there are films that I find very exciting.
“Working with young directors like Maneesh and Rahul [Dholakia on Raees], is a different world for me. I come from a theatre background, so my ideology as an actor is very different. I get very weird and edgy ideas. Whenever we have such ideas, they would go ‘let’s give it a try because you have not done this before’. I am enjoying this process,” he said.
Khan said Sharma, who assisted Aditya Chopra during the making of Fanaa and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, has been working on the project for eight years.
“Maneesh used to say that I am going to make this one film with you, then I can retire. Fan is the film that he wanted to make ever since we have known each other.”
The actor, who is known for going all out to promote his films, says making a movie is more hectic than promoting it.
“For me, promotions are the easiest thing to do. I work 100 times harder when I am shooting for a new film than when I am promoting it. Promotions are like holidays,” he said.
Besides Fan, Shah Rukh is working in Raees opposite Mahira Khan and Rohit Shetty’s next.
