15 Quote-Worthy & Candid Lines from Shah Rukh Khan's David Letterman Episode That Needs To Be Read

Many are still gushing over Shah Rukh Khan's episode of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman and here's my review of the same. However, the episode apart from having the obvious high points involved three other main things- quote worthy lines and sentences, a deeper insight into his world than ever and an unpreachy way of giving life lessons.

Here are 15 instances of that and 2 others that involved Gauri Khan and David Letterman himself-

On over 3.5 billion people following him-

“We are people from the subcontinent, we procreate a lot.”

His impeccable Self-deprecating humor-

“Halfway through, I realized that I’m not half as talented as I think I am.”

One smart line out of nowhere-

“As the Americans do, I’ll apologize publicly and you can forgive me.”

On doing a lot of studying then finally being an actor-

“There's a lot of things I realized I can't be, so I became an actor.”

On the obvious belief of his son willing to act-

“My son doesn’t want to act. And I don’t think he can. But he is a great writer.”

Giving serious parenting goals-

“I am going to make sure I live very long, and I make sure that I keep on living with my kids and never let them feel they don't have a parent.”

On still being an old-school Dad-

“I hate explaining rational things to my daughter about boys. I want to tell her, “This guy is no good.” But I have to and choose presents for him sometimes, which is the worst thing possible. He’ll like my punch on him.”

On learning to cook for spending time with his kids and being there for them-

“I'm learning how to cook now because they've reached an age where they want to be with their friends, and I'm not obtrusive.”

On his father being a freedom fighter and being the ‘most successful failure’

“My father was a freedom fighter. I guess that made him kind of honest, so he wasn't very successful.”

“My father didn't become anything. I call him the 'most successful failure; in the world.”

On losing parents at a young age and looking at death positively-

“I sometimes, wonder, was it better to have lost them young and then get over it and lead a life or would it be that you know, I’m 53 now, to have been with them till now, and then lose them? So, I have a very positive way to look at it.”

A Humorous Reply on his parents not being able to see him be a superstar-

“That could be the reason, she (his mother) passed away actually. Because, a day before she died, I did take in one of the series that I’d finished in Mumbai. I asked the doctor to put up a TV set and a VCR and play the episode. And then she died the next day! So, no amount of criticism of my work actually makes me feel bad anymore.”

Gauri Khan on why did she actually come to Mumbai away from Shah Rukh initially-

“I just wanted a break because he was extremely possessive about me. We were so young. We were teenagers.”

Shah Rukh’s Fan may not have been a hit but found a fan in the form of David Letterman

“I saw a film recently. Fan. I loved it. I thought it was scarily biographical.”

On stardom and the phenomenon being Shah Rukh Khan-

“I think it’s so completely intangible, this kind of stardom. I always tell everyone that I’m an employee of the myth of ‘Shah Rukh Khan.’ So, I work for a myth. I am a shy person. For me, it’s awkward to do anything but I have to do it as the employee of the myth.”

On having rains being a central point in Indian films-

“We are a race of people who like to keep on bathing, whenever given a chance. As a matter of fact, I would like to have a shower follow me right now.”

On the Western actors, he loved growing up-

“I grew up loving Michael J. Fox. One other actor, Peter Sellers.”

On the controversial nude scene in Maya Memsaab and the whole fiasco-

“I got very disturbed by it. And I was new. So, I used to react to every news item, whatever appeared. I got very angry and I went down to the office and I misbehaved a lot and later I was put in jail for one day after the cops came on my film set.”

Signing Off With His Classic Wit-

“When I was coming here, this show was called My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. They kept me, “How do you want Dave to introduce you?” I said, “But why is it he’s introducing me if I need no introduction?”