‘I got 2½ out of 100': Shah Rukh
The superstar talks about his school life during the media launch of his forthcoming game show on television
By Shubhdarshani Mitra
He was extremely naughty in school, played pranks and got punished by his teachers when he misbehaved, but still could get away most of the times. Reason: his smile.
Heartthrob of millions, King Khan or Shah Rukh Khan shared his school life with the media in New Delhi during the promotion of his forthcoming game show on television that would see adult contestants testing their wits with a group of sprightly 10-year-olds.
“I was very naughty. My teachers used to say I have the devil’s smile. Whenever I was naughty and misbehaved I would smile and my dimples would show. They would let me go,” said the megastar flashing the killer smile.But the superstar is not ashamed to admit that there were times when he was not spared.“I was caned, punished many a times and nearly suspended also once,” he added.Shah Rukh, who started his career as an actor with television serial Fauji , said this would be the 11th time he would be appearing on the small screen. The new game show on Star TV is titled ‘Kya Aap Paanchi Pass Se Tez Hain?’(Are you smarter than a 5th grader?), where the contestants (above 18 years of age) could win Rs five crore by answering simple questions like ‘The planet Earth is located in which galaxy?’, ‘Do adult kangaroos have pouches? True/False’...
The star, whose passion for sports is evident from his recent association with Indian Premier League (IPL), says he was good at sports in school but never let his parents down when it came to academics. “I used to play a lot whole day but I used to be very aware of making sure that I did not let my parents down as far as my marks were concerned. My parents never pushed me to come first, second or third, they just told me that you should be proud of yourself in the class and you should not feel ashamed that you have not done well. In the races I used to come first,” he said.Asked if he himself was smarter than a fifth grader, he humored, “I am not; otherwise I wouldn’t have been an actor.”The format of the show would allow contestants to ‘cheat’ from the kids that would act as a helpline for them. On being questioned about cheating instincts as a kid, the actor came out with an honest answer.“As wrong as it may sound and as politically incorrect, I think cheating is a natural instinct. I don’t think that any parent teaches that and I would not teach my children to cheat but I would not claim that they would not do it. In my class, I would have cheated ... Once I did that. I was very happy that I had done very well. My friend got 3 ½ out of 100 and I got 2 ½ out of 100. That was really sad. That was the time I decided to stop cheating,” he said.
Asked about his kids Aryan and Suhana, the father Khan said that he would not want that being his children should become an achievement for them.He said: "I pray to god and hope when they grow up, they achieve something on their own.”
The game show will be based on the international Mark Burnett format ‘Are you smarter than a 5th grader?’. The show is already successfully running in 50 countries and aims to put adults to answer primary school questions. The show originated in the United States and it has been reported that the 2008 presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama turned down the offer to be on the show, due to the pressure.
