Shah Rukh Khan: Dreams Unlimited

India's most-loved superstar has turned 50. Shah Rukh Khan talks about what is arguably the most interesting phase of his career, balancing business sense with artistic instinct, and his dream project: Making that one Indian movie that will wow the world.

- Sourav Majumdar & Deepak Ajwani

The smell of cigarette smoke accompanies us all the way from the foyer to the elevator and up to the third floor of Mannat Annexe. Shah Rukh Khan is in the building.

Outside, in front of the gate of the sprawling, sea-facing bungalow called Mannat (which, roughly translated, means a wish) in Mumbai’s upscale Bandra Bandstand area, groups of teenagers are busy taking selfies against the famous nameplate. Khan, who turned 50 on November 2, is on a rare day off from shooting—Kajol, the leading lady of his next blockbuster release Dilwale, wanted a break and that forced the megastar to take one as well, something he usually doesn’t like doing. The upside: It enabled him to catch up on much-needed sleep.

As we enter the library where Khan meets visitors, he gets up and hobbles towards us warmly—he is recovering from yet another leg injury. Dressed in a casual blue jersey, blue jeans and matching blue sneakers, Khan has been busy with his Mac, a self balancing IO Hawk skateboard next to him. Around the room lie empty coffee cups and glasses of water, proof that despite the rare off-day from the sets, the superstar, who has reclaimed his top place in the 2015 Forbes India Celebrity 100 List, has been having a busy day meeting visitors.

This promises to be a most interesting phase for Shah Rukh Khan’s career. The actor-turned entrepreneur—who owns production house Red Chillies Entertainments (which has morphed from the earlier Dreamz Unlimited which he owned with actor Juhi Chawla and director Aziz Mirza), Indian Premier League cricket franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (with friend Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta) and children’s entertainment company KidZania—has decided he will now do not just one, but around three films a year.