Bollywood king has bad news for pretenders

King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, today had bad news for the young pretenders to his crown.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), the Indian megastar vowed: “I’ll go on for another 40 years.”

The 36-year-old award-winning actor, who flew in today from Bombay, added: “I’ll go on until I’m 76.”

During the news conference at the Scottish capital’s Caledonian Hilton Hotel, the star of nearly 50 films revealed who his biggest idol is.

He laughed: “I like me a lot.”

The father of two added: “I like my children a lot, I’ve grown up trying to do acting for kids and right now my kids really do act wonderfully, so I like them.”

The actor said it was a “great honour” to be invited to Edinburgh for the film festival.

He said it was his first visit to the Scottish capital but added that he had enjoyed his last visit to Scotland four years ago.

One of Khan’s biggest hit movies, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, was shot in Scotland in 1998 at Loch Lomond and Glencoe.

He said: “I would like to do another film in Scotland but my friends say it’s too expensive.

“It was really wonderful when we came here last time. It was grey and raining and it was absolutely marvellous.”

Khan spoke of the advantages of having legions of fans, both in India and Pakistan.

The Muslim, whose family came from Pakistan, said: “It increases my market.”

He spoke of his insulation from the political crisis in his homeland over Kashmir, saying: “We’re untouched by that, we’re in a comfortable position, I live in Bombay, I’m a star and very well protected.”

He added that any films made about the conflict should reflect both sides of the argument.