Shah Rukh Khan says has never felt complete as an actor and that's what has kept him going for almost three decades in the industry.
The 53-year-old actor says rather than looking for end result, he believes in quietly celebrating milestones.
"I have never felt complete. As an artiste, I am very incomplete and I know that. If I am not, then I would not like to work. If I am complete then why would I wake up in the morning and work hard and still try to do something?," Shah Rukh said in a group interview.
Shah Rukh says he is restless by nature.
"I always think, within the commercial cinema set-up that I am working in, how can I bring in something new, as an actor, as a producer, in whatever capacity I can. I am not complete at all, I am very restless. If you think you are complete, then you are boring, over and done with!"
The issue with looking at things in life as a finish line, according to Shah Rukh, is what does one do when they cross it.
"So I don't think of things as completing. As an old saying goes...the journey is important. If I cross anything, which I think is a good achievement then I don't think of it as an end-line, I think of it as a milestone.
"But I don't plan for it. I don't think of 'I should earn this much', or 'I should have that many awards', or 'I have to make that many hit films', I think it is very organic. Because, if you worked in films as long as I have, specifics become less important...," he says.
Shah Rukh says the films that he is currently doing, he is loving them as he isn't looking for any end result in the projects.
"After twenty-five years of working, I have realised that the only reason you should be working is for the happiness of your heart," he says.
His upcoming film Zero, directed by Aanand L Rai, aims to celebrate the incompleteness of people.
In the film, Shah Rukh plays a vertically challenged man while Anushka Sharma features as a scientist with cerebral palsy and Katrina Kaif plays an actor who is emotionally incomplete.
Shah Rukh says the film neither looks at these characters with pity nor asks viewers to give them sympathy.
"When films are made on special abilities, normally there is an attempt to gain sympathy. In the entire film, we have tried that all the three character never ask for sympathy from the audience or the world. We don't want anyone's sympathy or empathy," he adds.
Playing a vertically challenged person, Shah Rukh says, was not a gimmick for them.
"For the last one year, we have been worried that the character's height shouldn't become the mainstay of the film. In the first ten-fifteen minutes and even after the trailer, you overcome that. That doesn't become a gimmick. Aanand and I didn't want that to happen," he says.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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