Shah Rukh Khan's energy on the set is like that of a young boy, says Zero director Aanand L Rai

Filmmaker Aanand L. Rai, who has collaborated with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for the upcoming film Zero, says the superstar has an energy and enthusiasm of a newcomer despite a career of over 25 years in filmdom. “I am fascinated to see how a man with 25 years of a career, with so much success, fame, so many blockbusters, can still can have childlike energy. He did not burn out. He is the most obedient actor I have seen ever in my life. His energy on set is like a young boy doing his first film. I want to say that he is the best newcomer a director will get on the set… In fact, that is something I am trying to learn from him,” Rai told IANS in an interview. Zero is a multi-starrer, which also features Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif. Shah Rukh plays a dwarf in the movie. Rai said the strenuous shoot of the film was made smooth by the talented cast. “Physically the shoot was very exhausting but the whole team had a great time working towards it because of the fact that I worked with a bunch of enthusiastic actors, and Khan saab is one of them. He surprises me to an extent that at times it scares me to think whether as a director I am able to match up to his level of talent. He is an extraordinary man, not just as an actor but also as a human,” said the director. [caption id=“attachment_4414207” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Shah Rukh Khan with Aanand L Rai/Image from Twitter.[/caption] Were there any creative difference on set? “Well, Khan saab always has a way to say things, and he never says ‘I don’t do a scene like this’. His approach is always suggestive. He would say, ‘Shall we do it like this?’ His attitude towards people is so nice,” Rai said. As a filmmaker, Rai’s focus has always been on good stories and experimental subjects. His production Shubh Mangal Saavdhan on erectile dysfunction is a case in point. With Zero, Rai is experimenting with the image of a superstar who is known for his romantic roles. What made him take such a risk? He said, “With experience, I have realised that audience is growing every year to accept more experimental cinema. There is a synergy between audience and filmmakers. As a film director, I cannot say there is no audience for a certain genre of story because a different group of audience is receptive towards a variety of stories. Now we have an audience to support a film like Baahubali and a content-heavy film like Newton in the same year. “We have a Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and a Lipstick Under My Burkha and both are appreciated by the audience. So I think the audience gives us the confidence to take the risk.” The film Zero is slated to release on December 21.