Shah Rukh Khan: The irreverent yuppie star is the new king of Bollywood

First day. First look. He steps out of his trailer in Film City, black jeans, black bandanna, black earring. Smoke surrounds him, trailing out from what he calls "my luscious lips" and from the glass of tea. It is the only aura he has. There is nothing to suggest celebrity, no scent of the star so worshipped that when he flicks away cigarette butts people pick them up as souvenirs. "I enjoy that," he says. "It's embarrassing," he adds.

Contradiction is his best friend. Here at the set, no one calls him chief, boss, God. He is plain, simple Shah Rukh. Except he's no plain, simple guy. When our photographer is asked to leave the set by a production manager, he reminds you of it. His face creased with that smile that makes women go all silly, he tells the unit hand, "Theek hai. Usko bolo Shah Rukh bola, India's biggest star."

Shah Rukh Khan, 32 going on whatever his mood is, is flippant, outrageous, arrogant, intelligent, impossible to trip and pin down. Ask him a question, and he responds with attitude. Hey dude, how come you have three hits running - Dil To Pagal Hai, Pardes, Yes Boss- when all you've got is five expressions.