Didn't imagine staying in films so long: Shah Rukh Khan

Superstar Shahrukh Khan on Sunday said he never imagined that he would be able to survive in the film industry for such a long time - a good 21 years - and ascribed his long innings to greater opportunities available in the country now.

"Because our country is progressing so fast, a lot of people like me, who perhaps don't even deserve it, get a lot more opportunities than what actors and stars got in years past," the star, who just received the prestigious Chubb fellowship by the Yale University in the US, said.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the first phase of Prayag Film City here in West Midnapore district as the brand ambassador of the film city.

"I come from a lower middle class background and for the last 30 years it has been my habit to work for 18-20 hours a day. Through my hard work I try to make the life of my family better," he said.

Asked if he was drifting towards entrepreneurship from acting, SRK said he considers himself just as an actor.

"I am hardly an entrepreneur. I don't even think of myself as a star. I only try to make a difference in the world with my acting," he said.

Describing acting and sports as two of his passions, he said, "Whatever I do, promotions and other things, they are offshoots and ancilliaries".

Emphasising the importance of a film city, he said he had always wondered why a country like India, which makes the largest number of films worldwide, does not have world-class infrastructure and facilities.