Shah Rukh Khan treated me like a little girl: Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal prefers to sleep when she is not slugging it out on court. She also enjoys watching Hindi movies, especially on tours. She could not hide her joy when she shared the stage at a promotional event in New Delhi recently with one of her favourite actors, Shah Rukh Khan. Ranbir Kapoor is her other ‘weakness’.

“He (Khan) was very nice to me. He treated me like a little girl. I am lost for words. Hats off to him and his behaviour,” the World No 2 tells DNA in an exclusive chat.

SRK’s hit flick Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is her all-time favourite. “I like DDLJ very much. I also watched Jolly LLB recently. I watch one or two movies in a month, mostly Hindi,” Nehwal says, adding she doesn’t watch a movie more than once.

Being a popular sportsperson and a role model for youngsters, particularly girls, Nehwal can’t really go out for a movie or walk into a mall. But she doesn’t mind it. “My aim is to be the best in my game. All other things are secondary in my life,” Nehwal says.

So what does the Hyderabadi do when she is not training? “I practise six days a week. On the off day, I sleep. I also do my workouts whenever I get time,” she says.

The ace shuttler has been nominated for the BWF Female Player of the Year award. “It is really a great honour. I think it is a recognition of my hard work,” she says. The verdict will be out on May 18, at a function in Kuala Lumpur.

Nehwal’s nomination comes on the backdrop of a fantastic 12 months, the pinnacle being the Olympic bronze medal. But for her, the success in London is now a thing of the past. “For me, every event is equally good. I won the Denmark Super Series Premier (October 2012) after the Olympics. I have been doing well all along. The Olympic medal is now history,” she says.

At last month’s All England Championships, Nehwal had a golden opportunity to win the singles title, especially after China’s Li Xuerui (World No 1) and Wang Yihan (No 3) lost in the opening round. However, she lost to Thai teenager Intanon Ratchanok in the semifinal.

Saina has taken it in her stride. “Ratchanok is an extremely good player, so she defeated me. It was not because I played (Wang) Shixian the previous night. Badminton is my life. We play one match a day. One day, I play better than her. That day, she played better than me,” she says.

“Results depend on how you play on a given day. For example, Yihan won the German Open but lost in the first round of All England the next week. It all boils down to stamina, practice and that particular day. I don’t regret my losses. I always look ahead and seek to do better. It works like this: Sometimes, I defeat players, other times they defeat me. It is all part of badminton and sport.”

Asked if she needed to be mentally stronger in crunch situations, Nehwal said she did not lack in that aspect. “I am very strong mentally. Sometimes I get defeated. It happens in the game. I don’t compromise on hard work and practice.”.

Nehwal will get the top billing in this month’s India Open Super Series event in New Delhi (April 23-28). “I will give it my best shot, like I always do. Let us see what happens on that particular day,” she says. True! 

@GKspts