If you want happy country, go out and vote: Shah Rukh Khan

'After watching things on TV and reading about leaders, I think people are intelligent enough to make up their mind on who to vote and who not to,' the 48-year-old superstar said, while encouraging fans to to go out and vote in large numbers during this Lok Sabha elections.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has asked his fans to go out and vote in large numbers during this Lok Sabha elections if they want to live in a happy country.

The Lok Sabha elections this year are being held in nine phases- from April 7 to May 12.

"We want to live in a happy country. After watching things on TV and reading about leaders, I think people are intelligent enough to make up their mind on who to vote and who not to," the 48-year-old actor said during an event.

HT Image

In pics: Celebs vote, show the finger

On Friday, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and leader Abu Azmi, who is actress Ayesha Takia's father-in-law, created a furore amongst the public with their comment on rape.

Reacting to their statements, Shah Rukh said, "Our country is going through elections. I think during the elections a lot of people say a lot of things... Whatever small, little knowledge that I have about these things I can only ask people to go out and vote for people who you would like to see as your leader."

At the event, where SRK was appointed the goodwill ambassador for public diplomacy by the South Korean ambassador Joon-Gyu Lee, the actor also appealed to people to cast their votes. An insider says, "The three Khans — Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh — were in consideration but there were certain factors that worked in Shah Rukh’s favour. His movies are among the highest grossing Hindi films in South Korea."

The source adds that, as part of his appointment, "SRK will have to visit South Korea a couple of times in the next two years and promote his movies there".

Ambassador Lee also mentioned that the superstar’s popularity in South Korea is unmatchable and "his films Om Shanti Om (2007), Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) and My Name Is Khan (2010), have been very well received by the public".

Talking about what he’d like to do when he visits South Korea, SRK said, "I’d love to dance to the tunes of Gangnam style with Psy, which I think is inspired by Bollywood."

(Report by Medha Shri Dahiya and Kavita Awaasthi)

The actor is currently shooting for Farah Khan's Happy New Year, and he says the round-the-clock schedule will prohibit him from attending this year's India International Film Awards (IIFA) to be held in Tampa Bay, US.

Read:SRK-starrer Happy New Year teaser to release at IPL opening

"I am shooting all seven days a week for Happy New Year. I won't get the time to go to IIFA this year. But I think others from the film may go for the award show," Shah Rukh said.

Happy New Year also stars Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani and Sonu Sood.

The film is expected to hit theatres on October 23 this year.