'Sonia is a strong lady, one you can admire'

New Delhi, Oct 3: His public statements idolising UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi may have set off speculation of his interest in politics but Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan says his statement was an apolitical one stemming out of his admiration for the Congress president.

''When I said Sonia Gandhi is a wonderful person, I said it quite apolitically,'' Shahrukh told a news channel in an interview last night.

''There is an image of her (Sonia Gandhi) that I'd like to repeat again and again - on a bus, in an election rally and with children- which is a very strong emotion to me as I am attached to the figure of a mother. For me she is a strong lady, someone you can admire,'' Shahrukh told Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN 'Devil's Advocate' programme.

Shahrukh admitted though that his statement idolising Mrs Gandhi, even though said apolitically, may not have been taken so.

''It is possible that people might not have taken my statement as an apolitical one. After all, my job is vulnerable and dangerous.

Still, I'd like to stand by what I said,''he said.

Shahrukh also clarified that his statement had nothing to do with her (Sonia Gandhi) party being in power.

''It's just that nobody asked me my opinion about her before,'' Shahrukh said.

On Union Health Minister taking objection to scenes of Shahrukh smoking a cigarette in his forthcoming 'Don', as shown in the television promos of the film, Shahrukh said,''I will not go to the extent of saying that smoking is artistic in cinema and that is why we are having this problem. However, the larger issue involved here is today it is smoking in films, tomorrow what.

''I truly believe that Indian masses are literate enough to know that there is no more a Humphrey Bogart kind of smoking that one would start smoking as an actor does. Also, for most of them, it is a very small issue.'' ''I feel that the powers that be should look at bigger health issues than smoking in films.'' To the Health Minister's appeal to stars like Shahrukh to stop endorsing soft drinks, the Superstar said,''I'd like toappeal to any authority that if cold drinks are harmful don't allow their production in the country. Similarly if smoking is bad, do not permit production of cigarettes in the country.

''My logic is you are not stopping it, despite telling that its harmful, just because it gives revenue to the Government.

Then don't stop my revenue. After all, I am an actor and am supposed to do a job and get revenue from it.'' He admitted though that he might not be right in himself smoking which is why he was trying to cut down on its consumption.

However, at the same time, he said he personally believed that nobody had a right to tell a person what to do as long as he was not bringing harm to someone else.

UNI