Shah Rukh Khan is in transition. After ruling the Hindi film industry as a superstar for nearly two decades, he is on the verge of fulfilling his childhood dream of turning into a superhero with the release of his film Ra.One next month. However, before that happens, the Express Adda held at Olive Bar and Kitchen in Mumbai on Tuesday provided that rare platform to understand the life and journey of the 44-year-old heartthrob. The Adda, moderated by Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of The Express Group, and Priyanka Sinha Jha, Editor of Screen, had all the characteristics of a memorable evening — Khan, who has mastered the art of holding an engaging conversation, a rapt and intelligent audience and the cosy setting of Olive’s courtyard in suburban Bandra.

Gupta began the evening by busting a myth about the actor. He let out that Khan, who owns an enviable six-pack, was “hungry” when he reached the venue and before coming onstage had enjoyed a snack platter. As the Adda progressed, many such anecdotes, secrets tumbled out.

The actor, famous for his self-deprecating humour, kick-started the evening of fun and banter by taking a mock vow to quit smoking. This was followed by his candid confession: “Actors toh hote hi jhoote hain (Actors are after all liars). The fact that I have been an actor for 20 years and lasted, makes me the the biggest liar in the world. My mom believed everything that I said. I told her that ‘I look like Dilip Kumar and one day I will be bigger than Amitabh Bachchan’. And she believed that.”