After returning from an awards function in Macau, actor Shah Rukh Khan will head straight to the studios to resume shooting for Yash Chopra’s directorial comeback. The untitled Diwali release, which sees Chopra behind the camera after a gap of seven years, went on the floors on January 9.

“I’ve just started working with Katrina (actor Katrina Kaif). She puts in a lot of effort to make her character look and sound believable,” says Shah Rukh, minutes after finishing his anchoring gig at Colors’ Screen Awards that took place in Mumbai recently. “I’m working with Yashji after a long time and it’s been a breeze.”

The upcoming schedule of the film is likely to start in London. Another schedule is due in April, when the love story’s second leading lady, Anushka Sharma, will join the cast and crew. Meanwhile, back home, an auction for cricket players for the Indian Premier League’s fifth edition is likely to be held on February 4. The tournament flags off on April 4 in Chennai.

Given his tight shooting schedules, will SRK make it to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) matches this time? “I don’t know my exact schedule yet. So, I don’t know where I’ll be on the day of the auctions,” he says, adding, “But regardless of what I’m doing, I will be there for my team with my friends and family, cheering the way I have been for the last four seasons. Our boys have been practicing hard and the team has shaped up well. The credit goes to the coach and the players who’ve been putting in a lot of time and energy."

Kolkata Knight Riders had lost a couple of players to Kochi Tuskers Kerala, a new team that entered the fourth season of the tournament. Now that it has been dissolved, a couple of KKR’s old players will be available at the auctions.

“It would be nice to see some of our old faces play for us again,” says Shah Rukh, adding, “But even if we don’t manage to get any of them back, we’re looking fine. Our last season put a smile on our faces. This time, we just intend to make that smile bigger.”

SRK, Katrina show off their chemistry: Shah Rukh Khan faces the camera with Katrina Kaif, who happens to be close to his rival, actor Salman Khan, for the first time for Yash Chopra’s film. While details, including the film’s storyline and music, are being kept under wraps, SRK gave a glimpse of his on-screen chemistry with Katrina at a recent award show.

When asked if the duo had become friends, he says, “We haven’t become best friends but she’s a nice girl to work with. And we never dig into the past (the popular Salman-SRK squabble).” Ask Katrina about working with SRK and Salman in the same calendar year, and she says, “I don’t take work from one set to the other. Shah Rukh and Salman are my co-stars and I respect them equally and immensely.”