SRK, John in Pepsi ad together

What would Shah Rukh Khan do if someone called him uncle?

"Nobody calls me uncle," said Shah Rukh. After a pause, he added with a grin, "He will not live the next day."

But the latest Pepsi advertisement does have a lad calling the superstar 'uncle.'

The ad shows a boy approaching SRK and John Abraham with a tissue. As the actors presume that he wants their autographs, the boy simply says, 'Excuse me, uncle,' and reaches past them for a can of Pepsi.

Punita lal, Executive Director (Marketing), Pepsi Foods said, "This advertisement is about self expression and positive attitude. This new product 'My Can' reflects the style statement of today's youth and gives them a platform to express themselves."

'My can' is slightly taller than the regular Pepsi can. It costs Rs 15.

Asked how would he feel if someone called him uncle, John replied, "Actually, a lot of kids have been telling me uncle. They call me Dhoom uncle."

On a serious note, when asked about the allegations of pesticides in Pepsi, Shah Rukh said, "We are not selling anything harmful. Pepsi is a known multinational company worldwide. The health regulators keep a check on this and we will not sell anything that is harmful."

The actor, however, refused to talk about the threats he received from the underworld some years ago, as mentioned in Anupama Chopra's book on the actor, King Of Bollywood.

"I have not read her book so far," SRK said. "Anupama is a good writer and this is an old issue. Let me not talk about it now. Let me have my sleep."

John quipped, "I have not got any threat so far. It means I am not a big star."

Text: Syed Firdaus Ashraf | Photograph: Rajesh Karkera