Though Shah Rukh Khan is pretty much a chain smoker in real life, he still favours the proposed ban on cigarette smoking in cinema.

But he says candidly that the ban would be hard to implement, if not improbable in practical terms.

Stressing that he has never played the role of any person for whom smoking is essential as part of the characterisation, the star says: "Even in 'Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam' where I hold a cigarette in my hand all the time I don't ever light it. This trait I borrowed from the south Indian original of the film where the hero always puts a cigarette in his mouth when he's agitated. I thought it was a masterstroke.

"Not that I haven't smoked on screen. I did that in 'Ram Jaane'. But I don't think smoking needs to be an integral part of any character. It's as routine as a chair in the corner of a set or a bedsheet on a bed... It shouldn't be something around which a film is designed."

Discussing the government's controversial move to ban smoking, Shah Rukh says: "I don't think it would be difficult for actors to project emotions without smoking; I think there might be a problem with some characters. If you're portraying Winston Churchill how can you portray him without his trademark cigar? It might be tough to depict characters from the underworld without cigarettes. But otherwise what's so essential about smoking on screen?"

Shah Rukh isn't sure whether the theory is valid that watching actors smoke on screen would encourage youngsters.

"But I do remember seeing a sign in London which said, 'Papa, when you smoke I smoke too'. I don't know whether my smoking would make my child a smoker. But if you tell me that such a thing can happen, I'd like to take it seriously. I don't know how far the ban on smoking would help eradicate smoking... if it does help in getting rid of the smokers then I'm all for it."

According to him, in a liberal society, the laws are bound to be more stringent. "In a banana republic nothing is allowed. In our society everything is allowed... More rights entail more obligations."

Shah Rukh ends by saying he's always careful about what he portrays on screen. "For example, I'm very careful about bad language on screen. I don't use it. I won't. The most extreme emotions can be expressed without getting abusive. I'm not comfortable with bad language. But I don't disapprove of it.

"I believe cinema has to have the freedom to express itself in any way it likes. I may not like talking to a particular journalist. But that doesn't mean I'd stop him or her from writing."