However, he has no dreams of donning the mantle of India’s most eligible bachelor. He says “I don't think the girls who have been in my life have ever thought of me as the most eligible bachelor. I think that once they found that I was not, they dipped out.” 

Salman also believes in friendships, with Bollywood’s heroes and heroines. He says, “They stood by me, I stood by them — it’s no big deal. That's what friends are there for. May be its just my personality or may because of my father he stood by his family, by his friends so its there in our genes.” 

Asked if he will marry in Rajasthan’s Umaid Palace, Salman answers, “You never know.” He also believes in marriage as an institution, “It worked for my father, it worked for my brothers and for my sister and am sure it is going to work for me. There are times when you get married at an early age to a girl you love or for excitement. Later on, comes an age when you want to get married to a person who'll be like the most amazing mother you know, who'll take care of your children.” 

He’s aware that he’s not perfect boyfriend-material, “I am slightly naughty that way and I have issues.” On whether he poured coke over his ex-girlfriend’s (Somy Ali) head, he says it may have spilled over, “I think I was actually angry so chalak gaya and it became a big thing at that point of time.” And, what about the reported violence against another ex-girlfriend (Aishwarya Rai)? Has he ever raised his hand on any woman? “Obviously in a fight, I am going to be angry. I am going to go for whack and I want to give it my best shot. I don’t think that she would have survived it. So no it’s not true and I don’t know for what reason that was said, but let it go. It's not true that I hit a woman,” Salman clarified. 

On being a possessive boyfriend and his recent statements on being uncomfortable seeing girlfriend Katrina in mini skirts in her movies, he explained, “I have no double standards. The fact that I have said that, I have got no double standards it means I have got no double standards. Men are allowed to do these things; women can't work without their shirts, not as yet. You are not living alone; you know you are living in a society. Comments start coming in. I can't take cheap comments on women.” 

The IPL question: are you or are you not acquiring a team? . Yeh khayaal kahaan se aaya? “Bid karenge. Bid zaroor karenge. Agar bid mein mil gaya, toh team le lenge. Dekhiye, as far as this goes, I’m going to do it at a different level altogether. One can raise a lot of money through this as well. There are many multinational companies who like to be associated with this, through logos, sponsorships and all that.” 

And how long will you answer the question – are you following SRK? “See, I came into cinema first. Does that mean he followed me into the film industry? Or that we both followed Amitji or Dilip saab into movies? Ek cheez achhi lagi, usme chale gaye, bas... Main hamesha apne se umar mein kam samajhta thaa lekin recently pata chala ki mujhse ek mahina bada hai woh – iska matlab yeh thode hai ki is duniya mein main isliye aaya kyunki woh aaye the pehle... Anyways, agar unki, ya kisi ki, yeh soch hai, toh unko mubarak ho.’’ 

TV would love a match between SRK’s and Salman’s teams, wouldn’t it, with all the undercurrents? “But it’s not as sharp as it’s made out to be. It’s very okay. He’s very respectful to my dad. My sisters-in-law, his wife, they’re very comfortable with each other, we don’t ask or influence them to be otherwise. It’s just that we’re not very comfortable with each other. And I’m sure he’s right where he is, and I’m right where I am. 

We won’t see a Karan Arjun again? You won’t back out if you’re offered a movie with SRK? “Who knows what the future holds I’m above all these things, yaar, these insecurities and all that.” 

You let Katrina do what she wants? You really don’t have a hassle with her acting opposite SRK? No, I’ve never stopped her from doing a film with John or with anybody else, it’s her life, her career, but I’ve just put my foot down on one idiot. And that is? “Vivek (Oberoi).”

Hasn’t he been trying to patch up for eternity? “Arre woh drama-shama karta hai, kaan pakadta hai, you know what all he does... there’s no meaning to it, it’s all... you know what I think of it.” 

A girl was saying ‘Main aapko apna pati maan chuki hoon’ today. How do you handle that sort of thing? “It’s scary, man, I don’t know how to handle it, I just don’t.” 

You get letters written in blood and all that sort of stuff? “Yes, that is why I stopped answering my fan mail. Yeh pehle bahut hota tha. I don’t like that sort of stuff. I can’t handle it.” 

You should stay single; actually, then girls can keep telling you they consider you their husband! “Yaar agar kaagaz pe sign karna shaadi hai, toh maaf kar do mujhe, ki nahin hui shaadi meri. Waise toh agar divorce bhi sirf sign karne se hota, bahut se logon ke divorce ho chuke hain, bas papers sign nahin huye hain! Hum abhi paperwork tak aaye nahin hain... when people stay together and break up, it is also like a marriage and divorce, bas functions nahin hote!