If you want happy country, go out and vote: Shah Rukh Khan

Gurgaon: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has asked his fans to go out and vote in large numbers during this Lok Sabha elections if they want to live in a `happy country`. The Lok Sabha elections this year are being held in nine phases- from April 7 to May 12. "We want to live in a happy country. After watching things on TV and reading about people, I think they are intelligent enough to make up their mind on who to vote and who not to," the 48-year-old actor said during an event here. Yesterday Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and leader Abu Azmi, who is actress Ayesha Takia`s father-in-law, created a furore amongst the public with their comment on rape. Reacting to their statements, Shah Rukh said, "Our country is going through elections. I think during the elections a lot of people say a lot of things... Whatever small, little knowledge that I have about these things I can only ask people to go out and vote for people who you would like to see as your leader." The actor is currently shooting for Farah Khan`s `Happy New Year`, and he says the round-the-clock schedule will prohibit him from attending this year`s India International Film Awards (IIFA) to be held in Tampa Bay, US. "I am shooting all seven days a week for `Happy New Year`. I won`t get the time to go to IIFA this year. But I think others from the film may go for the award show," Shah Rukh said. `Happy New Year` also stars Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani and Sonu Sood. The film is expected to hit theatres on October 23 this year.