Shahrukh beats Sonia in a poll

"No, I never thought I would make it this big because I never planned nor set any tangible goal," he said soon after being voted the "youth icon" in an opinion poll conducted by a leading music channel recently.

"I always believe that the task I have at a given moment is the most important in my life and nothing else matters," said Khan who has set the box office on fire several times in his career.

In the opinion poll, Khan beat Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi. Among others in the contention for the icon status were India's teenage tennis prodigy Sania Mirza, entrepreneur Aziz Premzi, cricketer Irfan Pathaan and playback singer Sonu Nigam.

It was also an occasion for Khan to trek down memory lane and recall his own icons at a younger age: Mother Teresa, Imran Khan and Michael Jackson.

The actor believes that what is shown on the big screen can affect people either positively or negatively and his message to the youth is not to drink, smoke or take drugs. Khan also asks the youth to look at the world positively and not cynically and work hard.

Khan said while other contenders in the opinion poll were all worthy persons he had the advantage of getting more visibility because he is in a media-related field, staring down from posters on the walls and cinema halls.