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He rocked the stage with fans...
When the “king of the world” took the St. Xavier’s College stage on Wednesday evening for ‘Indiawaale Kolkata Mein Chha Gaye!’, presented by t2, he promised the 10,000-strong (and 20,000-loud) crowd: “I am going to be here. I will talk for you. I will dance for you. I will do everything that you guys say.” He sure kept his promise at the programme held in association with CenturyPly and Gameplan, powered by Glamour World Ayurvedic and partnered by St. Xavier’s College Calcutta Alumni Association and 91.9 Friends FM. From quoting dialogues of his films present and past to dancing to his popular numbers. And he was not alone. Joining in word for word, tune for tune and step for step were some lucky Xaverians, who not only got to say their favourite King Khan dialogues with him but also dance with him. Their favourite moment? When Shah Rukh did the Lungi dance with them on stage.
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Shah Rukh enacted the Jee chahta hai tumhein khaa jaaon line from HNY with third-year economics student Saloni Sureka... not once but thrice.
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“I can’t dance too well. You have to teach me,” said SRK when third-year BBA student Bhavika Surana asked him to dance with her. He then went on to burn the floor.
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Second-year sociology student Moubani Roy Choudhury was all nerves when it was her turn to recite Deepika Padukone’s HNY dialogue, ‘Eejji lagta hai Mohini ka daance?’, but King Khan came to the rescue, one gentle arm around her shoulders and another holding her mike.
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When Triparna Mukherjee, first-year MSc student of Xavier’s, sang Manwa laage for Shah Rukh he just had to sing along. And some fireworks did happen, HNY-style, thanks to Sonu Sood and a lit matchstick!
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Rohit Dev Das sang Ankhon mein teri with Shah Rukh, prompting HNY director Farah Khan to ask Shah Rukh if he had ever thought this song would be sung to him by a man. “I am a huge fan of Shah Rukh Khan. I watched Ra.One five times on the very first day! It was an amazing experience to sing a song from his movie in front of the man himself,” said the third-year BCom (morning) student of St. Xavier’s College.
...and then reached out to fans on the ground
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Nothing could stop Shah Rukh Khan from getting up close and personal with his fans. “I am being told that there might be a security issue if I come down to meet you but I want to. Will you promise to behave?” asked Shah Rukh before getting off the stage to enter the fan surge, shake hands and click selfies. “Xavier’s was beautiful.... The one-on-one interactive touch with people always humbles me. If I can kiss them and they can kiss me back… I love that.... I would have loved to meet all those kids at Xavier’s today individually,” SRK told t2 later.
He’s got the xaverian look... tie to tee!
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| Shah Rukh slipped on the Xaverian tie and started knotting it like a pro. It was ready within seconds, a perfect double knot at that. “Shah Rukh can knot a tie better than I can! So, I always let him knot his own ties,” Daena Sethna, SRK’s personal stylist, who has styled him for Happy New Year, later told t2. Another reason for the t2 girl gang to be happily tied up in knots by our man Charlie. |
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Team HNY made the fans happy
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The king of all clicks —
A felfie with Shah Rukh Khan
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If Shah Rukh Khan was the star on stage at St. Xavier’s College on Wednesday — his moves, dialogues, quips and dimples flooring everyone — then off-stage it was the celeb selfie that was the superstar. While Happy New Year director Farah Khan and Vivaan Shah hurried into their van after the show, King Khan and his HNY co-star Sonu Sood got off the stage to meet their fans.
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| “Wait, wait… omg I cannot believe he took my phone and clicked a selfie!” shouted Sudakshina Mukherjee, jumping with joy after being hugged by SRK! “We were sitting in the VIP section when we suddenly saw him coming towards us, I ran towards him and to my utter surprise not only did he hug me and hold my hand, he took my phone and clicked a selfie. I am not much of a selfie person but this was my first ever selfie and that too with Shah Rukh! With this selfie, I have become a celebrity to my son and his friends in school,” gushed the interior designer. |
And what happens when a selfie-addicted star meets a selfie-crazy audience? Pandemonium. SRK fans rushed to the barricade of the VIP section to grab a closer glimpse of their Charlie. And as expected from the GenX and GenY thousands, the phones came out faster than the pens to click a snap of, and more importantly with, the Badshah himself.
They had started screaming to catch his ear (and then his eye) or extending their arms (often to superhuman lengths) to touch him once. It didn’t take long for SRK to go into selfie mode — grabbing a phone from a fan’s hand and going click-click. Shouts of “OMG!.. he is taking a selfie.... he is taking a selfie” and “Shah Rukh a selfie pleeease” filled the air as he moved forward, shaking hands, hugging and clicking fan selfies or rather felfies.
The sporting superstar’s sporting bodyguard also switched into click mode, getting the fans’ phone cameras selfie-ready! Sonu Sood, popular among the girls for his six-pack abs, was caught up in the click craze as well. As the “Shah Rukh is taking selfies” buzz spread like crazy on campus, hundreds of fans came running to share screen space with their hero.
The crowd surged and refused to let go of The Man. There was no escape for SRK backstage either with the selfie-struck crowd surrounding his van parked near the campus back-gate. And SRK was game. Showing remarkable patience, he posed for pictures and clicked selfies galore, all bang in the middle of the madness. “I know I can be a nightmare for my security guys… I got scratched on my back today also... but I know it is done out of love,” SRK told t2 later in the night.
Yes, we LOVE YOU Shah Rukh!
Scent of a superstar and the chant of SXC
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Smelling the star power that is Shah Rukh Khan
Only three days ago, he was down with a cold and fever, going on to add (with his infectious wit in place), that he couldn’t smell a thing — not even the success of HNY. “Can see it… feel it… read it… waiting to smell it!” he had sniffled.
And then, the moment social media went abuzz with news of him coming to my college, I was secretly harbouring hopes of my one chance to get to see him… feel him… and (if push went to a shove)… smell him too! That too, on home turf. I am, after all, his zillionth admirer.
Being sport-challenged, I knew I wouldn’t make it to the Eden as easily, so going back to college was hardly a test of time. It’s over 25 years since I left my mark (and academic marks behind), having dropped out to pursue typography and design over Chaucer & Spenser.
Only the evening before perhaps the greatest show on the college grounds after the Papal visit, I was helping cobble together names of last-minute prospective sponsors, so I could already feel a ‘happy new’ energy in the just-subsided Diwali air.
The next morning, just before setting out for work, a very dear friend from college (and now from this media house) was sweet enough to ask me if I’d be interested in ‘landing up’ at college in the evening. Landing up? I’m already flying, I said to myself.
I’ve been nursing a cold and fever myself but would I give up an opportunity to see King Khan from an ensconced VIP enclosure? Oh, no chance! So there I was, at the back-gate by 5.30pm along with three other friends and, within minutes, comfortably seated within focal length of my new cell phone’s camera.
An hour-and-a-half later, having nearly ruptured my eardrums with the euphoria Jimmy (Tangree, emcee) was trying to create and sustain, that moment in time arrived. By then, my cold and fever was preventing me from jumping and screaming as I would back in our Xavotsav days. As if on cue, my new phone’s battery died on me, with not even a single image of the Bawa of Bentinck Street, leave alone the Badshah of Bollywood!
I so wanted to text Jimmy to urge him to mention Khushiyon Ka Rangmanch as often as he could — hoping to encash brand equity for a dear client who had appropriately invested on this stage of happiness. When Brand SRK finally emerged college boy-like in his slashed jeans, sneakers, black tee and a clinging leather jacket only to rent the already electric air with his effortless charm, the one take-home memory was of this superstar’s spontaneous humility, above all else.
Just the way he spoke, sang, danced, held and hugged every hand-picked Xaverian who came on stage and then went down to mingle with the teeming crowds, happily (and patiently) clicking as many ‘fanfies’ on a range of phones (Grrr!), was humbling to say the least. He was a superstar who had flown down to earth and was a godsend. He displayed, and rather effortlessly, all the values that a college like St. Xavier’s had imbibed in us.
The evening ended leaving me, among thousands of others, with the realisation that if any star can flaunt the human embodiment of our college motto Nihil Ultra (Nothing Beyond), only a Shah Rukh can!
Do you see what I see? I see SXC
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St. Xavier’s with its rules and regulations is worse than a school! That’s what we often hear from teenagers like us wanting to break free, but the perks of being a Xaverian are huge. It’s amazing how Shah Rukh Khan and Team Happy New Year chose Xavier’s out of all places in Calcutta for the promotion of their movie. Starstruck is the word that could define the multitudes of students that gathered on the college ground to spend an evening with the one-and-only King Khan! I haven’t seen the field light up with such enthusiasm and numbers. The energy and the excitement before the arrival of the stars was brilliant, preparing us for an evening of absolute joy. Clicking selfies was, of course, the most popular activity just so they could say later, ‘I was there when Shah Rukh Khan came to my college’. We feel extremely privileged to be part of an institution which offers us such exposure and brings to our campus the stars who are really out of reach. We had our students go up and perform on stage too — they either sang or delivered dialogues from the movie adding to the fun — and their confidence was remarkable. The most fascinating thing I noticed was the crowd in front of the screens, taking pictures of Shah Rukh’s face, capturing this unbeatable craze that we students have for him in Calcutta. The lights, the vibe, the music, the crowd... Shah Rukh on stage effortlessly transformed a normal working day into a memorable evening.
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Well, the thought of having the Badshah of Bollywood on the St. Xavier’s College campus left me with goosebumps. Standing in the crowd for hours finally paid off when SRK walked onto the stage with Farah Khan. I had already lost my voice, I had been screaming so hard. The feeling is indescribable. His voice, his charm, his wit and most importantly his humility had us floored. Every person, every face had one name on their lips and they unanimously chanted it every time there was a lull on stage. I remember going to see him at the City Centre Salt Lake event shortly before the release of Ra.One. I could hardly catch a glimpse with all the security and the crowd, but here although I was a fair distance away, I could actually see him clearly. That was one of my personal dreams come true. The crowd went berserk when he lifted his arm and struck his signature pose but the best moment was when he chanted the SXC slogan ‘Do you see what I see’ and the thousands responded with, ‘I see SXC’. It felt special, it revitalised the Xaverian inside me and it made be glad all over again to be part of the college. Thank you, St. Xavier’s. Thank you, t2. I’ll never forget October 29, the day the King came to St. Xavier’s.
THE KING AND HIS CRAZE: He shook my hand! he said i love you too! he patted my cheek! the cap with his sweat is on my head!
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t2 contest winners
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Ghulam Mohammed won the #SRKInCalWitht2 contest run by the t2 Twitter page and won passes for his mother and him. “My mother and I are big fans of Shah Rukh Khan and winning these passes gave us a chance to see our favourite star. We loved the entire experience of watching him live on stage. Thanks to t2, otherwise it wouldn’t have been possible,” said Ghulam.
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“I am very lucky. I won a pass through the t2 contest. I brought my friend with me. I am crazy about Shah Rukh Khan and I have watched each and every film of his. I am yet to see Happy New Year but after today’s experience I don’t think I will postpone it any further. I want to thank t2 for the passes and for giving me such an experience. It was indeed a memorable day for me,” said Sreejita Chowdhury, a third-year microbiology student of Dinabandhu Andrews College.
Team HNY — led by SRK — on films, friends and football
Shah Rukh Khan and his Happy New Year team — director Farah Khan and co-stars Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah — hopped, skipped and jumped from the Xavier’s song ’’ dance show to the media conference at The Oberoi Grand. Highlights…
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| (L-R) Shah Rukh Khan, Farah Khan, Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah go Indiawaale at The Oberoi Grand on Wednesday evening. Picture: Anindya Shankar Ray |
THE HNY EXPERIENCE
SRK: It was a happy but a difficult film to shoot. A lot of good things and bad things happened. When one of us wasn’t in a good mood, the others would manage the situation. The worst bit was when the door fell on my head (during a scene).
Farah Khan: For me, that was the worst part. His head was bleeding. I didn’t realise I could be so dramatic… I cried like Nirupa Roy! He was seriously hurt but he came back after an hour and completed the day’s shoot.
SRK: Kyunki uske baad Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Dadlani bina kapdon mein dance karne waale thhe!
SRK THE CO-STAR
Farah: Throughout the making of the film, Shah Rukh kept telling me constantly, ‘Concentrate on the others’, ‘Give them better lines’. No other actor wants to be in an ensemble so wholeheartedly. Most of the credit goes to him.
Sonu Sood: He always used to say: ‘Tum aage raho’. After 60 films, I have met an actor who told me: ‘Main peechhey rahoonga, aap aage raho’. He is the most secure actor I have ever worked with.
Vivaan Shah: Shah Rukh sir has always been very encouraging… he’s been like an older brother to me.
SRK ON REINVENTING HIMSELF
SRK: I keep reading articles about how I am doing the same thing but it is not the same thing. I say expect the unexpected. I just want to keep on acting and want to keep on doing magic that my children are proud of and say: ‘Kuch acting achha kiya aapne, Papa’.
FARAH THE DIRECTOR
Farah: With every movie, you need to evolve and change your thought process… you have to keep it more modern. When I am making a film, I am really not trying to impress people who need to be impressed, I genuinely do it for the love of making a film. There is a childlike quality in my movies, which I think should never go away. Every time I finish a film I say, ‘Now I am going to make a small film with two people in one room’. But somehow it never happens!
SALMAN THE FRIEND
SRK: Salman is very fond of Farah and me. It is so gracious of him to promote our film on Bigg Boss. He also tweeted about Happy New Year when the trailer was launched. I thank him from the bottom of my heart. We don’t have an issue with each other.
Farah: Salman has always been encouraging and he loves the madness of our movies.
ISL, CALCUTTA AND FOOTBALL
SRK: I haven’t watched the ISL (Indian Soccer League) at all. I wanted to own a football team, but when I was told I couldn’t have the Calcutta team (Atletico de Kolkata), I didn’t want any other team. I got into the IPL because I was told it would extend to soccer and I wanted to be a part of the ISL just for Calcutta. If you play football, you have to play for Calcutta. I back only Calcutta. But having said that, there is no one more deserving than Dada (Sourav Ganguly). I wish Dada and Mr (Harsh) Neotia all the best. I hope they win the championship.
SRK’s B’DAY PLANS
SRK: I have no plans. The entire unit of Happy New Year will come together, but I generally work on my birthdays.
Farah: Gauri (Shah Rukh’s wife) has planned a party. It will be a ‘nonsense ki night’!
Here’s how The Oberoi Grand played host to SRK and Co.
Shah Rukh Khan and his Happy New Year team checked into The Oberoi Grand at 4.45pm on Wednesday, before heading off to St. Xavier’s College for the programme presented by t2. They returned for a media conference and called it an early night while SRK stayed on to give a few exclusive interviews before retiring for a very late private dinner.
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| Team Happy New Year with Team Oberoi Grand |
Bed...
Shah Rukh stayed in the Presidential Suite (301 & 302) on the third floor. The suite had a
24-hour personalised butler service to take care of requests from the King Khan. Farah also checked into a suite while Sonu and Vivaan spent the night in two of the hotel’s high-end rooms.
... And breakfast
Thursday morning saw SRK tuck into a breakfast of eggs sunny side up, four brown bread slices and orange juice while Farah’s breakfast comprised masala dosa, idli and pineapple juice.
On Wednesday evening, Sonu the hunk had ordered an eight-egg (!) white omelette before heading to St. Xavier’s College, while SRK — who has “never really been into food” — had opted simply for black coffee and an aerated beverage.
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You, the t2 reader, wish Shah Rukh Khan on his birthday!
Happy B’day!
To the inspiration of my life, Shah Rukh sir, you are an impeccable person. Thank you for all the love and happiness you share and spread among your admirers across the globe. You are the epitome of hard work, passion, achievement and humility. Your astounding journey from a life of hardship to the most lovable superstar is amazingly inspirational. Thank you for every bit you do to entertain us and make us happy. Thank you for all the wonderful films you have given us for the past two decades. Thank you for coming back to Calcutta to relish your success and celebrate it with us! We love your carefree smile, your signature style, your dimples, your one-liners, your witty nature, your simplicity and most importantly, we love YOU and everything you do! You are simply THE BEST! Waiting eagerly for your upcoming ventures, as always.
Wishing my inspiration, The King Khan, A Very Happy 49th Birthday. Wish you a long, healthy and a happy life. LONG LIVE The Badshah Of Bollywood! (What is your message for Shah Rukh Khan on his 49th birthday? October 31)
Payal Prasad, The Bhawanipur Education Society College
A birthday is the most special day in one’s life. Another year has passed and let me just say how much we count on you rather than count the years. Be happy! Today is the day you were sent to this world to be a blessing and an inspiration to the people around you! You are a wonderful actor. May you be given many more birthdays to fulfil all of your dreams. My wish for you on your birthday is that you are and will always be happy and healthy! Don’t ever change, SHAH RUKH KHAN.
Hafiz, Basirhat
Wish you a very Happy Birthday, sir. Stay healthy. Gift us with more good movies. And visit Calcutta more often. Love you lots!
Subhrajit Biswas,
Calcutta University
First of all, a very Happy Birthday to you Shah Rukh. Just stay as you are. Stay evergreen, and continue serving the nation with your back-to-back blockbusters. Wish you more and more success in life.
Sayantan Biswas
Heartiest birthday greetings to you and many happy returns of the day. May god bless you with happiness, prosperity, good health, long life and immense success. Since your debut in Deewana (1992), you have enthralled us with many successful movies. We still cherish your stupendous performances in films like Baazigar, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Darr, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Dil To Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Devdas and many more. At the age of 49, you are still putting in your best efforts to make your films a success. This is indeed commendable. Bravo, SRK! Nobody can forget your young, robust appearance in the television serial Fauji (1988) at the beginning of your illustrious career. You have always expressed your love for our city of joy. Let us reciprocate. You have become our brand ambassador. All the best wishes to you.
Indranil Sanyal, Dhakuria
Ask me to define acting in just three words and I will say SHAH RUKH KHAN. Pleasure to give my warm wishes to Mr King Khan and thanks t2 for the Indiawaale Kolkata Mein Chha Gaye! event. I got a glimpse of my idol at the event. A dream came true. Love You SRK.
Taqi Zeesha, Ripon Street
A message for the Badshah:
Pehla Nasha is apt to explain my Chaahat for you..., Kuch Kuch Hota Hai on your every dimple..., Dil To Pagal Hai for your every performance..., there can never be a Duplicate of you..., there is no Darr when you are the Don..., you are the Shakti to the million hearts..., you have always been the Baazigar in Swades and Pardes..., and finally, Chalte Chalte HAPPY BIRTHDAY and as always Chak De! Love you Dil Se...
Afifa Yarafin
May your birthday bring each special thing that you have waited for and may every day ahead hold lots of happiness in store. May you be surrounded by bundles of happiness, filled with laughter, wrapped in pleasure, brightened with fun, blessed with love, remembered with joy and enriched with hope. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday. May life lead you to great happiness and success and hope that your wishes come true! Tum jiyo hazaaron saal, yehi hai iss shan ki zubaan.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY KING KHAN.... Have a great day and a great year ahead.
Shanti Krishnan
Happy birthday! Who cares if you are 49? As you said, you can still romance your heroine like a 26-year-old. Age really does not matter... what really matters is your passion. A great body and a great face (probably the cutest). What else do you need? As your fan, I would want you to carry on with your work.We will love you the same when you will be 70. We all love you and your films. Hope that Happy New Year breaks all box-office records.
Jason Brody
Just loved the interview of SRK. When this man speaks, you just have to listen. HNY had a stupendous opening and I think it’s his best birthday gift. Many, many happy returns of the day. Hope it turns out to be your HAPPIEST birthday!
Mouboni Das
Happy birthday to you, happy long life to you, may god bless you and keep you and your family safe. From the beginning of your career, you have been gifting your fans awesome films. I want to congratulate you for the success of Happy New Year. Hope your birthday is the most joyous day of your life.
Tua Ghatak, Salt Lake
Fauji jise Bollywood ke pyaar ne banaya Deewana. Usse haar ka koi Darr nahin tha kyonki woh hai Baazigar. Anjaam se bekhauf uss Dilwale ko le jaani thi dulhania. Woh kehta hai ki Dil To Pagal Hai, jab pyaar hota hai toh Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Sab ke dilon mein zinda rahegi Baadshah ke liye Mohabbatein. Kisi ne kahaa Dilip Kumar ke Duplicate ho Bollywood chhod do par Devdas mein usne itni shiddat se acting ki Kal Ho Naa Ho. Iss Don ke liye kuch bhi namumkin nahin hai, de kar Chak De! India ka naara bata diya ki My Name Is Khan. Chennai Express ki tarah daude tumhara career Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
Wishing SRK a very Happy New Year as it is adding another year of happiness and success to his life. Happy birthday and say forever and ever, Main Hoon Na!
Priya Roongta
As a young man of 26, you came from Delhi to Mumbai. It was like what Julius Caesar did — Veni, vidi, vici. You became the top hero of Bollywood with your hard work, sincerity and faith in your ability to excel. My message to you on your birthday is — age is just a number. As long as you have a down-to-earth attitude towards your fans and mingle with them freely, you will never become old. We will continue to love you.
B.N. Das, South City
Why do you look so young at 49? Get old soon, so that nobody wants to know about you, nobody comes close to you, nobody dreams about you... except me, me, me!
Swati Biswas
Thank you so much for this lovely interview of SRK. It has inspirational and emotional elements. My message for Shah Rukh on his 49th birthday is — we all love you a lot, keep doing amazing films and always remain a fascinating person. It is your verve that keeps you going. Lots and lots of love for you.
Manaswita Sinha, Gokhale Memorial Girls’ College
Wishing a very happy birthday to the Badshah of Bollywood. You have already proved your power and popularity. You have proved that creating new box-office records is not a matter for you. Stay well.We SRKians are always with you.
Saptarshi Ghosh, RK Mission, Narendrapur
In love, with the King!
Thank you SOOOOOOO much t2 for giving me a chance to meet Shah Rukh Khan live today! I could have given away anything in the world possible to see my legendary ‘king of romance’ moving his hands only from a few metres away! His enthralling performance and all the signature dialogues! Oh myyy! Kudos to the entire HNY team. If Shah Rukh Khan was the gem tonight, Farah Khan, Vivaan and Sonu Sood were the icing on the cake. It was a wonderful show! His voice still echoes! His smile still flashes! OMG! The feeling hasn’t sunk in. Thank youuuuu t2 for making me see my first love, finally, in this lifetime! Yes, I have been in love with him since I was three years old after watching Dil To Pagal Hai! I’m going to take this evening with me forever! Can’t thank you enough! The King, is indeed, The King!
Insha Akhtar
Happy birthday Shah Rukh! On your 49th birthday, I wish that you continue to deliver blockbusters and keep wooing the ladies with your charming smile and your cute dimples. I wish that you remain energetic and young like you are now. You are simply amazing... you have no idea how much I love you. Your smile and those dimples make me go mad!
I was in the crowd at St. Xavier’s College, watching you live for the first time, but I could not hug you that day. My wish is to hug you tightly one day and tell you how much I love you. I know my wish will be granted since agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho to poori kayanat usey tumse milane ki koshish me lag jaati hai. I am sending millions of flying kisses to you on your birthday... hope they all reach you.
Thank you t2 for letting a crazy fan like me convey my heartfelt message for SRK on his birthday and also a big thank you for the superb
interview.
Debdatta Mitra, Triangular Park
