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THE STAR, THE SHOW
What happens when a superstar comes to a super-charged venue to promote a superhero film, in association with t2? MADNESS.
That’s exactly what happened on Monday afternoon. The superstar? Shah Rukh Khan. The super-charged venue? The Kund area of City Centre, Salt Lake. The superhero film? Ra.One.
The special SRK trip, supported by City Centre and STAR Ananda, saw faces from five to 70 jostling for a real-life peek of their reel-life god. A 360-degree impact. A thundering reception. A roaring success.
SRK SHOW
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Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho, toh poori kaynaat usey tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai...
It was a real-life version of SRK’s reel-life quote from Om Shanti Om. More than one lakh fans wore their heart on their sleeves, wishing, some even praying, for a glimpse of the superstar.
If middle-aged mashimas lifted their saris to their knees and made a dash, the jeans-clad gang went slip, slide and sprint from under the steel bars. Those still not satisfied risked their limbs as they clambered up gate tops, neighbouring verandahs and work-in-progress high roads.
Their wish came true when Shah Rukh Khan, along with Arjun Rampal, took the stage by storm. “Calcutta, he’s even ready to fly for you,” said emcee Chang of Indian Idol fame as SRK climbed the railing to wave at the ocean of people behind.
A minute later, he was moving to Chhaiya chhaiya, his full crop of hair tilting with the beats but his Aviators always in place. A G.One vs Ra.One panja later, came the Akon anthem everyone was waiting for, Chammak Challo. “You tell us what you want Calcutta and we’ll do it for you,” said Shah Rukh to the crowd. “I would love to come down and dance there but thoda traffic ka problem ho jayega,” he dimpled.
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A lucky five — Utsa, Munmun, Aishwarya, Chandrojit and Sayoni — got to share the dance stage with SRK and Arjun. One hugged him, another was lifted arm-in-arm and a third had an entire dialogue
dedicated to him. There were treats for the crowd, too. Ra.One merchandise was flung to the audience, people scrambling for anything remotely touched by the star. Those who did get to touch him swore not to wash his fragrance off. And the rest, well, they were homeward bound, mesmerised by the magic and the man called Shah Rukh.
THE ULTIMATE ONE
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Shahnawaz Khan, 27, reported at City Centre, Salt Lake 10am sharp. Sporting SRK’s Ra.One look, he turned up in white shirt, Jodhpur pants, spiked hair and red silk scarf around his neck. Strutting around, he took off his shades and glared at the curious bystanders through his blue lenses before breaking into Shah Rukh-style vibrato laugh. “Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin naamumkin hai.... Never fear Raj is here.... Naam toh suna hi hoga, Kolkatar Shah Rukh boley shobai amay!... I’m his biggest fan. No one can beat me,” said the SRK impersonator, who visits Mannat every year on the star’s birthday.
“Whenever his films release, I get his style of clothes stitched,” continued the fanatic, who even has a tailoring shop called Mannat Tailors in Garden Reach and a store for readymade clothes called SRK Collection. “There you can buy SRK-style trousers, shirts and goggles... and I come for free!” he declared, lifting his hands up towards the sky in slow SRK motion.
