New Delhi:
How far can fans travel for Shah Rukh Khan? From Washington DC to Switzerland. Yes, Marush and Nibila – two die-hard fans of Shah Rukh Khan – could not miss the opportunity when they came to know about the Locarno Film Festival. NDTV’s Abira Dhar had a nice chat with the women who portray Shah Rukh Khan on the sidelines of the film festival. The fans compiled a book of pictures of Shah Rukh Khan from his illustrious career over the years. They would get it signed once they met the man of their dreams. Not only that, one of the two women has only pictures of Shah Rukh Khan saved on her phone screensaver. When asked which films made her fall in love with Shah Rukh Khan, Marush said, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Watched it over 100 times. I am his biggest fan,” while Nibila said she saw Baazigar for the first time and fell in love with him after watching Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
When asked to share a message with Shah Rukh Khan, the women told NDTV, “You are the best. We love you. We are your best friends, our No. 1 fans.”
After receiving the prestigious Pardo Alla Carriera Award, Shah Rukh Khan expressed his gratitude to a packed hall of 8,000 spectators. “Thank you all for welcoming me with such wide arms – wider than on screen,” he said, referring to his trademark pose.
Sharing his thoughts on cinema and creativity, Shah Rukh Khan said, “I truly believe that cinema is the most profound and influential artistic medium of our time,” he said. “I have been privileged to be a part of it for many years and this journey has taught me a lot.”
“Art is the act of affirming life above all else. It goes beyond every limit set by man into a space of liberation. It does not have to be political. It does not have to be polemical. It does not have to didactic. It does not have to intellectualize. It does not have to moralize.” He continued: “Art and cinema only have to express what they feel from the bottom of their hearts, to express their own truth. And that, for me, is honestly the greatest creativity,” he added.
Launched in 1946, the Locarno Film Festival is one of the oldest annual film festivals in the world. This year, 225 films will be screened, including 104 world premieres and 15 debut films. Shah Rukh Khan made a stellar comeback last year with three major releases. He began the year with Pathaan. The winning streak continued with Jawan, one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of all time. He ended the year with Dunki, in which he worked with Rajkumar Hirani for the first time.
