Art & Entertainment

Devdas In Pardes

He lives for the adulation of his fans and sure enough, his popularity has spread way beyond our shores

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Devdas In Pardes
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The Inner World of Shah Rukh Khan
The Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
DDLJ
Dil Se
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The way SRK's NRI fans react to him has a different intensity compared to those on a Mumbai street. Influenced by the culture of their adopted homes, his fans in Dallas or Washington behave like most American teenagers would, say, at a JLo or a Britney Spears concert. Their passion for celebrities is boldly articulated. Though nris may have settled abroad and may never return permanently to their motherland, their connection to Hindi cinema seems to have increased with time despite the distance or other cultural influences. This intense involvement with Hindi movie stars, for example, is the sort that goes well beyond the love for the movies themselves. SRK now attracts not only the following of a popular actor, but also the appeal of an American rock or sports star. He has clearly become an adored icon. Paul Aponte, SRK's personal security, comments, "If a fan sees Brad Pitt on the street, it's like, they wave and say coolly, 'Hi, Brad,' but if a SRK fan spots him, they go absolutely nuts. It's almost like religious fanaticism, it's quite different."

And we did get a glimpse of the many sides of this charismatic star. His alertness to a bigger reality beyond his stardom was to us the most endearing and refreshing thing about him.This was evident in his remark on the long security searches we all, including SRK, had to endure at every US airport. He casually said, "It has something to do with my surname." We were also intrigued to see how unruffled SRK appeared amidst the exploding storms and mess-ups that are part and parcel of big shows and an exhausting schedule. We asked him why there were no star tantrums or glamorous sulks to witness, and how did he manage to nearly always be in a good mood. He explained, "Very clearly, there now has to be a public face. And that public face is always smiling. I am tired and sometimes I am in a bad mood. But I cannot pass that on to people, it is just not fair."

SRK is unpredictable, sensitive, complex and imaginative. But his overriding virtue is his plain speaking. When asked how his stardom impacted on him, we expected a typically pat "star" reply on the lines of "It has not changed me...I am humbled by the love of people etc". But no, SRK, shooting straight from the hip said, "I'm very clear about loving stardom. I love people loving me. If I'm not going to be in that situation, I'll just be with myself. I will not be able to come out of the four walls of my house."

As we were heading back to London, we knew somehow that it was important we had filmed those shows, those crowds, and the unrepeatable moments with SRK. So little of Indian cinema has been archived. And perhaps many years down the line when The Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan is seen, his popularity will be talked of as something akin to Beatlemania. On a personal level, when we said our goodbyes, we couldn't help but feel a bit dejected. Like all special experiences, our journey with Shah Rukh Khan had come to an end and we knew we'd miss him.

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