New Delhi:
How far can fans go for Shah Rukh Khan? From Washington DC to Switzerland. Yes, two true Shah Rukh Khan fans Marush and Nibilla didn’t let the opportunity go to waste as soon as they found out about the Locarno Film Festival. NDTV’s Abira Dhar had a lovely conversation with the women who love Shah Rukh Khan breathlessly during the film festival. The fans made a book of pictures from Shah Rukh Khan’s amazing career. They will get it signed after meeting the prince of their dreams. Not just that, one of the women has only Shah Rukh Khan’s pictures saved on her phone screen saver. When asked which film made her fall in love with Shah Rukh Khan, Marush said, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Have seen it more than 100 times. I am his No. 1 fan,” while Nibilla said that she first saw Baazigar and fell in love with Shah Rukh after watching Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
When asked to give a message for Shah Rukh Khan, the women told NDTV, “You are the best. We love you. We are your best friends, not your number one fans.”
After receiving the prestigious Pardo ala Carriera award, Shah Rukh Khan expressed his gratitude in front of a hall full of 8000 spectators. Referring to his signature pose, he said, “Thank you all for welcoming me with such big hands – bigger than the ones I receive on screen.”
Sharing his thoughts on cinema and creativity, Shah Rukh Khan said, “I truly believe that cinema has been the most profound and influential artistic medium of our times.” “I have been fortunate to be a part of it for many years and the journey has taught me quite a few lessons.”
“Art is the act of accepting life as supreme. It goes beyond every man-made boundary into the realm of liberation. It doesn’t need to be political. It doesn’t need to be polemical. It doesn’t need to be preachy. It doesn’t need to be intellectual. It doesn’t need to moralise,” he added. “Art and cinema only need to say what one feels from the heart, express one’s truth. And honestly, that, for me, is the greatest creativity,” he said.
The Locarno Film Festival, founded in 1946, is one of the oldest annual film festivals in the world. This year it will screen 225 films, including 104 world premieres and 15 debut films. Shah Rukh Khan made a grand comeback last year with three big releases. He started the year with Pathan. The winning streak continued with Jawaan, which is one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of all time. He ended the year with Donkey, in which he worked with Rajkumar Hirani for the first time.
