<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="59.4%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><a href="javascript:popUp("1;/photopop/msid-174040,type-0.cms"1;)"> <img border="0" align="left" src="/thumb.cms?msid=174040&height=269&width=269" hspace="12" /></a></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">Click to enlarge</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">I''d always rued the fact that other than <a href="http://jeetwin-gaming.com/articleshow/419040.cms">Amitabh</a> Bachchan, there was no other Indian star who''d make heads turn internationally, and not just of Indian ex-pats, but also of the international community.
<br /><br />No singing gods like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson or movie stars like Schwarzenegger and Stallone who make fans of the world go weak with frenzy. <br /><br />Except AB, who makes every visitor to Madame Tussauds stop and wonder about India''s greatest star offering to the world. Then, along came <a href="http://jeetwin-gaming.com/articleshow/420345.cms">Shah Rukh Khan</a>.<br /><br />Just how popular the stammering superstar is all over, was in obvious evidence on my recent visit to New York city. <br /><br />First of all, I met an Italian American girl who is crazy about the Indian actor with the dimpled smile. Okay, so it was her Pakistani boyfriend and her Indian gal-pal who introduced her to <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Devdas </span>(subtitles, et al). But the twenty-one year old white American lass, brought up on a diet of Nathan''s burgers, colas, NFL and Hollywood, was SOLD!<br /><br />She saw the movie a hundred times, and cried inconsolably each time ''Devdas Mukherjee'' ''died''. She called the movie ''Dave-Des'' and made statements like ''I love Shaa-Rook-Kaan''; but pronunciation notwithstanding, it showed how the actor had scored big with even an audience that was not his natural market.<br /><br />Everywhere I went, wherever there was an Indo-Asian influence, people knew the name Shah Rukh Khan. <br /><br />They all knew of Aishwarya Rai too, because of all the write-ups about her being shortlisted for the Bond-girl role, and her character in ''Bride and Prejudice'', but that was for the Hollywood connection. Not because of her popularity as an Indian star alone. Like SRK was. <br /><br />Almost everywhere, among whites, African Americans, Pakistanis, South-East Asians, Africans, wherever the Indian community rubs their illustrious shoulders, the Khan influence seems to grow stronger and stronger.<br /><br />In the malls, in the stores, in the restaurants, the delis - wherever there is an Indian worker/waitress/manager, the songs playing are interspersed with tunes from <a href="http://jeetwin-gaming.com/articleshow/376959.cms">Kal Ho Naa Ho</a><span style="" font-style:="" italic=""> </span>and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chalte Chalte. </span>The Indian influence abroad is truly amazing.<br /><br />It was at a clothes store in Manhattan, where the cash counter was being managed by a Pakistani girl, the fashion rack by a white American girl and the jewellery and accessory section by a black American. The mandatory tape deck was belting out the usual hits of Britney, Justin and Eminem. Then suddenly the next song playing was ''It''s a time to disco.'' from <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Kal Ho Naa Ho.</span> And just as suddenly (and incredulously) the black and the white girls let out screams of ecstasy (as if it were a ''Sting'' solo that had started playing) and began dancing wildly. The Pakistani girl, momentarily forgetting that she had my bill to run up on the cash register, began gleefully clapping in tune to the other girls'' dancing. I was well and truly amazed.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">Later, after I''d patiently seen the drama run its course, and as the song got over, I asked the girl at the counter; ''big SRK fan are you?'' It was as if I''d opened a Pandora''s box.<br /><br />"Fan!" she gushed. "I''m crazy about him. He is the best. And I forced all my friends here to see his movies and now they love him too. They want to see all his movies."<br /><br />Finding that a bit far-fetched I enquired directly with the Americans. "Oh yes, we love him. He is so cute. We love his songs too. And we would love to meet him."<br /><br />It was at that point that my friendly neighbourhood companion (mischief-maker?) grinned wickedly and embarrassed me no end. "He knows Shah Rukh you know!"<br /><br />Pow! Biff! Bam! Boom! I was trapped. They stuck on to me like limpets from World War 2. "Really? Are you a film director or something? Are you a producer?" The questions rolled on in machine gun staccato.<br /><br />And the ''mischief-maker'' helped some more. "He is a film journalist. He knows all the <a href="http://jeetwin-gaming.com/articleshow/396815.cms">stars</a>, has interviewed all the stars. SRK too!" I wanted to crawl up the Empire State building.<br /><br />"Wow! What a job. .. Who do you know? Who do you like most? Are you biased towards anyone? Do you have favourites?" The machine gun had started again.<br /><br />Then suddenly the Pakistani girl spoke, "You know, it''s always been my dream to meet Shah Rukh Khan. I dream about him. I love him. But I know I may never get to meet him up close. You are probably the closest I will get to meeting him." And then she shocked me,� May I have your autograph?"<br /><br />By then I was every shade of beetroot. "C''mon!'' I beseeched. I was no star. And why should I sign an autograph for someone who was a Shah Rukh fan, how much ever I liked the guy myself. It was a no no!<br /><br />But the girl went on pleading. "No, I want your autograph!" And flattering as much as it sounded, I knew that this was one for <a href="http://jeetwin-gaming.com/articleshow/381393.cms">SRK</a>. So with a reluctant swirl, I signed ''best of luck for a true SRK fan'' and put my John Hancock on the white paper, even as the American girls clapped loudly.<br /><br />It made one true blue Khan fan very very happy. Even if below my initials I penned the legend in small print ''For Shah Rukh Khan''. It was one ''power of attorney'' I''m sure SRK wouldn''t mind at all.</div> </div>
