The rather modest Arabian Centre in Dubai boasted a music festival-like atmosphere at iftar time on Thursday. With parking full, cars were parked in the sand pit around the mall as what seemed like an endless number of people, children in tow, rushed into the mall in Al Khawaneej. A strange sight, especially for that time of the day during Ramadan.
But this was no ordinary day. Shah Rukh Khan, India’s biggest film star, was coming to break his fast with his fans, and to promote his latest comedy Chennai Express, releasing worldwide on Eid.
Inside, promoters were already drumming up the excitement. Free dates and water were distributed as the mall’s Night Court area began to fill up, the noise from the crowd drowning out everything else as curious shopkeepers asked around for the cause of the commotion.
“It’s there, it’s there,” screamed one mother to her children. “Run!”
As push turned to shove, one elderly couple, Suresh and Nandita Kulkarni, were struggling to find a spot amidst the crowd. They eventually had to settle on the Gulf News videographer’s viewfinder.
“We are such big fans of him and can never see him in India because of all the crowds that surround him wherever he goes,” said Nandita, dejectedly. “But it looks like it’s going to be the same here.”
As the screams got louder, children, who sat atop their excited parents’ shoulders, began to cry, but the excitement was palpable and for that moment, nothing else seemed to matter.
And when Khan, along with co-star Deepika Padukone eventually turned up at 7pm — surprisingly prompt by Bollywood standards — the screams were deafening as hundreds of phones went up.
Khan and Padukone looked every bit the stars in their coordinated outfits — he dressed in white jacket and black trousers and she in a black sari with a white skirt. They waved, happily, and Khan attempted to speak to the crowd but everything he said was simply drowned out by the excited screams of what seemed like thousands.
He eventually gave up, choosing instead to wave, salute and smile as he looked around in every direction. Every flinch, every flick of his hand was followed by even louder screams. Padukone stood smiling on the side, signed autographs and gave away CDs.
“Please do not push, there are children in front,” the promoters appealed.
There was a few minutes’ respite when Khan and Padukone were offered dates and water.
Then soon after came the loudest, most deafening screams of the evening when the hit song 1234 Get on the Dance Floor, from Chennai Express, began playing and Khan broke into a dance.
He urged Padukone to move along, and she hesitatingly obliged, much to the excitement of the fans.
A few more waves followed the song, and more screams. And 25 minutes later, they were gone.
“He’s so charming. He’s just too good. I’m so happy to be here,” screamed Vinitha Varghese, a student in Dubai.
Her friend Dhanashree Warrier, who works in hospitality, said she was a big fan, especially because she shares his November 2 birthday.
Warrier, who is from the south Indian state of Kerala, added she wasn’t concerned about the film’s portrayal of south Indians.
“I am a proud south Indian. It doesn’t make a difference to me how they are portrayed in the film. It doesn’t change who I am,” she said. “And it’s Shah Rukh Khan!”
Arti, who only gave us her first name, spoke for every one that evening:
“I’m so happy to be here. He is my hero,” she squealed. “He is the King Khan.”
