For as long as I can remember, every time I thought about the idea of love, I have only dreamt of SRK. While growing up every time someone asked me who would I marry, I would say SRK and when they’d remind me that he’s already married to Gauri, I would joke that I’d still woo and love him with all my heart, maybe then he will share some love with me. All my uncles and aunts tease me about my innocence even to this day.
How Did It Start?
One usually doesn’t remember all the details of their childhood vividly. But I remember as a 4-year-old impressionable child. My parents took me to watch Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge on the big screen. My mother is a big fan of Hindi movies and loves SRK to a great degree, just like me.
My mother told me how I would then keep emulating Kajol from Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye after getting out of the shower and keep running around the house trying to hum Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main. 26 years later, this is the song I will be dancing on at my sangeet.
Interestingly, DDLJ was also the first movie I watched on VCR since my father got the VHS tape of it. I would watch it with my mother whenever she felt like transcending to the picturesque beauty of Switzerland’s mountains and feeling Raj’s love through the screen.
That’s the thing with SRK; every time he delivers a dialogue or says something, you feel that he’s saying it to you. He says it with a sense of conviction that it feels real.
And Then The Teenage Transition
I would have been 10-11 years old when I watched Dil Toh Pagal Hain and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and two things happened. I joined Shaimak Davar’s dance troupe in the hope of dancing alongside SRK in his next. I did this after someone told me that a lot of dancers were a part of the movie.
The second that conspired was that I only wanted to date a boy with the name Rahul; it’s a fixation I had for a long time. I watched Baazigar pretty late and although I loved the songs and his wickedness as Vicky, I was upset that he played an anti-hero. To this day, I haven’t watched Darr in one go because I simply cannot watch SRK play the obsessive crazy lover hurting himself. That’s not who he is for me.
The period between classes 9 to 12 is one of the most difficult times of our lives. When I couldn’t take the pressure of the mounting studies I would listen to SRK dialogues from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum and Chak De where he’s motivating his brother to listen to his heart and give his honest efforts, because that’s what matters in the end.
And that’s something I have truly learnt from him- to listen to my heart’s instincts and trust in the magic of the universe to ensure that everything will just be fine. And if it doesn’t turn out the way you desired, then the story isn’t over. Picture abhi baaki hain mere dost 😉 (It’s not the end… yet)
I Matured, And So Did My Love For Him
As I graduated and joined the entertainment field, albeit a different kind of cinema stream, my hope of meeting SRK and being closer to him became stronger. There were innumerable moments when I would pass by Mannat during college days, some of them on his birthdays and would pray hard to share a memorable moment with him. But like the man himself has always said that don’t ever lose hope in miracles, I got to live that day on his 50th birthday on November 2, 2015, when a dear friend was shooting with him.
We were supposed to start shooting at 3 PM and he was busy giving interviews to the media at that time. Throughout the day, I witnessed fandom for SRK from close quarters. There were people across all age groups from different parts of the country who had come with gifts, only to catch a glimpse of the actor who comes out in his balcony to wave at his fans every year on his birthday.
He finally walked into the room at 11 PM with his ever so beautiful smile, charmingly apologising to us for making us wait so long as he was busy with media interviews all day long. How could one possibly even feel any sort of irritation towards him? I mean, when we could see his friends from the industry walking into his house to celebrate with him, he was fulfilling his commitments just so people could know how SRK feels on his 50th birthday.
He finished shooting for us in one take and later started talking to us one by one. The entire day, while waiting for him, I had rehearsed so many things that I wanted to tell him that wouldn’t appear corny or lame because he must have heard it so many times already. And when I did get a chance to cut the cake along with him and say something to him, I was tongue-tied.
I could barely manage to say Happy Birthday and how special this moment was for me, to which he just embraced me in a hug. My entire world just froze for a second. There’s a certain energy that he exudes and it does uplift you in a beautiful way. I don’t think I can even explain that vibe.
This moment was the highlight of my life for a very long time until 2020 when he decided to present a film that the company I worked for had produced. It was another wish that I had sent to the universe when I met him back in 2015; that the next time I meet him, I would like to do so for work. I did meet him 2-3 times in between and my resolve to work with him only became stronger during those times.
Every time we would go to Red Chillies’ office, I would hope to catch a glimpse of him. By now, it wasn’t about those teenage butterflies. It was just to be in his company and get as much energy as I could. That only happened on the premiere day and in the few hours that I got to interact with him during the event, I learnt that not only is he a very learned, charming gentleman, but he is also extremely sensitive.
He will make sure to look you in the eyes and address you with your name. And he remembers details.
These brief yet powerful moments will forever remain special to me. As Shahrukh turns a year older today, I wish for nothing but all the love in this universe for him and hope to share some of mine with him again. In my closing words, all I can do is borrow the beauty from Akhil Katyal’s poem that he recently penned for the actor for all that he’s been through. Just like he’s Rahul for me, he’s someone’s Charlie, at times Max, Harry, Surinder or Devdas and very rightly so, all of India resides within this one man.
Until then,
Tumhari aankhon ki namkeen mastiyan,
Tumhari hansi ki beparwah gustakhiyan,
Nahi bhoolungi main, Jab tak hai jaan, jab tak hai jaan!
Happy Birthday, SRK 🙂