Claudia + Clochette

Starpower

SRK, the ambassador of Hindi Cinema

Shah Rukh Khan is truly a man who makes things happen “the first”, at home and abroad. This time, it was the Berlinale film festival in Berlin, Germany, that would get to know the impact, this man has wherever he is present. There was not only one thing, the officials of the Berlinale did for the first time since this festival exists, SRK’s presence demanded a hat trick, worth the sportsman he is by nature.

When the news that SRK would attend the festival being present at the German premiere of Om Shanti Om was spread in the Internet, the office of the Berlinale was literally flooded with all kind of questions about the details. The reaction to the incessant stream of emails and phone calls was the creation of a Berlinale-site especially for Shah Rukh Khan, never done before for a star attending the festival, let alone for a star not featuring in the competition. The day the selling of the tickets for the various presentations started, saw the second “first” in the Berlinale history: In less than eight minutes the available tickets for the premiere of Om Shanti Om were sold out, giving hundreds of fans who had queued partly for more than ten hours an emotional shock. Due to the following storm of protests and demands, the officials proceeded to the third "first" thing in the career of the festival: In addition to the three existing – and sold out – screenings of the film (in theatres with 550 and 870 seats), a fourth one was scheduled, equally sold out in shortest time.

The star whose fan-following easily outplays those of the other famous Berlinale guests, arrived the day of the premiere, in the early hours of the afternoon, almost ignored by the national press. However, there was a reception committee: more than thirty fans gave him an unexpected warm welcome. As it turned out, the interaction between ShahRukh and his fans would be a main subject in almost all media reports. Nevertheless, he undoubtedly was also a fervent ambassador for the kind of cinema his film Om Shanti Om represents, and quite a surprise for the star-used media. During the photo shooting before the press conference, it would be the first (and last) time for three days that mainly men shouted his name. Some comments of male photographers: nice guy, a bit shy, gorgeous smile, friendly.

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