Fan [Part-1]

Prologue
Can someone rule you? Can someone inspire you to an extent that you are compelled to follow that ‘someone’ blindly? Can someone you haven’t met as yet, have an absolute control over your emotions? Is it possible for someone, a stranger, to completely alter your thoughts, your beliefs, your ideology, your philosophy? Can someone give you goosebumps merely by the virtue of one’s name thundering on your eardrums? Can someone make you die for just a brief glimpse?
Can someone, change your life?

The Dawn
Dark black eyes filled to the brim with innocence and curiosity, twinkled with a newfound emotion, anonymous as of then; the ears, being at their very best, grasped each and every single tiny little sound that lingered in the perimeter; and the skin was burdened under the load of freshly forged goosebumps, as the kid lost himself into a new world─ a new, beautiful, ever-so-good world. He locked his eyes on the silver screen as the theatre roared, with every single person clapping, and whistling and screaming alike, welcoming the ‘hero.’ “The hero?” his little naïve mind wondered, as an exquisite smile bejeweled his amazed face. “Rahul─ the hero!” he marveled, as the hero introduced himself with a dialogue the kid never forgot. “Rahul,” he said, “Naam toh suna hoga?” A certain sensation sprinted under his nerves─ novelty being written all over it─ as the kid shook his head in a partially successful, but ephemeral attempt of suppressing his excitement. He looked around; the hall was quiet, listening patiently─ the hundred odd pairs of eyes, and equal pairs of ears relishing the ‘Yash Chopra musical.’ He could easily relate to every soul present in the cinema-house, besotted by the hero’s charm. “Rahul,” he thought, “Naam toh suna hoga!”
That was the second movie the kid had watched in a theatre; and the kid, a sheer five year old, earned a new label, a new title─ a fan. He became a fan─ a fan of the hero, a fan of Shah Rukh Khan. His conscience was about to be ruled─ ruled by the king-to-be.
The idea behind this project was to show how vivid, dedicated, eternal and selfless the love of a fan is. We have tried and compiled a few writings─ stories, travelogues, thoughts, reasoning, and philosophies. As you go on reading, you’ll realize that each fan is different, and you can relate to them─ all of them. When there exist millions of fans of SRK, there understandably will exist millions of different reasons and stories behind loving him. Some love him for his charm, some for his journey, some others for his philosophy and some else for his wit. Likewise, you’ll also understand that everyone has their own way of loving back, their own way of expressing that love─ some do it subtly, some are passionate, and some others are just crazy. Nevertheless, they all share a mutual connection─ something beyond words, something going past the perimeters of right or wrong, or logical or not─ something mystic and divine. As you go through the entire series, we are sure you’ll realize that each one is different. Each one is special.

1. In SRK’s shoes
“There was a time when I didn’t like Shah Rukh Khan as much as I do now. I did like him, but around 13-14 years ago, Sunny Deol captured my fascination more. As Sunny started signing fewer films, I too started getting older, more sensible, more mature. I started understanding love, compassion, and the way things actually work in this world. Action movies still attracted me, but the movies portraying the typical Indian candy floss romance and carrying a nice and subtle message became dearer. That’s where SRK came in. He did movies which simply enthralled me. His romantic movies; I saw them all, and ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho,’ made sure that a scene playing on the screen brought tears into my eyes for the very first time. My admiration for him became contagious, and my younger brother got infected with it shortly. Soon enough, our home faced a sudden splurge of demands related to SRK’s DVDs. My father obliged us sometimes, and we even had to be asleep, disappointed. Years went by, and the admiration turned into love— a kind of unconditional love where you haven’t met the person you’re in love with, aren’t sure about seeing him either, but your love just keeps mounting exponentially. That’s when I started observing him more closely, watching his live performances, the shows he hosted, the award functions he graced. His witty sense of humour and repartee instantly charmed me into loving him even more.
Irritated by the way I was addicted to him, my father once pointed out that although I watch all the movies of SRK, I never learn anything from him— the way he talks, his command over his language, the confidence he exudes from his sheer persona. I took the remark a little too seriously, and got into knowing him even more intently. That’s where my love mingled with respect for him— how a little boy with loads of dreams in his eyes came to the city that fascinated everyone, saw a dream to own it, and eventually achieved it. I tried to be like him— watching dreams of putting myself in his shoes, seeing people going berserk just to get a glimpse of me.
Today, I have evolved into something more mature, have become a little more sensible and have started understanding the ways of the world even better. But still, the Shah Rukh Khan frenzy has been the same. My love for him keeps growing, his screen presence still makes my legs wobble, and my heart run a little faster. I still keep trying to be like him, and I still hope to meet him sometime.”
─Pranav Tripathi (India)

2. For It Was Destiny
‘Shah Rukh Khan,’ maybe just an entertainer for others; but for me, and for billions of other fans, he’s God. Today, even my foes know that Shah Rukh is my strength and my weakness too! Just like any other fan, I grew up watching his movies and started liking SRK-the-actor, but today, I’d say I’m a fan, of not only an actor or a superstar, but also a great human being. I worship him. His passion for his movies—his work, his wit, his charm, his energy; each one makes us fall in love with him. His speech at Yale was inspirational. Listening to it, I realized that I was right. My choice was right. My role model is above perfection. Raj, Rahul, Coach Kabir, Mohan Bhargava; all taught us lessons worth a lifetime. But Mohan Bhargava is a niche above others. Swades was a life-changing experience and it granted me the most beautiful lesson of my life— it changed the decision of a guy dreaming of settling in other country— myself, and I decided never to leave this country. That was the ‘Swades effect’. Every single movie of SRK makes an impact on our lives; and that’s why, he’s our hero. I am his fan. And I always will. I was destined to be one. I was born to be one.”
─Sumit Gaikwad (India)

3. The Rousing Journey
“SRK is a charmer. He makes you fall in love with every single aspect of his. However, what made me fall in love with SRK himself, is his story─ the story of relentless efforts, vigorous hard work, undying goodness and unending hope─ the story of his life. He didn’t just dream; he accomplished. He strived determinedly to transform his dreams into reality. And his acting skills? Unparalleled, the only word I can think of. No one can romance like Shah Rukh Khan does. His persona has an alluring quality; it pulls you towards itself. Being a workaholic, he works round the clock indefatigably, and yet is bursting with zest and energy. His inspirational journey from a ‘middle-classed nobody’ to the ‘King of Hearts’ gives him a place in my heart that no one else can occupy─ ever.”
─Mayur Khochade (India)

4. One of a kind
“The aspect of Shah Rukh Khan which mesmerises me the most, is how he gives little glimpses into his soul when he writes. He himself stated that he acts all the time, which may be true to a certain extent, but no one can completely hide one’s inherent vibe. No one can control one’s real feelings all the time; not even a brilliant actor and observer like him. For me, it is very evident when I read the things he writes, be it a whole article, a column or a mere tweet like when he was asked “Who are you?” and he answered “A gust of wind… which pleasantly touches you and vanishes.” Boom! With a few words, he made my heart skip a beat. Again.
I read a lot myself, but when this man writes, sometimes my brain goes “Huh?!” for a moment. You know the feeling when you have to read a sentence more than once to get it? Yes, that! I do know a lot of bright people from various fields, but I never saw such pristine intelligence mixed with an unbelievable ability to empathise like the one in Shah Rukh Khan. And you can’t attribute that to his studies in Mass Communication; it’s something you can’t learn in any course. You can learn how to ‘read’ people, yes, but that’s not what he does. He really relates to others, be it as a character in a film, as a writer, in a five minute interview or while interacting with kids. Of course could he─ as an actor─ easily give us the impression he wants us to have about him. But the people around him, most of all the kids, can’t do that. Their reaction to him shows what a great soul is hidden behind his dimpled smile.
To me, children are small beings with big souls, most adults are big beings with small souls. While growing up, most of us lose the ability to think like a child for the sake of responsibility. We suppress parts of our soul to be accepted by a society which forces us to disown the best quality we have. But SRK is an exception. He said once that he has the soul of a child and I agree with him. His unconventional thought processes, how he deals with emotional confrontations, the way he enjoys the little things, and the fact that he constantly underplays his intelligence because he doesn’t want to alienate others, make him a first-class creative maverick. And, like all creative mavericks, he keeps his inner child alive. I think his soul kept growing along with his body and actually exceeded the limits of it. That─ combined with his intelligence, empathy and down-to-earth-ness─ enables him to touch strangers’ souls while remaining the mysterious maverick he is.
I love him because too few men are so…”
─Catrin Kerschl (Germany)

5. The Pilgrimage [Part-1]
It was heart-breaking. We had missed it. We came to know via Twitter, that SRK had greeted his admirers gathered outside his place, and we were shattered. We had missed it by a few miles and a few minutes. About 6-7 friends of mine and I, were on a journey to Mannat. How excited we were! Singing songs from SRK’s movies all the way, and discussing his movies, his style, his attitude. But the hefty traffic constrained us from reaching Mannat. A few minutes later, we were standing there─ at Mannat─ at the temple, the palace, the dream world, whatever you name it. I couldn’t believe my eyes, my conscience, my friends, and any other thing too. It was a dream come true. I was standing in front of the Baadshah’s residence. The atmosphere was electric. The crowd, the firecrackers, the posters wishing SRK ‘a very happy birthday,’ the fans going crazy─ some impersonating SRK’s signature step right in front of Mannat’s gate, some folding hands towards Mannat as if we were standing in front of a temple. Actually, we were. It is a temple, for me at least. I looked around. I knew no one, but I could relate to them. There was a certain bond that connected us─ as if we were a family, and we certainly were─ the family of SRKians.
It was about 1am, and everyone had left except for a few fans. We talked to each other, discussing and wondering if SRK would pay a visit again, or the disappointment will continue. I remember, there was a security guard who told us that SRK will definitely show up the next morning. He was kind enough to have a conversation with us on SRK and even permitted us to see SRK’s vanity van─ a royal automobile proudly displaying the 555 number plate─ which was parked just outside Mannat on a parking place. Soon enough, the cops arrived and asked us to leave the premises, and to come around the next morning, compelling us to spend the night somewhere else. It was 6.30 in morning. With the dreams in our eyes, and hope in our hearts, we returned to the holy place. The Sun started laying his dazzling hand on Mannat bringing along a fresh new day, as we hoped that it would also make our ambitious voyage bear fruits…”
─Devendra Patil (India)

Can someone rule you? Can someone inspire you to an extent that you are compelled to follow that ‘someone’ blindly? Can someone you haven’t met as yet, have an absolute control over your emotions? Is it possible for someone, a stranger, to completely alter your thoughts, your beliefs, your ideology, your philosophy? Can someone give you goosebumps merely by the virtue of one’s name thundering on your eardrums? Can someone make you die for just a brief glimpse?
Can someone, change your life?

Fan
Each one is different. Each one is special.

Note: This is a multiple part series. We received a lot of write-ups, and could not accommodate all of them in a single post. Nevertheless, they will be published in the posts to come. We would like to thank our writers for this post:
Pranav Tripathi (@pranavdi)
Sumit Gaikwad (@SRKholicSumit)
Mayur Khochade
Catrin Kerschl (@tuilere)
Devendra Patil (@dev_srkdevotee)
We would also like to thank all the great souls who have backed us and helped us in this journey of ours. We are gratified and blessed to have acquaintances as supportive as you.
Regards,
The King’s Army