[Gita]

The German Indien-Magazin published a report about our first AO Family Lunch in May 07 written and translated by Daniela Happel



When an Internet-Forum steps out of the screen
by Daniela Happel

European members of the “Asianoutlook.com” Bollywood forum meet up in London

What happens when people sit in front of their PC screens almost daily, read articles on their favourite area of interest, exchange opinions and comments? One fine day – pretty fast, that is – their user names will be as familiar as those of their own family members. In SR41, Ayten and Kamala they find familiar traits, the exchange becomes more and more personal.
What happens when friends who share the same interests, become even more curious? One fine day they hit on the idea of meeting each other.
And what happens when these are fans of Indian films, whose favourite star Shah Rukh Khan is a friend of their forum owner? Well, of course they will choose Southall as their first venue, since it is the most Indian of all European Suburbs. What’s more, it is very close to the home of forum owner Shahid Malik. He is enthralled by the idea; after all he does everything to help his forum gain even more popularity.
Asianoutlook started in 1997as an internet magazine, which wanted to bring international, mainly western users closer to West- and South Asia. Its articles were mainly political and also discussed religious and cultural issues, human rights and rights of minorities from a critical and very liberal point of view. One by one, the editor Shahid Malik, a British-Asian media professional, added sections on fashion, lifestyle and Bollywood. Laughing, the sympathetic Malik recalled these beginnings during the forum meeting: “I was very interested in politics, but it got almost no hits. But Bollywood was hit so often; and when I counted the reactions on an article about Shah Rukh Khan, I dropped politics!”
The aim to bring Asia and the West closer together stayed, but the focus changed: To increase the interest in Bollywood films among a western audience and take it out of its niche in the NRI diaspora. And certainly, Malik’s unique access to Bollywood actors made the site very interesting. Besides, more and more readers wrote and asked for opportunities to discuss the articles in the magazine. So, in 2002, the forum of Asianoutlook was born!
Meanwhile, it has become one of the biggest international forums on Bollywood and everything to do with it. Moreover, it is the only one which also has information and discussion boards on all other Indian, Pakistani and also Iranian films, apart from the better known productions from Bombay. The number of its members has reached 10.000 and is truly global. From Russia to Italy and South Africa and from Pakistan to Japan and the United States members are online; the server is in India, the administrator lives in Germany and the owner in Britain. And since he has the best contacts, he again and again makes things possible which other fan clubs and forums can only dream of.
Thus, several proud forum members own signed photos and posters, a fantastic biography of Shah Rukh Khan went to a Canadian fan, a shirt worn by him in the film Don is now in a German fan’s home near Cologne. Shahid Malik even brings his members’ presents personally to Shah Rukh.
And how did SR41, Ayten, Kamala and the others like their first meeting?
They were delighted! 29 of them from England, Germany, Austria and France made it to the Pakistani restaurant in Southall. The walls had been lovingly decorated with posters, from the loudspeakers sounded filmi music. The food was delicious, but, “I was so occupied with talking to the others that I hardly had time to eat”, said one participant. “It was as if we had known each other for a long time, we did not feel like strangers at all”, remarked another. Shahid Malik came together with his wife Hannah and their three sons and told about his meetings with Shah Rukh and also about his own plans. Further meetings will be held in other European towns to enable more members to meet. And what will enable the forum to stay the jewel it has become? “Sure,” he smiled, “I earn my money elsewhere. The forum is a matter of the heart. My business is going to expand in the media sector and I will start up my own studio.”
The entrepreneurial spirit spread through the room – it must be very exciting to be a forum member and watch these developments from close by!
Afterwards, the participants felt very close to their favourite star, since Shahid Malik can speak in a very appealing way. And the AO-family is noticeably close to his heart. “It is emotionally very pleasing for me”, he says. The meeting ended in the Maliks’ own sitting-room, over some good English tea and more good talks between friends. Wife Hannah had to drive several times to Southall and back home to bring everybody.
One, by the way, hadn’t made it: She had missed her flight and called during the meeting – and in this case not even Malik could help.