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Chak De! AsianOutlook meets Shah Rukh Khan

Members of AsianOutlook join the cheering crowd at the World Premiere of Shah Rukh Khan’s new cult film
“Chak De India” as part of the India Now season in Somerset House, London. By Daniela Happel

The merry babble of voices resembles a Sunday afternoon in the park; a fleeting glance passes over soft chequered plaids, pillows, cool bags. From somewhere around, a fragrance touches my nose: coriander, cinnamon, Basmati rice.
Close by, an Indian family has spread their homemade food on a blanket, the mother is dealing out rice and lentil curry from the coloured enamel pot. In some distance behind them, in front of a tent, waiters and waitresses are waiting for customers to buy wine. Not much to do for them, but the whole big square resembles a patchwork of blankets; a giant family picnic, resounding with Indian filmi music. A magnificent summer sunset spans the whole scenery. Outside, beyond the palace walls, is London.
We fifty people from AsianOutlook are among a crowd of 2000 in the famous Fountain Court of Somerset House, waiting for the world premiere of Chak De India. It is the first time ever that an Indian movie is premiered in Europe in such an impressive and festive setting.
Almost until the end of the 18th century, Somerset House was used by the British kings, before George III moved his household to Buckingham Palace. After that, their old palace between the river Thames and hectic shopping quarters was used by the Navy Board for administration offices and by the Royal Society; today the huge classical building houses several art collections, restaurants and cafés with a view over the river. A royal palace for the Baadshah of Bollywood! A better place for the premiere of a Shah Rukh Khan film could hardly be found!

Meanwhile, the sunset makes way for a purple evening. The sound system which is installed around the Fountain Court, is a very good one, the music is catchy, many voices join in the texts, fingers, arms and shoulders move in the rhythm. We could just as well spend the whole evening like this, it is a great party, we are in a contagiously merry mood, we fifty from at least six countries, who have travelled to London especially for this event. We are envied for our AsianOutlook badges and we spread the news: It is great to meet in real life! But this is of course not what we came for. The test slide on the huge screen becomes more and more visible, soon it will be dark enough for the film to start.
A little aside from the screen a small stage has been erected. A cheer from a thousand voices sweeps up to the ever darkening sky and Shah Rukh Khan appears on this stage to address his audience and to announce his film.
He is not very tall. The elegant black suit and black shirt underline his slight build; he wears his hair tied to a little tail in the neck.

An hour before, he had entered the building via the southern entrance facing the river. The press and many fans had waited for him there. For many in the AsianOutlook family, it had been the first ever glimpse, a moment worth a memory of a lifetime.
Shah Rukh Khan is a star who knows about these lifetime memories. He has told about his own juvenile memories of meeting stars in many interviews. Consequently, on his arrival that evening, he hadn’t walked towards the press but greeted his fans. Humbly and friendly, he had twice walked along the line, signed autographs, smiled his shy smile and hugged, before he gave the one or other short interview.
Now, with every step up towards the stage, he seems to grow and with the mike in hand the transformation into the entertainer is completed. He overlooks the audience and explains his film, the audience interrupts him, he starts again after every new cheer, he makes people laugh, joins in, ties everybody to his lips. We are glued to them by now. We want him to continue, to say something, whatever, and to stay longer, the film can wait! But after he has given a famous line from his film DON – the sentence is finished by his fans and drowned in the final loud cheer – he leaves the stage to make way for the film.

Chak De India is a brilliantly made film, fast paced, well cut and full of suspense. There are none of the usual dance scenes, but the soundtrack is powerful and sweeping. Many in the audience sing along and applaud in many scenes. There are cheers of encouragement for the girls on the screen; the cast is fantastic and their performance very realistic. Shah Rukh Khan is Kabir Khan, the coach who is marked by life. He is absolutely convincing as this cautious but fierce character. We find ourselves keeping our fingers crossed, and, looking around, we see that we are not the only ones. The line between film and real life is blurred and we might be watching a real championship.
After the end, the court empties rather quickly, most people feel exhausted by the suspense, dazed and excited at the same time. It was a fantastic film, a great event. If any Indian film can succeed to break the clichéd image of Bollywood films in Europe, then it is this one. Chak De!

Copyright: www.AsianOutlook.com 2007