Shahrukh Khan aka King Khan had a date with Bihar’s Capital Patna in chilling winter on December 22, 2011, nine days after the first one which got aborted. After giving a miss to the city of Patliputra (Patna) on December 13, 2011 due to security reason Shahrukh Khan succeeded in his second expedition to Patna.
In this era of multi-entertainment and diminishing demand for film he, like several other silver-screen personalities, too flew down all the way to Patna to promote his blockbuster Don 2: The King is Back.The brigade of King Khan included Don 2 star Priyanka Chopra aka ‘Jungli Billi’, director Farhan Akhtar and producer Ritesh Sidhwani.
As soon as the flight touched down at the Jai Prakash Narain International Airport in Patna around 3,000 greeted them on the coldest day of the season. Another 5,000 thronged outside the Maurya Hotel, where he was lodged to have a look of Badshah of Bollywood. On the stretch between airport and hotel traffic was thrown out of gear and crowd management became a difficult task for the police, which had to repeatedly use lathis.
This was Shahrukh’s maiden visit to Patna in his 20 years long film career. He confessed that this was his first visit to Patna, but was impressed by the love and affection he got from his fans. Overwhelmed by the response of fans, Shahrukh said, “I did not know at all that people of Bihar love me so much and I would get such a huge response here... I now feel that I should move across the country and world to know how much love and affection I enjoy from the public.”
He said that he asked Priyanka to stay back in Mumbai but she did not listen to him. He also showered praise on Farhan for his dynamic character. Regretting the cancellation of his December 13 date with Patna he said that he was happy to be here on the eve of the release of Don-2. King Khan urged fans to recognise his love for work and urged them to return their love in the same fashion by watching ‘Don 2’. He conceded that the real Don is Amitabhji.
Former Miss World Priyanka tried to touch the emotional chord with the people of Bihar by saying that she was born and brought up in Jamshedpur, which was then its part. “So I treat Patna as my own city. I am happy to be here.”
Photos by: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
