That Shah Rukh Khan is a global star is no secret. The Bollywood icon commands a sizable fan base in the West, particularly in Europe and North America. Over the years, several of his films have seen record footfalls in even non-Hindi-speaking countries like Germany and France. Recently, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap revealed that he once saw how fans even ignored Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio when he and SRK were at the same event.
When SRK upstaged Leonardo DiCaprio
In a conversation with Lallantop, Anurag spoke about the time he was at the Berlin Film Festival. “Maine khud apni aankhon se dekha hai Berlin Film Festival me. Leonardo DiCaprio bhi ussi din hai aur Shah Rukh Khan bhi ussi din hai, aur subah se line lagi hai Shah Rukh Khan ke liye (I have seen it with my own eyes at the Berlin Film Festival. Leonardo DiCaprio was there and Shah Rukh Khan was there on the same day. People had lined up since morning to get a glimpse of Shah Rukh).”
Shah Rukh Khan attended the Berlin Film Festival thrice—in 2008, 2010, and 2012. On the third occasion, he and Leonardo were both there. Shah Rukh attended the festival for the premiere of his film, Don 2. Anurag was at Berlin that year for the premiere of his two-part film, Gangs of Wasseypur, which earned a standing ovation at the Berlinale.
SRK and Leo’s unique connect
Even in 2010, when Shah Rukh had visited the festival, news agencies reported that several hundred of his fans camped outside the Friedrichstadt Palace there to get a glimpse of the star. “I am just happy to be in Berlin. I love it. If you told me to stand up on a tourist bus and dance, I would do it,” Shah Rukh had told reporters at a press conference then.
Interestingly, Shah Rukh and Leonardo were once almost cast together in Paul Schrader’s Xtreme City, a film backed by Martin Scorsese. However, budget concerns and scheduling meant that the film never took off.
Shah Rukh is currently busy filming his upcoming film, King, which sees him star alongside daughter Suhana Khan for the first time. Leonardo DiCaprio, on the other hand, is starring in One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson’s thriller. Anurag Kashyap has returned to the theatres with Nishaanchi, starring debutant Aaishvary Thackeray. He also has Bobby Deol-starrer Bandar lined for release.
