Tag: Shah Rukh Khan

  • Shah Rukh Khan’s Heartwarming Gesture Towards Jos Buttler Goes Viral After KKR Lose To RR In IPL 2024; watch

    Rajasthan Royals beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 2 wickets in IPL 2024 clash on Tuesday night. Buttler’s unbeaten 107 off 60 balls helped Rajasthan win the match on the last ball.

  • Opinion: Is Ranbir Kapoor The Next Superstar After Shah Rukh Khan? Read On | People News

    New Delhi: Who is a superstar? According to Webster’s dictionary, it is defined as a person from movies or sports who is considered extremely talented, has a great public appeal, and usually commands a high salary.

    However, in the Indian context, the definition and context have constantly shifted as the once elusive star now becomes easily accessible, thanks to the growing influence of social media. Beyond the carefully curated image, their worth depends on the constantly shifting yet omnipresent power of the box office.

    “In the Indian context, superstardom has always represented a cultural phenomenon that has gone beyond an actor’s film successes. While the term ‘superstar’ was coined for Rajesh Khanna in the 1970s, the concept of superstars had existed long before him. From Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, and Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan, the allure of each superstar has transcended the screen. These icons have not only dominated pop culture but have also become cultural symbols, influencing aspirations, and fashion, shaping social discussions, and commanding extensive media attention. In the present scenario, can define a Bollywood superstar succinctly in one way: A star whose mere presence reliably ensures a blockbuster opening in THEATRES — consistently. Stardom, I believe, transcends rational explanation; it exists beyond the confines of logic,” says author and film critic Yasser Usman.

    Shahrukh Khan’s 2023 blitzkrieg proved that he was indeed the Badshaah of screens, as he delivered the biggest hits in Pathaan and Jawan. The King despite a four-year hiatus and a string of flops, proved that he was far from being written off. The box office collections of both his films created a new benchmark and remain unmatched.

    So is Shahrukh Khan the last superstar of Bollywood, many pondered? However, film and trade experts say that in a rapidly changing scenario and a market-driven industry, the concept of stardom too has changed.

    The last decade has thrown up several names from Ranbir Kapoor to Ranveer Singh, Kartik Aaryan and Vicky Kushal. But the contest according to trade pundits begins and ends with Ranbir Kapoor. The actor has not only proved his mettle and range as an actor in diverse narratives from Rockstar to Barfi, Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Tamasha and Sanju. But is also willing to take risks for his craft. He decided to devote five years to the making of supernatural Brahmastra, many called it a professional risk. The gamble paid off, and the film which was one of the first to release in theaters post-pandemic made 431 crores, its success was followed by the rom-com” Tu Jhoothi ​​Main Makkar ” made a little over 177 crores. But he hit the ball out of the park with his latest “Animal”. Sandeep Vanga Reddy’s directorial which was panned by many for being toxic and misogynistic narrative, made over 500 crores.

    “Ranbir Kapoor is the superstar of the generation An actor who can consistently deliver big openers of over 250 crores and has delivered 3-4 Big Blockbusters in his career can be called a superstar is Ranbir who has done this and before him, it was Hrithik Roshan”, says Sumit Kadel. The non-PR savvy Ranbir Kapoor, who unlike his contemporaries is not found on any social media account, had even admitted that he would take a break post Animal. His reasons being it was time to recalibrate and understand the industry which is undergoing its shift”.

    But, no sooner did Animal hit bullseye, it seemed all those who had once penned career obituaries for the actor do a double take, while some had an I told you so moment. His wife Alia Bhatt and sister Kareena Kapoor Khan both admitted Ranbir remained nonchalant with success or failure.

    A sequel to Animal, called Animal Park is in the works, as well as Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s next Love And War, which stars him opposite wife Alia and Sanju co-star Vicky Kaushal. The grapevine is also abuzz that he would be in Nitish Tiwari’s Ramayan as well.

    On the other hand, Ranveer Singh has had mega-blockbusters in Padmavat and Simbaa to his credit. Faced with a dry spell, he expressed his disappointment when ’83 the film, even though it made over 100 crores was called out a flop. Despite the failures of Jayeshbhai Jordan and Circkus, the actor returned with a blockbuster hit with Karan Johar’s Rocky our Rani Ki Prem Kahani. He is all set to reprise Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic Don, in the franchise taking over from SRK.”He needs to consistently maintain this with consecutive hits making over 200 crores plus, he will truly be the superstar,’ says film critic Joginder Tuteja.

    So as the box office plays ringmaster in the battle of who is the crorepati of the screens, its true stardom is indeed ephemeral. As they say, stars stay they never fade, it is just sometimes they shine bright, sometimes less, which is true in Bollywood’s constantly sifting sands.

  • US Envoy Eric Garcetti Overwhelmed After Meeting Shah Rukh Khan, Says, ‘Everybody In My Office Went Nuts’ | People News

    New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan is undeniably the biggest superstar not just in India but in the world. His stardom extends far beyond boundaries, and people around the globe seamlessly love him, while he never misses a chance to reciprocate the same. People not only adore his on-screen charm but also cherish his personality as a person. Recently, when SRK met US Envoy Eric Garcetti, the US Envoy couldn’t help but express his fulfillment and joy after meeting the King of Bollywood.

    In a recent interview, US Envoy Eric Garcetti was seen Recalling his meeting with SRK during his first couple of weeks in India, He shared, “I think when I visited Shah Rukh Khan my first couple of weeks here, we talked about cricket because, Of course, he’s involved as a cricket owner. He owns part of the Los Angeles team. Everybody in my office went nuts,” Garcetti said.

    “They’re like, oh, my God, did you know who you met? I said, yes, Shahrukh Khan. But I didn’t realize the level of love that there was across the country,” the US envoy was quoted as saying by the news agency.

    Exclusive: US envoy Eric Garcetti shared his experience meeting Shah Rukh Khan: “My colleagues were green with envy, but little did I know the nation’s profound affection for the King of Bollywood! @iamsrk#ShahRukhKhan #SRK #EricGarcetti pic.twitter.com /L4hs9DEN5f — Shah Rukh Khan Universe Fan Club (@SRKUniverse) March 31, 2024

    This is indeed yet another example of SRK’s charming personality and his global stardom. The superstar ruled over 2023 with his three biggest blockbusters, “Pathaan,” “Jawan,” and “Dunki.” He not only received tremendous love from the masses but also set records at the box office with the success of his releases in a single year.

  • Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki Continues To Woo Masses, Screening To Be Organized For The UK Government

    Dunki has been immensely loved by audiences of all age groups across the world. The film made its place through action-packed cinemas and with its heartwarming story,

  • 1 Year Of Pathaan: SRK Delivers 3 Out of Top 5 Films Of 2023 With Highest-Grosser ‘Jawan’ And Heart-Warming Film ‘Dunki’ | Movies News

    New Delhi: The superstar left the audiences stunned at the beginning of the year itself by delivering the biggest blockbuster Pathaan. Well, this was just the beginning as the superstar went on to rule the entire year with two more blockbusters Jawan and Dunki.

    As Pathaan completes 1 year to its release, it’s worth reminiscing about the year gone by and the mass hysteria and frenzy SRK’s films created throughout 2023!

    Post Pathaan, SRK delivered the much-awaited Jawan which went on to become a mega Pan-India blockbuster. Well-studded with power-packed action and never seen before avatars of SRK, like Pathaan, Jawan also went on to break several records. Grossing over ₹1,148.32 Cr., it emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film ever!

    After delivering 2 action-packed blockbusters, SRK came up with an immensely heartwarming tale, Dunki. With this film, SRK touched the hearts of millions. While the film attracted a huge crowd of family audiences to the theatres, it resonated with people living abroad while evoking the feeling of homecoming. Still running in the theatres, Dunki has crossed the collection of 450 Cr. Worldwide.

    With Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki, SRK made a hat trick of blockbusters in a single year. Remarkably, he is the only actor who has 3 out of the top 5 films of 2023. This is in itself a record, the actor has proven time and again how he is his biggest competition and has broken and created records time and again!

  • Shah Rukh Khan, Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Dunki’ Becomes Biggest Box Office Success For The Non-Action Genre | Movies News

    New Delhi: The entertainment world has seen films of different genres ruling over the hearts of the audience. However, among many, action and massive cinema have garnered love from the audience. But, amid the rush where we as an audience mostly welcomed action-packed cinema, few love stories left a distinct impact on our minds. However, violent cinema with grand visuals looks appealing, but the strength of holding the audience in the theater with a heartwarming and loving story is something that the magic of love stories. Some love stories are there that made their way above the action genre and impressed the masses.

    Worth to say, Rajkumar Hirani who has the finest art of portraying emotions on the screen has brought a riveting tale of love that made the world fall in love with its heart-touching story starring Shah Rukh Khan. Yes, it’s Dunki. While the box office had been ruled by the massive cinema, Rajkumar Hirani with his cinema brilliance arrived as a breath of fresh air with a heartwarming story about the Donkey Route that people take to reach the other side of the border illegally. With its heart-touching narrative, Dunki garnered immense love from the audience of all age groups. It’s certainly a very big feat for a film of this genre to achieve massive love and dominate the box office with its whooping collection and indeed that’s the beauty of Rajkumar Hirani’s film. The film also arrived as the Biggest box office success for the nonaction genre.

    However more such films include, Tu Jhoothi ​​Main Makkaar, a love story of this generation that resonated with the audience, especially the youngsters. It’s a story that found it’s a piece of it in everyone’s love story. Another would be, a big-screen love story that Karan Johar brought to the audience amid the rush of action films, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani that truly proved the power of romantic comedy family drama. The film indeed arrived with a story of a couple with contrasting personalities who decide to live with each other’s families for three months before getting married. This is where the film won, a narrative of the modern world with a perfect blend of different emotions.

    Ahead of this, Kartik Aaryan starrer SatyaPrem Ki Katha, a romantic drama film of the year flocked the family audiences in large numbers to the theatres. The romantic entertainer also stars Kiara Advani as the female lead and every section of the audience loved the story which is thought-provoking and eye-opening. Sara Ali Khan and Vicky Kaushal starrer Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is one of the most loved desi romantic entertainers. The romantic drama set in the backdrop of a small town made the audiences glued to it and provided the much-needed family entertainer that came as a fresh story different from what the audience had been consuming.

    This way, as an audience, we got to see how different kinds of love stories came and left an indelible mark on the minds of the audience. It indeed stands as proof that love stories still rule the heart of the audience come what may the genre is currently ruling.

  • Aryan Khan bribery case: CBI summons ex-NCB officer Sameer Wankhede

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The CBI has summoned former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede for questioning on Thursday in connection with alleged demand of Rs 25 crore from superstar Shah Rukh Khan to not implicate his son Aryan in the Cordelia cruise ship drug bust case, officials said.

    Wankhede, who has been booked along with four others in the case, is likely to appear before the CBI team in Mumbai, they said.

    According to details of the FIR made public on Monday, independent witnesses K P Gosavi and Prabhakar Sail, now deceased, were included by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the Cordelia cruise ship drug raid on October 2, 2021, on the directions of Wankhede.

    Gosavi, his aide Sanvile D’Souza and others had entered into the conspiracy to “extort Rs 25 crore” from the family members of Aryan, son of Shah Rukh Khan, by “threatening them of the accusation of offences of possession of narcotics substances.”

    In order to let him walk free, Gosavi and D’Souza negotiated the amount bringing it down to Rs 18 crore and even collected a token of Rs 50 lakh and returned a part of the amount later, the FIR alleged.

    Aryan Khan, who was formally arrested by the NCB on October 3, 2021, after a raid on the Cordelia cruise ship a day before, was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on October 28 after he had spent 25 days in jail. But his name was not included in the list of accused in the NCB charge sheet for lack of evidence.

    The SET (special enquiry team) in its findings, now part of the FIR, said Aryan Khan and other suspects were brought to the NCB office in Gosavi’s private vehicle on October 2, 2021.

    Wankhede, in the capacity of the immediate supervisory officer, had directed to take Gosavi and Sail as the independent witness in the proceedings against the accused in the drug bust case, the FIR states.

    He had directed then NCB superintendent V V Singh to let Gosavi “handle the accused” while taking him to the NCB office, thereby “allowing a freehand” to him and others in order to create a visual impression that Gosavi had the custody of the accused, it said.

    “It appeared that the presence of the independent witness Gosavi around accused persons was created intentionally in such a manner so as to give an impression that Gosavi was an NCB personnel even though there were NCB personnel to handle the custody of the accused persons,” the FIR stated.

    Gosavi was allowed to be present in the company of the accused persons and even allowed to come to the NCB office after the raid and took the freedom to click selfies and recorded the voice note of an accused.

    This position “allowed” Gosavi and D’Souza to enter into a “conspiracy” with others to allegedly demand the bribe from Shah Rukh Khan, officials added.

    NEW DELHI: The CBI has summoned former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede for questioning on Thursday in connection with alleged demand of Rs 25 crore from superstar Shah Rukh Khan to not implicate his son Aryan in the Cordelia cruise ship drug bust case, officials said.

    Wankhede, who has been booked along with four others in the case, is likely to appear before the CBI team in Mumbai, they said.

    According to details of the FIR made public on Monday, independent witnesses K P Gosavi and Prabhakar Sail, now deceased, were included by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the Cordelia cruise ship drug raid on October 2, 2021, on the directions of Wankhede.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Gosavi, his aide Sanvile D’Souza and others had entered into the conspiracy to “extort Rs 25 crore” from the family members of Aryan, son of Shah Rukh Khan, by “threatening them of the accusation of offences of possession of narcotics substances.”

    In order to let him walk free, Gosavi and D’Souza negotiated the amount bringing it down to Rs 18 crore and even collected a token of Rs 50 lakh and returned a part of the amount later, the FIR alleged.

    Aryan Khan, who was formally arrested by the NCB on October 3, 2021, after a raid on the Cordelia cruise ship a day before, was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on October 28 after he had spent 25 days in jail. But his name was not included in the list of accused in the NCB charge sheet for lack of evidence.

    The SET (special enquiry team) in its findings, now part of the FIR, said Aryan Khan and other suspects were brought to the NCB office in Gosavi’s private vehicle on October 2, 2021.

    Wankhede, in the capacity of the immediate supervisory officer, had directed to take Gosavi and Sail as the independent witness in the proceedings against the accused in the drug bust case, the FIR states.

    He had directed then NCB superintendent V V Singh to let Gosavi “handle the accused” while taking him to the NCB office, thereby “allowing a freehand” to him and others in order to create a visual impression that Gosavi had the custody of the accused, it said.

    “It appeared that the presence of the independent witness Gosavi around accused persons was created intentionally in such a manner so as to give an impression that Gosavi was an NCB personnel even though there were NCB personnel to handle the custody of the accused persons,” the FIR stated.

    Gosavi was allowed to be present in the company of the accused persons and even allowed to come to the NCB office after the raid and took the freedom to click selfies and recorded the voice note of an accused.

    This position “allowed” Gosavi and D’Souza to enter into a “conspiracy” with others to allegedly demand the bribe from Shah Rukh Khan, officials added.

  • #AskSrk session: Shah Rukh Khan makes witty answers to questions raised by Twitter users

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: He may be one of the biggest stars of Indian cinema, but Shah Rukh Khan says he draws inspiration from regular people because it’s “special to be ordinary”.

    The 57-year-old superstar, who is awaiting the release of his much-awaited spy action film “Pathaan”, was interacting with his fans in his maiden #AskSrk session of 2023 on Twitter, which he wanted to be “fun”.

    “Have said this before I am inspired by regular people not achievers. It’s special to be ordinary (sic)” Shah Rukh wrote in response to a fan question about his inspiration.

    Directed by Siddharth Aanand, “Pathaan” is set to be released in theatres on January 25. It also features Deepika Padukone and John Abraham.

    Shah Rukh’s good friend and colleague Salman Khan has a special appearance in the film.

    When one of the former’s Twitter followers quizzed him about the same, the actor said in a witty response: “use the QR code on the ticket and he will come in the film.”

    For the Yash Raj Films project, which marks SRK’s first big screen release since 2018’s “Zero”, the actor has worked hard on his physique.

    On comparison with Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh said his “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” co-star is more of an “inspiration” than competition.

    “Arre Duggu is my inspiration for the body,” he wrote, addressing Hrithik by his nickname.

    Praising his frequent co-star Deepika, Shah Rukh said she is “so nice it’s unbelievable”.

    “Pathaan” marks their fourth collaboration after “Om Shanti Om”, “Chennai Express” and “Happy New Year”.

    Ahead of its worldwide release, “Pathaan” has been battling controversy and calls for a ban after the release of its song Besharam Rang on December 12.

    A sequence in the song showing Deepika in a saffron bikini led to protests across India for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments.

    Last month, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) directed the makers to implement changes in the movie, including its songs, in accordance with board guidelines.

    When one of the users suggested that Shah Rukh should retire as “Pathaan” already appears to be a “disaster”, the Bollywood star had a cheeky response: “Beta badhon se aise baat nahi karte!! (You don’t talk to elders like this).

    Among fans who are waiting for “Pathaan” to hit the screens, there is also his “Dear Zindagi” co-star Alia Bhatt, who fondly calls Shah Rukh ‘SR’.

    A user was also curious about this nickname.

    “Why Alia calls you just SR? #AskSRK,” read a tweet.

    To which the star replied it could mean “sweet& romantic or maybe senior & respected or maybe just shah rukh (sic)”.

    Alia was quick to reveal that SR means “sweet and respected”.

    Shah Rukh, who calls Alia “lil one”, said now that she is married and a new mother he would call her “lil Amma Bhatt Kapoor”.

    Apart from “Pathaan”, Shah Rukh will also be seen in “Dunki” and “Jawan”.

    MUMBAI: He may be one of the biggest stars of Indian cinema, but Shah Rukh Khan says he draws inspiration from regular people because it’s “special to be ordinary”.

    The 57-year-old superstar, who is awaiting the release of his much-awaited spy action film “Pathaan”, was interacting with his fans in his maiden #AskSrk session of 2023 on Twitter, which he wanted to be “fun”.

    “Have said this before I am inspired by regular people not achievers. It’s special to be ordinary (sic)” Shah Rukh wrote in response to a fan question about his inspiration.

    Directed by Siddharth Aanand, “Pathaan” is set to be released in theatres on January 25. It also features Deepika Padukone and John Abraham.

    Shah Rukh’s good friend and colleague Salman Khan has a special appearance in the film.

    When one of the former’s Twitter followers quizzed him about the same, the actor said in a witty response: “use the QR code on the ticket and he will come in the film.”

    For the Yash Raj Films project, which marks SRK’s first big screen release since 2018’s “Zero”, the actor has worked hard on his physique.

    On comparison with Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh said his “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” co-star is more of an “inspiration” than competition.

    “Arre Duggu is my inspiration for the body,” he wrote, addressing Hrithik by his nickname.

    Praising his frequent co-star Deepika, Shah Rukh said she is “so nice it’s unbelievable”.

    “Pathaan” marks their fourth collaboration after “Om Shanti Om”, “Chennai Express” and “Happy New Year”.

    Ahead of its worldwide release, “Pathaan” has been battling controversy and calls for a ban after the release of its song Besharam Rang on December 12.

    A sequence in the song showing Deepika in a saffron bikini led to protests across India for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments.

    Last month, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) directed the makers to implement changes in the movie, including its songs, in accordance with board guidelines.

    When one of the users suggested that Shah Rukh should retire as “Pathaan” already appears to be a “disaster”, the Bollywood star had a cheeky response: “Beta badhon se aise baat nahi karte!! (You don’t talk to elders like this).

    Among fans who are waiting for “Pathaan” to hit the screens, there is also his “Dear Zindagi” co-star Alia Bhatt, who fondly calls Shah Rukh ‘SR’.

    A user was also curious about this nickname.

    “Why Alia calls you just SR? #AskSRK,” read a tweet.

    To which the star replied it could mean “sweet& romantic or maybe senior & respected or maybe just shah rukh (sic)”.

    Alia was quick to reveal that SR means “sweet and respected”.

    Shah Rukh, who calls Alia “lil one”, said now that she is married and a new mother he would call her “lil Amma Bhatt Kapoor”.

    Apart from “Pathaan”, Shah Rukh will also be seen in “Dunki” and “Jawan”.

  • Big B’s comments on freedom of speech trigger BJP-TMC fight

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan’s remark on civil liberties and freedom of expression at the inaugural event of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival led to a war of words between the BJP and Trinamool Congress on Friday. 

    Bachchan in his speech on Thursday said, ‘’The 1952 Cinematography Act set out the structure of censorship as it stands today upheld by the film certification board. But even now, ladies and gentlemen, and I am sure my colleagues on stage will agree, questions are being raised on civil liberties and freedom of expression.’’ He also described the current brand of period films as “couched in fictionalised jingoism”. 

    Referring to Big B’s comments, BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya said the megastar’s words were ‘’prophetic’’ since he was sharing the stage with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. ‘’Amitabh Bachchan’s words couldn’t have been more prophetic since they were spoken in Kolkata, with Mamata Banerjee on the dais. It is like holding a mirror to the tyrant, under whose watch India witnessed the bloodiest post-poll violence. She has tarnished the image of Bengal,’’ Malviya tweeted.

    BJP’s national general secretary also joined the thread and assumed that Bachchan’s remark was in solidarity with the victims of the post-poll violence. ‘’He hit the nail on the head with @MamataOfficial on his side. Thank you @SrBachchan for standing for victims of political violence in West Bengal,’’ Santosh tweeted.

    In retaliation, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said, ‘’Wish BJP would hire a Troll In Chief with IQ>single digits. Bachchan ji is Bengal’s jamai—he knows the soil of his 2nd home is the land of free & home of the brave. He chose KIFF’s platform to denounce BJP’s boycotts & bans in the arts. Duh…’’

    “The festival has always celebrated the inclusive spirit of cinema beyond the confines of what Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore called narrow domestic walls. I salute you Kolkata for your artistic temperament that embraces the essence of plurality and equality,’’ he said sharing the stage with CM Mamata Banerjee and Shah Rukh Khan.

    Shah Rukh Khan takes on trolls, says hum zinda haiShah Rukh Khan, in his speech, had also sent a veiled message to social media trolls on his upcoming film Pathaan facing boycott calls. “The world has become normal. We are all happy. I am the happiest. I have no objection in stating that duniya kuch bhi kar le, main aur aap log aur jitney bhi positive log hain sab ke sab…zinda hain.”

    KOLKATA:  Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan’s remark on civil liberties and freedom of expression at the inaugural event of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival led to a war of words between the BJP and Trinamool Congress on Friday. 

    Bachchan in his speech on Thursday said, ‘’The 1952 Cinematography Act set out the structure of censorship as it stands today upheld by the film certification board. But even now, ladies and gentlemen, and I am sure my colleagues on stage will agree, questions are being raised on civil liberties and freedom of expression.’’ He also described the current brand of period films as “couched in fictionalised jingoism”. 

    Referring to Big B’s comments, BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya said the megastar’s words were ‘’prophetic’’ since he was sharing the stage with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. ‘’Amitabh Bachchan’s words couldn’t have been more prophetic since they were spoken in Kolkata, with Mamata Banerjee on the dais. It is like holding a mirror to the tyrant, under whose watch India witnessed the bloodiest post-poll violence. She has tarnished the image of Bengal,’’ Malviya tweeted.

    BJP’s national general secretary also joined the thread and assumed that Bachchan’s remark was in solidarity with the victims of the post-poll violence. ‘’He hit the nail on the head with @MamataOfficial on his side. Thank you @SrBachchan for standing for victims of political violence in West Bengal,’’ Santosh tweeted.

    In retaliation, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said, ‘’Wish BJP would hire a Troll In Chief with IQ>single digits. Bachchan ji is Bengal’s jamai—he knows the soil of his 2nd home is the land of free & home of the brave. He chose KIFF’s platform to denounce BJP’s boycotts & bans in the arts. Duh…’’

    “The festival has always celebrated the inclusive spirit of cinema beyond the confines of what Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore called narrow domestic walls. I salute you Kolkata for your artistic temperament that embraces the essence of plurality and equality,’’ he said sharing the stage with CM Mamata Banerjee and Shah Rukh Khan.

    Shah Rukh Khan takes on trolls, says hum zinda hai
    Shah Rukh Khan, in his speech, had also sent a veiled message to social media trolls on his upcoming film Pathaan facing boycott calls. “The world has become normal. We are all happy. I am the happiest. I have no objection in stating that duniya kuch bhi kar le, main aur aap log aur jitney bhi positive log hain sab ke sab…zinda hain.”