Aum Sri Sai Ram

Shah Rukh Khan is the King in Berlin

 It could have been at any place in India. About 300 people were waiting outside a building for hours - young, old, fat, thin, men, women, but mostly women, and mostly young. Many of them had Shahrukh Khan's photographs with them, some of them DVDs of Om Shanti Om, and a few carried books - the story of OSO or a biography of SRK. Those who were in the first row had their stomachs pressed against a barricade, pushed by the less lucky ones behind. A woman, about forty years old, had brought a small stool with her and stood on it to get a better view. At regular intervals, they all shouted - in unison - Shah... Rukh, Shah... Rukh, Shah.... Rukh. There were occasional screams of "We love you". Whenever the door opened, the decibel levels went up.  

 Now and then, a group chanted Om Shanti Om, as if it were a religious ceremony. The king was still inside the building. People outside seemed to be getting restless. There were half a dozen policemen -  asking overenthusiastic fans to stay behind the barricade.  

It could have been anywhere in India. But, in fact, this was Berlin. A  quiet Sunday, a theatre on Stresemannstrasse, about a kilometer from  Potsdamer Platz, venue for the Berlin Film Festival. Shahrukh was here to address Berlinale Talent Campus, a part of the festival. Inside, he was speaking about 'love' film genre along with Nigeria's Kate Henshaw Nuttall and Germany's Maria Schrader. But, the crowd was there for Shah Rukh. Most of them were Germans. There were some Turkish - men with dark hair, and women with scarves around their heads, and about twenty South Asians. Anyone passing by would have thought Berliners have gone crazy for Shahrukh Khan. It would appear so. German media reported that there were 20,000 enquiries for tickets for Om Shanti Om (screened as a part of the international film festival) and they were all sold out in seven minutes. Some waited outside the venue whole  night to get in.

A community of fans 

Alexandra Venetikidiz is a high school student. She could not see Om Shanti Om when it premiered at Berlinale. But she went the venue to catch a glimpse of Shah Rukh, and, anyway, she had seen it earlier - over twenty times. Two years back she hit upon a Shah Rukh movie when she was looking for an Amitabh Bachchan film that a friend recommended. Now, she is a Shah Rukh fan.  

Alexandra says she has seen all his movies. "I get the DVDs from local shops or order it over internet," she said. She was at Stresseman Strasse with about half a dozen friends, who were as excited as her about the Bollywood hero. "There is a huge internet forum for Shahrukh and that's how we connect," she said. She is relying on internet again to learn Hindi. "Indian movies are not good in German language," she said. But learning Hindi is not that difficult. "I have seen his movies so many times, and familiar with many Hindi words". As if to prove the point, her friends - all native Germans - hummed a Bollywood song.  

"This started about two years back - and has been picking up ever since," says Renu Gautam. Gautam, who was born in Germany, is shooting a documentary on Berlinale and Shahrukh phenomenon. She said she could sense Shahrukh phenomenon was going to be big even then. And she, and two others were ready to capture it during the Germany's biggest film festival. "You would be wondering what's going on here," she said.  

'He can flirt with a pillar'

Shahrukh's popularity started with Turkish population in Berlin -  there are over 800,000 of them here. They have a liking for Indian movies and one could get dubbed versions in Turkish shops. Soon, a couple of movie halls started showing these movies occasionally. Last year, a German TV channel - RNF - showed Bollywood movies, mostly Shah Rukh Khan's. And his popularity caught on with others as well. 

Gautam has spoken to a number of Germans to understand what's behind the craze for Shahrukh. "Many think he is exotic. He is so  flirtatious,  he can flirt with a pillar. They like it. In Germany, movies have no space for romance - they meet, kiss, go to bed and get married. In Bollywood, it's different, and Germans love it. Many of them also like Bollywood movies because they are so optimistic,"  Gautam said.  

That should not be surprising. Germany's predominant mood appears to be pessimism - about the economy, about world affairs, about almost everything. Indian movies - with their colour, and dance and music and eternal optmism, bring a whiff of fresh air. Obviously, not everyone is raving about Shahrukh Khan in Berlin, but his popularity is rising. Many would recognise his name. Media coverage is increasing. 

Earlier, for Germans, Indian movies, if at all and for those who knew something about India, were about Satyajit Ray. Today, it's Shahrukh Khan.  And, for his German fans, such as Alexandra, Shahrukh is the heart throb. 

The frenzy

On Stresemannstrasse, the King, dressed in a blue jeans and a long black jacket, came out at about quarter past twelve. The decibel levels reached a new high. Fans in the front row were squeezed further. People behind craned their necks and jumped. Policemen found it difficult to keep the crowd behind the barricade as they leaned forward to get close to their star.   

Two black Volkswagens were waiting outside for Shahrukh, but he went along the barricades to sign the photographs, give flying kisses and to hug. Many shouted frantically. At least three girls were close to tears - as if they are in a rockshow in 60s - as he went close to them. As soon as they got their signatures, smiles and hugs from their idol, young girls grouped together to talk excitedly about their experience, they sent SMSes or called their less fortunate friends. Shahrukh Khan appeared to be satisfied, all smiles but a little tired. 

Away from the bustle, an old woman in her fifties came running from the crowd to her waiting friend, hugged her, showed her a picture that Shahrukh had just autographed, and kept it inside her coat pocket -  close to her heart.  

A little further away, three Indians with pink Berlinale tags around their necks stood amused. "It's a frenzy," one of them said. "I have heard about Rajnikanth frenzy in Japan; but I am seeing it here."