Diehard fan builds SRK shrine

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan gets a strange surprise on his birthday.

LUCKNOW:

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan has a legion of fans all over the world, but not many will be able to beat Vishal Singh’s obsession with the star.

The 38-year-old Indian businessman has plastered every square inch of his house with Khan’s pictures and spent his honeymoon waiting outside the actor’s house in Mumbai, hoping to catch a glimpse of his idol. “I will do anything that will make Shahrukh Khan happy,” states Singh, who runs a homeopathic medicine business from Lucknow city.

Singh’s house is a shrine to Khan. There are cut-outs of Khan on the ceiling, the television and even on cushions. Singh has even changed his name to Vishahrukh Khan. “No one can be like Shahrukh, but I wanted my name to have his name. My children are named Simran and Aryan, which is his son’s name,” he says. Simran is the female lead (played by Kajol) in one of Khan’s biggest films Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

His family was initially less than impressed with his adoration of the star, Singh says. “My parents were very worried about me, but now they know that my love for Shahrukh will never end,” he adds.

Khan has met his fan several times, including on Singh’s honeymoon, when Singh drove more than 1,300 kilometres (810 miles) with his wife to Mumbai. Khan has not returned the favour as yet, even though he’s promised to visit Singh’s home. “I’ve been wanting to open up a store of homeopathic medicines, but I won’t open it until Shahrukh comes and cuts the ribbon,” he said.

Khan, 46, is one of India’s most revered stars, and his latest film, RA.One, opened to packed houses during the Indian festival of Diwali last week. Singh watched the movie for the fourth time in a week on Wednesday, which was Khan’s birthday.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2011.