Why Shah Rukh-Kajol’s Statue Placement in Leicester Square is Appropriate.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, widely known as the ‘King of Romance’ in Bollywood, and his long-time co-star Kajol recently participated in a special ceremony in London’s Leicester Square. The two stars unveiled their statues in the United Kingdom yesterday, Thursday. The sculpture, based on the immortal love scene of Raj and Simran, has been installed to mark the 30th anniversary of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), the longest-running film in Indian cinema history. After the unveiling, a humorous conversation about married life emerged while Shah Rukh and Kajol spoke with the BBC.

A BBC journalist, who recently got married, asked Shah Rukh Khan for some advice on new married life upon meeting him. Before the question was even finished, Kajol, his colleague of many years, burst into laughter. She joked, “He can only give advice up until the marriage! He doesn’t have any films about life after marriage,” Kajol said, laughing. Shah Rukh agreed with her comment, smiling and saying, “Yes, I could talk until the marriage. You need to manage yourself after marriage!”

Although the comments were made in jest, the King Khan did not forget to give a small but important piece of advice to newlyweds. He said, “There must be romance. You must sing songs.” Before Shah Rukh could finish, Kajol added, “And, of course, you must watch Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.”

During the statue unveiling, it was raining heavily, yet thousands of fans gathered in Leicester Square for a glimpse of Shah Rukh and Kajol. Such attendance by fans, despite the rain, proves the enduring popularity of the two stars. Shah Rukh later told the BBC that he felt like he was seeing his own life-size doll. He added, “I look quite handsome, and Kajol is beautiful.” The 60-year-old actor stated that he “cannot wait” to show the sculpture to his three children. Kajol described being commemorated in this manner as “unbelievable.”

A table summarising Shah Rukh and Kajol’s advice on married life is provided below:

The love story of Raj-Simran, known as Bollywood’s eternal romance, was filmed with some scenes captured in London and Leicester Square itself. Therefore, according to Shah Rukh, installing the sculpture exactly in this location is an “appropriate” decision. He believes that the audiences in England have played a major role in bringing modern Indian cinema to the world stage. Akshay Vidhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films, stated that this cinema has left a massive cultural impact not just in India, but globally.

Khaborwala/ASN