Fan clubs gear up for SRK’s second release of the year

Shah Rukh Khan fan clubs in the city are prepping for ‘Jawan’, the actor’s second film of the year, slated for a September 7 release. And the idea is to ‘go big, or go home’, they tell Metrolife.

The action thriller follows the journey of a man who wants to rid society of its evils. It also features actors Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara.

Going by initial reports, the fan clubs plan to deck the city with cutouts of the superstar and set off fireworks at the crack of dawn on Thursday. 

“We didn’t get an SRK movie for four years, and this year we’re getting three! Of course we have lots of activities planned,” says Pritesh Dedhia, founding member of Team SRK Warriors. The fan club was launched in 2019. It has over 4 lakh followers on social media, and chapters in 11 countries. 

Special shows 

The group is organising a fan show for 500 of their members on the first day. It will be held at Swagath Shankarnag Chitramandira on M G Road. “Watching his movies on the first day is a must. In Bengaluru, we have 250-300 members on our WhatsApp group. Almost all of them are expected to make it to the show with their friends and family,” he says. Pritesh’s team has been drawing plans to promote the film since July. “We had over 50,000 posters printed and delivered across India,” adds the 34-year-old. 

The group will also organise a ‘mega celebration’ at the theatre premises. “We’re going to deck up the theatre with cutouts of Shah Rukh Khan. Plus, smaller cutouts will be installed for photo opportunities,” he says. The screening begins at 9.30 am but celebrations will kick off at 8 am. A host of activities such as cake-cutting, quizzes, games, and a dance performance to the songs of ‘Jawan’ have been planned. To top this off, the group will be watching a second show in Koramangala on the same day.

The other fan clubs in the city also have similar schedules for Thursday. Team SRK Bangalore is organising a fan show at Cauvery Theatre for a crowd of 600 at 7.30 am. SRK Universe is spread across 70 countries and its city chapter will host a fan show at Urvashi Cinema, Siddaiah Road, for over 800 people. “Some of our members are travelling to Bengaluru from smaller cities in Karnataka. One guy is coming from Odisha,” Saqib Idrees, the city admin for SRK Universe, shares.

SRK Fans Association Bangalore is also organising a show for 450 fans at Santosh Theatre, Chickpet, on Thursday. “We ran many online and offline contests to promote ‘Jawan’. About 200 winners will also be joining us,” says founder Guru Prasad. A DJ party before the morning show is also planned.

Rallies and fireworks

“The hype for ‘Jawan’ is even bigger than what we saw for ‘Pathaan’. In the blink of an eye, the tickets for the first show were sold out. Another highlight of the day will be a flash mob by Red Chillies (a production house run by SRK and his wife). Plus, we’re hosting a charity show for kids from orphanages,” adds Saqib. The club is also planning a celebration for every Rs 100 crore the movie makes. 

Team SRK Bangalore walked across localities like Shivajinagar and Commercial Street to promote the movie. “I had 400 posters printed and pasted across the city,” says Tousif, city admin of the group. For the screening on the first day, his team will install 44-feet cutouts at Cauvery Theatre. “A band is coming in from Kerala for a performance. The inclusion of dhol players and firecrackers will make it feel like a festival,” he adds.

This hype is testament to the power the actor wields, says Tousif. “It has little to do with the entertainment aspect. The love is for the person and his kindness. This is why his movies are celebrated like this,” adds the 23-year-old, who has officially added ‘SRK’ to his name.

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