Shah Rukh Khan can save your life in war-torn Syria!

Syria, one of the beautiful countries in the Middle East with rich cultural heritage, is now considered one of the dangerous places thanks to the international clashes, terror attacks and intervention by foreign forces. Travellers are no more safe in the war-torn country. However, Indians are indeed lucky, because they have Shah Rukh Khan as their saviour!

An Indian journalist, who recently travelled through the troubled spots Syria, has written a fascinating account of his journey and how it was Shah Rukh Khan who saved him every single time.

“Whether I went to Palmyra or any other area in Syria, if you are in trouble Bollywood is the best bet for you. All your local contacts can fail you. Even permission given by the Syrian government may not impress the army on the road. He might not like your face and you may end up sitting or standing depending on the situation. What saves you is Bollywood,” writes Kartikeya Sharma in DNA.

He goes on to say how his car was stopped at every post, he was asked to identify himself time and again. Whenever he would say he is an Indian, most of the soldiers would tell him: “Give my regards to Shah Rukh Khan or we love Shah Rukh Khan.” Katrina Kaif, Karisma Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan would also crop up in their conversations.

Many a times, they would ask him about Amitabh’s son’s equation with his wife, Aishwarya Rai. “Many asked me about Amitabh Bachchan’s son. His name. His equation with Aishwarya Rai... For those moments I felt that I owed Bollywood.”

“Whenever the Army personnel came to enquire at the check point, I would say Shah Rukh Khan and they would smile and ask me to go ahead. It is a classic case of soft power doing better than hard power. India’s soft power remains Bollywood. It makes life easier and often helps to break ice in unusual and hostile circumstances. Syria is a case in example,” he writes.

Known in India as the King Khan, Badshah, the Romance King and Don, the 52-year-old actor is the most popular and recognisable Indian star abroad. He has fans from Japan to Germany and is considered a true “global ambassador of the Indian cinema”. He is the most popular star in the Middle East too.