Aamir magic has Toronto wondering if Jesus Christ's come to town
18.10.2013
Vinayak Chakravorty, India Today, Toronto, 12 сентября 2010 г.
Aamir magic has Toronto wondering if Jesus Christ's come to town
Mass hysteria during Toronto's star-studded annual film festival gala isn't new to residents of the city. The difference on Friday was that a Bollywood star was creating the traffic snarls.
A sunny afternoon saw the world premiere of Aamir Khan's upcoming production Dhobi Ghaat at the prestigious Elgin Theatre as part of the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The show was scheduled for 6 pm. By 4.30 pm, the pavement of Yonge Street, on which the Elgin stands, was teeming with 1,500-odd people, including those of Indian origin. The line ran almost two blocks.
Another 500-odd, without tickets and mostly NRIs, could only get as far as the other side of the road. A barricade prevented them from even walking on to the pavement on the theatre side.
The irony was not lost out on Aamir himself. Dhobi Ghaat 's world premiere on a stage as important as Toronto was, after all, meant to propel Aamir's wife Kiran Rao into the limelight.
The film marks Rao's debut and Aamir only shelled out the bucks as producer, besides featuring as one of the film's three main leads.
Yet, despite Aamir and Kiran stepping out of the car, no one really noticed the film's director as she gracefully made way for her iconic hubby.
The actor didn't waste a second in diverting the attention towards Kiran once the film's cast and crew were inside the packed hall. "When I read the script for the first time, I fell in love with Kiran all over again," he told a crowd that went wild almost on cue.
Earlier in the afternoon, the hoopla that built up over the hour and half before he arrived was as delightful as the film itself. Those who knew who Aamir was candidly admitted they had turned up to catch a glimpse of the superstar, rather than his film.
Locals on the other hand, flummoxed over what the madness on Yonge Street was all about, couldn't help slowing down to ask what was going on.
One couldn't help regale over this bit of conversation that took place between strangers. "It seems to be a major premiere. Who's coming in? Robert De Niro?" asked a middle-aged executive-sort, his drive back from office rudely interrupted.
"He's Aamir Khan, Bollywood's hottest superstar," shot back a teenager in a fluorescent green sweat shirt, ferociously defending her star's image.
"You would think Jesus Christ has descended on earth," quipped the harried executive. "He'll have to wait for tomorrow. Today, it's Aamir Khan," the fan shot back.
Six on the dot, and hysteria turned to near-mayhem as Aamir arrived. No sooner was he out of the car, the ticketless crowd, forced to stand on the other side of the road so far, broke all law and burst forth.
Some wanted to be photographed with their star. Others wanted autographs - on giant Aamir posters, palms, fists, scraps of paper or, as in the case of that girl in fluorescent green, on the sleeve of her tee.
Wouldn't wear off after a wash? "I brought a permanent marker," she said proudly.
Aamir handled the situation as a seasoned superstar, obliging some, waving at the rest and probably silently relieved over that Canadian cops are mostly beefy, seven- foot types. It took a whole bunch of them to cordon him off from the crowd.
"Toronto has a large Indian population, that's why the frenzy," said an Indian journalist working out of the city. Others were less sure. "I have never seen such madness for any movie other than American ones with Hollywood stars," said a 60-something local, who "hates movies but stopped by to watch the fun at Elgin". The frenzy may have gotten to the seemingly composed Aamir.
Once inside, he made a point about the new film. "Please keep in mind this is no 3 Idiots. Dhobi Ghaat is a very different kind of film and you must value its worth for as much."
What Aamir was essentially trying to say was he had produced a small film that had to be watched with as much care as it had been made. What he forgot was once Brand Aamir Khan gets tagged onto a project, it doesn't remain small anymore.
Vinayak Chakravorty, India Today, Toronto
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