New Delhi: Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is a Shah Rukh Khan fan. He confessed this during his recent appearance on the podcast, Indian Link. Two of SRK’s films are also close to his heart, and there is a different reason for each.
When Indian Link CEO and host Pawan Luthra quizzed the minister about his three favourite Bollywood films, Burke’s opening line was: “I am a big Shah Rukh Khan fan so let me start with that.” Burke later added that he “loves AR Rahman’s soundtracks as well.”
Burke’s list of favourite Bollywood films has SRK’s Chak De! India (2007) at the top because a large part of the film was shot in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Luthra jokingly asked Burke if he cheered for India in the finals when they defeated Australia in the film. “No no no although I did cheer for India in Lagaan,” the minister responded. The 2001 Aamir Khan film is also among Burke’s favourites.
Burke further mentioned Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s Jodhaa Akbar (2008). “It is just a beautiful epic. I think it’s a phenomenal film.”
Revealing his next favourite on the list, Burke said that Om Shanti Om (2007) is not just his favourite Bollywood film but “it’s in fact my favourite film of all time”.
“I think there is a real beauty in the story. But there is a line that is used twice, which I think is one of the most simple and beautiful lines and its SRK which uses it each time… it’s simple happy endings, if it’s not happy, it’s not the end, the story is not over yet,” Burke said.
According to him, the dialogue’s significance and impact is felt in the current scenario as “the world is in such a difficult place”.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)