SRK is now almost adopted distant son of my dad

By Subhash K. Jha

The Big B's visit to Adnan Sami's ailing father at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital on Thursday evening has triggered off the industry's A-Listers' conscience.

On Friday, barely 24 hours after the Big B, Adnan's father Arshad Sami Khan was surprised to see another superstar-guest walk in. It was Shah Rukh Khan whom Adnan's father has almost adopted as a distant son in his heart.

Explains Adnan, "Shah Rukh resembles Dilip Kumar Saab so much. And Dilip Saab whom we call Yusuf Lala is not just a favourite of our family but also a relative. So to us Shah Rukh is a direct descendent of Yusuf Lala's heritage."

The frail ailing Arshad Sami could barely speak but uttered two words, "Veer Zara". This was the former Pakistani diplomat's way of recalling the SRK film that did its substantial bit to improve relations between the two countries.

Says Adnan emotionally, "I missed both Bachchan Saab and Shah Rukh by minutes. But at least my mother was there when Shah Rukh so graciously visited with his daughter. My father couldn't recall the names of all the Bachchan and SRK films he had seen except Veer Zara."

The hugest moment post- Mr Bachchan's visit was a call from Rajesh Khanna. Says Adnan, "I've seen his Prem Nagar at least a million times. When he called and spoke such wonderful words of consolation-'God is there for everyone I'm sure he's there for you too'-I was overwhelmed."

The other dream come true was a call from Saira Banu. "Mr Dilip Kumar whom I call Yusuf Lala and Sairaji are relatives. I envy Yusuf Lala for a wife who's so devoted and for so long."

The Kokilaben hospital is suddenly a beehive of Bollywood activities. On Thursday Mr. Bachchan dropped into see Karan Johar's mom who underwent neuro-surgery, Dimple Kapadia's sister Simple who's critically ill, Adnan's father and Prakash Mehra.

In fact Mehra is an ICU flank next to Adnan's father. When Adnan got to know that the man who created some of Adnan's favourite childhood celluloid fantasies with Big B was lying ill in the room next to his father, he did what any sensitive person would.

Says Adnan, "I walked into Prakashji's ICU to quietly take his blessings. But what do you know! He recognized me in that condition and did the popular hand movement from my song 'Lift Kara De' with the Big B.

It was his utterly endearing gesture of acknowledging me and my love for the movies that he did with the Big B. At times like these, being in the hospital is no more an acknowledgement of mortality. It becomes a celebration of life."