Oscars’ Indian riddle shahrukhkhan- pahel

W ITH HIS film Pahe- li being India's entry to the Os- cars, and reliable sources predict- ing it will be nominated for BAFTA as well, Shah Rukh Khan's next venture could well be a col- laboration under the recent co- production treaty signed between India and Britain. "Definitely, I' ll start work tomorrow," said King Khan in a lighter vein when Clare Wise, head of international relations at the British Film Commission, urged him to work together. Then he added, "I would love to. Maybe the next film could be a co-production." The large presence of Indians in Britain, said the star, "led to the beginning of the accept- ance of Indian films in the West". On his way to Los Angeles, Khan was in London for a day, promoting Paheli, which beat 13 films to the Oscar nomination, including big ones like Mangal Pandey, Veer Zara and Black. "I wouldn't know why Paheli was chosen. I never thought it would be. It came as a pleasant surprise," he admitted. After pondering for a moment, Khan said, "It has a mixture of 'Bollywoodness', songs and dances, has a regional aspect and is a genuine Indian folk tale, a classic love story. It is a representation of serious, paral- lel cinema and is only two hours long." And most importantly, "it is about the emancipation of women. We still have a bit of a way to go before men and women are equal. It is a folklore that, for the first time, gives a woman the free- dom of choice." The ghost in Paheli, the actor said, symbol- ised "that the idea of a perfect man is an illusion". Even as he vies for an Oscar, the superstar is keen that the Indian film industry gets recog- nition on its own merit. Speaking to a select audience at Nehru Centre in London on Monday evening, Khan said it was high time that Indian films and filmmakers left the periphery of world cinema. "I think and I believe we are as good as it gets. I want everyone to know that, and that would happen if we all believe we are not just an exotic nation of snake- charmers but a media-literate and educated, upcoming economy." Khan, who recently turned 40, is aware that the road ahead is long. Having been hon- oured with the Padma Shri, and now almost within reach of an Oscar, the superstar has covered quite a dis- tance and has worked very hard to get there. And he intends to keep working hard to "make sure the self-respect of entertainment of my country is not lessened". Recollecting the moment he was informed that he was to receive the Padma Shri, Khan said he could not believe it. "I believed the honour was given to people who have done great things. I was very humbled. There is no greater honour than to be hon- oured by your own country… but an Oscar on the side would be good."