Shah Rukh Khan spent 35 years making room for himself in people’s hearts. Give Rizwan Sajan the same space, he joked, and the developer would measure the carpet area, put up a 50-storey building and get it on the market.
That was how a property launch in Dubai turned into a rapid-fire round with Karan Johar. Shah Rukh took the stage at Coca-Cola Arena on November 11 alongside Gauri Khan, Adel Sajan, Rizwan Sajan and Johar for the launch of Shahrukhz Residences by Danube. He greeted fans and danced to ‘Tu Mil Jaaye’ from his upcoming film King before settling onto one of Johar’s signature couches for a conversation with the filmmaker and Rizwan.
‘I’d sell twice as much property’
When Johar asked Rizwan what he would borrow from Shah Rukh’s personality, the developer had his answer ready. The dimples.
“If I got Shah Rukh’s dimples, I swear to God I’d sell twice as much property,” Rizwan said. To that, Shah Rukh responded, “Who will watch my films if I don’t have my dimples?”
Rizwan also recalled a piece of advice Shah Rukh had given him at an earlier event. The actor had told him to stop worrying about the singing, the dancing and the show itself. His job was to build the project. Shah Rukh would handle the event.
At home, Gauri has the final say
Gauri designed the penthouses for the waterfront tower. At home, Shah Rukh joked, her remit is considerably wider. He reeled off a list of things he said he had no say in, from the Wi-Fi and whether he could eat in bed to the paintings and the chandelier.
“We sit quietly and enjoy the house,” he said, before turning the joke into a compliment. “Gauri, what a home you’ve made.”
Earlier in the evening, Gauri had described the project as “so personal”, speaking about what it meant for her India-based team to see its work showcased in Dubai. Adel said she had joined every Zoom meeting and been involved in details as small as the choice of materials and how the corners of the penthouses would look.
The 60-storey development in Dubai Maritime City is the second Danube project to carry Shah Rukh’s name, following a commercial tower on Sheikh Zayed Road. Apartments start at Dh1.65 million, with completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2029.
Some quotes have been translated from Hindi into English.
Source: Khaleej Times