The lane outside Shah Rukh Khan’s residence, Mannat, looks less busy after the actor’s temporary departure. Sunday mid-day speaks to vendors, whose day’s earnings came from visitors thronging for a glimpse of their favourite star, and fans who still visit though there’s no one home
Shah Rukh Khan’s interactions with his fans are legendary, especially his trademark pose (right). Pics/Getty Images
Opposite Shah Rukh Khan’s Mannat — the sprawling bungalow in Bandra that now holds the status of an iconic spot in the city — Kiran Pal Singh serves up a bit of the superstar from his crate every day. With chutney on the side, he dishes up what he likes to call “Shah Rukh Khan ka samosa”. It’s R15 each and the satisfaction is unlimited.
“Main 30 saal se bech raha hoon (I have been selling it from past 30 years),” he tells us. But it’s not the same any more, Singh remarks. Khan and his family have temporarily moved out of Mannat, which is undergoing renovation, and will return only after two years.
Singh, who moved to Mumbai from Ghaziabad in 1995 and lives a shanty in Bandra East, begins his day at noon, and sells samosas and tea till 10 in the night. “I have seen Shah Rukh Khan a thousand times. When his fans come to see him, this area, where we are sitting is full. Now that he is not there, khaali hai. Bohot kam log aa rahe hain,” he says.
The road outside Mannat wears a deserted look save for visits from die-hard fans such as Minhaj Hassan and his daughter Manara. Pics/Ashish Raje
For fans, Shah Rukh Khan is an emotion. But for Singh and many like him, the superstar connotes something far more urgent — their livelihood. Guddu Prajapati, who has been selling Fryums outside Mannat for 25 years now, says, “Whoever knows that Mannat has gone under renovation is not coming here. There was a time that if a car exited Mannat, the public would crowd up hoping to see him. Him moving out has affected the number of fans, who used to come to see Mannat. Dhande pe asar toh pahucha hi hai. Hamaara dhanda unhi ke vaaste chalta hai,” he shares.
A regular day for autorickshaw driver Ravindra Tank starts from the eastern suburb of Bhandup. Every tourist he gets, he first brings them to Mannat. “Most of them want to see SRK’s house and they believe they’ll get to see him at some point. They then continue Mumbai darshan. Some fans have made me wait all day, as they wait that long for one glimpse of the superstar. There are people who still don’t know that he is not here for the time being,” he says.
The road overlooking Mannat is quieter than usual. The tiny area where families fought to find space to get clicked next to the Mannat board is now able to accommodate the few that are still visiting. They are all aware that their favourite star has left. “So what if Shah Rukh is not here. His house still is,” says an ardent fan from Karnataka, who took a Mumbai trip with her family especially to see Mannat.
An SRK fan shows his friends how it’s done
“I have loved him for over 20 years now! Who doesn’t love Shah Rukh? I have visited Mumbai in the past as well, but somehow couldn’t make it to Mannat. So, this time I decided we have to see it,” she says, gazing fondly at the bungalow.
Khan bought Mannat in 2001, and over the years developed a ritual of waving at his fans from the terrace, on special occasions. Even those, who could only watch on television the visuals of the actor opening his arms wide for the sea of fans standing below, it made them feel they were right there, with him.
As Minhaj Hassan, a visitor from Bengaluru, puts it, “My five-year-old daughter, Manara, has been his fan since she was two. She has seen his iconic pose and copies it at home. She has been wanting to see this house for a very long time. Of course, we read in the news that Mannat was undergoing renovation. We were little disappointed but we still wanted to visit, have a look at it and go back. It wasn’t about meeting Shah Rukh in person. I was just telling Manara, ‘He comes out and stands in the balcony.’ So, she said, ‘Oh! It’s so close. I also want to come and stand here.’ She is already wishing she meets him!” He laughs as he makes Manara sit on his shoulders to get a better view of Mannat.
Rickshaw driver Ravindra Tank; Samosa seller Kiran Pal Singh; Fryums seller Guddu Prajapati; Bhavika Barot
Anil Sharma a fan from Rajasthan, says, “I have been to Mumbai before but couldn’t visit Mannat. But this time when I came, I decided to have a look at it. I am loving it! I felt bad knowing that I am here to see his house but he is not living here right now. I have grown up watching him and his movies. It used to feel so nice to see him come out and wave at his fans from Mannat. That’s a beautiful memory for all of us. It would make us want to come to Mumbai and stand outside his house. Of course, we can’t speak to him but the thought of standing outside Mannat and seeing him up there is so reassuring. He won’t be here for another two years at least, but I would still come to Mannat on every Mumbai visit because this place gives me joy. Mann hi nahi bharta. Aisa lagta hai ki bas dekhte hi rahein.”
A slight sadness is reflected on Bhavika Barot’s face too. She travelled from Jamnagar in Gujarat to see where Shah Rukh Khan lives. “Itne door se aayein hain, toh achchha lagta agar woh yahaan aate. Par hum toh aate rahenge, chahe woh kitna bhi waqt lein wapas aane mein,” she says, before adjusting her pose for a picture next to Mannat.
Kolkata-based youth Shomodeep is here with his cousins, who are all of 20 but call Khan their love guru. “We have learnt romance from him. He grew old and we grew up, with him,” one of them says. Shomodeep tells us that he had wanted to visit Mannat since he first saw DDLJ. “Just the prospect of him sleeping in his room or gymming would have been much more exciting. It feels a little sad. But I am happy that I got to see his residence. Shah Rukh represents the prospect of hard work, that a commoner can reach so far and become a global icon. And Mannat is the symbol of that success. It shows you that you can come from the lowest level and reach to the very top,” he smiles.
Tank has been a witness to these fan emotions. “I see them making video calls to their relatives in their hometowns and showing them Mannat. Their eyes light up. I love seeing that love and in return it also helps my business. So it is a win-win for all of us and it’s only because of Shah Rukh.” While his fans across the globe wait for him to dazzle them on the big screen with his next film, Guddu has only one wish: “Woh jaldi waapas aa jaaye. Public aati hai unko dekhne ke liye toh humhi ka khaati hai.”
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