Aisi kya vajah thhi, ke Shah Rukh Khan paryatak (tourist) bannkar Kashmir ki sair ‘nahin’ kar paaye? By Chaitanya Padukone

Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan is known for his frank honesty and sentimental nature. One such emotional anecdote that is still remembered was during his Celebrity Guest appearance on Amitabh Bachchan’s popular SONY TV quiz show, Kaun Banega Crorepati. The ‘Pathaan’ superstar revealed a personal emotional reason behind never having visited Kashmir as a celeb-tourist. It was because of his a promise made to his ‘late’ father Meer Taaj Mohammed Khan.

Shah Rukh also shared that his grandmother was a Kashmiri, which made the connection to the Kashmir region even more sentimental. Recalling a heartfelt conversation with his father, the ‘Badshah’ SRK  said, “My father’s mother was a Kashmiri. To unhone mujhe ek baar kahaa thha Teen Jagah zaroor dekhna life mein, main rahun ya naa rahun. Ek Istanbul zaroor dekhna, ek Italy main Rome zaroor dekhna aur ek Kashmir hai woh zaroor dekhna. Lekin baaki do mere bina bhi dekh lena . lekin Kashmir mere bina mat dekhna.” (“My father advised me that in life, make sure you visit Istanbul, Rome, and Kashmir at least once, whether I’m here or not. However, you can visit the other two foreign cities without me, but don’t go to Kashmir without me.”)

This emotional fond-memory stayed with Shah Rukh long after his father's passing away.. Shah Rukh added, “So my father died very early. I have been all over the world --Lekin main as a tourist ( paryatak) Kashmir dekhne kabhi nahi gaya. Bohot saare mauke bhi mile, doston ne bohot bulaaya,  par main Kashmir kabhi nahi gaya. Kyunki mere Waalid-saab (Father) ne kahaa thha ki Kashmir mere bina mat dekhna, Kashmir aapko main dikhaaunga.” (“He passed away very early. I’ve been all over the world but I never went to Kashmir. I had many opportunities — friends invited me, family went on vacations — but I never went. Because my father had told me not to see Kashmir without him, that he would show it to me himself.”)

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