It's time to dream more: SRK

There are thousands who are crazy about Shah Rukh Khan, but it's easy to figure out what King Khan is crazy about – entertainment.

In Gurgaon recently, Shah Rukh told us, "All we need, for entertainment to be international, is the use of technology. We could be at par with other countries in films, theatre, even sports. You hear of individuals winning gold because the technology was given to them by their families."

The people who he thinks have technology to make live entertainment world class are those at Kingdom of Dreams (KOD) in Gurgaon. He was announced as their brand ambassador for India's first live entertainment destination, and SRK said, "It's right up my alley. I'm a big believer that entertainment isn't only for the well-to-do. It's a form of release from tension and stress for everybody. Also, it's nice for kids to be educated in an entertaining way.

I had seen Culture Gully (KOD's food court) being made. A few weeks ago, I was teaching my son about the various states in the country, and which cuisine is from where. Of course, I don't know all of it, but we surfed the net and saw the pictures online. Here, if I were to get a kid and make him walk around Culture Gully, apart from the fact that the food will be very nice, it could be that he'll pick up a couple of... 'understandings', instead of having to read from a book or the net."

The scale and the resources, said SRK, can really give a fillip to forms of live performing arts. "I love the fact that it encourages new platforms of entertainment. I started with TV, and I used to do theatre. They have this outstanding auditorium, the kind that I've been telling my friends about for years. It has to be seen to be believed. If you go and watch Phantom Of The Opera or Mary Poppins, you couldn't replicate it here because you don't have the technology. This one does. It would open up avenues for international theatre to come here. Plus, Indian theatre, which is very beautiful, will get these facilities."

He added, "I'd love to perform here. You can make it look as great as any international show. And it's so outstandingly seeped in Indian culture. There's a musical called Zangoora – The Gypsy Prince! Very Bollywood, too! Yes, and it has to be. They're using popular formats, reviving traditional formats, and mixing the two. It's a great step forward."