From Indonesia To Mannat: The Story Of A Shah Rukh Khan Fan
NDTV
Mutiara Ulfa Herlita mentioned that she came to India in 2013 after she got a “Kathak scholarship” in Ahmedabad
Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan was released in theatres today. From people dancing to dhol beats to dahi-handi tribute, fans are super excited about King Khan's action entertainer. Amid this fanfare, Humans of Bombay has brought a story of one such crazy fan from Indonesia. Mutiara Ulfa Herlita, who is a Kathak dancer by profession, fell in love with SRK after watching Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Shah Rukh Khan played the role of Rahul Khanna in the film. The Kathak dancer revealed that she was 9 years old at that time. Well, like every Shah Rukh Khan fan meeting the actor was always on her bucket list.
She says, “'Pyaar Dosti Hai' — as Shah Rukh Khan talked about friendship on screen, the 9-year-old me fell in love with him. In Indonesia, every morning, a Bollywood film would come on TV – I would sit in front of the screen for those 3 hours! Soon, it became a routine! My family never understood my fascination with SRK. They always said, ‘Focus on your studies, this will not take you anywhere.' But I was always the rebellious one. I remember when I started earning, I filled the walls of my room with his posters. Meeting him was at the top of my bucket list.”
Mutiara Ulfa Herlita mentioned that she came to India in 2013 after she got a “Kathak scholarship” in Ahmedabad. As “the city, the people, and the culture” were new to her, she had a “difficult time” adjusting. But, the fact that she was just a few Kms away from SRK kept her going. In 2016, Mutiara with less than Rs 5000 moved to Mumbai. The dancer mentioned how she stood in front of Mannat with a placard reading, “Hello Shah Rukh [Khan], I won't go back to Indonesia without telling you my story.” Mutiara got SRK's attention after a fan uploaded her picture on X, formerly called Twitter.
