Partying with King Khan
Report in Tuesday's lifestyle and entertainment section of Singapore's Straits Times newspaper.
by Cara van Mirih in Los Angeles
He sits at the poolside quietly, away from the Hollywood crowd at HBO's Golden Globes Awards Post Party at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
Say hello to Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and he stands up to offer a firm handshake immediately.
"Hi, my name is Shah Rukh. Nice to meet you," he says softly.
Looking uncertain, he adds: "I am an actor from India."
Tell him that he is one of the biggest Bollywood film stars, the 43-year-old is humbled.
"There are bigger stars here," he says modestly as his eyes roam around the room where Tom Hanks and Drew Barrymore are spotted among the gaggle.
Khan was among the presenters at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton yesterday.
Newsweek may have named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world but the king of Bollywood is approachable and friendly.
He tells Life! that he is in Los Angeles filming My Name is Khan by Indian film-maker Karan Johar. "I am quite excited to be here and I will be in LA till Jan 22," he enthuses.
Call him a Datuk and the superstar looks somewhat surprised as he pauses for a moment before letting out a smile.
Last October, he became the first foreign actor to receive the state award from Malacca in Malaysia.
As he sinks back to his seat, the movie idol shows he is only human. He whips out his spectacles and focuses hard to send a text message on his black PDA phone.
The star, accompanied by an entourage of four, seems unaffected by the glitzy Hollywood crowd, the hard-thumping house music and noisy chatter at the party.
As he says: "It is a nice party."
Nice is the word to describe the subdued do as Hollywood put aside a bad economy and the threat of an actors' strike to focus on the awards – and to let their hair down.
The stars trot off from the award show at the International Ballroom on the first floor to the party at the swanky Circa 55 restaurant below.
About 400 guests are packed into the dimly-lit restaurant and more guests spill outdoors around a large pool filled with floating candles.
Partygoers tuck into comfort food such as grilled chicken, macaroni and cheese, baked ravioli and grilled beef tenderloin as the DJ spins house music.
Also spotted at the bash are supermodel Heidi Klum and her singer-hubby Seal, Entourage actor Jeremy Piven and Desperate Housewives star Kyle MacLachlan.
As the night wears on, the DJ picks up the tempo and the party grows louder by the champagne glass.
Like the dessert, a silver tray of pralines decorated with cotton candy, there is sweetness in make-believe for a couple of hours as the stars take the spotlight and worshipful fans gawk.
It is not long before Khan is posing with starstruck fans. He takes off his spectacles, gives a wide smile, and the light bulbs flash.
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