Kolkata: Overwhelmed at being invited to inaugurate the 19th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), megastar Shah Rukh Khan Sunday said he would learn Bengali from actress-politician Jaya Bachchan to be a "true Bengali".
"Thank you Kolkata for adopting me and giving me the opportunity to be here. I have been coming here for the last three years and I promise you next time I am here I will speak in Bengali so Jaya aunty feels I am truly, truly from Kolkata then," said the actor at the opening ceremony.
"I will come to you and learn from you. So next time when you stand on stage I will be a true Bengali and welcome everyone."
During the inaugural ceremony, Bachchan had addressed her husband Amitabh, SRK, and Kamal Haasan as "non-real Bengalis".
Shah Rukh, who is also the brand ambassador of West Bengal, hoped that platforms like the KIFF offer a boost to Indian films, and help them scale greater heights.
"Festivals like this one express collective happiness over life, I think. I hope creative interactions of this scale help Indian films reach the height that great filmmakers present tonight, and those who passed away, like the wonderful Rituparno, dreamt of for Indian film," Khan said, finishing his speech by quoting Satyajit Ray.
