Toronto, Jun 25 : Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan warned fans on Friday here that a knee injury may prevent him from performing at the 12th Indian International Film Awards this weekend.
The boisterous fans outside the Fairmont Royal York hotel, all vying for a glimpse of one of Bollywood's most beloved performers, fell quiet for a minute when Khan broke the news before going into the hotel.
“I am doubtful if I can perform. But, I will see how I can entertain my fans,” said Khan, who tweeted a day earlier that his knee has degenerated in several places due to a hairline fracture.
“I've got a torn meniscus, my ligament is swollen to three times the size it should be. Otherwise it's very good. Would you give me a foot massage?” he joked during a press conference.
Despite his injury, “King Khan,” who is scheduled to give the final performance at Saturday night's gala awards ceremony, broke out a few impromptu dance moves inside the hotel, sending his fans into a frenzy.
Khan also refuted claims that he's avoided certain events because of other Bollywood stars.
“I think we all have been together under one roofs many times. We can always be very proud of all the award functions that are held, IIFA especially which takes us around the world, whenever you are called upon. There have been functions that I have not been able to attend. It's not like your television channel said once, I am not going there because Mr. Bachchan is there. That's not true. That's hogwash. That's rubbish. But we can't question your rubbish sometimes. So we just smile and keep quiet and just listen to it and say ‘okay.' We are so small and so petty minded that we are not attending an awards function for that. And I tell you that's not true at all,” he said.
The broadcast of the awards ceremony, often referred to as the Indian Oscars, is expected to be viewed by 700 million people around the world.
Khan, whose film “My Name is Khan” is up for six nominations including best film, told reporters he was not surprised by the number of fans he has in Toronto.
“My Name is Khan” is about the treatment of Muslims in a world of heightened suspicions following the September 11, 2001, terror attacks against the U.S. The film depicts the actor in one of his more serious roles, stripped from the glitz of Bollywood and its hip-shaking dance numbers.
It comes as little surprise to Khan that he has a massive fan base in Toronto, a city with nearly 700,000 South Asians. AP
