‘When I visited Shah Rukh Khan’: US Ambassador Eric Garcetti remembers meeting SRK at Mannat

"Oh, my God, did you know who you met?" was the reply US Ambassador Eric Garcetti received when he told his office that he had met Shah Rukh Khan during his visit to India. Now, while reminiscing about the visit, he admits that he was not aware how much the actor was adored across India.

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"I think when I visited Shah Rukh Khan… my first couple of weeks here. And, we talked cricket because, of course, he's involved as a cricket owner. He owns part of the Los Angeles team. Everybody in my office went nuts," Garcetti told ANI.

"They're like, oh, my God, did you know who you met? I said, yeah, Shah Rukh Khan. But, I didn't realise the level of love that there was across the country," he added.

Garcetti believes that the best part of his job is not just about policy making but about the opportunity to meet people across India.

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Garcetti loves experiencing Bollywood, cricket and food because they add fun to his job, not just the policy work but connecting with people. Politicians, according to him, come and go, but personal connections last a lifetime.

He emphasises the India-US relationship is strengthened by these personal ties. Garcetti hopes to welcome more Indians to America, highlighting the strong bond and familiarity between the two countries, where many Indians have relatives or friends in the U.S.

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When Garcetti met SRK

Garcetti met Shah Rukh Khan in May 2023 at 'Mannat' in Mumbai. While sharing a couple of pic with King Khan, he wrote on social media, “Is it time for my Bollywood debut? Had a wonderful chat with superstar @iamsrk at his residence Mannat, learning more about the film industry in Mumbai and discussing the huge cultural impact of Hollywood and Bollywood across the globe.”