Dard-e-Disco & Disco Dancer

It was the launch of E Niwas’s My Name is Anthony Gonsalves, starring debutant Nikhil Dwivedi, Amrita Rao and veteran Mithun Chakraborty, scheduled for 8 pm on Friday night.

Mithunda walked in first, followed by the rest of the cast. But there was one person who was yet to make a grand entry, King Khan — he was supposed to unveil the music of the film.

Mithun propped up the bar, chatting with all, drink in hand, smiling for the shutterbugs and trying to pass his time. It was nearing 11 pm when someone announced that Shah Rukh Khan was about to make an entry.

Mithun had by then moved to the first floor of the venue. Going to the balcony, he started bellowing, “Shah Rukh, Shah Rukh, kahan hain tu, yaar?” Moments later, SRK entered escorted by bodyguards. Again, Mithun called out the Bollywood Badshah’s name, this time louder than before to everyone’s surprise. Shah Rukh, unaware of the great presence above him, waved out the way he does to hysterical fans.

“He didn’t see me!” exclaimed Mithun, throwing his hands up in the air. But when SRK stepped out of the lift, the first thing he said was “ Da ,” on seeing Mithun.

The original Disco Dancer forgot his long wait and held open his arms to hug the Dard-e-Disco star. “I was calling out and you waved to me as if I was one of your fans,” complained Mithun. “Oh, was it you Da? I’m so sorry, I really thought it was just another fan calling out my name,” apologised the six-pack Khan. To which Mithun replied in jest, “It’s not your fault, dear, I’m so dark that you wouldn’t be able to see me from that distance anyway.”

Sharin Wader, TNN