On the last day of his three-day visit to India, President Obama addressed a 2,000-strong audience at Siri Fort auditorium in New Delhi. He spoke about Indo-American relations, economic partnership and religious tolerance - but he began his speech with a crowd-pleasing quote from what is arguably India's most famous export to the world, Bollywood. In his opening remarks, President Obama borrowed a famous filmy phrase from superstar Shah Rukh Khan's movie
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
"Senorita,
bade bade deshon mein...you know what I mean", POTUS said, to deafening applause from the audience. In the movie the line is spoken by Shah Rukh Khan to heroine Kajol. The original dialogue is: "It's alright Senorita..
bade bade deshon mein aisi choti choti baatein hoti rehti hain."
Shah Rukh had this say about President Obama's speech:
#DDLJ and #SRKPrideOfIndia are currently trending on Twitter.
We say, why stop at DDLJ? Given his fairly crisp Hindi accent, we think POTUS could well have worked some other famous Bollywood dialogues into his speeches.
Here are five suggestions - lines that POTUS could have wielded with powerful impact and make relevant to the newly forged partnership between India and USA.
1.
"Don't underestimate the power of the common man" - In
Chennai Express, Shah Rukh Khan's character Rahul says this all the time.
Source2.
"Aal izz well" - Aamir Khan's catchphrase in
3 Idiots. The song
Mitwa from Aamir's film
Lagaan was played at the close of President Obama's townhall address.
Source3.
"Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost" - Shah Rukh Khan again, this time in
Om Shanti Om Source4.
"Dosti mein no sorry no thank you" - The line that helped make Salman Khan a star in
Maine Pyar KiyaSource: Rajshri/YouTube
5.
"Hum bhi roz khatro se khelte hain" - Delivered in Amitabh Bachchan's baritone in
SholaySource: NDTV