Shah Rukh Khan has no dearth of fans across the globe and now Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has also joined the group. The politician while speaking at a podcast said he is an admirer of the actor, stating that his 2007 film Om Shanti Om is his “favourite of all time.” He also praised AR Rahman’s music and other films like Jodhaa Akbar (2008) and Chak De! India (2007).
During a chat on the Indian Link podcast with host Pawan Luthra, Tony was asked a question about Bollywood and he said, "I am a big Shah Rukh Khan fan, so let me start with that."
He also said that he admired the music of AR Rahman, revealing that the Oscar-winning composer's work is among his favourites. When it comes to films, Tony listed Chak De! India (2007) as one of his favourites, particularly because parts of the film were shot in Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
The conversation took a cheeky turn when Tony was asked whether he supported India or Australia during the hockey match in the film’s climax. Laughing, he responded, "No, no, no although I did cheer for India in Lagaan."
The minister also praised Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Jodhaa Akbar (2008) calling it as "a beautiful epic" and "a phenomenal film."
But if there is one film that stands above the rest for him, it is Om Shanti Om, directed by Farah Khan and marking the debut of Deepika Padukone. He called it his "favourite film of all time." Tony said what truly stayed with him was one iconic line from the film. Reflecting on its meaning, he said, "Simple happy endings... if it's not happy, it's not the end, the story is not over yet." He added that the dialogue feels especially relevant today.
