SRK: Family is key to Bollywood

'You’ve got to make a film which includes an interest for everyone,' says Shah Rukh Khan.

Shah Rukh Khan. Courtesy UTV Motion Pictures
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India’s biggest film star Shah Rukh Khan says the family spirit of Bollywood movies is what makes them so popular.

“When people go to watch a film, they like to think of it as an event for the whole family for the whole year – so the grandmother goes and the great grandson goes,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation during a just-ended visit to Sydney for the Indian arts festival Parramasala. “So you’ve got to make a film which includes an interest for everyone – a little bit of action, a little bit of fights, a little bit of song, a little bit of crying, a little bit of happiness – and a big climax.”

Khan, whose most recent movie Chennai Express has smashed box office records in India, said that family spirit had helped Bollywood also appeal to international audiences.

"Some fans in Germany said: 'Indian films provide us with that button – you put it on and you feel connected.' It kind of takes you back to your roots and culture," he said, adding that "in this fast-paced world, people want to look back and think of all the good things. Why don't we sing and dance a little more in our families?" – AFP