17 April,2009 08:12 AM IST | | Amul Sharma
SRK's number was printed in a telecom advert in Dubai; the actor received 8000 calls from fans all over the country
Shah Rukh Khan is one of the brand ambassadors for Du, a Dubai telecom company. The company released a series of advertisements in all the leading papers where they printed a number, claiming it belonged to King Khan.
The phone hasn't stopped ringing since the ad went public.
Number lo
A source from Dubai says, "On Monday, the UAE telecommunication provideru00a0 released an advertisement that listed Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan's mobile number alongside their endorsement of their brand.
Although people weren't certain if the number really belonged to him, curious fingers kept calling that number for two days.
They got over 8,000 calls a day (those who did get through when the phone wasn't busy) and there were over a 1,000 personal messages on the voicemail."u00a0
Long-playing message
While several fans and movie buffs expressed disbelief and questioned the validity of the number, a spokesperson from the brand was quoted in Khaleej Times confirming that the number was genuine and not a marketing gimmick.
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For those who dialed the number, a taped message in Khan's voice greeted them in Hindi. "Hi this is Shah Rukh Khan.
I cannot take your call right now. Please leave your message and love."
The message did not say that Khan would call back as any normal voiced message would do. But by the end of the day, much to the disappointment of fans, no calls were going through.
The spokesperson further said, ""Due to the overwhelming public reaction since the launch two days back, we have been facing some technical difficulties.
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We have optimised our system and have addressed these issues. Customers across the UAE can now continue to leave their personal messages for their beloved star uninterrupted."
Three other celebrities from the Arab entertainment world including the creator of the animated housewives series, Freej, Mohammed Saeed Hareb, leading Emirati jewellery designer Azza Al Qubaisi and famous Lebanese TV presenter George Kurdahi are also part of the ad campaign.
Fan Talk!
"Hi Shah Rukh, it's Mani, I am a huge fan of yours and I love your film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. I have watched it several times Please call me back."
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This is the message a salesman in Dubai sent.
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"When I first saw the number in the advertisement, I didn't believe it. Then I thought, there is no harm in tryingu2026 Shah Rukh might answer," gushed Shireen Masood, a Dubai-based student.
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Ashish Mishra, a marketing executive in Dubai, expressed similar sentiments. "The moment I heard about the number, I called up immediately.
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I expected the phone to be switched off, but I felt happy when I heard your voice."
