Even superheroes take the Metro

Shah Rukh Khan enjoyed a high-speed Metro ride on the Airport Express Line on Wednesday as part of the promotional campaign for his upcoming flick RA.One

Even superheroes take the Metro

Shah Rukh Khan enjoyed a high-speed Metro ride on the Airport Express Line on Wednesday as part of the promotional campaign for his upcoming flick RA.One

The 23-km Delhi Airport Metro Express (DAME) line, with its high speed and swank stations, is emerging as a major attraction for the film and entertainment industry. This was proven once again as superstar Shah Rukh Khan took a ride on the corridor on Wednesday for promoting his upcoming film RA.One. Incidentally, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is planning to shoot parts of his upcoming film Jannat 2 on the Airport Express metro network.

Mind the gap! Shah Rukh Khan on the Airport Express Metro in New
Delhi on Wednesday. Pic/Imtiyaz Khan

On track
"Ever since Reliance Metro Airport Express Line started in February 2011, requests for shooting movies and organising events have come aplenty. We are pleased that SRK chose the Airport Express line for the promotional campaign of RA.One," said Anil Gupta, President, Reliance Infrastructure Limited.

The one: Shah Rukh at the promotional event on Tuesday. Pic/Imtiyaz Khan

Khan launched the campaign at the Shivaji Stadium Metro station and felicitated some real-life heroes of Delhi coming from different walks of life. 11-year-old kid Jatin Kathpal, who bravely fought with some thieves when he was alone at home, Kuldeep Singh, who lost his eyes while saving many lives during a bomb blast in Delhi, Pawan who saved people in a burning train and Ashok Randhawa who works for the benefit of terror victims, were among those honoured.

It's a bird, it's a plane...
Earlier, Shah Rukh took the high-speed metro train from Aerocity Metro station and reached Shivaji Stadium at around 6: 30 pm.u00a0 At Aerocity he was received by the real-life heroes and Reliance Metro officials. He had a high speed metro ride from Aerocity to Shivaji Stadium, where the event was held.

Speaking on the occasion Shah Rukh said, "Infrastructure wise Delhi has become a huge city, at par with international metros. Delhi's airport, Airport Metro line etc are extremely beautiful and modern." When asked how he used to commute in his early days in the Capital, he said, "I used to take a bicycle. In those days we did not have such advanced modes of transport."

SRK also greeted everyone for Deepawali. "During my childhood I once got injured because of firecrackers. I have fond memories of Delhi and Delhi's Deepawali," he said, asking everyone to be careful while handling fireworks. Shah Rukh was also given shawls, cards and other mementoes by the real-life heros when he
was received at Aerocity Metro station.u00a0

Rs 5,700 cr
Approx. expenditure on the Airport Express Metro project

Reel life in a Metro
Ever since the Metro started in Delhi in 2002, requests for shootings movies have come aplenty. The first movie to be shot here was 'Bewafaa' in 2003 and since then, five Bollywood movies have been shot in the Metro. In 2008 alone Anurag Kashyap's 'Dev.D', Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's 'Delhi-6' and Imtiaz Ali's 'Love Aaj Kal' were shot here. Before that, Subhash Ghai's 'Black And White' was shot in the Metro in 2006 and then it was the Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Paa' which was shot here in 2009.

Stay connected
The high-speed Airport Metro, connecting New Delhi station to Dwarka sector 21 via T3 at IGI airport now runs a full-fledged service with all its six stations commercially operational for passengers. Check-in facilities are available at New Delhi station, Shivaji Stadium station (Connaught Place - Baba Kharak Singh Marg) and Dhaula Kuan station (only passenger check-in). It was built in a global record time of 27 months,

Change at the top
Mangu Singh, Director (works) is likely to take over as Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief. Top Delhi government sources said, the selection committee has finalised his name for the post of DMRC chief wherein he will replace E Sreedharan. Sreedharan is slated for his retirement on December 31. Singh is considered close to Sreedharan.