The embarrassing goof-up last week (December 13) when SRK's Patna trip had to be cancelled at the last minute has left the Patna administration fuming and red-faced. And thousands of his fans Patna bitterly disappointed.
The Patna District Manager Sanjay Kumar Singh says the information on SRK's Patna visit facing an alleged security threat came from Prakash Jha's multiplex theatre Cinepolis which is part of the Patna mall owned by him.
Efforts are now on to pinpoint the personnel at Cinepolis who misinformed Shah Rukh's entourage reagarding the security bandobast.
Shah Rukh is none to amused by the embarrassing manner in which his purported visit to Patna was aborted last week. He is taking no risks this time. SRK's entourage has decided to boycott Prakash Jha's multiplex venue for the superstar's visit.
Saysa source close to SRK's entourage, "This time we can't afford any glitches. We don't know why we were stopped from visiting Patna the last week. But Shah Rukh is very keen not to disappoint his Patna fans.
He's accommodated Patna into his tight schedule and he'll be flying down from Lucknow to Patna on Thursday. This time we aren't taking any risks. Yes, Shah Rukh won't be meeting his fans at Mr Prakash Jha's mall. The venue is being changed. "
Prakash Jha in whose mall in Patna Shah Rukh Khan could not touch down on Tuesday due to poor police bandobast, is very upset with the mega-star's aborted visit to Bihar's capital. Prakash says he's willing to take personal charge of Shah Rukh's security when he visits Patna this week.
"I feel outraged on a personal level and as a man from Bihar who has been trying to improve Bihar's image in Bollywood. So many stars from Mumbai including Bachchan Saab have been to Patna.
I can't understand why the security arrangements couldn't be good enough, " says Prakash angrily, adding that the official organizers of Shah Rukh's visit should have given the Patna administration more time to prepare for Shah Rukh's visit.
However a member of Shah Rukh's intended entourage to Patna has another story to tell. "On December 13 we got a call from somebody Mr Prakash Jha's mall's cineplex (Cinepolis) telling us to cancel our Patna trip. Apparently the security bandobast at the mall was not even 15 percent of what it was for Bachchan Saab. "
Says Prakash, "The mall takes full responsibility for Shah Rukh's security. I'd like him to know that during his visit to Patna his safety is my responsibility. "