'I have had too much fun attending IIFA. We have some wonderful memories, and some of them are wild, which we can't talk about.'
No, Shah Rukh Khan is still the undisputed king of Bollywood.
The superstar has simply passed on the IIFA host mantle to Kartik Aaryan, who will be the presenter of the awards ceremony's landmark 25th edition in Jaipur.
The actors attended the media conference for the announcement in Mumbai, setting the stage for IIFA's upcoming silver jubilee celebration.
As one would expect from SRK, the superstar stole the spotlight with his signature wit and unmatched charm.
"Kartik is going to host this 25th year. Just so that I can pass off the mantle to him, I will teach him how to begin the show in Jaipur," SRK mischievously said and went on giving Kartik a quick tutorial in Rajasthani.
WATCH: Shah Rukh Khan's hosting tips for Kartik Aaryan
SRK and Kartik were given a traditional reception in sync with Rajasthan's rich customs of music and dance performances. They were joined by Nora Fatehi, Rajasthan's Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari (whose late father Brigadier Bhawani Singh was the maharaja of Jaipur), and IIFA Co-Founders Andre Timmins, Viraf Sarkari and Sabbas Joseph.
Shah Rukh then casually dropped a major update about his next outing King, which is reportedly being helmed by Pathaan Director Siddharth Anand. SRK is believed to share the screen space with daughter Suhana and Abhishek Bachchan.
"I am in the middle of starting a film shoot but when they said that IIFA is completing 25 years, I had to be there. I rushed here and am hoping to be in Jaipur on March 9 as well," Shah Rukh said.
Talking about his association with IIFA, SRK said he loves performing on its grand stage and has some great memories with the team.
"I didn't realise until 10-15 days back that for 25 years, I have been working for Andre, Viraf, and Sabbas. I have had too much fun attending IIFA. We have some wonderful memories, and some of them are wild, which we can't talk about," he says.
WATCH: Kartik on SRK: 'I hope I become the second best host because nobody can beat him'
Over the years, many A-listers including Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Shahid Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana hosted the IIFA award ceremony. Last year, Shah Rukh Khan co-hosted IIFA alongside Karan Johar and Vicky Kaushal in Abu Dhabi.
Kartik Aaryan will now be a part of the IIFA legacy as he makes his debut as a host.
"I am happy to be a part of the 25th anniversary of IIFA. It is a wonderful celebration of Indian films and performances, so I am looking forward to it," Kartik said.
Nora Fatehi will perform at IIFA 2025, marking her fourth consecutive performance at the awards ceremony.
"It is a big deal for me," she says.
"I hope I can beat the other performances I did for IIFA. 2022 was an epic one, so this time, I am taking a lot of pressure."
WATCH: Nora Fatehi teaches hookstep of her viral song Snake
Shah Rukh Khan expressed his happiness about IIFA 2025 taking place in India for the very first time since its inception in 2000.
"I have always told them to organise the show in our own country. I believe there's no better place other than Rajasthan and Jaipur to be hosting this award. I am inviting you all, please do come. Enjoy with us and celebrate the Indian film industry," he says.
IIFA's Jaipur edition will take place on March 8 and 9.
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