- Saturday, March 01, 2025
The ambassador, who hails from Los Angeles, has been seen acting in a few television programmes and a film in the past.
By: Shubham Ghosh
It seems Eric Garcetti, the newly appointed US ambassador to India, is enjoying his posting to the hilt. Days after enjoying food from Maharashtra in Delhi and visiting the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, the diplomat met Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan at the latter’s residence ‘Mannat’ in Mumbai and spoke on Bollywood, the Indian film industry, and its “huge cultural impact” globally.
Garcetti, who became the first US ambassador to India in more than two years and took charge on May 11, also jokingly wondered whether the meeting with the actor indicated his debut in Bollywood.
Is it time for my Bollywood debut? ? Had a wonderful chat with superstar @iamsrk at his residence Mannat, learning more about the film industry in Mumbai and discussing the huge cultural impact of Hollywood and Bollywood across the globe. #AmbExploresIndia pic.twitter.com/SLRQyhhn8C
— U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti (@USAmbIndia) May 16, 2023
“Is it time for my Bollywood debut? Had a wonderful chat with superstar @iamsrk at his residence Mannat, learning more about the film industry in Mumbai and discussing the huge cultural impact of Hollywood and Bollywood across the globe,” the 52-year-old Garcetti, who is a former mayor of Los Angeles where US film industry Hollywood is located, and has acted in a few television programmes and a film, tweeted.
The envoy also shared pictures with the veteran actor whose latest release ‘Pathaan’ has been a huge hit.
Finally, US has an ambassador to India as Eric Garcetti sworn in by vice president Harris
In one of the pictures, Garcetti was seen posing for the camera along with Khan while in another, he was seen holding a yellow football in hand while being surrounded by Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani and wife Gauri Khan.
Khan was seen in a full-sleeve black t-shirt with black pants and a golf cap.
Last week, Garcetti and envoys of Qatar and the Principality of Monaco presented their credentials to Indian president Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
“The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu accepted credentials from the Ambassadors of the United States of America, Qatar and Monaco at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today,” a Rashtrapati Bhavan release said.
Garcetti had then said in a video message, “The world’s oldest and largest democracies, two nations that believe in our hearts about the power of people, have a great chapter to write together in the years ahead. India’s partnership is the key to a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific and beyond.”
In another interview to Indian channel NDTV, the Indian ambassador said he came to serve at a time when Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Joe Biden were set to pay visits to each other’s country within a span of a few months.
