New Delhi [India], August 10 (ANI): Grammy Award-winning musician and Padma Shri Ricky Kej attended Day 3 of the ongoing Celebrating India Film Festival (CIFF 2025) in Delhi on Sunday.

During his visit, Kej spoke to ANI about a range of topics, from Shah Rukh Khan's first National Award win for 'Jawan' to his own recently released album, Gandhi Mantras of Compassion.

When asked about fans' bittersweet reactions to SRK's big win, Kej, a Padma Shri awardee, while drawing a parallel, recalled Leonardo DiCaprio's first Oscar win for 'The Revenant.' Many felt it wasn't his best performance, but it was a long-overdue acknowledgement of his career. The singer also mentioned how King Khan has done 'fabulous' work in the past and deserved recognition long before 'Jawan.'

'It happened even with Leonardo DiCaprio when he won the Best Actor award for The Revenant. A lot of people believe that it wasn't his best work. He probably did a better job in Wolf of Wall Street or Blood Diamond, and many other films he's been a part of,' Kej told ANI.

'But everybody was so happy for him when he won for The Revenant because they thought, 'Okay, this is Leonardo DiCaprio's year. He's such a brilliant actor, and he deserves it.' So, I believe it's the same with Shah Rukh Khan. Shah Rukh has done fabulous work in the past. He's done amazing work that was not recognized. So finally he's getting his recognition and I'm very happy for him,' he added.

His remarks come amid mixed reactions from fans. While many celebrated the moment, some felt Jawan was an 'average film' and that SRK should have been awarded earlier, perhaps for films like Swades.

Kej also spoke passionately about his new project, Gandhi Mantras of Compassion, made in collaboration with Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi. He also shared that one of the music videos from the album is being featured at the ongoing Celebrating India Film Festival.

'...It's an album I did in collaboration with Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi Ji, who is like an older brother to me and someone I deeply admire. This album is about the principles and ideals of non-violence and peace as taught by Mahatma Gandhi. These ideals are needed now more than ever because we're living in a world filled with division, hatred, trolling, and unrest. I believe Gandhi's ideals can help this planet, and all of these ideals have come from India,' he said.

The first major film festival hosted by the national capital is organized by Graphisads in association with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), the Film Critics Guild (FCG), and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). The festival began on August 8 and will conclude on August 10. (ANI)