Erstellt am 10.05.2008 - 13:29

The world in his palm!

At 42, his heroines are getting younger, and Shah Rukh Khan is getting bigger and bigger, finds ANUJ KUMAR



At 42, his heroines are getting younger by the day; but Shah Rukh Khan is not complaining. First, it was Deepika Padukone in Om Shaanti Om, and now we hear Sonam Kapoor is being signed up for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

“No, Sonam is not final. Adi is still contemplating. It is the script which decides the actress, not me. For Om Shaanti Om, we needed a fresh face. For Rab Ne…we need a young actress. And then, for Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan the script demands a mature actress.” The buzz is that it’s Kajol, but Shah Rukh refuses to confirm it.

How do his kids address his co-stars…they must have quite a range from Deepika didi to Juhi aunty? “No it’s not like that (laughs)…They call them by their first names!”

From dominating the world of films, Shah Rukh has now moved on: to the world of sport. It’s as if no stage is too big for the quintessential Delhi boy. But he insists it’s the middle class values instilled in Delhi which keep him “rooted and focussed”.

With hardly any competition in sight, is there any challenge left for the actor in him? “I feel the struggle will be to play myself one day. The most difficult thing for an actor is to play himself. People tell me that those expressions are mannered… I wish I could play just me one day. Though there have been characters which had a part of me, like Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, the closest perhaps was Chak De India! When I play games with my kids they say: ‘You are very much like Kabir Khan’.”

He pauses for a moment, and then says television shows allow him to be himself. Isn’t he acting as Shah Rukh? “No in Panchvi Paas... there is no script…most of the things I say are impromptu.”

Do the participants find it difficult to confess in front of the camera that they are no wiser than a fifth grader? “Not really. One should be able to accept where one stands.”

The man who once said if he could enact five emotions, others could enact only four has certainly gained in maturity what he’s lost in brashness. “I have mellowed down in the last few years.”

The man has his hands full: the newly-launched Indian Premier League (IPL) has stretched his already long day to something like 20 hours, but Shah Rukh isn’t cribbing. “I have a mantra in life: keep winning or die trying.” Coming from a middle class home in Delhi, this has worked for me all these years. Now I want to share my success and the mantra with young Indians, and cricket is one platform to do that.”

But, it doesn’t seem to have been a prudent business move? He acknowledges, “Yes, there are some problems. What was promised by the authorities hasn’t turned out to be totally true. There are entertainment tax issues in Kolkata. Still I have been able to cut costs by bringing in the brands that I endorse.” Isn’t IPL the height of materialism with cricketers being traded for mind-boggling sums? For once Shah Rukh, the poster boy of the corporate world, loses control. “Dear, this country is yet to see the height of commercialisation. It’s just the beginning… And it’s not bad. It’s all a reflection of our economic prowess and GDP growth.”

Regaining composure, he reminds the media not to jump to the conclusion that whatever Shah Rukh touches turns to gold. “I have had my share of failures when I started film production. Remember Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani?”

On the production front, as usual after a biggie, Shah Rukh is making a small budget film with Priyadarshan. Called Billoo Barber, it’s a modern day interpretation of the Krishna-Sudama story. “The title caught my imagination. I have been a great fan of Priyanji and finally he is directing a film for my production house.” For the first time, Shah Rukh is not playing the lead role in his home production.

“As always it is a matter of script. Scripts choose me, not the other way round. The role suited Irrfan Khan and thankfully he has accepted it. I will do a cameo.” He is also working on a big budget film for kids. “There have been lots of rumours about this project. It is not just for kids and it’s not an animation film. It is a big budget film which has very high-end special effects, which we haven’t seen in Bollywood before.”



http://www.thehindu.com/mp/2008/05/10/s … 830800.htm

Erstellt am 12.05.2008 - 03:23

Shah Rukh Khan's cameo disasters

One shining bright face, which has been the eternal darling in the world of advertisements, movies, reality shows, and lately cricket as well, is undoubtedly that of the Bollywood Baadshah, Shah Rukh Khan, who has already taken entertainment to the next level altogether!

It has been time and again proven that he is indeed a Midas Touch man who pumps gold out of everything and anything he lays his hands on! But if you feel that he is Mr. Everything who can do no wrong, then, think again, as even the Moon has got a black spot, and SRK is a human after all!

It's true that SRK, the one-man army, whose mere name presence, guarantees a film to be a superhit even before its release. After all, they do not call him the King Khan or the Baadshah of Bollywood for nothing!

But what is strange is that the films in which SRK has the main lead, have been mega hits, whereas the films in which he has done cameos, had the Box Office turning its back on. Simply put, his cameo appearance-movies have always bit the dust.

Here's presenting the 'Bestimonials', we mean, the 'Best of Testimonials' which stand proof to the above statement.

SRK did his first cameo appearance in Dushman Duniya Ka, which was directed by the late Mehmood. The film was about the protagonist Lucky and his drug addiction habit, which was penned in the hilarious and tragic way but the film refused to jingle at the ticket windows and went hugely unnoticed, despite the fact that it had the 'Mega Star of the Box Office'. SRK's other cameo appearances in films like Gudgudee (1997) and Gaja Gamini (2000) were also a major letdown.

Next in line was the Samar Khan directed Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye starring Arshad Warsi, Mahima Choudhary, and Shah Rukh Khan in a Special Appearance. The film revolved around an airport. But again, Shah Rukh Khan's presence couldn't prevent the salvo's misfiring.

Shakti - The Power, a Sridevi and Boney Kapoor's production, that was directed by Krishna Vamsi, showed a one-woman-army, Karisma Kapoor's, fight to get her son back. The makers might have sensed that the film had too much of violence. Hence, SRK was brought in the picture to add some humor. He played a local Bihari boy who helps Karisma reach her destination and protects her from the goons. But of course, the biggest highlight of the film was SRK's performance on the track 'Ishq Kamina'. The song also had a special appearance by the ever gorgeous Aishwarya Rai as an item girl. Unfortunately, the film was a disaster at the Box Office.

The other one in the Cameo-flops list include Kaal, in which SRK did a first 'Item Number' with the original oomph-mati Malaika Arora Khan, before doing 'Dard-e-Disco' and 'Break Free'. Even though the song was a huge hit with sleek picturization, the film failed to click with the audiences.

These back-2-back cameo debacles don't end just here. SRK was seen in Hunky Arjun Rampal's home production I See You, in which he was seen playing the guitar whereas Hrithik Roshan doing his favorite dance stint, which has also refused to smile at the box office.

And last but not the least, who can forget the major fiasco of the recent times, which was called as Krazzy 4, a film that was hyped to the core, piggy banking on SRK's item number! The film also had the super clash of the titans SRK V/s the Hrithik Roshan, both of whom danced to the same track. If that was not enough, it also had the 'Item Queen' Rakhi Sawant. Sad but true, none of the three pillars could manage to help the film stand firm at the Box-Office!

So, is it that SRK's luck doesn't favor his cameo appearances? The answer to this question remains a mystery. Though SRK's cameo roles haven't been able rub the magic on the films, he has always been a striver and not concerned with what will be the outcome of it. So, keep going Khan and best of luck for Bhoothnath.

Quelle: IndiaFm

Erstellt am 12.05.2008 - 19:12

The making of Brand SRK


12 May, 2008, 1017 hrs IST,Santosh Desai,


NEW DELHI: There must be a lesson in it somewhere. A young man with average looks and no connections comes to Mumbai to be a film star and succeeds beyond any expectations. Along the way, he marries his childhood sweetheart, stays happily married, dotes on his kids, builds a house where he dreamed he would and still remains the nation's undiminished favourite two decades on.

Everything he touches seems to turn to gold, whether it has to do with films, television or cricket. He promotes himself, the brands he endorses, the team he buys and the films he makes relentlessly and no one can still have enough of him. He has become better looking with time and actually grew six-pack at the age of forty.

He speaks with a shrewd combination of arrogance and disarming self-deprecation and never descends to being the caricature some celebrities become. No one calls him a great actor; he plays himself or more accurately plays Shah Rukh Khan playing the character in most films and again that is what people seem to want.

Shah Rukh Khan strikes a chord with us in some deep unique way. He captures the spirit of the times effortlessly and plays it back to us in a compelling way. He is the mainstream hero who makes us feel good about ourselves. He makes us want to do more, lead a better life by showing us that it can not only be done, but enjoyed without paying any major price. You can have fame, fortune, success, a happy family; you can have it all. And it is easy.

Shah Rukh Khan is the market. He does not merely use market forces, he embodies them. He represents the market's best foot forward, he exemplifies what the market can do for us. He is a giant shining billboard for the market where glitter co-exists with good times and fame sits well with family. He sits so effortlessly with business because he makes it look good. We are seduced by his charm into wanting and buying. The market persona has been constructed, even if unconsciously out of all elements available to him.

The roles he has played, especially the Raj/Rahul persona that made him a superstar were evangelists for modernity. In films like DDLJ, DTPH, Mohabattein and to a lesser extent, Pardes, he played the Pied Piper of modernity, showing us how the modern was nothing but a distillation of the traditional.

Raj in DDLJ tells us how desire in its purest form can melt all forces of the past. In Mohabattein, his character is even more naked in his espousal of individual desire and it is fitting that he takes over from Amitabh Bachchan as the principal, signifying that the present has subsumed the past and is its legitimate representative. By dismantling the restrictive confines of the past, the individual is rendered free to seek definition through his desires.

Even in off-beat roles exploring the darker side of desire, it is notable that his characters no larger try for legitimacy than the intensity of desire itself. In Baazigar the desire for revenge made him worse than his enemy and in Darr and Anjaam, the desire has no larger justification whatsoever. The individual in this films is driven because of desire and the audience is recruited to cheer.

The recent roles of Shah Rukh have now evolved into a comfortable representation of the market. Om Shanti Om is the celebration of a market where the past is no longer a time, but a look. The individual is sufficiently detached from the past so as to be able to play with it. The past can be bought now as a shirt, then again as a hair style.

If Amitabh Bachchan's Vijay was an individual seething in an effort to become one under the crushing weight of failed father figures, Shah Rukh's Rahul has rendered himself free of the past and lives in what someone has called an ever present. Add to this, his real life story and persona and you have a compelling portrait of man-as-market.

Bereft of ideology, lacking a centre or core, brand SRK is the distillation of all that we want to be projected on the 70 mm screen called Shah Rukh Khan. Shah Rukh does not merely advertise brands, he is the best advertisement for where it all comes from the market.


http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/The … 031385.cms

Erstellt am 12.05.2008 - 19:16

SRK to build a swimming pool at his Bandra abode



DIVE IN: The entrance of Mannat.
PIC/ Narendra Dangiya
Probably the only thing missing right now in King Khan’s Mannat is a swimming pool. Soon, Shah Rukh will have that wish fulfilled as well at his Bandra Bandstand abode.

During his recent media interactions for Paanchvi Paas at his home, SRK had maintained, “I am planning to build a pool but it will take time.”

Bungalow ke peeche

Onlookers maintain that the actor had also pointed out to the site — near the building he has built behind Mannat and leading out of his gym.

It is learnt that a few months back, SRK applied to the civic authorities seeking permission to construct a pool behind his bungalow. The plan was forwarded through his architect.

Civic officials had forwarded the star’s application to the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority.

Informs a source, “The proposal was sent for a no-objection certificate.”


http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/entert … groupId=14

Erstellt am 12.05.2008 - 19:19

Khali calls on Shah Rukh Khan at 'Mannat'

PTI
Sunday, May 11, 2008 23:37 IST

MUMBAI: The Great Khali alias Dalip Singh, called on actor Shah Rukh Khan at his residence "Mannat" on Sunday. The 400-pound power wrestler was at SRK's residence for over two hours this morning.

Sources said it was a private visit. It was earlier reported that King Khan has offered Rs 3 crore to Khali to cheer for his IPL team the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shahrukh's children Aryan and Suhana are said to be great fans of Khali. They expressed their wish to meet the giant wrestler to their father. And so, SRK invited him to have dinner with his kids at his residence.

The Great Khali has entered Bollywood by signing the film 'Rama'- The Saviour for a whopping Rs 1.5 crore. He is going to play the role of a villain in this film starring Sahil Khan and Tanushree Dutta. He had earlier acted in Hollywood film 'The Longest Yard' in 2005 and another film featuring him "Get Smart" is also ready for release.

Singh, who stands tall at over 7 foot has an extensive background in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Japanese grappling, martial arts - akido and judo -Greco Roman wrestling, western wrestling and the Indian martial art of kalari.

He signed a contract with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2006 and debuted on April 7, 2006 by beating The Undertaker. He is the third in a family of eight children and was once an officer in the Punjab police.

He worked for many years as a labourer in a small hamlet and later in the town of Shimla, after which he was picked by the neighbouring Punjab Police chief and recruited as a constable.

Khali won the bodybuilding title of Mr India in 1997 and 1998, this one-time WWE Champion has caught the eyes of none other than our own Bollywood Baadshah Shahrukh Khan.



http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1163802

Erstellt am 12.05.2008 - 19:23

When SRK met Khali

WWE wrester, the great Khali and Shah Rukh Khan met each other at the latter's place on Saturday night. Khali spent almost two hours in Mannat with SRK and his kids.



Our source reveals, "Before meeting Shah Rukh, Khali met Sachin Tendulkar at the Oberoi hotel and from there he came directly to the superstar's house at 1.30 am. However when Khali entered the private elevator of Mannat, It stopped working for sometime. The fault was repaired soon though and Khali reached the desired floor of the bungalow."

Adds the source, "Khali spent quality time with Shah Rukh and his family. Khan's son Aryan was very keen to meet the wrestler. The kids asked him questions regarding his victories and his diet. They clicked pictures and also took his autograph. After having dinner with the family, he left at 3 in the morning. The meeting was purposely arranged late in the night to avoid media attention and crowd."

Both Shah Rukh and Sachin invited the WWE champion for their respective IPL matches. It remains to be seen whose invitation Khali will accept.

Sonali Joshi, Hill Road Media Monday, May 12, 2008


http://www.indya.com/news/newsDetails.a … 080512_122

Erstellt am 14.05.2008 - 13:02

Twinkle, Twinkle – on small screen!


After Akshay Kumar crossed over to TV, his wife Twinkle too is gearing to do a reality show... produced by SRK!



With most 70mm actors turning to the small screen in search of greener pastures, Twinkle Khanna makes her comeback of sorts on the small screen with a reality show. Shah Rukh Khan’s company Red Chillies Entertainment will produce this TV show.

According to reliable sources, the show will go on air with hubby Akshay Kumar’s Fear Factor on the same channel — Colours.

Getting real on TV

An industry source reveals, “After creating a formidable film production house, Shah Rukh now wants his company to foray into television production.

He is in talks with a channel for three to four different reality shows. And one of these will be hosted by Akshay Kumar’s wife, and will be called Makeover with Twinkle Khanna.”

Keeping it quiet

Another show, which is in the pipeline, is called The First Wives Club. Red Chillies is being tight-lipped about these projects. There is speculation that SRK’s wife Gauri Khan might host the talk show along the lines of another American show The View.

Samar Khan, who is heading the Red Chillies Television department says, “We, at Red Chillies, are planning to get into television production. But right now, it is too early to comment on the nature of shows we will make, we are merely getting the team in place.

” When asked if Twinkle or Gauri were going to be a part of the future shows they are planning to make, Samar simply said, “You need to check with Shah Rukh. I think he’s the best man to answer that.”

Name game
Red Chillies have registered the following titles with the Producers Association for television shows:
Main Na Kehti Thi
Thoda Sugar Thoda Spice
Jub Hum Milenge
Kooka’s Wonder Land
Asha Dhoonde Asha (Reality Show)
Makeover With Twinkle Khanna (Reality Show)
First Wives Club (Reality Show)


http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/entert … groupId=14

Erstellt am 14.05.2008 - 13:16

Aamir Khan: Shahrukh licked my feet!!



May 13, 2008 (Sawf News) - Shah Rukh Khan is at the receiving end these days! Just as Amitabh Bachchan finished calling him Paanchvi Fail on the Big Blog, Aamir Khan says on his blog that Shahrukh licked his feet one day! Do you think Aamir has gone too far? Maybe not…

Describing a recent outing with his family in Panchgani, Aamir writes in a new mischievous entry on his blog:

"A cool breeze is blowing, jannat ki hawa (breeze from the heavens), as my mother calls it. Ammi, Ira and Junaid are by my side and we are in the middle of one of our favourite board games 'Settlers Of Catan'. Shahrukh is licking my feet and I am feeding him biscuits every now and then. What more can I ask for?"

The Shahrukh that Aamir refers to, as you may have guessed, is a dog, who belongs to the caretaker of Aamir's house.

"When I bought this house it came with the caretakers and their dog! Apparently Shahrukh (the actor) was shooting for a commercial in this house a few years ago, and that very day the caretakers bought a pup…, and named him Shahrukh. What are the chances of me buying a house which comes with a dog called Shahrukh!!!

"Some of my friends claim that I bought the house just because of the dog. I would have to be a serious fan of Shahrukh's to want to do that. Your guess…

"All I can say is I'm waiting for him [Shah Rukh] to come over.."

Aamir and his family are chilling out at Panchgani, to allow Aamir's hamstring injury to heal.

"My hamstring muscle seems to be healing, slowly but surely," says Aamir.

Aamir's entry, written in the vein of the collective digs that Shah Rukh and Saif Ali took at their industry colleagues during the Filmfare Awards Night, ends with:

"Well Shahrukh is once again begging for my attention, so let me get back to him. He is smelling too much, I think he needs a bath. "Heel boy, heel."

The bloggers are beginning to 'hound' Shah Rukh, we think.


http://news.sawf.org/Bollywood/50526.aspx

Erstellt am 15.05.2008 - 18:12

SRK talks on blogging

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Reacting to digs taken at him by fellow superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan in their respective blogs, Shah Rukh Khan says that he doesn’t feel the two have not written anything against him.



“I haven’t felt bad about anything because they haven’t written anything against me. The first question Amitji asked in his blog is that whether he should work on a show format which would be quiz based. I think it is a very relevant topic. He has hosted the greatest quiz show in the history of Indian television so it is a good way to research.


I have not read Aamir’s blog but the point is that I too crack jokes on people so I have to take it as pinch of salt and in a right spirit. Lots of people have written about me and I do not have any copyright on my name unless it is used for commercial purpose. We are contemporary actors and we know each other very well. I, Aamir and Salman are friends and we cracks jokes on each other when we actually catch up with each other,” reveals King Khan.

He adds that he is very happy with the trend of actors like Amitabh and Aamir blogging. “It is great that two of the nicest brains in our film industry are doing it. We all have respect for them - one is perfectionist and other is a huge star so it is a pleasure to know their viewpoints. Blogging is a great invention,” says the superstar and adds, “It feels nice that youngsters have got a chance to understand their views on so many different topics. I am sure initially they will talk about select topics but it will be varied soon. Aamir’s blog is an older one so he has already shared his views on quite a few different topics.”

Though Shah Rukh himself is net savvy, he is not in favour of starting his own blog or launching a special site. He explains, “I believe in keeping few things personal. There are two main reasons why people blog – first is when they think people are misinterpreting their point of view and second is because they want to be become a journalist. Blogging is a way of joining the journalist fraternity. I am very happy with things because the media has always been good to me. I also love journalism but I want stick to acting.”

Sonali Joshi, Hill Road Media


http://www.starboxoffice.com/newsDetail … 080515_167

Erstellt am 16.05.2008 - 04:13

Aamir's appalling display of blogging meanness has SRK smiling

The battle of the Blogs has just intensified; what with the Taare Zameen Par self-crowned genius and the universally acknowledged clutter-breaker, Aamir Khan proclaiming that he has a dog named Shah Rukh Khan.

The shocking display of insolent humor has sent shock waves in the otherwise-insulated and unconcerned film industry. Says a very popular character-actor who has worked with both the actors, "I guess the freedom provided by a blog tends to loosen tongues. Amitji has never been known to be as undiplomatic as he's on his blog. Aamir must have thought it's time to increase the odds, what if Amitji's blog gets more eyeballs! Also, his nephew's film is around the corner. During the release of Taare Zameen Par, Aamir created a controversy by taking on Amitji and Black. Now for the nephew it's Shah Rukh being called a dog. All I can say is life's a bitch."

Shah Rukh remains characteristically unfazed and humorous in the face of his colleague's uncharitable and tasteless remarks. When this writer expressed shock and indignation at Aamir's remarks, SRK responded, "Earlier on, people used to name their children after famous people. Somebody naming a dog after a known person is a new beginning in that direction. I don't have a copyright over this name if used non-commercially." But a close friend of SRK on promise of anonymity reacted far more aggressively. "Aamir's megalomania has been brewing for a while. Earlier he declared himself No.1 as compared with SRK who took it smilingly. Now Aamir is down to street-level provocation. You know those neighbors who try to get your attention by breaking your windows, letting their dogs crap on your lawn or just dirtying your car. It's best for Shah Rukh to ignore these efforts to get his attention."

Quelle: IndiaFm