Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Ra.One inspired from Hollywood

Ra.One starring Shah Rukh Khan-Kareena Kapoor is going to set a landmark SFX film in Bollywood industry. Anubhav Sinha is trying to ensure the incorporation of best effects in the movie for which he has prepared a list of Hollywood's most outstanding SFX and 3-D movies for the Red Chillies team as reference.

A team's source unveils, "Anubhav is right now shooting in Goa with Shah Rukh and Kareena. The basic SFX work on the film can only start once we get the footage of the film. We have been provided with a list of movies like Avatar, Star Wars, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, X-Men and Terminator to study the special effects that are used in them. Each film is different and he wants us to understand, learn and implement those effects in Ra.One."

It added, "Apart from studying these movies, we are sketching, sculpting various characters that might fit into the movie. We are also fine tuning various special effects."

Source: http://www.freshnews.in/ra-one-inspired-from-hollywood-180514

Ra.One seeks inspiration from Avatar, 2012, etc

Anubhav Sinha is going all out to ensure that the Shah Rukh Khan-Kareena Kapoor starrer Ra.One becomes a landmark SFX film for Bollywood. To make sure that only the best effects are incorporated in the film, he has given the Red Chillies team a list of Hollywood's most outstanding SFX and 3-D movies for reference.

A source from the team reveals, "Anubhav is currently shooting in Goa with Shah Rukh and Kareena. They will be returning by the end of this week. As soon as they are back we will start our work. The actual SFX work on the movie can only begin once we get the film footage. Till then, the director has asked us to do our homework. We have been given a list of movies like Avatar, Star Wars, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, X-Men and Terminator to study the various special effects used in them. Each movie is different and he wants us to understand, learn and implement those effects in Ra.One ."

The source continues, "Apart from studying these movies, we are sketching, sculpting various characters that might fit into the movie. We are also fine tuning various special effects."

Source: http://movies.indiatimes.com/News/RaOne-seeks-inspiration-from-Avatar-2012-etc/articleshow/5745931.cms

My Name is Khan: Film Community Locals find Movie Set in the Bay Area an Ambivalent Watch

Shah Rukh Khan (center) as Rizvan Khan. Photo courtesy Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Shah Rukh Khan (center) as Rizvan Khan. Photo courtesy Fox Searchlight Pictures.

If you follow NASDAQ or NPR, you may have recently run across the figures of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol Devgan. Though they are relatively underground news in the mainstream US media, the screen couple are two of the most popular film stars on the planet, given that their domain is the Indian film industry.

Last month Khan was featured prominently in media outside India, including a guest spot on NPR, ringing the NASDAQ opening bell with Devgan on Feb. 1, and in the UK on the long-running talk show Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, where he made West End star John Barrowman swoon by kissing him.

The publicity was part of a promotional push for Khan and Devgan's first film together since 2001, My Name is Khan, which was released Feb 12. all over the world. Signed for distribution for what was reportedly a record amount, the film is being promoted by Fox Searchlight Pictures, the same company that was behind Slumdog Millionaire in 2008.

My Name is Khan (MNIK) continues director Karan Johar's trend, newly adopted by other young Indian filmmakers, of setting films outside India and depicting the lives of the diaspora abroad. The film follows Rizvan Khan (Khan), a Muslim with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism) who was raised in India and moves to the United States. While living in San Francisco, Rizvan falls in love with Mandira, a Hindu woman (Devgan). They move to a fictional city in the suburbs, where things take a decidedly negative turn after 9/11, resulting in Khan embarking on a trek to meet the president.

My Name is Khan's Bay Area connections

MNIK has been on the local Indian film community's radar for some time, as the Bay Area forms a major story location, with Sacramento standing in for the Georgia state capital in the climactic finale featuring the character of President Barack Obama.

The local shoot took about a month through June and July 2009 and used hundreds of extras and actors who live nearby, as well as several local film-related services, including location scouting and catering.

Onetime model Daniel Lee said he left that industry because he was tired of work where he was judged by how he looked. As a local film location scout he helped find many settings used in the film, in addition to working to secure location permits and on site to help troubleshoot a range of issues. One thing he likes about crewing on films, he added, is that unlike modeling, where looks alone determine who gets work, if he's declined for a job because he doesn't have skills, he can learn them and apply again.

His involvement with the film began when he read the script: "After the fifth page I was really happy that such a story was being told because whenever I fly I get the 'random' secondary search and they ask me every question. I'm not stupid, and I can tell when they're trying to find something and if they can't find it they're looking to create something false."

The emphasis on Muslims in America post 9/11 was one he welcomes: "Nobody else can tell their own story like that group of people, so to wait for Hollywood to depict your culture accurately is a waste of time. You're waiting for something that's never going to happen. So I was glad that this company was telling this story with this topic and shooting part of it here, with India's biggest star on top of that."

"We Shall Overcome"/Hum Honge Kaamyaab

Though he hadn't anticipated being in front of the camera, while working on the set he was asked to audition for the role of Roger. He almost declined the role, but his feelings changed as he learned more: "The character was a homeless person. Then weeks into the production they asked me if I would audition and the first thing in my mind was 'Why does the black person have to be homeless? Seriously. Then one of the assistant directors said in the subtext of the story this is the character that Mandira talks to after work about her life problems and he gives her advice. Later, when Rizvan finds out that's their relationship, he befriends this person to get advice. So that's an important role to play.

"I changed my mind because I thought it was better than just being the black guy who's homeless, because that really didn't turn me on. I thought, oh that's pretty important, that's a crucial role, that's respectable."

After seeing the film, Lee said he was surprised to see how some of the characters were depicted in the film, including his own: "When I saw the film it was just a montage. There were just two or three shots I was actually in and I wasn't speaking, the images were playing under music. I'm not sure what the ultimate reason for that was, it could have been a bunch of very legitimate reasons, I'm not discrediting them for that. But when I actually saw the final piece it wasn't the role that I was instructed it was. It was actually much less than that. And it doesn't come across that this is the guy she seeks advice on life from."

At the end of the film, Lee sardonically noted his role was credited as "Roger (Homeless Hobo)."

The issue was more than only one character out of place

It wasn't just his own part in the film that Lee said he felt was carried out using shorthand imagery. In the second half of the film there is significant time devoted to Rizvan's efforts to rescue the residents of Wilhemina, Georgia from a torrential flood that swept their town away.

"I didn't think that whole scene in Wilhemina helped the whole story in any way," he said. "It kind of took us away from Rizvan's whole goal of meeting the president to tell him he wasn't a terrorist. The entire Wilhemina scene entirely removed us from that goal.

And the folks that were living there it seemed like we were back in slavery days, or the 30s or the 20s; like the 1800's, quite honestly. It just felt like we were so far back in time in terms of black people and the black struggle to be depicted like that in this movie, especially in a movie with the intent to break stereotypes.

The people in Wilhemina seemed utterly utterly helpless. Their entire town is flooding and they're all cooped up in this church and here comes Rizvan to save them. And then people by the dozens start showing up with cameras and live video feed. If all of these people can that easily get into the town, why wouldn't they just evacuate the 10 people living there? That didn't make sense to me."

In the bigger picture, Lee said his perception of the way African American people were shown in the film's landscape changed the way he saw the impact of his character: "After watching the film there's a homeless black dude and then there's the whole Wilhemina Georgia scene with the mammy ['Mama Jenny'] and the picaninny ['Funny Haired Joel'].

"I think the only Black character of any status would be the president, which is based on reality, that's not something they made up, that already existed. If the president were still George Bush, then George Bush would have been the president. If McCain had won, the president would have been McCain. So we have the heroic black president because that's what reality is right now. But based on the Wilhemina scene and the homeless black dude, I don't think that there would have been any heroic black character in the film [if Obama weren't president].

"And the film isn't about black culture so I'm not gonna hold them to that, but after seeing so many American films where the black guy dies first or the black guys are the morons or retards in the film, it's a disappointing thing to see that even in this Bollywood film it's still the same case as in American films."

Representations of African-Americans in the film diluted its message of unity

Oakland-based filmmaker Desiray McFall served as a liaison for the Oakland Film Office, spending time on-set in Oakland locations to make sure everything goes smoothly. She acted in that capacity for a weekend in late June while some exterior news reportage shots for MNIK were filmed in and around in Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza.

After working at the shoot, and because she'd done some research about the profile of the film internationally, McFall sought out the film last month.

Like Lee, McFall said watching the film left her a little disoriented: "What threw me the most in watching the film after seeing the part of the story that was shot in Oakland was how big the scope of the film was. And I hate to compare it to Forrest Gump but it's almost impossible to not Forrest Gump it a little bit. Rizvan's traveling all over the world, and he's meeting all these people and there's a love story and there's a kid."

While there were many facets to the plot overall, McFall said she found the scenes in Georgia hard to justify: "Then there was the contemporary flashback. I guess it can't be a flashback. The whole Georgia thing with the town and the water and the Katrina, I looked around [at other people  in the theatre] and I was like 'Are they really doing this?' And I thought, 'Oh, ok.' But I don't know if they were trying to fight stereotypes because then they brought some in, and they tied it up with Obama."

The uplifting message she found in the film was also undermined somewhat by the dissonant ways that African Americans and Muslims, the two main communities under siege, were portrayed.

"I loved the arc of the story: We all can have differences, come from different places, worship different gods but we can always help each other get to a better place," McFall said. "The whole thing was really ridiculous with Mama Jenny and Funny Haired Joel. I thought that was probably not the best word choice." Though some of the characters didn't seem completely unreal to her, McFall felt they emphasized extreme examples of stock characters: "Even though we do have Mama Jennys, it was like 'Really? She's a little bit fat – she's a lot fat.'"

During promotions for the film, a lot of emphasis was placed on research the scriptwriter and star did on Asperger's Syndrome to develop the character of Rizvan. Asked whether she thought there was a similar amount of research done to develop the characters in Wilhemina, McFall said she was torn between whether the filmmakers drew from too little information or whether the information they drew from was from a suspect source – Hollywood.

"I thought that maybe it was a lack of research and maybe they wanted a down-home Aunt Jemima motherly figure," she said. "I think they probably did way too much research and then said, 'It worked for Forrest Gump, why can't it work for us?'"

Daniel Lee said "I highly doubt that they studied African-American history. African American history has been one of the most underestimated cultures in American history."

McFall said she found that, to keep in touch with the narrative, she had to let go of her instincts for analysis while watching the film: "I told myself 'Ok, you're doing too much, just watch the movie, watch the movie.' Wilhemina just felt out of place in the telling of the story. Why can't they just take it to contemporary Oakland and you meet, say, Paula? It seemed like the film went back like 50 years and then came right back. Everything else was just so contemporary and then we're in 1932 Georgia. That was weird to me. I didn't get it."

While the family life and the perceptions of Muslims felt honest to her, the film ultimately got in its own way by the contrasts in the depictions that she saw: "So many things came up for me as not reading true that I was questioning it instead of paying attention to what I'm supposed to be watching.

Where Lee found little hope in the pervasiveness and resilience of portrayals that didn't feel true to life, McFall had a different impulse: "Watching the movie made me want to read the script and then it made me want to know more about the filmmakers and their true message. It made me want to know more about the film; what the message they wanted to get across was and whether they felt they'd succeeded in delivering that message.

"I wanted to fill the gap between what I thought the film was and what the film ended up being."

Possible strategies for including a range of communities in films

For McFall, the issue could be that there needs to be a larger body of films talking honestly about diverse lives. She said, "Whether you're black, white, or a Muslim, I think that sometimes people don't understand your point of view, so I don't want to project and say 'Oh my god, you came to be mean to black people, it's wrong, it's wrong.' You need to do more research."

She saw the film as filling a gap in representations of American issues, saying, "I thought they were brave too. No one wants to talk about Katrina anymore. I think they were trying to cover too much, but I think what they did do will at least create a little bit of dialog."

From her perspective as filmmaker and screenwriter, McFall stressed the need for culturally-oriented research before filmmakers decide how to show communities in films: "It would be impossible for me to make a film about Indian life and culture if I had never been there. Like in a rickshaw in East Oakland, 'cause Indians would know [what's realistic]. I wouldn't know."

Actor JT Smash moved to the Bay Area from Los Angeles, where he had been both a child actor and a police officer. His first film job was 2007's Milk. Smash worked as an extra in My Name is Khan and sees himself as a resource for future Indian films: "I was there in the Watts riots. I worked as a policeman during the Rodney King riots. I remember going to a restaurant and not being served in Redwood City. So I have all this information to share with Bollywood. We are here, we survived. And I hope we don't go back with this mentality. I would do My Name is Khan again in two seconds flat. But I would ask for more."

My Name is Khan's local run ended recently, but that was the version of the film aimed largely for the Indian diaspora. An "international" version 30 minutes shorter than the version released in February, with a higher percentage of English dialog, is due to be released in the US this summer.


Source: http://oaklandlocal.com/blogs/2010/03/my-name-is-khan-film


Time for excuses is over: SRK

After Kolkata Knight Riders crashed to another defeat on Tuesday, losing to Delhi Daredevils, team owner Shah Rukh Khan came out with an unusually stern reaction. "Time for excuses is over. Either we play better or keep being deserving losers," the Bollywood actor tweeted shortly after KKR lost yesterday in Delhi. The comment on Twitter is being seen by many as a guarded admonishment aimed at Knights skipper Sourav Ganguly, who blamed the defeat against Daredevils on the toss after the match. After the sharp comment, Shah Rukh then followed it up, writing: "Am disappointed & will try and sleep this disappoinment off. Hope the team introspects & comes bak strong. Professionals can do that."

A day before the KKR-Daredevils match, the Kolkata franchise owner had asked upon the players to perform as a unit if they needed to get back to winning ways. "Dada and gang at kkr... be tough and play like a team again. Insha allah... we will win today... in my city delhi," Shah Rukh had posted on his Twitter account.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Time-for-excuses-is-over--SRK/598007/

Bachchan's loss, Shah Rukh's gain?

Rumours abound that King Khan may now be chosen as the brand ambassador for Commonwealth Games 2010

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan had once said he would stop doing things that Amitabh Bachchan had done before. Like the remake of Don, or the hit quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati. But this is an entirely different ballgame. Shah Rukh may now be doing something that Amitabh couldn't do at all.


Delhi BJP leader VK Malhotra had floated the idea that Amitabh Bachchan
should be made the brand ambassador for the Games


After the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) decided not to consider his name as the brand ambassador for 2010 Commonwealth Games, Bachchan might have to contend with another ignominy. That of being replaced by Shah Rukh Khan.

Speculations have been doing the rounds of political circles in Delhi that the Congress is aiming at killing two birds with one stone, if such a move materialises.
Though Commonwealth Games Federation chairman Suresh Kalmadi was not available for comments, federation's media in-charge Lalit Bhanot did not rule out the possibility of SRK becoming the brand ambassador for the mega sporting event.

Though officially, he was more cautious. "Right now we are considering names of sportspersons as ambassadors. Whenever we will take a decision, we will let you know."

"Shah Rukh has everything a brand ambassador for an international event should have. He is a Muslim and is someone who stood up against the hooliganism of the Shiv Sena. He has a secular face, he is young, and has a larger appeal," a senior bureaucrat associated with the Commonwealth Games told MiD DAY, requesting anonymity.
 
IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi, at a function on Tuesday, hinted that Big B was too old for espousing the cause of an international sporting event. "We are looking for a fresh, young face," he told media persons. The statement pumped oxygen into the lungs of those who have been baying for the blood of Bachchan after he took over as the brand ambassador of Gujarat.

The Congress, the ruling party both at the Centre and Delhi, has already reiterated that somebody who could stand for Narendra Modi's Gujarat should not be made the face of an event as big as the Commonwealth Games.

"Mr Bachchan do you endorse what happened during the riots? What are your views on the Gujarat government's complicity during the post-Godhra massacre? You must explain your position clearly," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari had demanded.

In fact, it was after the Congress party snubbed Bachchan for his role as Gujarat's brand ambassador that the BJP came up with the proposal of making the Big B the face of the Commonwealth Games.
However, the Congress tried to steer clear of its role in the decision of choosing a brand ambassador for the October games. "It is the prerogative of the Commonwealth Games Federation to appoint a brand ambassador. The Congress has nothing to do with it," Tiwari told MiD DAY.

But with the surfacing of Shah Rukh's name even the BJP is in a tight spot. Though it outrightly rejected the idea of dropping Amitabh Bachchan's name due to age factor they did not completely disagree with SRK replacing him.

Indian Olympic Association senior vice-president and an executive board member of the Games VK Malhotra said, "The matter will be decided by the executive board. I would not like to comment on his (Amitabh Bachchan) candidature. But saying no to him just because of his age is ridiculous."

Sources in Delhi Congress said choosing SRK will help the party send out a message to Amitabh Bachhan, adding that "Shah Rukh is younger and more acceptable."
They also pointed out the close relations that the King Khan enjoys with both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Sheila Diskhit to corroborate their claims.

Shah Rukh Khan during the Delhi Half Marathon in November 2009 had indeed expressed his desire to be a part of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
MiD DAY tried to contact Amitabh Bachchan, but he did not return the phone calls.
Another federation official said that there could be many brand ambassadors for the promotion of the event and Shah Rukh could be one of them.

"However, at this juncture it is very tough to say who will be named as main brand ambassador for the games. The executive board is yet to take a final decision," the official said.

Bol Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan was the brand ambassador of 1982 Delhi Asiad in which he lent his voice and anchored the opening ceremony. He was close to Rajiv Gandhi at that point of time.

Source: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/mar/310310-Delhi-Commonwealth-Games-2010-Amitabh-Bachchan-Shah-Rukh-Khan.htm

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

SRK disappointed with his KKR boys

Shah Rukh Khan's IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders faced their fourth loss of the tournament on Monday. They were beaten by Delhi Daredevils by 40 runs. The loss has not gone well with Shah Rukh Khan, who openly expressed his disappointment.

The actor wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter, "This loss was due to toss. The last hitch becos of pitch. Time for excuses is over. Either we play better or keep being deserving losers."

That wasn't all. He further wrote, "Am disappointed & will try and sleep this disappoinment off. Hope the team introspects & comes back strong. Professionals can do that."

Kolkata Knight Riders have to play the rest of tournament really well if they want a place in the semi-finals. SRK can perhaps make them watch his famous '70 minute' speech from 'Chak De! India' for motivation. What say?

Source: http://movies.indiainfo.com/article/srk-disappointed-with-his-kkr-boys/997885.html

Monday, March 29, 2010

Discovery-ing SRK

For die-hard fans of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, a.k.a. SRK, this could be the ultimate—a peep into the private life of their hero. Discovery Travel & Living has framed Khan—the master entertainer, a successful entrepreneur, a caring father and a loving husband—in all his avatars. In the process, fans get to see what they could have only dreamed of—the uncut version of Khan.

Living with a Superstar is a 10-episode series of celebrity voyeurism. The round-the-clock access given to a team to follow Khan across the globe yielded the highest vierwership ratings among all English entertainment and news channels at prime time on budget day—February 26—as per data compiled by audience measurement agency TAM Media Research.

Says Discovery Networks India senior vice-president and general manager Rahul Johri, explaining why they chose Khan among all celebrities, "Shah Rukh Khan is one of the biggest entertainers of the Indian film industry with growing popularity in the international markets. He was the unanimous choice."

If Khan was the unanimous choice for the channel to broaden its viewership base, the Bollywood star also had no qualms being part of the programme. After all, it would give him the much-needed marketing platform to reach out to those who till now had kept away. The crafty strategist that Khan is, he manages to keep the structure of a reality show minus the crudeness of the format, which we encounter in many shows. The first episode takes us on a vacation to London with Khan and his family. Amidst the fun and games with his two children, Khan delivers the first of his homilies: One must not cheat to win. The show has several such scenes where the audience gets a glimpse of the man behind the superstar, away from the arclights.

In the second episode, we get a sneak peek into Khan's make-up van. Though he takes pride in his van, he remembers to remind the audience: It's not the van that makes the man. It's the man who makes the van. By now, such one-liners from Khan have achieved the tag of 'Shahrukhism'. The third episode 'Hit Wicket' at times sounds like an ad for Kolkata Knight Riders, the Indian Premier League team Khan owns.

"Our intention was to build a fresh property for Discovery. The network till now hadn't explored Bollywood, so we felt it's our responsibility to do something on that line to...

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Discovery-ing-SRK/597168/



Race 2, Dhoom 3, Wanted 2, Partner 2, Don 2-It will be raining sequels in 2011.


Even though sequels are hugely popular in Hollywood, they have never gained that much popularity in Bollywood. Many sequels have failed miserably, thus restricting filmmakers to try out the sequels of popular films.However, times are changing in Bollywood and recent sequels have gained huge popularity and have been box office hits too.

Munnabhai M.B.BS.is one such film which has changed the notion of sequels in Bollywood. The first part was extremely popular and the second film, too, was a hugebox office success

Same can be said of Dhoom. The first film literally changed the career graph of three star-Abhishek Bacchan,John Abraham and Uday Chopra.It's sequel Dhoom 2 made the people crazy with superb locations, never seen before action stunts and its overall slick look.

People will get to see their favourite stars once more and will also have the opportunity to find out what happened after the first movie was over as sequels are making a comeback next year. One sequel that is eagerly awaited is Abbas Mastan's Race 2.

The original Race explored dark themes of jealousy, sibling rivalry, lust for wealth and even partner swapping to a certain extent. It was one of the highest grosser at thebox office and earned critical acclaim too. It is believed that in Race 2, the original starcast will be retained except Bipasha Basu, who will be replaced by another actress. This, however, is not confirmed.

Dhoom 3 is also expected to release in 2011.It is rumoured that Aditya Chopra himself will direct this film and there will be some alterations in the star cast too.

Partner 2 also is expected to release this year. All the stars from the original movie will come together once again to make the audience laugh.

Farhan Akhtar's Don 2 is slated to be released in the later part of 2011.This movie itself was a remake of the 178 Don. It has been speculated that all the original stars of Farhan Akhtar's Don including Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Om Puri will be there in the film.

Boney Kapoor produced 'Wanted 2'which is the sequel of Wanted, was supposed to get released this year, but now it is heard that it will get released only in 2011.


Source: http://www.entertainmentandshowbiz.com/race-2-dhoom-3-wanted-2-partner-2-don-2-it-will-be-raining-sequels-in-2011-2010032944242

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Indians are tolerant, says SRK

SPEAKING FOR ALL: Shah Rukh Khan had backed Pakistani cricketers, who were excluded from IPL 3.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was recently called unpatriotic by the Shiv Sena when he spoke in favour of Pakistani cricket players who were excluded from the Indian Premier League (IPL). In an exclusive conversation with Fareed Zakaria on CNN's Global Public Space, Shah Rukh Khan discussed politics and religion.

Fareed Zakaria: When George Bush introduced Manmohan Singh to his wife, he said, this is the Prime Minister of India, this is the country where 150 million Muslims reside and not one member of al-Qaeda. Why do you think Indian Muslims are so radical? How come they have not succumbed so much? Is there a secret?

Shah Rukh Khan: The secret lies in India, we are more compromising and understanding. This goes for Indians be it Hindus, Muslims, Christians. Indians by nature like people, they compromise and they are understanding.

Shah Rukh Khan was at the center of a controversy recently when Shiv Sena called him unpatriotic and threatened not to allow the release of his film in Mumbai for speaking in support of Pakistani cricketers, who were excluded from the auction for the third edition of the IPL.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/printpage.php?id=112268&section_id=3

Shah Rukh Khan Says my hosts were religious Muslims. They wanted to take my entire family on Haj

Old News Archieve

Here are the views of King Khan on terrorism, religion and a wide gamut of subject, as published in a leading weekly.

Evil is a religion of its own. There's no such thing as a professional Muslim terrorist. There's just a professional terrorist. Evil has become a discipline, a faith of its own. It does take, after all, a lot of planning to make explosives, do a recce of where to plant them, and then plan a way to escape.

My children are growing up at a time when a new religion has come up, which is morally, ethically and humanely against the tenets of any faith. Fundamentalism itself has become the new religion. And I fear it will take elements from every religion and create a new force if we don't educate our children appropriately.

Every time I read of a bomb blast or watch such an incident on TV, two things strike me. One is good. That those directly affected by the attack never actually blame any particular community. But what disturbs me is this-and it really goes against my most basic belief-that education is the solution to all our problems.

Whenever I read that an educated person is behind a bomb attack, it saddens me. It could be that the degree is only a piece of paper for the person or that education really had no impact on him. It did not shape his intelligence or his mind in the way it should have.

As an Indian Muslim, how do I feel about all this? Well, for one, I would like to believe that my work has become my religion, my defining identity. Yes, when I go to a Muslim area, I am referred to as bhai. But I think even when I visit a Muslim nation, the fact that I have mostly played characters called Rahul or Raj in Hindi films is never an issue.

I have played a major Muslim character onscreen just once in my life, that of Kabir Khan in Chak De! India. I gave him a little beard, made him speak a little more Urdu, and even had a namaz scene in the film that was edited finally for its length. But I don't recall anyone even noticing that.

Just yesterday, I was launching a business venture in Dubai and my hosts were religious Muslims. They wanted to take my entire family on Haj, even my in-laws. Having said that, I do feel belittled or shall I say irritated now that I am frisked a lot more when I travel to America.

Surprisingly though, I feel, as a nation, we have become a lot more tolerant. I remember, when Gauri and I got married almost two decades ago, our religion was an issue for both Hindus and Muslims. Both of us had to give false addresses when we registered our marriage.

And now when I was travelling recently, an air hostess was telling me how she is a Hindu, married to a Muslim in Dubai. I asked her, is that such a big deal? And she said, no, it was just something she wanted to share with me.

Everyone knows I celebrate both Id and Diwali. Yet my wife has never celebrated either in a different or less way. The children do both Id namaz and Diwali puja and mix-and-match all the time with ease.

My only prayer to everyone is that if a nun is raped in Orissa, please don't make it a Christian versus Hindu issue, or if a blast takes place, don't say it is a Muslim versus Hindu matter.

These are killers. Plain and simple. They have no religion. And if they do have an agenda, I would like to say to them, go get another one. Go green, be good to poor people, educate a girl child, or even be kind to animals.

I firmly believe that the country was heading towards a state of equality for all religions till a few people decided they didn't want it to happen. Yes, Hindus and Muslims have had historical problems since the Partition, so have Christians and Muslims since the Dark Ages.

But history is quickly forgotten. I believe modern young Indians need to feel that their work should be their religion and should define them. It will be a more neutral identity, have an international acceptance and will be based on their talent, their mind, and their heart.

Source : Planet Bollywood



Saturday, March 27, 2010

Kareena - a hot favourite with all Khans

There's no denying to the fact that Bollywood is ruled by the Khans with Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman taking top positions and Saif Ali Khan not being far away. We love all the Khans but there is something that all these Khans love in common. Kareena Kapoor!

The latest film that Kareena Kapoor has won is Shah Rukh Khan's ambitious sci-fi home production Ra.One . Her teaming with Aamir Khan in 3 Idiots has created history at the box-office and splendid chemistry onscreen. Needless to say, Saif Ali Khan is all Kurbaan over ladylove Kareena. And though her film Main Aurr Mrs Khanna with Salman Khan couldn't create any magic, they share a great rapport off the screen.

Perhaps Kareena Kapoor is the only actress today who is close to each of the Khans and the Khans reciprocate their love for her with as much warmth. Like the actress confesses, "Is it wrong to love three Khans at the same time. If it is then I am guilty of that. I have chosen the safest Khan (Saif Ali Khan) for my personal life. I am great friends with Aamir Khan. Shah Rukh Khan is like family. And my sister (Karisma) loves Salman Khan".

Shah Rukh Khan

Her first Khan costar was Shah Rukh with whom she was romantically paired in Asoka and soon after relatively paired (as sister-in-law) in Kabhi Khushie Kabhi Ghum . So good was their equation that Kareena never refused SRK when he wanted her even for cameo or item numbers in films like Don, Om Shanti Om or Billu . No wonder for his next big film Ra.One SRK has roped in Kareena Kapoor as the leading lady over names like Katrina Kaif and Aishwarya Rai.

"Shah Rukh Khan is my idol. I am happy to start 2010 working with my idol, Shah Rukh Khan, with whom I'm traveling to Miami for Ra.One ", says Kareena.

Source:http://movies.indiatimes.com/Features/Kareena--a-hot-favourite-with-all-Khans/articleshow/5732237.cms

Friday, March 26, 2010

‘I Wanted To Be A Big Guy With Muscles’: SRK

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been ruling the roost for many years now, but he regrets one thing – that he couldn't flex his muscles as often as he would want to. In an interview to CNN Talk Asia's Anjali Rao, Shah Rukh explained how Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), cemented his career, "DDLJ has managed to turn me overnight from being one of the most macho stars to being a romantic, sweet, lovable kind of guy. And I've never been able to overcome that. It has been the biggest hit of my career in a certain sense and I owe everything to it. But I also owe the fact that I still haven't become a stud to it. That's what I wanted to be – a big guy with muscles and fight and beat up people."

It seems that with his superhero character in Ra.1, SRK is finally working on his dream.





Source: http://koimoi.c2w.com/2010/03/27/i-wanted-to-be-a-big-guy-with-muscles-srk/

Star Plus shells out Rs15 cr for TV rights of My Name is Khan

The channel is said to have paid approximately Rs15 crore for the satellite television rights of the film, co-produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Dharma Productions

Star Plus, the flagship Hindi entertainment channel from Star India Pvt. Ltd, will soon bring Shah Rukh Khan's latest film My Name is Khan to the small screen. The channel is said to have paid approximately Rs15 crore for the satellite television rights of the film, co-produced by actor Shah Rukh Khan's company Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd and Karan Johar's Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd.

Anupam Vasudev, executive vice-president (marketing) at Star, confirmed that the channel had acquired television broadcast rights for the film, but he refused to comment on the price paid for the rights.

However, according to a senior executive at a rival channel who specializes in buying films for the small screen, Star forked out Rs15 crore for My Name is Khan. Incidentally, Star's sister company Fox Star Studios had bought the marketing and distribution rights of My Name is Khan, reportedly for Rs100 crore.

Vasudev maintained Star Plus expected the film to do well since it was a new and a big-budget release. "Paa (featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan) has delivered 2-2.5 in ratings, which is a reasonably good performance," he said.

Attracting viewers: A still from the movie My Name is Khan. The TV screening of a big Bollywood film could trigger a surge of 30-40 gross rating points for the channel during the week in which it is aired.

Attracting viewers: A still from the movie My Name is Khan. The TV screening of a big Bollywood film could trigger a surge of 30-40 gross rating points for the channel during the week in which it is aired.

According to L.S. Krishnan, president of media specialist agency Radar at the Mudra Group, My Name is Khan is a good acquisition for Star, and should get enough traction. "An average film gets a rating of 2 and 3, which is considered good. I would expect a rating of 4-5 for My Name is Khan," he said.

Based on his discussions with Star India executives, a media buyer, who requested anonymity, said that the channel was charging Rs3 crore for 300 seconds of airtime, for the title sponsorship of the film. "Ten seconds of advertising inventory around the film is going for as much as Rs10 lakh. If I had that kind of money, why wouldn't I put it on the Indian Premier League (IPL)?" he asked, referring to the ongoing IPL T20 series that is hawking advertising inventory at a premium.

He said the steep tariff on the inventory is unjustified as the film was not a huge commercial success.

Meanwhile, Mona Jain, chief operating officer of VivaKi Exchange, the centralized buying unit of French advertising and communications firm Publicis Groupe SA, said the channel could justify the high ad rates if it telecasts the films several times. "The movie will spark off an interest, but there ought to be multiple airings in a single day. Just like when Star Movies got the rights to James Cameron film Titanic and it was shown four times in a day. It makes sense for both the channel and the sponsors associated with it," she said.

To be sure, the race among Hindi entertainment channels for big films has been heating up. Star Plus recently acquired the TV rights to other new films such as Rann, London Dreams, Aladdin and De Dana Dhan. Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd's Hindi channel Colors, meanwhile, won the TV rights to releases such as KamineyKurbaan. and

The TV screening of a big Bollywood film could trigger a spike of almost 30-40 GRPs (gross rating points) for the channel during the week in which it is aired. That has often helped channels to displace competition in the viewership ranking.

In the period from 14-20 March, TAM Media Research Pvt. Ltd's TV viewership data shows Star on the top with a 24% channel share, Colors at No. 2 with a 23% share and Zee TV in the third place with a 20% share.

Source: http://www.livemint.com/2010/03/26233757/Star-Plus-shells-out-Rs15-cr-f.html?h=A1

Kareena and SRK co-starring after almost a decade

Kareena is paired with SRK in his latest home production. She was also his co-star in his second, Asoka. On the second day of shooting, she gets nostalgic...

They are paired together in his home production Ra One directed by Anubhav Sinha. The last film they had acted opposite each other was another SRK's home production -- Asoka (2001).



She squeals excitedly from Goa, "After Asoka, we worked together in K3G but we weren't paired romantically. I did a song with him in Don and Billu. Ra One is his most ambitious project yet.

She continues, "We share an amazing chemistry. When Shah Rukh and I shot yesterday the spark was there -- it was as if no time had passed since Asoka. And it's been almost a decade."

Not surprised
Kareena says that she wasn't surprised when SRK offered her the role in Ra One. "He spoke to me about the part when we were shooting for Marjaani song in Billu. He told me he was working on a super hero flick and was very excited about it. Then one day he called me and asked me if I would be a part of his film. When Anubhav narrated the script, I realised it had all the making of a blockbuster. I am really excited about my role. Though it's a fantasy film I have no stunts to do in the film. My character is that of a married woman and have a different look in the film."

Gush factor
She adds that she hasn't noticed any changes in Shah Rukh's working style even after a decade, "He is hard working and very encouraging. I have never seen him sitting and doing nothing. Either he's discussing something with the director or cameraman or scriptwriter. He's so energetic and involved, that for me it's a huge effort to match up to his energy levels."

While Shah Rukh remains one of her personal favourites amongst the Khans (SRK, Salman, Aamir, Saif) Kareena refuses to name one as her all-time favourite actor. "They all have truly unique and diverse personas (SRK's is magnetic, Aamir is a genius, Saif has an international Hollywood appeal and Salman is spontaneous) so it's unfair to choose any one as my favourite. The Khans are ruling the industry today and I am lucky to have worked with all of them."

His chivalry
Bebo is clearly impressed with her hero, and admires him most for his chivalry, "I remember his chivalry when I first met him when I was nine years old (at one of Karisma's shows in Muscat) and he is still the same. He is so protective and caring towards women that is hard not to be charmed. From a wide-eyed nine-year-old to playing his wife -- it's been great to know Shah Rukh. It's fun to be on a set with him. I feel at home on his sets as I can say and do anything that I want. He tells me that I look the best in his movies and I agree with that. He takes extra special care in everything and I feel so touched."

Today Kareena will take a chartered flight from Goa to Delhi to launch a new cell phone. The phone will also launch her interactive fan groups on Twitter and Facebook where Kareena will be seen chatting with her fans on the websites once a week.

Source: http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2010/mar/260310-Kareena-Kapoor-Shah-Rukh-Khan-Ra-One-co-stars.htm

Thursday, March 25, 2010

VERY FILMY

Six packs galore
Shah Rukh Khan, who flaunted six-pack abs in Om Shanti Om, is now doling out fitness tips to youngsters on Twitter. "A six-pack has more to do with diet than exercise alone," advises Khan. "No rice or bread. Lots of water. No alcohol. Try and singlehandedly bring the junk food industry to an end." Is it just us or does it sound like Khan is basking in the misconception that he actually looked good in Om Shanti Om.

Back with a bang
Although Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been lying low for a while, we hear that this year we're going to be bombarded with her face on the big screen. (We reserve opinion on whether that's a good thing or not) She'll be seen in two Southern projects Raavana and Edhiran as well as Action Replayy and Guzaarish. While Action Replayy has a storyline revolving around time travel, in Guzaarish, the actress will play a married nurse who falls in love with a paraplegic patient essayed by Hrithik Roshan. Now, if only in real life, married nurses and paraplegic patients came in as pretty a package as Ash and Hrithik.


Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/VERY-FILMY/595732/

Shah Rukh Khan Tweets about Ra.One

Filming on anticipated superhero action flick Ra.One got underway on March 24th, and the main thing on star Shah Rukh Khan's mind, according to his Twitter account, was making sure he was on set on time for the first day:

have to go now. first day at shoot & all. let me impress my ppl that i land up on time..at least on the first day.

Ra.One is expected to break new ground in terms of special effects and stunts for a Bollywood film, with Shah Rukh Khan taking on the avatar of Shekar, a software engineer who as a video-game hero must battle Ra.One, a techno monster he creates. In order to save mankind, Khan's character is rumoured to have to take to the skies and fight with ten maniacal villains that represent the ten heads of the Hindu demon king Raavan. For his superhero role in the film Shah Rukh has also been working hard to regain his famous six pack abs, first displayed in Om Shanti Om.

Joining Khan in the confirmed cast of the film, helmed by director Anubhav Sinha, are
Kareena Kapoor, reportedly playing a 'trendy' mother character, and Arjun Rampal as the villain of the piece. Vishal-Shekar will be providing a rocking soundtrack and R'n'B star Akon has already visited India to collaborate on a track for the film.

Previous reports had stated that Jackie Chan and Aishwarya Rai would also have roles in the film – both rumours that Shahrukh has laid to rest through his Twitter account.

no jackie chan in ra.1 thats final now

no film yet with aish.


Following the completion of the first day's filming on Ra.One SRK once again took to his favourite social networking site to share his thoughts on the day's work:

first day...first shot. fantastic unit...nikolai,neha,andy,spiro,amy,sabu cyril & jeff. kareena was a pleasure always so gung ho about work.

missed my workout...was too happy that we started the film. cant wait to show u all the stuff..but will have to wait sometime for the site.

gung ho means eager & enthusiastic. everytime i face camera i realise there is no place i rather be than acting.love it so even after 20 yrs.

Source: http://www.bollyspice.com/view.php/4657-shah-rukh-khan-tweets-about-ra-one.html

Shahrukh Khan: The ‘Soccer’ mania in real life!

What is the one thing that SRK fans don't know about him? What is the favorite game of sport that the King of bollywood actually enjoys playing? Well the answer to all those questions would boil down to one answer, and that is 'Soccer'!

Yeah, you read that right. Shahrukh Khan is an avid lover of the outdoor sport and has in his heart of hearts always enjoyed playing that game.

In many of his films, he has been seen promoting games like Basketball in the film'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,' to 'Hockey' in the film 'Chak De,' etc, and in real life, he shoed his love for cricket by buying up a team Franchisee even.

But, in his deep down heart of hearts, he just can't resist a game of soccer. Reportedly, whenever King Khan is in Mumbai, he is seen on Sunday playing on the grounds of the American School in Bandra. The fun loving Khan also takes his son Aryan along, as some say, he wants his son to develop an interest in thegame and take it up professionally in the future.

Shahrukh has a few faithful friends from the industry, who are also big lovers of the game. So, on the field one would also find actors like Chunky Pandey, Dino Morea and the young dashing director friend of Farhan Akhtar Ritesh Sidhwani, sweating it out in the field with the Baadshah of bollywood. So, next time you are wondering what SRK would be doing on a Sunday, just think-'Soccer'!


Source: http://www.entertainmentandshowbiz.com/shahrukh-khan-the-%E2%80%98soccer%E2%80%99-mania-in-real-life-2010032543596



SRK, the gym instructor

Shah Rukh Khan, who flaunted six-pack abs in blockbuster Om Shanti Om but couldn't maintain them later, is doling out fitness tips to youngsters through micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Six-pack has more to do with diet than exercise alone. You need to be very disciplined. (Do it for) 30 to 40 days...they will start to show," Shah Rukh posted on his Twitter page on Monday.

"Exercise regimen - four times a week. Thirty minutes do a weights or any exercise which makes you sweat. No rice or bread at all with food, grilled food. Lots of water. No alcohol. If you do, then exercise (for) 50 minutes. No music and wasting time during exercise. Just do it like a job...push yourself."

"No desserts, ice creams or colas. No food in between meals like chips, etc. Singlehandedly try and bring the junk food industry to closure," he wrote.

Shah Rukh says he does 100 push ups and 60 pull ups when he is regular. "When I start I can only do five push ups and one pull up. It just happens (later) if you are regular," he posted.

The actor, who was last seen in My Name Is Khan, is strictly against quick fix diets, and says people must make a careful choice about what they eat and drink.

"You make your choices according to your needs. When I work out I don't drink colas myself."

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/celebwatch/SRK-the-gym-instructor/523111/H1-Article1-521970.aspx

I call SRK Lucky Ali: Juhi Chawla

With the IPL Season 3 on, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Juhi Chawla is keeping her fingers crossed. The actor tells India Blooms correspondent Sreya Basu that the team needs the luck-factor this season.
Last season, KKR ended being the last in the IPL list. So, you must be a bit tensed this time?
We just need the luck-factor this time. We are proud of Dada (Sourav Ganguly). He has the captain's luck and he is a fighting cricketer and hope he brings that dash to the team.
Do you think changing the colour of the KKR jersey from black to purple will ad to the luck-factor?
(Smiles) Going with the luck factor we have changed the black colour of our jerseys to purple and hope that gives us a Purple Patch; though, personally, I loved the black one more. The team management is working very hard both on and off the field this time and we are confident of doing well. We just need the luck as we said.
Are you superstitious?
Not really. But every time there is a KKR match in Kolkata, I try to go and offer my prayers at a city temple.
Your friendship with Shah Rukh Khan goes a long way-be it films or IPL?
Yes. We are buddies. That's why, whether it's starting a film production house (Dreamz Unlimited) or owning an IPL team, I try to have him with me. I call him 'Lucky Ali'…he brings good luck to the people associated with him.
Okay, let's go down memory lane now. You became an overnight sensation with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT). Did you ever dream of making it so big in Bollywood?
You know, I was about 10-11 years old when my family got an invitation to watch the Filmfare Awards in Mumbai. It was the only film event I saw in my childhood days. I was awestruck!
It was a big night…the entire film industry was present…there was Lakshmikant-Pyarelalji's live orchestra…awards…I watched wide-eyed. And years later, I found myself working in the same industry and getting Filmfare awards. It's a feeling that you can't express in words.
So, how much has Juhi Chawla changed since the QSQT days?
Honestly speaking, I have tried not to change myself. Yes, I used to be a very shy person. But acting in front of camera has made me get over my shyness. I have become more confident.
When I started as an actress, I used to get nervous and scared if given a complicated dance step or a long dialogue. Obviously, now you can't expect that from me! Otherwise, I think I haven't changed…I tried not to let success rob my true self off me.
People love to see you more in comedy films than serious ones. What do you enjoy most?
It's fun doing comedy films. You don't even realize when you are through with a particular scene. By nature, I am a fun-loving person, so I enjoy doing comedies very much. But an actor should do all kinds of roles, and hence I have tried and still try my hand at emotional and serious films.
Source: http://www.regionaltimes.com/25mar2010/sportsnews/icall.htm

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Shah Rukh Khan: Bollywood cricket boss takes the cheers and the jeers

Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood superstar, has become more than a little accustomed to being adored by millions.

"I don't want to be anonymous... I'm very honest about that. I love being recognized, I love people liking me, I love the fact that people scream when I go out. I think I'll miss all that when it's taken away," he told CNN.

But earlier this year comments by Khan, the owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders, caused a storm of controversy and attention he didn't want.

Khan questioned the lack of Pakistani players in this year's competition, and Indian Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena interpreted the comments as inflammatory.

Threats were made to boycott his latest film and some activists made some threats against him and his family's safety.

"It just went onto a political agenda platform, onto an activist platform. I'm not on the same playing field. I'm an actor, I'm not a politician," he said.


Video: Web exclusive: Shah Rukh Khan

"This was my point of view... it wasn't as if I was saying something new. I didn't know it would cause so much trouble, and especially when a film was releasing, you don't want that kind of trouble. It just went completely through the roof."

Khan is keen to keep his roles as an actor, cricket team boss and icon for millions as far from the political realm as possible. His face is one of the most salable in India with his image used in a raft of adverts and supporting products.

Yet his recent film "My Name is Khan" did touch upon religious sensitivities, striking a chord among cinema goers in Muslim countries across the world. In the film Khan, himself a Muslim, plays an autistic Muslim immigrant in American soon after the terrorists attack on September 11, 2001.

"I really thought the film was about humanity. It's not about Islam, it could have been about any religion to be honest," he said.

"But I simply thought we made a film about humanity. I knew it would do well but I didn't know it would this well because it is a very niche sort of a subject."

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/03/24/shahrukh.khan/?hpt=C2

Reebok’s ‘Meet the fans’ contest

SRK reads Masala!

The star checked out his interview from the Abu Dhabi premiere of 'MNIK'


We're absolutely thrilled to see Shah Rukh Khan reading Masala! magazine, our sister publication. He's our star reader alright, just take a look at him with the issue of the magazine featuring his interview from the Abu Dhabi premiere of 'My Name Is Khan'.

Shah Rukh spoke to Sonali Raha, editor of Masala! magazine, and Masala.com got an interview that was in turns serious and funny, but always starry and sparkling (just like the man himself). SRK spoke about everything from his hopes and fears to international relations between countries to what it meant to be an Indian. Like we said, it was super interesting all the way! We hope SRK enjoyed reading Masala! as much as Masala! enjoyed interviewing him.




Source: http://www.masala.com/20045-srk-reads-masala

SRK's new offer for money


The Bollywood hot shot Shahrukh Khan is one man who knows how to make the best of his brand value. Currently, he is busy cheering up his team Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL T-20 championships but he is making sure that the franchisee doesn't run in losses.

It is now heard that Shahrukh has come up with a new offer. By paying a certain amount, anyone can get to sit with the King Khan during one of the matches of the Knight Riders and be with him for the entire duration.

It is also being said that the lucky one would also get a chance to sit at the players dug out along with Shahrukh which means he/she will get to meet the players as well. This offer has got an overwhelming response and good revenue for SRK's franchisee.

Source:http://andhracafe.com/index.php?m=show&id=41044

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Hollywood picks up languages

The major Hollywood studios such as Disney, Fox, Sony and Warner Brothers are increasingly investing in local-language productions in China, India and the Middle East as growth slows in their home market.

The move comes as local-language productions continue to increase their presence in emerging markets that were once dominated by exported Hollywood movies.


"The American film industry won't sit back and let somebody else eat their lunch," said Greg Coote, the chairman and chief executive of Dune Entertainment, one of the primary sources of funding for the recent blockbuster Avatar. "That's why professionals like Michael [Andreen] at Disney, [and others at] Fox, Sony and Warner Bros are making local-language movies.

"It's only natural, because non-English-speaking markets want to reflect their own culture and their own language." Dune has a long-term film financing deal with Fox Filmed Entertainment, which booked solid returns this year on its investments in the film My Name is Khan in India and Hot Summer Days in China, both of which made their money back within their first three weeks at theatres.

"The collision of major studio muscle and local-language productions is incredible," Mr Coote said.

During his recent visit to Abu Dhabi, Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corp, Fox's parent company, singled out My Name is Khan as a model for the commercial potential of investments by international media companies in emerging markets.

Although the Middle East lags markets such as China and India in being able to deliver commercial returns at the box office, notably because there are physically very few box offices per capita in the region, its population of 300 million Arabic speakers has been attractive enough to entice the Walt Disney Company to invest in Arabic-language films in the region.


"We have three projects in development and we are looking at the possibilities of production by examining what movies cost, what sort of distribution they might have and what sort of partners that we might work with," said Michael Andreen, the senior vice president of international production at Disney.

The projects began about 18 months ago, he said, and include The Last of the Storytellers, a film based on Arab folk traditions and being produced by Rachel Gandin.

The big studios' interest in local-language films follows the rise in international box-office revenues. Mr Coote noted that when he entered the film business a generation ago, foreign revenues made up 20 per cent of the American studios' worldwide haul. Last year, they made up 65 per cent. This shift has also pushed Hollywood to think differently about the international distribution of its films. Mark Gordon, the producer of the big-budget Hollywood film 2012, said film was made and distributed with international audiences in mind.

"We consciously chose to leave money on the table in the United States to create better opportunities for ourselves outside of the US," he said. "So I think American filmmakers are very conscious of the international market. But pointing to the market in Japan, where the revenues from Hollywood films have declined by as much as 70 per cent in recent years, he noted a more fundamental change was under way internationally. "I think what's happening all over the world is that people have become more interested in their own stories than they are in the big Hollywood blockbusters."


Source: http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100323/BUSINESS/703239902/1005

A ‘hot’ suit for our hot star

Here's a mazedar khabhar which our birdies are discussing of late….

For a superhero flick, the costumes and looks of the hero matters a lot. And related to that department, our King Khan who is working on Anubhav Sinha's 'Ra.One' recently went through a lifetime experience for the film.

Birdies revealed that Shah Rukh Khan had been to Los Angeles, specially for the film's costume. In 'Ra.One', Shahrukh said to wear a special body suit and this one was custom made in LA at a whopping amount of Rs.1 crore! Wondering what's special in the suit? Well read on…

Sources behind the making of the costume said that the suit is steel blue in colour and made of a special material like reinforced latex, meant to provide both flexibility and protection. It acts as a tough exoskeleton to minimise external injury while being flexible enough not to hamper body movement while performing stunts. Besides, the suit is fitted with micro-computer circuitry required for the film; thus costing nearly one crore.

And do you know the star himself was involved in the suit-making process?

Shahrukh said to have immersed himself neck-deep in a warm liquid latex-like material. A mould was formed once the liquid got cooled. It is said that the whole process took one hour.

Well, as they say, superheroes are supposed to deal with all kinds of troubles. And looks like our hero is all set to take on new hurdles for making his film a success…

Source: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/55528.html

Barry John, the man behind SRK


He was Delhi's resident authority on all things theatre and also on info related to Shah Rukh Khan's early struggle as an aspiring actor and drama student. But ever since Barry John shifted base to Mumbai in 2007, the tempo of theatre activities in the city has somewhat slackened. But, Delhi's loss seems to be Mumbai's gain as Bollywood has found an actor in Barry.

'I'm working in my sixth film'
This year alone, Barry has been part of three movies – Teen Patti, Thanks Maa and the forthcoming Tere Bin Laden. Talk to him about his flourishing career in B-town and Barry says, "It's too soon to talk of my visibility in Bollywood. At my age, it may be ridiculous as well. I am content to do what small roles I can, to further my education. But, you have to be in Mumbai to be available for the opportunities that do arise. I have been in Mumbai for about three years now, and I am working on my sixth film, and this through a period of economic recession when these other films were indefinitely shelved."

'I was keen on one-on-one interaction with AB'
In Teen Patti, Barry is the pompous dean of the institute Amitabh Bachchan teaches in, and in Thanks Maa, he plays the role of a priest. In Tere Bin Laden, he is an American CIA agent. "The role of the dean in Teen Patti was the consequence of having led the training workshop for the newcomers in the cast. I was keen for one-on-one interaction with Bachchan. I did not associate with the character in real life – he is far too pompous and moralistic for my liking."

'B'wood is about making money'
Ask him about the difference between his earlier habitat and the current one, both geographically and professionally, and Barry says, "Theatre and Bollywood are as different as chalk and cheese! Theatre is a small, intimate world, which is actor-friendly, humane and democratic. But Bollywood is big, brash, loud and hierarchical, because it's an industry and it's all about making big money."

' No other student has achieved the success SRK has'
No conversation with Barry is complete without a question or two about SRK. He is often credited with SRK's success as an actor. How does that feel? "The credit goes to SRK that he learned all that he needed to launch himself to the highest galaxy of global stars," says Barry.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Barry-John-the-man-behind-SRK/articleshow/5715450.cms

Shah Rukh Khan reveals the secret to his success

Shah Rukh Khan reveals the secret of his success, as an actor and IPL team boss, with his characteristic endearing humility, in an interview with CNN. Photo Credit: CNN

Shah Rukh Khan reveals the secret of his success, as an actor and IPL team boss, with his characteristic endearing humility, in an interview with CNN.

Khan says his role as an IPL team boss is to cheer, dance and cry with his boys, not tell them what they must do.

"I have never shouted at them, I have only hugged them. I have cried with them, when we have lost; I have danced with them, when we have lost," Shah Rukh says.

"I am an emotional boss," he adds.

He expresses surprise that he is considered a good businessman.

"I don't know how to do business," he says.

Also, Khan, who credits his 1988 TV services Fauji, in which he played Abhimanyu Rai, to his success as an actor, recalls the days when he was relatively unknown in Mumbai.

So what is Shah Rukh's secret to success - An inexhaustible reserve of positivity, we believe.

Tell us whether you agree after watching the video below.

Source: http://www.sawfnews.com/Bollywood/63197.aspx


Shahrukh Khan: Once a King, Always a King!

There is only one King in bollywood, that is Shahrukh, and he has proved it time and again with his amazing acting prowess, and his movies creating magic at the box office, with amazing sales of tickets.

Now, with his business ventures in the game of cricket, by becoming a franchisee owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, he has once again proved that he sure is the King of this business venture as well.

The IPL team KKR, had managed a staggering profit of Rs. 13 crores, in its first year and is almost sure to make three times that amount this year. But, King Khan reportedly has said that he has not purchased the IPL team for business ventures. This proposition is purely for fulfilling his passion for sports, and that too cricket.

As for his over flowing Bank Balance, he has hundreds of products to endorse, and a never ending line of films to work in. So, that takes care of his financial needs.

Thus, SRK is not much saddened by his IPL team's defeats, nor is he very ecstatic when they win any match. This year, King Khan has surely showed his grit and determination in controlling his emotions while his team is playing for the tournament. His earlier emotional side is not much evident.

Thus, Shahrukh has conquered it all; he has shown to the world that he remains a King, no matter where he is, in bollywood or in the world of sports. Perhaps, the saying once a King always a King, does fit him in all respects!

Source: http://www.entertainmentandshowbiz.com/shahrukh-khan-once-a-king-always-a-king-2010032343154

Monday, March 22, 2010

Rs. 1 crore superhero suit for SRK

Shah Rukh Khan had to enter a chamber filled with hot molten latex to create his superhero suit for Ra.One. The cost? A cool Rs 1 crore

It's probably the most expensive body suit in Bollywood history, but Shah Rukh Khan will remember it for entirely different reasons.

Shah Rukh, who plays a superhero in the Anubhav Sinha directed Ra.One, will be seen in the special body suit which was custom made for him in Los Angeles. The process involved in creating that suit was something the actor had never experienced before.

He was required to lower himself wearing just the bare essentials into a 12X3 chamber while a very warm liquid latex-like material was gradually released in it till it reached his neck. Then it was allowed to solidify. Once the mould was formed, it was slit from the side and slowly peeled off Shah Rukh. The whole painful process took one hour. The two sides were later joined together with a concealed zipper.


The mould was then taken for further modifications to form the final suit he'll be seen wearing in the film.

"The suit is steel blue in colour and made of a special material like reinforced latex, meant to provide both flexibility and protection. It acts as a tough exoskeleton to minimise external injury while being flexible enough not to hamper body movement while performing stunts. But it didn't come cheap - the suit, fitted with micro-computer circuitry required for the film, cost nearly Rs 1 crore," says a source.

Despite repeated attempts, both Shah Rukh and Anubhav Sinha remained unavailable for comment.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Rs-1-crore-superhero-suit-for-SRK/articleshow/5714395.cms

SRK gives young ones tips for six-pack abs

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who flaunted six-pack abs in blockbuster Om Shanti Om but couldn't maintain them later, is doling out fitness tips to youngsters through micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Six-pack more to do with diet than exercise alone. You need to be very disciplined. (Do it for) 30 to 40 days...they will start to show," Shah Rukh posted on his Twitter page Monday.

"Exercise regimen - four times a week. Thirty minutes do a weights or any exercise which makes you sweat. No rice or bread at all with food, grilled food. Lots of water. No alcohol. If you do, then exercise (for) 50 minutes. No music and wasting time during exercise. Just do it like a job...push yourself."

"No desserts, ice creams or colas. No food in between meals like chips, etc. Singlehandedly try and bring the junk food industry to closure," he wrote.

Shah Rukh says he does 100 push ups and 60 pull ups when he is regular. "When I start I can only do five push ups and one pull up. It just happens (later) if you are regular," he posted.

The actor, who was last seen in "My Name Is Khan", is strictly against quick fix diets, and says people must make a careful choice about what they eat and drink.

"You make your choices according to your needs. When I work out I don't drink colas myself."


Source: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20100135797&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood

SRK reveals his six-pack abs secret

Shah Rukh Khan, who flaunted six-pack abs in blockbuster 'Om Shanti Om', is doling out fitness tips to youngsters. He reveals that he does 100 push ups and 60 pull ups everyday. He said, "When you start you can only do five push ups and one pull up. It just happens (later) if you are regular,"

Advising on six pack abs he said, "Six-pack more to do with diet than exercise alone. You need to be very disciplined. (Do it for) 30 to 40 days then it will start to show. Exercise regimen - four times a week. Thirty minutes do weights or any exercise which makes you sweat."

SRK believes in good diet along with workout. "No rice or bread at all with food, grilled food. Lots of water. No alcohol. No desserts, ice creams or colas. No food in between meals like chips, etc. Single handedly try and bring the junk food industry to closure. If you do, then exercise (for) 50 minutes. No music and wasting time during exercise. Just do it like a job and push yourself." He said.

Though he follows a healthy diet, he is strictly against quick fix diets. "You make your choices according to your needs. When I work out I don't drink colas myself. Young kids (upto age of 25) should not have beer bellies. Don't know why...just felt like saying it." he quipped.

Source: http://movies.indiatimes.com/News/SRK-reveals-his-six-pack-abs-secret/articleshow/5712544.cms

What’s common between Ra.One & Golmaal 3?

Two of the much-anticipated movies are going on floors this month. While one is superhero flick, the other one is a comedy riot…. Anubhav Sinha's 'Ra. One' and Rohit Shetty's 'Golmaal 3' are all set to take the shape.

While the Shahrukh-Kareena starrer is said to have started its shoot, Golmaal 3's shoot will commence on 28th March. And interestingly, both of these are going to happen in the beautiful locales of Goa. And if one goes in detail, both the films have our zero-size quotient beauty Bebo in them. Guess it's a shuttling time for the actress!

Having similar sounding title, people tend to confuse 'Ra.One' with that of Mani Ratnam's 'Raavan'. Taking this on a surprising note, King Khan said to be making things clear by calling both the projects polls apart. In a statement the actor had remarked, "Abhishek's 'Raavan' is different from our 'Ra.One'. Our film will release later this year. It's very different from Mani sir's Raavan."

Shahrukh reported to be launching a website for his film soon. Bannered under SRK's Red Chillies Entertainment, the film has Arjun Rampal as its villain and it will be seasoned with Akon's music numbers.

Let's now turn to the comedy masala 'Golmaal 3'… According to director Rohit Shetty the film's major scenes will be shot in Goa, on the basis of one-month schedule. The remaining portions and songs will be shot in Mumbai. The film, which includes Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor and Kunal Khemu, will be a Diwali release – just like it previous versions which got released in the festival time.

Source: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/55486.html

SRK: Kolkata's new King!

Parents name their children with sky-high expectations. You will find an absolute buffoon named Birbal, and a pip-squeak called Shamsher Bahadur. Very few are able to live up to their names. But then, Shah Rukh Khan is living a life beyond even his own imagination. The two Persian words, Shah Rukh, meaning 'face of a king', symbolises royalty in Bollywood. Now, it's time to extend Kingdom Khan's territory to the cricket field.

Rs 13 CRORE PROFIT

To all those who mocked at and slammed SRK's Kolkata Knight Riders — in the eight-team Indian Premier League, Kolkata finished sixth in 2008 and eighth last year — Shah Rukh could have shown the middle finger. After all, financially, the Knight Riders were easily the most successful franchise in the IPL, making a profit of Rs 13 crore in the first edition itself. But the man has reached a stage where pride becomes more important than money. To remain the king, the king has to win. Kolkata may make Rs 30 crore in 2010, but if the team doesn't win, Shah Rukh loses. In his own words, SRK says he doesn't need money any more because he can make it with ridiculous ease. Talking about the passion that is driving him to run a high-profile cricket team, he said recently in Kolkata, "I didn't buy a cricket team to make money. I dance at weddings and make much more money there. I endorse so many products, from a phone company to cola, I don't have to worry about money. Some things run on passion; I am a sportsperson myself, so I bought a cricket team. I want to pass it on to my children. Movies, I don't do them for money. If I like a subject, I will put money on it and make a film." I was in Kolkata for Knight Riders' matches against Bangalore and Chennai, and as luck would have it, I saw Shah Rukh from close quarters taking rough with the smooth. Kolkata thrashed Bangalore, and got thrashed by Chennai. But something has changed over the last two years. I did not see Shah Rukh breaking into a wild celebration when the going was good (in IPL I, he broke a dozen-odd chairs jumping on them at a fall of mere one opposition wicket), nor did he go all gloom-and-doom in defeat. Shah Rukh in victory blew a few kisses to the crowds, showed a thumbs-up to Sourav Ganguly, and later, shook hands with the entire team and the opposition. Shah Rukh in defeat blew a few kisses to the crowds, showed a thumbs-up to Sourav Ganguly, and later, shook hands with the entire team and the opposition.

WHAT AN ENTRY

And then, there is something that has not changed. Thank God. We don't like our superstars to lose their sheen. I made it a point to see the star's entry into the Eden Gardens and I was not at all disappointed.

A few minutes into the match, cop's walkie-talkies began cracking. Frenzied voices were trying to communicate something in Bengali, "Shah Rukh Khan, Shah Rukh Khan" the only words I was able to decipher. Cops mounted on 7-feet tall horses began clearing the road, they looked so threatening, it was clear they would not spare anyone the whip.

And then, a fleet of cars... one, two, three, wait, that's the police escort, OK, one, two, three... one of them only for King Khan, the second one has his entourage, his friends from Bollywood, and the third one, more entourage, more friends from Bollywood.

It's around 8.30 pm and Shah Rukh has just arrived from Mumbai. He's dressed in a black shirt, and is looking supremely fit.

Eden Gardens, filled to the brim with almost 70,000 people (it can hold 1.10 lakh, but two stands are being renovated), comes to a standstill as Shah Rukh takes his seat in the open galleria. Front row, first seat, but before that, he has an obligation to fulfil.

A single ticket to that galleria costs Rs 32,000, but it's packed. They all want to meet Shah Rukh. The superstar shakes hands with all the ticket-holders, even as his bodyguards ensure nobody gets too close for comfort.

Just then, an attractive blonde appears... Shah Rukh has to slip into Kolkata Knight Riders jersey. She helps him put it on, it's his shoulder again. Despite a surgery, it's throbbing with pain. She hands him his drink as he blows kisses to the crowds, the women are going wild, the jealous men are smirking.

DADA DISPLACED

The prince of Kolkata is in the field, marshalling his men, but Kolkata has chosen its king. He is in the court now, clapping when his army does well, nodding when the opposition gives it back, and now, dignified in victory and defeat.

Post-match, it's time to party at fashion shows put together by Shah Rukh's friend Arjun Rampal. The movers and shakers of India are there, legends like Brian Lara have come all the way from the Caribbean, IPL big boss Lalit Modi is in attendance, power and influence can be smelt miles away from the party hall... but then, that's the life of a superstar, someone who has more than lived up to his name.

Source: http://movies.indiatimes.com/news-gossip/news/SRK-Kolkatas-new-King/articleshow/5710828.cms

Why Shah Rukh is Juhi Chawla's 'Lucky Ali'

With IPL season 3 on, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Juhi Chawla is keeping her fingers crossed. The actor talks about the team, Shah Rukh Khan, luck and more.

KKR was last in the IPL list last season. You must be tense this time.

We just need the luck factor this time. We are proud of Dada (Sourav Ganguly). He has the captain�s luck and he is a fighting cricketer. We hope he brings that dash to the team.

Do you think changing the colour of the KKR jersey - from black to purple - will add to the luck factor?

[Smiles] Going with the luck factor, we have changed the colour of our jerseys to purple. We hope that�ll gives us a Purple Patch. But personally, I loved the black one more.

The team management is working very hard, both on and off the field, this time and we are confident of doing well. We just need luck, as I said.

Are you superstitious?

Not really. But every time there is a KKR match in Kolkata, I try to go and offer my prayers at a city temple.

Your friendship with Shah Rukh Khan goes a long way back.

Yes, we are buddies. That�s why, whether it�s starting a film production house [Dreamz Unlimited] or owning an IPL team, I try to have him with me. I call him �Lucky Ali�� he brings good luck to the people associated with him.

Okay, let�s go down memory lane now. You became an overnight sensation with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak [QSQT]. Did you ever dream of making it so big in Bollywood?

You know, I was about 10 years old when my family got an invitation to watch the Filmfare Awards in Mumbai. It was the only film event I saw in my childhood days. I was awestruck! It was a big night� the entire film industry was present� there was Lakshmikant-Pyarelalji�s live orchestra� awards� I watched wide-eyed.

And years later, I found myself working in the same industry and getting Filmfare awards. It�s a feeling that you can�t express in words.

How much has Juhi Chawla changed since the QSQT days?

Honestly speaking, I have tried not to change. Yes, I used to be a very shy person. But acting in front of the camera has made me get over my shyness. I have become more confident.

When I started as an actress, I used to get nervous and scared if given a complicated dance step or a long dialogue. Obviously, now you can�t expect that from me! Otherwise, I think I haven�t changed� I�ve tried not to let success rob me of my true self.

People love to see you in comedies than in serious roles.

It�s fun doing comedies. You don�t even realise when you are through with a particular scene. By nature I am a fun-loving person, so I enjoy doing comedies. But an actor should do all kinds of roles and so I have tried and still try my hand at emotional and serious films.

You almost ruled the 90s as Bollywood�s No. 1 actress�

Believe me, I never wanted these numbers. All that was in my mind at that time, even today, is that I have to do good work.

You have a flair for singing, too. Ever thought of cutting an album?

[Smiles] What do you think? Who will give me a chance to sing for a film, or an album?

So, how will you describe yourself?

I am an ordinary person who had some extraordinary opportunities.

Source: http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=14935979