Apoorva Lakhia’s ambitious project Mission Istanbul keeps getting bigger.
First it was Hollywood stunt director George Aguilar (worked with Martin Scorcese) who was recently roped in to do stunts for ‘Mission Istanbul’. Now, a beautiful and talented Turkish singer has been signed to sing a Hindi-Turkish song in the Petek Dincoz, a popular female actress and Turkish pop singer. Her career took off after she won the beauty contest of the Northern Cyprus a few years ago. She is twenty-seven years old and has been cutting music albums since 2001.
Music director Anu Malik , who is doing music for ‘Mission Istanbul’, is learnt to have composed a number of tracks for Petek Dincoz to sing the film. However, Petek will render only one out of the composed songs.
The song will have lyrics both in Hindi and Turkish.
Petek will come to Mumbai to record the song. Apparently, she is a bit aware of Bollywood films and Indian movie stars.
Apoorva Lakhia plans to shoot this song with a number of belly dancers.
‘Mission Istanbul’ features Vivek Oberoi in leading role. The film also stars Zayed Khan . Abhishek Bachchan will make a cameo appearance.
The movie’s shooting will begin in October.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Shilpa Shetty opts out of British film
Bollywood star and Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty has reportedly opted out of a British film.
According to recent reports Shilpa lost her British comedy flick 'Quick, Slip Me A Bride' when she quoted a price too high for the quoted the producer Renu Patel saying, "Shilpa agreed to film with us. Now we have been forced to go ahead without her because she wanted 350,000 pounds and insisted half of this had to be paid before she even shot any scene."
Reportedly, Shilpa had also asked them to postpone the shoot till next year, which the producer was not willing to do.
Shilpa's spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar admitted that she did quote her price. " Shilpa asks for what she deserves and she even gets what she deserves. Having said that, money is not always the criteria why an assignment doesn't work out. There could be a difference of opinion about the role or a problem with dates."
Meanwhile, Shilpa is filming a yoga DVD and plans to market it overseas later this year, Bhagwagar said Thursday.
The two-hour yoga DVD is currently being filmed by Shetty's production house in Kerala, said Bhagwagar.
"Shilpa practices yoga every day and she believes it should be a way of life for everyone," said Bhagwagar.
"Yoga has become a fashion statement in the West, but Shilpa wants to educate people about the original form of yoga, the ashtanga yoga, with the right techniques and breathing exercises."
Shilpa underwent intensive training this month in preparation to ensure she perfected the "asanas" or postures for the DVD, which will initially be sold in Britain and Dubai.
"Shilpa will give details about how to stay trim and fit with a normal diet," said Bhagwagar.
"She will talk about what foods to avoid and how she maintains her figure since she is known to have the best figure in Bollywood."
According to recent reports Shilpa lost her British comedy flick 'Quick, Slip Me A Bride' when she quoted a price too high for the quoted the producer Renu Patel saying, "Shilpa agreed to film with us. Now we have been forced to go ahead without her because she wanted 350,000 pounds and insisted half of this had to be paid before she even shot any scene."
Reportedly, Shilpa had also asked them to postpone the shoot till next year, which the producer was not willing to do.
Shilpa's spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar admitted that she did quote her price. " Shilpa asks for what she deserves and she even gets what she deserves. Having said that, money is not always the criteria why an assignment doesn't work out. There could be a difference of opinion about the role or a problem with dates."
Meanwhile, Shilpa is filming a yoga DVD and plans to market it overseas later this year, Bhagwagar said Thursday.
The two-hour yoga DVD is currently being filmed by Shetty's production house in Kerala, said Bhagwagar.
"Shilpa practices yoga every day and she believes it should be a way of life for everyone," said Bhagwagar.
"Yoga has become a fashion statement in the West, but Shilpa wants to educate people about the original form of yoga, the ashtanga yoga, with the right techniques and breathing exercises."
Shilpa underwent intensive training this month in preparation to ensure she perfected the "asanas" or postures for the DVD, which will initially be sold in Britain and Dubai.
"Shilpa will give details about how to stay trim and fit with a normal diet," said Bhagwagar.
"She will talk about what foods to avoid and how she maintains her figure since she is known to have the best figure in Bollywood."
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Shahrukh On Star Power
Do you think stars deserve the salaries they're commanding today? Why is everyone, including you, running after quick bucks?
(Patiently) See, earlier it wasn't revealed how much money is being made by the movies. Then Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! came along and it was said openly that it had grossed Rs 200 crores. Compared to what's earned by the super-hits, stars are paid a pittance. Ha, ha, that's why we're making up for lost time. By the look of things, no one's losing money. Even average earners and flops get their bucks back. Even Trimurti made Rs 1.5 crores per territory.
Are you ever wracked by the fear that when you're no longer hot in the market, it's bye bye?
An actor must get used to this fear. I think I have a slightly different attitudes than most others. I know if I don't deliver the goods, it'll be bye bye, Shah Rukh, see you some time. We'll call you, don't call us. Mine has been a very solo run. When I'm not doing well, I know I will be very, very alone. But I will never allow myself to become alone. I'll never let go off stardom. I can't see myself doing anything else like becoming a businessman and spending my days, playing golf, polo, whatever. It's been a solo fight so far and it'll remain that way. I will never give up.
Tell me now, would you agree that you've been playing safe with your choices?
I don't play safe. I get irritated when I'm told that I'm doing safer films. Please tell me, what was so safe about Ram Jaane? Or Duplicate, which is pretty wacky? or Yes Boss! in which I'm playing the kind of chamcha never before seen on the screen. If you discount Kamal Haasan, who's in a separate league altogether, I've played the maximum number of different roles. In Mansoor Khan's Josh I'm playing a brother and not the lover; in Karan Johar's film I'm playing a father for the first time; and I'm in Mani Ratnam's first Hindi film. Apart from Sooraj Barjatya and Shekhar Kapur, I'm working with all the top directors - Yash Chopra, Rajkumar Santoshi, Subhash Ghai - and all of them have expected something extra from me, something which goes beyond just competence.
ShahRukh, Sports and Shimit are now Synonymous.
Though at the moment Shimit isn't revealing anything, it's quite evident that the colossal impact of Chak De India has fastened up his desire to embrace the sporty theme. It is reliably learnt that sports and Shah Rukh will recur in Shimit's next.
Writer Jaideep Sahni, who gave such a stunning spin to the obsolete game of hockey, is likely to join the successful twosome in the next Yashraj film.
Says Shimit, "Audiences, do have certain expectations from me after Chak De India. And I'd be foolish not to live up to those expectations. But right now I'm not pushing myself to make my next film. I'm not going to force myself to start my next film. I'm on an extended vacation. I'll be visiting my parents in LA." Further decisions on his next project will only be taken after he returns from "home" in the US.
The big news is that Chak De India has now been given exemption from entertainment tax all over the country. "But the proposal to do so was put forward long before the President saw the film. I think a tax exemption for Chak De India is just the right prescription. Now I think people who never go to the movies can afford to catch Chak De India. I'm glad because it's very important for the film to reach the maximum number of people." Now the ball is in the producer's court.
Cheque de, Yashraj!
Writer Jaideep Sahni, who gave such a stunning spin to the obsolete game of hockey, is likely to join the successful twosome in the next Yashraj film.
Says Shimit, "Audiences, do have certain expectations from me after Chak De India. And I'd be foolish not to live up to those expectations. But right now I'm not pushing myself to make my next film. I'm not going to force myself to start my next film. I'm on an extended vacation. I'll be visiting my parents in LA." Further decisions on his next project will only be taken after he returns from "home" in the US.
The big news is that Chak De India has now been given exemption from entertainment tax all over the country. "But the proposal to do so was put forward long before the President saw the film. I think a tax exemption for Chak De India is just the right prescription. Now I think people who never go to the movies can afford to catch Chak De India. I'm glad because it's very important for the film to reach the maximum number of people." Now the ball is in the producer's court.
Cheque de, Yashraj!
Monday, August 27, 2007
"Our religion is our Indianness": SRK
Khan said he has never been ostracised on account of being a Muslim as the religion is not different to this country.
His portrayal of a Muslim hockey player out to prove his Indianness in "Chak De India" has earned him kudos, but superstar Shah Rukh Khan says he does not identify with the main protagonist in the film.
"No, not at all. I am Shah Rukh Khan. I am a superstar in the country. People have loved me so much," he said in an interview to a private TV news channel.
"I am a complete promoter of the fact that if you have to ask am I a Muslim in a Hindu country, then I am not secular enough. I never asked myself that because I was never built like that. I think I am Indian," Khan said.
The question of being Muslim, from which part of the country, has never mattered to him, King Khan said. "I think the religion of our country is Indianness," he said.
Khan said he has never been ostracised on account of being a Muslim as the religion is not different to this country.
"And I do not any which way think like what happened to Kabir (his role in 'Chak De India') will happen to me. I am an actor, so I just acted it out," he said.
Kabir Khan in 'Chak De India' is a member of the Indian hockey team that loses to Pakistan in the World Cup. He is accused of throwing the match and is ostracised on account of being a Muslim.
Asked about the success of the film, Khan said he sometimes felt stardom was coming in the way of him being able to perform the way he would like to.
"I’m very, very secular and noncommittal." Shah Rukh Khan
| “Stories of our freedom struggle will always be there and every new generation will hear them... But those days are over when we were ruled by someone. Now the only thing ruling us is the economy. It’s good, but there are problems to be overcome. Like how we view women in society, goodness to mankind, peace not war…” You can be a nationalist in different ways. If you look at Chak De India, I think that sports itself inculcates a feeling of team spirit. It could be eleven players or two cyclists cycling together, but it’s the whole country that they’re representing. The word may be patriotism, but it’s actually the team spirit of the country. Why do we get so excited when England lost to us recently? Why are we so excited that Zaheer Khan has overcome the jellybean problem? It’s like all of us are going, ‘Those b******s!’ Actually, we don’t know, it could be that the jellybeans just fell down there. But we’re like, ‘Good, he screwed them!’ See, we’re a team now. One billion people are a team because of a jellybean. “So it’s sometimes more than patriotism, it’s team spirit. It gets inculcated when you play sports. For example, Iraq is playing the Asia Cup — there has been no insurgency and fighting within Iraq in the last ten days. Since it reached the quarterfinals, semifinals and won the finals. Because a country infested with fights, suddenly stops and says, ‘God, Iraq is winning the Asia Cup final!’ Team spirit can be looked at as patriotic and it’s not like Chak De India’s giving patriotism another face for youngsters. We’re giving team spirit that’s existed for years. And of course, our team is India and we have the colours of the tiranga. “I would like the film to tell youngsters to play like a team, play for India. That means you’re patriotic. Don’t fight for the country. Play and win for India. That should be brought to youngsters’ notice. A nice line of the movie is ‘Sometimes, winning is everything.’ That’s the mantra for youngsters. You can’t tell them, ‘Go to the Himalayas and get moksh. Let the world go by, it’s a material world.’ No! You have to exist in this world. There’s nothing wrong in winning. “Stories of our freedom struggle will always be there and every new generation will hear them. Like you would tell your kids the Ramayana. I tell my kids the story of Prophet Mohammed. Those stories will be there. But I guess movies like Lagaan, Swades, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Rang De Basanti, Chak De India tell us to be nationalistic in this way. Those days are over when we were ruled by someone. Now the only thing ruling us is the economy. It’s good, but there are problems to be overcome. Like how we view women in society, goodness to mankind, peace not war and if you want to fight, fight on the play field. For all our problems with Pakistan, just have a cricket match! “Chak De India is a younger, subtler take at patriotism. It may seem documentary-like — the youth may say, ‘Hey this is a nice way to make a film.’ It’s offbeat. It may be saying the same thing as other films, but Chak De India isn’t shoving it down my throat. They are not trying to just say ‘Mera Bharat mahaan!’ Chak De India is like what youngsters are — wearing white t-shirts and jeans. It’s modern. “It also has a take on the educated Indian Muslim. I’m playing a Muslim guy who isn’t a terrorist. I’ve never played a Muslim guy. The whole beauty is…see, these are the nuances… 16 women from different parts of the country. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Gujarati, Jharkandi, Uttar Pradeshi, Bihari, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and one Muslim man. Muslim men and women aren’t considered in such stories because purdah hota hai. But here is a Muslim man between 16 women wearing shorts and skirts and playing for only one goal and that is the country. “I’m in the dressing room and they’re changing; I treat them like equals. I read a report recently that said, ‘16 women and Shah Rukh Khan’. My reason for doing Chak De India is if you could just forget that notion, that they’re women and I’m a guy. And see, I’m usually a romantic hero! But there’s no sexuality here. I wanted that to come across. The idea is that he’s more obsessed with the honour of his country. “I’m an actor. I’m very, very secular and noncommittal. I don’t know finally the religion of the character I’ve played. My characters don’t have religion. I believe that. I’ve played a Vir, Rahul, Raj, Kabir Khan. The fact that it’s not important to me, I think, makes the point that I want to make. It’s Shah Rukh Khan and he’s playing a Muslim — it shouldn’t matter. Even the beard isn’t because he’s Muslim, but because he’s older and it’s 8-9 years later. “Secularity is important. You don’t turn around and see what religion when you’re playing. When I’m going to win, I say my favourite Muslim prayer. Everyone else says it and it feels good — you may not understand it, but you know it’s like the Gayatri mantra. Bhagwan ka naam aur Allah ko yaad kiya. What binds us together is godliness, not the religion. I want people to understand that. “I don’t know if I can make that point through my work every time. Personally, I may believe whatever I do. Like I’ve always said, films are for entertainment, not for messages. I hope Chak De India is an entertainer and some of this message comes across.” Shah Rukh Khan is the reigning box office star and his home production Om Shanti Om is “a movie about the movies” As told to Shradha Sukumaran-MidDay |
"I am thankful to the audience" Shah Rukh
Shah Rukh Khan 's brilliant acting in Chak De India as the coach of the women's hockey team, who helps them lift the World Cup, has won him rave reviews with many in the film-critic circles pitching for making him the new ambassador for the game of sticks in the country.
The movie has become a new anthem for sports in the country.
However, for SRK, portrayal of Kabir Khan's character was just another role and not an advocacy on his part to promote the game.
''It's not for me to decide who's going to do what. I am in the profession of acting and filmmaking. And I very, very clearly do my job keeping in mind certain criteria...beyond that everybody else knows their job,'' he said adding, ''the sponsors, corporates and film associations, and the sports associations-- they all know their job. I am nobody to turn around and say - ok from today onwards, hockey is going to be the new cricket now!''
''I am just glad that I could comment about the sport that I love. I don't know whether the film will do well or not... So, let alone whether hockey will change or not,'' King Khan said in an interview to NDTV 24X7 Saturday night.
SRK, however, expressed the hope that success of cricket could pave the way for other sports like hockey in the country. ''I think we should take a cue from cricket.''
Asked whether he had expected the movie to do as well as it did, SRK said, ''I don't do any film which I don't think is going to do well. When I think of a movie doing well, I don't think in terms of money. I think of getting something new to do. The team was wonderful. Jaideep, Shimit and Sudeepa who shot the film are my friends and I really like them.''
SRK was also thankful to the producer Aditya Chopra and director Shimit Amin for giving a role he had not done earlier.
''I am very humbled and thankful to all these guys for giving me a chance to do a film like this, because sometimes stardom comes in my way of being able to perform the way I like to.''
There are few films where the makers have the guts to say let's take SRK but not make it an in-your-face commercial film and give him the freedom to what he does, he added.
''I am thankful to the audience for understanding the ideology behind this film. And I am thankful to Shimit for making me act well,'' SRK said.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Box office analysis for Chak De India
One can't remember any movie coming after RANG DE BASANTI which fetched such unanimous appreciation from all corners. While some sections of media had gone all out to paint a poor picture about the film throughout it's making, the audiences came up with a tight slap of it's own as they praised the film to the skies. By the time the Wednesday holiday of 15th August was through, the writing was clear on the wall.
Collecting more than 20 crores in the first week with A, B as well as C centers coming up with heartfelt collections, this offbeat yet thoroughly entertaining film is now en route to be a huge success. The film did tremendous in Mumbai which contributed with more than 5 crores. Delhi was terrific too with 2.5 crores + whereas NCR was tremendous with more than 1.75 crores coming in. Pune was superb with 1.25 crores + while Ahmedabad too came close to 1 crore mark, hence making CHAK DE INDIA an all around success. The way film is being patronized, expect a fall of only around 35% in the second week.
Shahrukh Khan did have a money spinner in KANK followed by a designated hit in DON but still certain sections of media preferred to paint an alternate picture. Thankfully with CHAK DE INDIA, there are no justifications for doing otherwise as the audience has come out in full force for the film. YRF too get one of their most 'respected' earners in the recent time while Shimit Amin finds himself to be recognized as a film maker who can direct an underworld film with as much panache as a sports based film.
The only film that survived the CHAK DE INDIA onslaught and stayed on to be audience favorite was PARTNER. Collecting close to 4 crores after seeing a drop of only around 40% in it's 4th week, the film is standing at close to 58.5 crores and is all set to break the 60 crore barrier as the week comes to a close. Mumbai held on excellently with further contribution of 80 lakhs though Delhi fell from 65 lakhs to 30 lakhs.
In the future
A baby is all set to slaughter a young romantic lead this weekend as HEYY BABYY comes face to face with a small film called KAISE KAHE. HEYY BABYY has created immense hype around itself and is expected to take a very good start (70%-80%) all over. A family film, it would attract audience across all age groups. On the other hand the only hope KAISE KAHE has is a spill over audience, though even that isn't much of a possibility due to a show-an-hour release which HEYY BABYY is enjoying at the multiplexes!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Shah Rukh falls in love with an old woman.
The cat is finally out of the bag, Farah Khan has finally revealed the synopsis of her new film Om Shanti Om, and it is not a remake.
Rumours going around the media were that Farah Khan was going to base the film on the remake of classic hit Karz, which starred Rishi Kapoor.
But Farah has said that the film is defiantly not a remake but it has similarities with Karz.
The film is set during the 70’s and the present. Shah Rukh Khan plays a character who dies during the 70s but is reborn soon after, and starts to remember his previous life when he reached his adult age. In Karz, Rishi Kapoor’s character was also reincarnated.
That is as far as Farah Khan has gone, but we here at radiosargam.com can reveal a little more, about the actual story of the film. We were the first to reveal the story of Veer-Zaara, upsetting Yash Raj Films, and we can now reveal the story to this Farah Khan film also.
The story is a mix of Hrithik Roshan’s Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, Rishi Kapoor’s Karz, and the Nicole Kidman starrer Birth.
The story begins in the 70s where Shah Rukh Khan’s character falls in love with a beautiful young girl (played by newcomer Deepika Padukone). However, certain incidents take place, and Shah Rukh Khan is murdered.
He is immediately reborn, and as soon as he reaches adulthood, goes in search of the girl that he left behind in the 70s. The only problem is that his love is now in her golden age and there is a huge age difference.
Will both overcome that?
Will Shah Rukh be able to avenge his death?
Will both lovers be able to live together?
That is the premise of this film.
Rumours going around the media were that Farah Khan was going to base the film on the remake of classic hit Karz, which starred Rishi Kapoor.
But Farah has said that the film is defiantly not a remake but it has similarities with Karz.
The film is set during the 70’s and the present. Shah Rukh Khan plays a character who dies during the 70s but is reborn soon after, and starts to remember his previous life when he reached his adult age. In Karz, Rishi Kapoor’s character was also reincarnated.
That is as far as Farah Khan has gone, but we here at radiosargam.com can reveal a little more, about the actual story of the film. We were the first to reveal the story of Veer-Zaara, upsetting Yash Raj Films, and we can now reveal the story to this Farah Khan film also.
The story is a mix of Hrithik Roshan’s Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, Rishi Kapoor’s Karz, and the Nicole Kidman starrer Birth.
The story begins in the 70s where Shah Rukh Khan’s character falls in love with a beautiful young girl (played by newcomer Deepika Padukone). However, certain incidents take place, and Shah Rukh Khan is murdered.
He is immediately reborn, and as soon as he reaches adulthood, goes in search of the girl that he left behind in the 70s. The only problem is that his love is now in her golden age and there is a huge age difference.
Will both overcome that?
Will Shah Rukh be able to avenge his death?
Will both lovers be able to live together?
That is the premise of this film.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Preity Zinta is in love with Shah Rukh Khan.
According to sources, pretty actress Preity Zinta is in love with the character Shah Rukh played in Chak De! India . Preity was all praise for SRK starrer after she cleverly got away from the theatre in her burkha.
Says Preity, “The movie has elevated patriotism to a higher level, it's given energy a new meaning and youth a new direction.”
Preity could not control her honest opinions and praises about King Khan as she said, “He is mind blowing, too good to express in words, and I just love him.” We are sure Gauri Khan will ignore this as one off.
Friday, August 17, 2007
the man behind chak de!!
Shah Rukh Khan is reaping the rewards of playing it differently.
At a time, when the nation seems gripped by cricket, the actor has chosen to play coach of an Indian women's hockey team in the just-released Chak De! India.
A story of shame, disillusionment, and glory at last, has hit the right note critically. A tale of how we forget our heroes and continue to condemn accidentally-perceived villains.
It belongs to a soft-spoken man from
For a nation looking to make sense, the shocking result, after
'He was offered one lakh for every goal he let in,' said the Hindi edition of the now defunct newspaper Blitz, concluding that the Indian goalkeeper sold himself for seven lakh rupees.
There was no defence from Negi. His teammates, though Negi assures, stood by him, did not defend him either. The Indian hockey Federation, embarrassed by the whole situation, dropped the goalkeeper like a hot potato. The allegations were thus justified.
"Wherever I went people used to say, 'Oh! you are the one who took money'," recalls Negi.
He never again wore the
"I cannot tell you what I went through at that time. I was scared to go out of my house. I grew a beard so that people would not recognise me. My relatives would take me around and introduce me as a national goalkeeper, they did it all innocently not knowing how much it hurt me."
But the soft-spoken man lived with that hurt for 16 years, never once abandoning the game that was the cause of his downfall.
Then, one day, came a reprise came in the form of an offer to coach the Indian goalkeepers for the 1998 Asian Games. As fate would have it,
Negi then went on to help the women's hockey team win the gold medal in 2003 Afro-Asian Games.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Shah Rukh´s Chak De! India co-stars give him the credit
King Khan's co-stars in Chak De! India are happy over the critical acclaim the film has received and give credit to the actor for making them feel comfortable.
Model-actress Vidya Malavde, who plays the goalkeeper-captain of the Hockey team, says "It was a fantastic experience working with SRK and the Yashraj banner. We all had a fabulous time and I guess it shows in the film as well. Shah Rukh Khan is a magnificent actor and a good human being and he really went out his way to remove our nervousness and make us feel comfortable on the sets."
She added she was overwhelmed at the response the film has generated and expressed confidence that she would do better work in future.
Sagarika Ghatge (a national athlete), who plays 'Preeti Sabarwal', said that she was missing hockey practice terribly and so she went ahead and got herself a hockey stick to remind her of the fitness trend that her life had got used to during the shoot.
Model-actress Vidya Malavde, who plays the goalkeeper-captain of the Hockey team, says "It was a fantastic experience working with SRK and the Yashraj banner. We all had a fabulous time and I guess it shows in the film as well. Shah Rukh Khan is a magnificent actor and a good human being and he really went out his way to remove our nervousness and make us feel comfortable on the sets."
She added she was overwhelmed at the response the film has generated and expressed confidence that she would do better work in future.
Sagarika Ghatge (a national athlete), who plays 'Preeti Sabarwal', said that she was missing hockey practice terribly and so she went ahead and got herself a hockey stick to remind her of the fitness trend that her life had got used to during the shoot.
Shahrukh Laughs Back
He's a volcano in human form, occasionally the lava spills over. This year he has blazed his way to the forefront of leading male stars yet again. With recent box-office successes such as Yes Boss, Pardes and Dil To Pagal Hai, he's back to where he was over a year ago - at the top of the heap. He's suddenly inches shy of superstardom - the first actor amongst the present lot to get that far in tinsel town. He's clearly on top of the world as Shah Rukh Khan talks about his recent hits, impending fatherhood and his next big release, Duplicate.
Deep in Mehboob Studios, Shah Rukh Khan enters the sets of Karan Johar's Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai. His arrival prompts warm attention. The energy on the set changes. There's something really amazing about him, his generosity of spirit. Everyone wants to say hello, slap his back, make a crack, make him smile. Shah Rukh's in no hurry. He soaks it in, slaps his own share of backs, whispers a few naughty jokes, grins the grin. He feels like a brother, a younger brother, masculine yet nonthreatening. He likes to laugh on a set, to be creative and collaborative, and if he can't, he'd rather not do the show. He loves not just the satisfaction of having completed a role but the actual process of acting and the sense of community that develops between the actors and the director while making a film. "Thank you, boss," he says affectionately as a unit hand brings him a chilled soft drink. The unit hand beams. He shines because Shah Rukh is that likable and cool, which sets him apart from whole legions of leading men. tinsel town is really lucky. He is a man's man, which makes him a woman's man, which makes him box-office manna.
Someone once said that success allows people to be what they always were. Shah Rukh has always been kind of weird. Now he has the freedom to be weird when and where he wants. And people don't say, 'what?' anymore. They say, 'Ahhh'. Much has also been made of his looks. The camera doesn't just love him - it ripens him. On film he is himself, only more so. And,yes,he is a looker- with an awkward, fleshy mouth that sends him smiling sideways, like a school kid. His face reveals his energy; it is alive with a thousand expressions and questions. He's primal, passionate, pulsing with raw rebellious energy. He's so unbelievably exhilarating to be around, at least you'll never be bored.
Despite the accolades and awards, Shah Rukh's friends and colleagues all mention a wildness, a fury, within the star. He seems by nature a pretty angry man. Maybe it's to do with perfectionism in his craft. He can't bear not to be on top of his game all the time. All he basically cares about is acting, and whenever he falls short he becomes incredibly angry with himself. His ferocious energy and relentless sexuality offer a welcome relief from the studied types. He's extremely fast and alert..and funny. He thinks deep thoughts and pulls silly pranks with his friends. The intellect and the power that comes with it is what women find sexy. He has reached new depths as an actor, but a teenage devil still lurks inside. Thus, he's weaned the audience away from their living rooms and exposed them to things exciting and new on the big screen. He's got that unbelievably magnetic screen presence.
Some cherish those few performances of his that are not nervous or hurried. In most of his films, like Darr or Ram Jaane for example, it was wonderful acting, but it was all about the expenditure of a great amount of energy in a short space of time. He was sort of like a live wire. But in Dil To Pagal Hai and Pardes he is completely in control of his craft and of his feelings. In it he seems as consummate an actor as one has ever seen. On screen, he has been tenderness incarnate, of late: The way he consoles Karisma in Dil To Pagal Hai and Juhi Chawla in Yes Boss and Mahima Chaudhury in Pardes. The sad, sad eyes and the little smile that flickers across his face in Dil To Pagal Hai when he learns of Madhuri's marriage. Thus, he likes to move on, regenerate and doesn't stay satisfied with one genre - or one routine. At present, he couldn't be better situated. Fresh from a fat action movie (Koyla), a romantic comedy (Yes Boss) and a couple of mushy romances (Pardes, Dil To Pagal Hai), he's proved himself to be as versatile as he is ubiquitous.
Shah Rukh has everything all other men could want - talent, looks, money, respect, freedom, fame, a loving wife and a cast of loyal old friends. Until now, constant work had seemed as necessary as oxygen. He simply enjoyed the stimulus, the energy, the day-to-day business of working. He really lived the crazy life of a movie star, but now he's ready to settle down, start a family and remain successful. He's turned into a man with the strength to commit himself to his wife and family. And so he's actually taking time off and the respite is voluntary. Fatherhood beckons, you see. These days, because of Gauri and the soon-to-be-born baby, he's much less apt to drive himself nuts. He's lucky enough to have a wife he loves so much but now the baby could probably become the center of everything.
He's obviously relishing every moment of the good times he's going through. With a smile so ravishing, it could melt a stone, he asks brightly, "Will you have a soft drink?" Watching him eye the scenario around him, you notice no cloud of brood or hostility that usually comes with a thirty something man-child. There is no stink of fear, only the mind-addlingly seductive presence of jejune enthusiasm. Usually when Shah Rukh talks, his words spill out in a torrent and one has the sense of his motor racing very fast underneath. But unlike most artistes, he is an intense listener too. He leans forward, as though English weren't his first language, as though he needed to breathe your words through the pores of his skin, and his face locks in an all-absorbing gaze. He sucks on his cigarette until his dimples touch. Edgy as ever, he explains why this has been the most fabulous year in his career. "What's most gratifying is that within this year I've had four markedly different releases with pretty varied roles. Koyla was an action film where I feel I did a great job. Yes Boss was a romantic comedy where such a character hadn't been essayed before. In Pardes I gave quite a low key subdued performance while in Dil To Pagal Hai my role was very mature and intense. I'm proud of this fact because very few actors have had the chance to do such varied stuff in one year. Therefore, it has been one of the best years of my career."
Thus, it was in the latter half of the year that his fortunes actually revived with the success of Yes Boss. It did prove to be a saviour of sorts after the low phase he'd been through. But did it do as well as it was expected to? He explains instantly, "When you do a different film like Yes Boss, you don't expect it to be a grand success commercially. And since it's a classy, city-based film, you know who your target audience is. So despite it all, the film has done much better business than expected. It has earned about 4-5 crores in every city which is amazing business for a film of this genre. The music too was very popular and a lot of people loved me in the film. I too loved myself in it."
But there were many others who actually didn't feel one with his character in Yes Boss although it was such a believable role. "Probably people could not accept a hero to be such a slimy character. A lot of people told me that he seemed like a pimp. Maybe they were scared to accept the reality. You do see guys in real life who are always thinking of devious means to fulfil their ambitions. Such selfish, self-centred go-getters are very much at large today. However, the audience should be thankful that somebody's actually playing such characters and not just doing the star act in every film."
Meanwhile, Subhash Ghai's Pardes has proved to be yet another feather in his cap. Though the film opened to an average response, It picked up business in the following weeks, thanks to the tax redemption, and has now been proclaimed a hit and still going strong. But many feel that Shah Rukh was sidelined in the film. "I don't think so," he defends, "I don't know why the media in particular puts it like that. Pardes was a girl- oriented film. I had heard the subject and liked it. For me it was a chance to do something different or rather not to do something I had always done. I hadn't done a role where I'm simply flowing with the tide like Aamir Khan did in Hum Hain Rahi PyarKe. I wanted to play subdued and mature characters. It's not necessary that I hog the limelight everytime. And it goes to the credit of Subhash Ghai to have made a successful film without the usual, popular Shah Rukh Khan scenes. And, of course, becoming tax-free also helped the film a lot. The tax redemption is given only to a deserving film which meant Pardes was so and that's why it has done quite well."
But is it true that he refused to do Subhash Ghai's next film? "I don't know what you're talking about," he replies quite perturbed by the suggestion. "We haven't had any discussions on his next project as yet. I think he hasn't yet worked out a subject. If he needs me, he'll call me. But I don't have any dates for him right now. I had given him dates for Shikhar and Trimurti which got exhausted mid-way through Pardes due to the delay with Trimurti. I was supposed to do just two films with him and I've done that."
Coming to his third success of the year, Dil To Pagal Hai, he was pretty much in control in the film. His performance was the perfect balance between his spontaneity and restraint. And even though the film has a thin storyline, it was pretty engrossing right till the end. He must surely be satisfied with his work in it. "Not really," he says and takes us by surprise. "I feel I could have done a better job. Since I was trying out something new, I still feel I lacked something. Probably if I were to do a similar role again, my performance will be more polished. However, on the whole I liked myself in the film. My mature characterisation fitted well with the film as it was a film about normal people. Everything was in the right amount. The jokes were good, so was the intensity of the emotions. And as far as the storyline is concerned, then you'll realise that some of the nicest films even in Hollywood have such weak stories. In these films one knows right from the start what it's all about. There's no mystery or suspense. It's how you present the film ultimately that's important. I think only a good director has the guts to rely on the screenplay and make a successful film. "
His next release in all probability is Yash Johar's Duplicate. Slated for a February '98 release, it has Shah Rukh trying out something new once again. This film has him playing a double role for the very first time. So how differently has he delineated the two characters? He explains meticulously, "Duplicate is a film with the usual dose of confusion and comedy of errors that you see in most double role films. One character is quite comical while the other is a bad guy both of which I've played in the past in different films. But what sets them apart from my past efforts is that in Duplicate the comic character is a complete dimwit, a total nerd which I've never played before. While the bad guy is the typical Gulshan Grover kind of villain you see in films. The dark characters I've played in the past had a purpose behind their mean streak. Whereas this guy is simply made like that, an unscrupulous fellow. He's a typical villain who looks lecherously at women. What's fascinating about the film is that it's not like other comedy of errors where the good guy falls in trouble due to the bad guy's misdeeds. Here the villain's life becomes miserable when he tries to step into the nice guy's shoes to achieve his nefarious deeds. He doesn't realise the mess he's getting into before it's too late. And by the end of thefilm, he's pulling at his hair roots. The motto of the story here is - it's more difficult to be good while it's easier to be bad. On the whole, Duplicate is turning out to be a fabulous film."
Finally, things are also looking brighter in his personal life. He's on the verge of becoming the proud father of a son who he's already named Aryan. Is he experiencing . any pre-natal jitters? "Not really," he confesses, "but I've already made plans to spend time with my kid. I'm taking a month-long break from work to be with my family." By the time you read this, he will already be in the throes of fatherhood.
He falls silent for a rare moment. Then he sighs happily, downs the remains of his soft drink and gets up to greet an acquaintance. Minutes later, he plops down, smiles contentedly, lights up a cigarette, leans back and exhales a fog of smoke. He looks at once defiant, like a rebellious little boy who hasn't forgotten what it feels like to be a kid
Shahrukh On Hindi Cinema
My single most remarkable achievement in the short tenure that I've had as an actor is that I have been able to entertain different people coming from different walks of life at the same time. When I set out to do films it was primarily to entertain.
It is pointless to compare our films with the West because our society has its own limitations. Certain ideas will be unacceptable to our audience. A film like Disclosure for instance, where a woman sexually harasses a male co-worker is alien to us. We don't see women as powerful entities. Even today most heroes will tell you "I want a homely wife who will take care of my kids and look after the house." Only when women progress will the scripts progress too.
I'd like to stress we are part of world cinema and we are making films - films we like, not for film festivals. Given the kind of limitations we work under its amazing that we produce the kind of work we do. If Steven Spielberg was given the same limitations of equipment and working conditions he wouldn't even be able to make a bad TV serial let alone a film. The cameras we use are as dated as those used for shooting sports at the Olympics. Out technology at this point of time is so backward we just can't compete. Mark my words one day Indian cinema will rule the world. Once we get the technology knowhow we are going to kill them. I always feel Hollywood should come to Bollywood not the other way round. They have made a beginning with Warner Brothers, Paramount etc. coming but it's sad that I won't be there when they venture into Bollywood in a big way.
If we compare our cinema to that prevalent in the world at large we are bound to find it louder. But when there's a death in an Indian house, old women come in and beat their chest and cry, whereas in the west they wear black clothes, black goggles and sip wine. When we get angry we rave and rant, they silence you with their sarcasm. They talk in such an alien manner to their children, to the best of their friends. 'Why don't we get together for dinner?' They are the ones who are unreal. We are still more natural. A story like Kramer vs Kramer works there because divorce to them means only signing a few documents. But when we make the same theme in India it doesn't work because we are to a large extent alien to the idea of divorce and the few divorces that d happen are far more traumatic, beyond the realm of films.
Aping the West in India is like having a Mercedes but not having the roads to drive them on. America is a land of electric dreams. They are a nation which makes dream happen. In India 99 percent of the people can't realise their dreams. We are still living in a world where a dream is a dream.
I am living off Indian cinema. I have followed actors like Dilip Kumar, Amitabh and Naseer and I would like to be remembered like Satyajit Ray, Shekhar Kapoor, Mani Ratnam and Lata Mangeshkar. She started when she was 13 years old. It's been 50 years since, and even this year one of the most popular songs "Tujhe Dekha To...." Has been sung by her. It is the same with Asha Bhosle. She's sung "Tanha Tanha" and mind you it isn't a flash in the pan. Compared to their consistence and dedication, what I've done is zilch.
I'd like to pay a tribute to some of these personages because I feel whatever we are, we are the result, the peak of all their efforts and the foundation from which the future will arise.
Sheikh Mukhtar was the original action hero in the pre-Dara Singh era. He had films like Ustaad compared to him we heroes today look like dolls. He was 100 percent macho.
Dev Anand to me signifies the conviction of style. The way he say drop your guns only a Dev Anand could but people believed him and so did the villains. However hard method actors work, style is the definite winner in an actor's repertoire.
Shammi Kapoor brought in the hero who could tease women and get away with it. And what's more, women loved him.
Amitabh Bachchan's contribution is that he brought realism to commercial cinema. One of his contributions is that because of him someone like me had dared to get into mainstream commercial cinema as a hero. Had there been only clean-cut good looking guys like Rajesh Khanna in films I'd have never dared to make it.
Dilip Kumar's language was so impressive, I used to be in awe. But then came Amitabh who used the colloquial 'apun...' and he was accepted. Perhaps thanks to him, today I think anti-heroes are here to stay and so are inconventional looking men like Prabhu Deva, Ajay and me.
In the most far fetched scenes the pot-bellied Haribhai (Sanjive Kumar), never ever looked as if he was acting. And he's done all kinds of films - romance, comedy and even action. He gave you the feeling that acting isn't about getting into the skin of the character - it's about being in front of the camera and delivering the goods. I've heard that for midshots and montages if he was required to wear a tuxedo he'd wear the jacket above and beneath he'd be dressed in his striped shorts.
Identification is the key word. Smita Patil, who graduated from reading news to acting, is my all time favourite. Alongwith Shabana Aazmi, she added stature to the image of the Hindi film heroine. Both made you realise that women are in films as in any other walks of life. They even convinced other commercially successful actresses to work in more meaningful cinema. Take Rekha, for instance. And I think the mystery, the aura, the enigma that is Rekha is her contribution to Hindi films. To me, she is this beautiful, sensuous, Garboesque woman who leaves no tracks behind - the black widow. Rekha is no longer a human being, she is a type of person- the epitome of unrequired love. When she did an Umrao Jaan, she added to the mystique of Umrao.
Dimple was encouraged somewhere along the way I think by Shabana, Smita and Rekha. I have heard of people losing years in the second world war, but Dimple lost her years in marriage. I wish she had acted then. I have never seen not only a newcomer but any person at that age perform as well as she did in Bobby. The fact that she was able to recapture her past glory in Rudaali and Lekin is an encouraging sign for a lot of women that it's never too late.
And there is Hemaji- the epitome of responsibility. I think the real No.1 was Hema Malini. Whoever we've had after was only because we were trying to find a replacement for Hema Malini.
I would not forget to include Helen, the greatest. She was a cabaret artiste who did not look cheap. Just like Cuckoo. My father was a great fan of hers. I am not taking away anything from Nana, Manisha or Salman but I want to go and see the on-the-floors Khamoshi for Helen and I know a lot of people like me who feel the same way. I really wish she does a dance in the film.
Then there were these bad guys like K.N. Singh, Pran even Prem Chopra and somewhere along the line you realise that though villains they never scared you. They were childhood fantasy villains. In fact I think I was scarier in Baazigar or Darr - they were always so sweet, like caricatures. Amjad Khan is the one who brought the deadly villain to cinema-the bad guy. When he said 'Kitne Aadmi the' he meant business-Gabbar Singh you did not laugh at. The success of Sholay was to a great extent due to the fact that you imagined you'd be scared if you met Gabbar Singh on a lonely road. Ramesh Sippy couldn't recreate the same scary impact ever again, not even with Shaakal with Shaan. Before Mehmood and after Mehmood there has never been a hero-comedian who could carry an entire film on his shoulders. He s the clown who made others lose their inhibitions. I'm sure Amitabh Bachchan learnt from him.
There are a few films which have appealed to me. Films that never tire me, films that spur me on to take up a new venture, after one has gone wrong. Like Padosan, Jyoti Swaroop, the director has made a tremendous contribution in this film because it entertains every generation. It is an ageless film.
I loved Sholay and I sincerely believe we haven't been able to make a greater film than that. This is a personal belief. You can question it and speak of Mother India or Mughal-e-Azam isn't as great as Sholay, I can't identify with it. Sholay is a modern, slick film, and what's more Sholay didn't even have a mother figure to bog you down.
Karz is another film I liked. It scared me. Karan Arjun didn't make me believe in re-incarnation but Simi Garewal's icy smile, Raj Kiran's blood-stained face and that haunting tume made me believe that Rishi Kapoor was Raj Kiran re-incarnated.
Deewar again is a very modern film. And for me just one dialogue of Amitabh's is the whole film. "Main Gire Huye Paise Aaj Bhi Nahi Uthata". I would give my life for a film with a dialogue like this. I preferred this even to that legendary line, "Tumhare Paas Kya Hai? Mere Paas Maa Hain."
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron was also a trendsetter. With a budget of 17 lakhs it proved that you can make a film without stars, you just need good actors.
Personally I'm proud of Baazigar, Darr, Kabhi Haa Kabhi Naa, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, Ram Jaane because although the style of the actor being the same there is variety in the roles. These five years have been my rehearsal. Now my learning process ends. I've imbibed what I've had to, now I'm ready to act.
We don't need to produce a Fellini or a Polanski. We will have a Coppola or a Spielberg. When I joined the film industry Indian Cinema was already in its 95th year. I hope I'm there in a big way I the 200th year. Even if not in person, my films should be there and then perhaps someone will speak of Shah Rukh Khan as I have spoken of these contributors.
Friday, August 10, 2007
"I believe in the educated Islamic sect" :Shah Rukh Khan
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is all set to break some stereotypes with his role of a patriotic Muslim hockey coach in the film Chak De India which hits theatres this Friday. Here's more from the King Khan himself
Rajeev Masand: What was your real reason for doing this film? Was it the fact that it was a great opportunity to shed light on a sport or was it a great story to tell, or was it a little of both?
Shah Rukh Khan: Neither of the two. Actually I am not so socially conscious neither do I understand stories. Very simply put is that I wanted to play some hockey after 20 years.
I keep telling my producer and director that I hope after the film is released there are five-six people who say 'oh, I haven't played hockey for a long time man!' Or a father or a mother picks up a hockey stick and tells their children go play the game. So, if people in India start doing that then it is good enough for me.
Rajeev Masand: On one level Chak De India is a patriotic film isn't it? And you play a Muslim coach of the national women's hockey team. Is that symbolic and done to destroy stereotypes?
Shah Rukh Khan: Actually, you can say it in one line that it is a destruction of stereotype – it 's a film about India, headed by a Muslim, playing a game called hockey with a team of women. So, it completely breaks all stereotypes.
I believe in the educated Islamic sect, I belong to it and educated Muslim people are the nicest people in the world. That is my religion and I would like to propagate that through my film without shoving it down your throat. I am not shoving my religion down your throat. I am trying to say that the ideology of an educated Muslim is what my ideology is – that you believe in humanity.
SRK’s Robot from September
The Shahrukh Khan and Shankar combo are expected to begin work for Robot from September.
Shahrukh Khan acclaimed as 'Badshah of Box Office in Bollywood' said, “I was approached by Shankar to do the Hindi remake of his blockbuster Mudhalvan a few years ago. Unfortunately I could not work in the project then. Now, after several years we both are coming together for Robot. It is a different story and I liked it very much”.
Shahrukh's next Chak De India is releasing this August. It features him in the role of a hockey coach.
Meanwhile Shankar had left to Hyderabad to complete the script for Robot. It is expected to be over by this month-end and the shooting would commence from September. Shahrukh Khan himself will produce the movie.
Ignore Jellybean Incident, SRK Advises Team India.
The actor made a surprising appearance at the commentary box on day one of the second India-England cricket Test...
Provocations like the jellybean incident would be there but Indian cricketers should never lose sight of victory because "winning is everything", advises Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan.
The actor made a surprising appearance at the commentary box on day one of the second India-England cricket Test along with Sunil Gavaskar and shared his interest in various sports.
He had come for the premier of 'Chak De India' in which he plays a hockey coach, Shah Rukh said the players should not settle for anything less than triumph but not at the cost of sportsman spirit.
"I'm a believer in the saying that winning is everything. Do whatever it takes to win. But at the same time, you are a sportsman and you have to be courteous and nice, jellybeans notwithstanding," he quipped.
On a more serious note, he said, "For me, winning silver is losing the gold. But when I say all these things about winning, you also need to keep in mind that when you lose, it only means that your best was not better than the opponents. I don't understand incidents like house burning or stone-pelting."
Shah Rukh said he once faced Kapil Dev and Surinder Amarnath at the national stadium in Delhi.
"I had to wear my thigh pad on my chest as they bowled very fast," he added.
The popular actor also urged youngsters to take up sports of their choice.
"We may not be doing great in all sports but I think every youngster should think 'I'll play'."
Describing himself as a "sportsperson at heart", the actor said, "If there is a team of over-40 players, I would love to be part of that team."
SRK’s wife Gauri does a cameo in 'Om Shanti Om'
Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri shot a sequence for Om Shanti Om earlier this week.
The superstar's wife Gauri makes her Bollywood debut with this big-budget film, directed by Farah Khan. We hear that the sequence will be part of the end-credit song.
Say Farah Khan, “Yes, Gauri shot for me yesterday. It was for my traditional end-credit song where all the technicians and crew members feature. She was supposed to shoot for me for Main Hoon Na too, but last time she ditched me because she was too shy to come in front of the camera, but this time she finally agreed. She said she's doing it only for me but I am sure her husband had something to do with it since she's the official producer of the film.”
However, this is not the first time that the celebrity wife is working with hubby SRK. Gauri had a humble start by managing the costume and wardrobe department of Shah Rukh's early films including Baazigar (1993), Darr (1993), Anjaam (1994) and Ram Jaane (1995). She was only dressing her husband then. Later, she turned producer with Main Hoon Naa (2004) and Paheli (2005) and the same continues with Om Shanti Om.
Shah Rukh says Chak De India at The Oval
Dressed in a typically English black striped suit without a tie Shah Rukh looked lean, tense...
Actor Shah Rukh Khan joined Sunil Gavaskar and Harsha Bhogle in the commentator box at The Oval during India's third and final Test against England. The actor is in London to promote Chak De India , which is being premiered there on Thursday evening.
Speaking to commentators on a sports channel he said, "This is a film about sports. There had been films on sports like Lagaan and others. I always wanted to do a film on sports, particularly on field and women hockey, much neglected in cinema."
Dressed in a typically English black striped suit without a tie Shah Rukh looked lean, tense and without a make-up. When asked why he was dressed in formals, he said "Cricket is a gentleman's game and everyone who has come to watch the game is dressed in formals. Which is why I thought I will wear a nice suit and a shirt."
On a lighter note, he said, "Even I have long hair like Dhoni but I can't keep it open since I am not playing but I have made a pony tail", he said turning his back towards the camera.
"I occasionally watch Rahul and Sachin and I have grown up watching Sunny Saab", he said. On his love for cricket and Indian cricketers he said, "I love being photographed with cricketers. Three months back I asked Tendulkar to have a picture with me. Sometime ago I asked Rahul for his autograph too."
Shah Rukh was buoyant when asked about his sporting lineage, "My father used to play hockey. I too enjoyed playing hockey. I used to carry my hockey stick on my back when I went to school. I used to try and play all sports. I kept running behind the ball all the time but never used to catch it", he said reminiscing of his earlier days.
"If there would be a cricket team for forty and above I would like to be part of that team", he said displaying his passion.
Coming back to Chak De India , he said, "I play the coach in the film. I have 16 girls around me playing hockey. It has no songs but only sporting capabilities. The film has no romance and no villain."
Shah Rukh Khan was brimming with energy and high spirits when he said, "I am a true true believer, I am a sportsman by nature. Sports is a genre not much accepted in India."
Shah Rukh Khan felt embarrassing during the shooting of Chak De India because he said" The girls were not even born at the time when I started acting. They later started calling Mr. Khan and then later coach and Shah Rukh", he said. He added, "There is a single shot in the film where the team is seen to be arriving abroad and departing the shores for India. It was quite boring."
Talking about the title track of the song, he said, "The song is nice. It doesn't matter if we lose. Come on India, buck up India Koi to chal zidd fariye doobe, kariye ya mariye haye...”
How do you feel as the crowned or uncrowned king or badshah of Bollwood?, asked Harsha. "I am working for so many years in the same profession. It feels good, better than being called a failure. All you need to do is to get up and bowl right, and get the shot right. I am very happy and thrilled but I do not take it seriously when people call me badshah or king."
"I am excited about Chak De India . I don't know whether it will do well but I am excited."
Shah Rukh not just likes hockey and cricket but also follows football. Manchester United is his kids' favourite, he said.
"We played cricket whole day. I was taken to the National Stadium. Mohinder Amarnath and Kapil Dev used to bowl to me. Gurucharan Singh used to beat me with the broomstick when I used to run and pick up the ball leaving my wicket-keeping position when I was in Columbus."
Why not Hollywood? Shah Rukh said, "I would love to sell my film in the UK and America. We have a great industry. We have great sporting teams. All youngsters will have to believe that they will have to play for the country they are born in and play world class."
Gavaskar seemed to believe in Shah Rukh's philosophy and belief in capitalism and playing to win the trophy.
He underlined, "It's not about winning the silver but losing the gold. Sometimes winning is everything. But it should be, winning everytime is everything."
Provocations like the jelly bean incident would be there but Indian cricketers should never lose sight of victory because "winning is everything", advises Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan.
Shah Rukh Khan will watch the big premiere of Chak De India on Thursday evening in London but without the 16 girls.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Shahrukh Khan : From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shahrukh Khan शाहरुख़ ख़ान شاہ رخ خان | |
| Born | November 2, 1965 New Delhi, India  |
| Other name(s) | Shah Rukh Khan |
| Occupation | Actor, Producer |
| Years active | 1988-Present |
| Spouse(s) | Gauri Khan |
Shahrukh Khan (born November 2, 1965) (Hindi: शाहरुख़ ख़ान, Hindko/Urdu: شاہ رخ خان) is a prominent Bollywood actor, producer, and was recently the host of the game show, Kaun Banega Crorepati. Balancing significant commercial success with remarkable critically acclaimed performances, Khan has established himself as one of the most prominent leading actors of Bollywood.
Shahrukh Khan was born to a Muslim family but was raised by Hindus for most of his life.[1] His father Taj Mohammed Khan, who was from the famous Pashtun Niazi tribe, was a freedom activist of Punjabi Pathan background[2] and Lateef Fatima,[3] who was the adopted daughter of Major General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Janjua Rajput clan[4], who served as a General in the Indian National Army of Subash Chandra Bose.[5]
Khan's father came to Delhi from the Kissa Kahani Bazaar in Peshawar now in Pakistan, before the Partition of India,[6] while his mother's family came from Rawalpindi, also in Pakistan[7]. Khan has a sister named Shehnaz and is lovingly known as Lalarukh.[8][9] Khan attended St. Columba's School where he was accomplished in sports, drama and academics. He won the Sword of Honour, an annual award bequeathed to the student who embodies most the spirit of the school.[citation needed] He later attended the Hansraj College (1985-1988) to earn an Honors degree in Economics.[citation needed] After this, he studied for a Masters Degree in Mass Communications at Jamia Millia Islamia University.[citation needed].
After the death of his parents, Khan moved from New Delhi to Mumbai in 1991. In 1991, he married Gauri Khan in a Hindu wedding ceremony.[10] They have two children, son Aryan (b. 1997) and daughter Suhana (b. 2000).
Nasreen Munni Kabir, the noted British filmmaker, produced a two-part documentary on Khan, titled The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan (2005). Featuring his 2004 Temptations concert tour, the film contrasted Khan's inner world of family and daily life with the outer world of his work. Another book Still Reading Khan was released in 2006 which details his family and his life.
Khan's life-size wax statue is available in Madame Tussauds wax museum.[11], London, installed in April 2007[12] Khan has been chosen for the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Literature) award of the French government for his “exceptional career”.[citation needed]
Khan started his acting career in 1988 by appearing in the television series Fauji playing the role of Commando Abhimanyu Rai.[13]. He went to appear in other television serials such as the 1989 serial Circus[14], which depicted the life of circus performers. That same year he also had a minor role in the television film In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones, which was written by Arundhati Roy and based on the life in Delhi University.
After the death of his parents Khan moved from New Delhi to Mumbai in 1991. [15] He made his Bollywood film debut in Deewana (1992) which was a box office hit and launched his career in Bollywood.[16] His debut performance won him a Filmfare Best Debut Award. His second release Maya Memsaab was known for its controversial issues as Khan appeared in what was apparently an "Explicit for Bollywood" sex scene for the film. [17].
In 1993 he won acclaim for his performances as a murderer and obsessive lover respectively in the box office hits Baazigar and Darr. He won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Baazigar. He was also appreciated for his role as a young loser in Kundan Shah's Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa which earned him the Filmfare Best Actor Award (critics) that same year. In 1994 Khan once again played an obsessive lover/psycho role in Anjaam. Even though the movie wasn't a box office success Khan's performance in a negative role earned him the Filmfare Best Villain Award.
In 1995 he starred in Aditya Chopra's directorial debut Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge which was a critical and commercial success[18] and has entered its twelfth year in Mumbai theaters, grossing over 12 billion rupees in all, making it as one of the biggest film blockbusters. [19]
1996 was a disappointing year for Khan as all his films released that year flopped. 1997 meant his diminutive comeback, as his first release, Yash Chopra's Dil to Pagal Hai went on to be the year's second highest grossing film. Khan was also praised for his performance in the film. That same year he also had success with Subhash Ghai's Pardes which was one of the biggest hits of the year and Aziz Mirza's moderately successful film Yes Boss.
Khan was welcomed with similar success in 1998 starring in Karan Johar's directional debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai which was the biggest hit of the year and won him his third Best Actor award at the Filmfare. He also won critical praise for his performance in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se which did not do well at the box office in India, but earned good collections overseas. [20]
While 1999 was another non-notable year for Khan, the year 2000 saw good success, with Aditya Chopra's second directional film Mohabbatein doing well at the box office, and Mansoor Khan's hit Josh. He gained critical acclaim for his performance in the former, which won him his second award for Best Actor (critics) at the Filmfare. In that same year, Khan set up his own production house Dreamz Unlimited with Juhi Chawla. Both Khan and Chawla starred in the first film from their production house Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, which did not do well at the box office.
In 2001, Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the second time with the multi-starrer family film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, which was one of the biggest hits of the year. He also received favorable reviews for his performance as Emperor Asoka in the historical epic Asoka, which was the second film from his production House.
In 2002, Khan was well-known for playing the title role as the tragic lover Devdas in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's award-winning period romance Devdas (2002) which was an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's famous novel of the same name.
In 2003, Khan starred in Chalte Chalte which was the first successful film for his production company. He then made his third film with Karan Johar, in Nikhil Advani's directional debut Kal Ho Naa Ho. The movie was one of the year's biggest hits in India and in the overseas market as well. Khan's performance as a guy who has heart disease was also well received.[21]
2004 proved to be a good year for Khan commercially and critically as well. He set up another production company called Red Chillies Entertainment, and starred in its first film Main Hoon Na, directed by Farah Khan. The movie did well at the box office, whilst Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara was the biggest hit of that year. Khan's performance in the latter was much appreciated and he won various awards at several award ceremonies. Khan also won critical praise for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades, which won him the Filmfare Best Actor Award for the sixth time although the film was a box office failure.[22].
His only major film release in 2005 was Paheli which was also produced by Red Chillies Entertainment. It was not as successful at the box office, but won him acclaim. [23].
In 2006 he once again collaborated with Karan Johar in the multi-starrer film Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006) which did well in India and became the biggest hit in the overseas market.[24]. That same year he played the title role in Don (2006), a remake of the 1978 hit film Don which was also successful [25]
His upcoming film is Chak De India which is due to be released in August 2007. He is also producing and starring in Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om which is due for release in November and making a cameo appearance in Farah Khan's brother Sajid Khan's directorial debut Heyy Babyy.
[edit] As a Producer
Khan has also produced some of the films he has starred in. However he has had mixed success as both the producer and the star of his films. He set up a production company called Dreamz Unlimited with Juhi Chawla and director Aziz Mirza in 1999. The first two of the films he produced and starred in: Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000) and Asoka (2001) were box office failures.[26].
His third film, as a producer and star, Chalte Chalte (2003), was the first box office hit from his production house.[27]. In 2004 he set up another production company called Red Chillies Entertainment and produced and starred in Main Hoon Na which was another hit at the box office.[28]. In 2005 he produced and starred in the fantasy film Paheli, which was India's selection for the Academy Awards (foreign films category) but did not win. At the box office Paheli was a disappointment.[29] That same year he also co-produced the supernatural horror film Kaal with Karan Johar and performed an item number for the film with Malaika Arora Khan. Kaal was moderately successful at the box office.[30]
The forthcoming film produced by his company Red Chillies Entertainment is Om Shanti Om which he will also star in.
[edit] As Television Host
Khan was chosen as the host of the third series of the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of Who wants to be a millionaire?,[31] in 2007 taking over from the original host Amitabh Bachchan who had hosted the show from 2000 to 2005. The show is deemed the most popular programme in Indian television history. On Monday, January 22, 2007, "KBC" aired with Khan as the new host. The season ended on April 19 2007.[32]
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] Actor
[edit] Producer
- Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000)
- Asoka (2001)
- Chalte Chalte (2003)
- Main Hoon Na (2004)
- Kaal (2005)
- Paheli (2005)
- My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves (2007)
- Om Shanti Om (2007)
[edit] Playback singer
- Apun Bola - Josh (2000)
- Khaike Paan Banaraswala - Don- The Chase Begins Again (2006)
- Ek Hockey Doongi Rakh Ke-Chak De India (2007)
[edit] Stunts Director
- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
- Main Hoon Na (2004)
- Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)
- Chak De India (2007)
[edit] TV career
- Fauji (1988) ... Abhimanyu Rai
- Dil Dariya (1988)
- Circus (1989)
- In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989)
- Idiot (1991) ... Pawan Raghujan
- Kareena Kareena (2004) Zee TV ... Special Appearance
- Kaun Banega Crorepati (2007) ... Host
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