Anthony Gonsalves - Shahrukh Khan's story?

By now film followers are aware that MY NAME IS ANTHONY GONSALVES has Shahrukh Khan's 'Red Chillies Entertainment' as the Line Producers of the film.

However, by looking at the promos, one senses a special reason for Shahrukh to be a part of this project. That's because if one looks closely, the character of the film's lead protagonist Anthony Gonsalves (played by Nikhil Dwivedi) appears to be modeled on Shahrukh Khan from his early days.

Not just this, even the look, mannerisms and profile of Dwivedi have an uncanny resemblance to that of Shahrukh Khan. In the film, Nikhil plays the role of a young man who has dreams of becoming a superstar but is ridiculed by everyone due to his average looks, medium height and built. His dancing skills are questioned too and there are doubts if he was good enough to even play a hero's friend, let alone a hero.

Now if one gets into a comparison mode, even Shahrukh had similar traits in early stages of his career and it was only after a considerable stint in theater, TV serials and small roles in a couple of offbeat films that he got noticed.

Presented by Sahara One Motion Pictures, the film stars Amrita Rao as the leading lady along with Mithun Chakraborty, Mukesh Tiwari, Anupam Kher, Pawan Malhotra and Saurabh Shukla. Directed by E Niwas, the film would be releasing on 11th January.

Shahrukh Khan more popular than Tom Cruise

A year ago, Shahrukh Khan was asked how he felt about a report that 3.2 billion people knew him, while only 2.7 billion across the world knew Tom Cruise. Replying with his trademark humility, Khan pointed out that Cruise still made more money thanks to Hollywood's marketing and pricing power. "So there, we do fall short," he had said.

But, recent indications show that King Khan will have less room to complain in the years to come. Bollywood cash flow has just begun to build up in tandem with its effort to build global scale and reach. And last month, there was an opportunity to guage the current market appeal of both Khan and Cruise. Lions for Lambs, directed by Robert Redford and starring Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep released about the same time as Om Shanti Om (OSO), directed by Farah Khan and starring Shahrukh Khan and debutante Deepika Padukone. Cruise's movie, which had consumed $35 million in production, garnered $10.3 million in 45 markets on its opening weekend. Khan's movie, also his home production, grossed $19 million worldwide in its opening weekend.

But the most thumping show of the rising might of Indian films came Tamil Superstar Rajinikant's Sivaji, which collected between Rs 100-150 crore worldwide — the highest for any Indian film so far. While OSO and Sivaji are just like oases in a desert, they show that Indian movies have it in them to be global offerings.

Bollywood is sure to make a determined bid to narrow its revenue gap with Hollywood, experts say. Advances in digital technology have brought down the cost of prints — a big cost element — by as much as 90%. That has made it easier for Indian film producers to put out many more prints for distribution. So a movie like OSO is today able to release with a simultaneous print run of 1,400, of which 500 are digital.

One reason is the improving economies of scale. Multiplex cinemas are spreading across the nation, even in smaller towns. In fact, multiplex halls average Rs. 150 per movie. "With increased prints come more collections, especially in the Bombay circuit, Central Province and Central India," says Rajesh Mishra, chief operating officer, UFO Moviez, which has installed digital outfits in 903 cinemas across 23 states. Digital distribution has raised revenue per film. If the last year's big ticket films were sold in the range of Rs 4-6 crore to distributors for Bombay, the territory with the highest earnings, the tag has gone up to Rs 11 crore this year. This can only increase considering industry estimates that the reach of multiplexes is going to increase from 400 to 2,000 by 2011.

The spread of Internet and mobile phone usage, coupled with the Indians' everlasting passion for music, will ensure new media revenues grow for Bollywood. Digital music revenue is expected to touch Rs 3,601 crore by 2009, compared with Rs 450 crore in 2005, according to a PwC study. More and more firms are tapping this potential. For instance, Eros Entertainment derived 11% of its April-September total revenue from new-media opportunities.

It's Hrithik vs. SRK in 'Krrish 2'

This could be one of the biggest coup of the year. It is believed that if all goes well, then Shah Rukh Khan will be seen next in Rakesh Roshan's 'Krrish 2', which will roll out next year.

Incidentally, 'Krrish 2' will be directed by Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra and not Roshan Sr, who will only be producing it. Apparently Hrithik wanted to work with Mehra and so Roshan Sr decided to rope him in as director for 'Krrish 2'.

Once the script was ready, the Roshans came up with the idea of signing SRK to play the negative lead. The villain in the film will have supernatural powers just like 'Krrish' and it will be a clash of these two superpowers.

It is believed that Mehra has already met SRK for the film. SRK seems to have loved the idea and has now asked for a detailed narration from the director. This is a casting coup of sorts as the last time Hrithik and SRK came together was for Karan Johar's 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham'. The Roshans are expected to make an official announcement once everything is finalized.

HC hears PIL against Shahrukh bungalow

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) today told the Bombay High Court that there has been no deletion of the proposed road, bordering actor Shahrukh Khan's bungalow at Bandra waterfront here, from its plan.

Shahrukh had built a six-storey building behind his bungalow 'Mannat'. A PIL filed by city-based NGO, Bhrashtachar Nirmulan Sanghatana, has alleged that it encroaches on the proposed road in the development plan.

The road, as per the development plan, should be 9.15 metres wide, but the petitioners' lawyer Shakuntala Joshi said it has shrunk to six metres.

To facilitate this, changes were made in the plan without following proper procedure, she alleged.

The MCGM, in its affidavit, said there was a proposal to delete the 'roadline' and added that though it has been approved by the department concerned, the corporation has not given its sanction as yet.

The affidavit states the "roadline is still existing and is not deleted." Outside the court Joshi said the affidavit runs contrary to the situation on the ground. "Earlier, affidavit filed by Gauri Khan, Shahrukh's wife, too states that roadline has been changed. We will point out the contradiction at the next hearing," she said.

A division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice J P Deodhar adjourned the hearing till January 10.

Gauri Shahrukh Khan – Vogue India’s Cover Girl

Gauri Khan, wife of King Khan, has been selected as the cover girl for January 2008 issue of the Vogue Magazine. The issue will hit stalls on December 20.

Mrs Khan said that it is not her job but this was fresh and strange that made her to pose for the shoots.

The pics were shot against the eight-floor extension of the Khans’ dream home, Mannat.

Gauri also shared some sincere moments with the magazine.

On her clothes she said, “I hate tight, revealing clothes and goes on to add that her son Aryan is her biggest fashion critic. What I wear really depends on my mood and I always keep in mind that I am the wife of a very successful man.”

About Shahrukh, she said, “He is the best husband and father I could ever ask for. I always say that I am so fortunate to be with Shahrukh Khan, the man. I don’t come from a space where I gush and praise - the world is doing enough of that. I like to keep my love for him private and inside the doors of Mannat.”

Priya Tanna, Editor Vogue India, said, “This collaboration between Gauri and Vogue India is a natural fit.”

“It is her first solo cover and a coup of sorts for Vogue. That she is stylish, enigmatic, and poised is known, but at the shoot we saw another side of her, that of a cover girl. Even in the frames she shares with Shah Rukh [Images], she holds her own impressively. She offers delightful peeks into her life, her wardrobe and her man. Gauri is a true Voguette,” Priya added.

Who is the gangster threatening SRK?

Just when one thought the underworld was finally making an exit from the Hindi film industry, comes the news about a new gangster in town called Bunty Pandey, short for Prakash Narayan Pandey.

Apparently, Pandey telephoned Shah Rukh Khan [Images] to demand Rs 2 crore from him. But it is learnt from police sources that the actor refused to take his call. Pandey then sent his henchmen to Shah Rukh's home, Mannat, in Bandra, north-west Mumbai, to threaten him with dire consequences if he did not cough up the money.

Shah Rukh immediately informed the police about the threat.

Pandey apparently decided to go after the superstar after his latest film, Om Shanti Om, raked in profits at the box office. Advertisements in newspapers recently proclaimed that OSO was the biggest grosser in the history of Hindi cinema, but the earnings were not mentioned.

Film trade sources believe the amount would be close to Rs 200 crore.

So who is this Bunty Pandey?

Pandey hails from Uttarakhand and was based in Mumbai for more than a decade. He started off in gangster Chota Rajan's gang, and operated in Mumbai on his behalf. He was involved in the kidnapping of two Delhi-based businessmen's sons in 2004. Pandey is also known to have caused havoc in the trading community of Gujarat.

However, when the Mumbai police tightened its noose on gangsters, Pandey fled the country. The police believe he is based in Bangkok but there is no confirmation on this.

He left Rajan's gang after he was injured in a shootout in Bangkok by Dawood Ibrahim's men.


On its web site, the Mumbai police has named Pandey as the 36th most wanted person but have not listed his Mumbai address, as is common practice. Unlike most gangsters, the Mumbai police have very little information about him.

The only information the police had shared with the media earlier was about his girlfriend, Priya Rajput (Chandralakha Dhansingh Rajput) who was also involved in extortions. She was arrested in 2002 when she threatened a bar owner in Ghatkopar, in south-central Mumbai.

The last time Pandey's name was in the news was when he shot Devidas Choughle, a Nationalist Congress Party corporator, last month.

So far he has kept out of underworld activities in Mumbai because of the presence of heavyweight gangsters like Dawood Ibrahim [Images], Rajan and his one-time close associate Ravi Pujari, whose men tried to kill filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt [Images].

The Mumbai police believe Pandey seeks to create terror by threatening Shah Rukh Khan so that he can re-establish himself, like Abu Salem [Images]. It may be recalled that Salem was the first underworld don to threaten SRK, which had deeply disturbed the actor.

Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan at World AIDS

Bollywood's Kool Khan Klan comprising Shah Rukh, Salman and Saif performed at an event organized by Smita Thackeray's Mukti Aids Foundation to mark World AIDS Day and the NGO's 10 years of existence.

Also seen cavorting on stage to dance numbers were Bollywood stars Lara Dutta and Udita Goswami. Singers Kailash Kher, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shaan and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy regaled the audience with their songs.

Those in the audience included Dharmendra and Ranbir Kapoor, both seated side by side. They were later joined by Priya Dutt.

Smita and Shah Rukh spoke about the cause being championed by Mukti Aids Foundation