Illegal Shahrukh Khan Night in Bangladesh

In 1997, Antar Showbiz organized an event named 'HOT SUMMER NIGHT' at Dhaka Stadium [now Bangabandhu National Stadium], which ultimately did not take place, thus deceiving thousands of people, who purchased tickets for the show. It was even learnt at that time that, Ontor Showbiz started selling tickets for this show even without making any booking of the Dhaka Stadium. Warrant of arrest was issued against Swapan Chowdhury, owner of Antar Showbiz following this incident and police raided his residence at Silver Apartment at Eskaton area. The HOT SUMMER NIGHT program ultimately did not take place and it was never learnt whether the people, who purchased tickets, got their money back or not.

Now the same Swapan Chowdhury and his Antar Showbiz is back with another program titled Shah Rukh Khan Night, which is scheduled to take place on December 10, 2010 at Army Stadium in Dhaka.

According to information, Antar Showbiz is selling 12,000 tickets priced at TK. 25,000, TK. 10,000, TK. 5,000 and TK. 3,000. A total amount of TK. 6,60,00,000 will be collected from the sale of tickets by the organizers. The organizers are neither paying any amusement tax nor any Valued Added Tax for such huge amount of money collected from the sale of tickets of the show. According to latest information, almost 75 per cent of the tickets are already sold.

The organizers have already paid US$ 25,000 to Shah Rukh Khan as advance amount of his remuneration for participating in the program, while they will pay him an additional amount of US$ 75,000 when he will arrive in Bangladesh. The organizers did not take any permission from the Foreign Exchange Control Department of Bangladesh Bank for remittance of such huge amount of foreign currency, nor there is any permission sought by the organizers from the Income Tax as well as VAT departments of Bangladesh government.

It is learnt from a reliable source that, Anti Corruption Commission in Bangladesh has also started investigating this gross irregularity and Shah Rukh Khan may even be questioned about the total amount he received from the organizers in foreign currency for participating in the Shah Rukh Khan Night in Bangladesh.

An event management organization in India told Weekly Blitz that, Shah Rukh Khan generally charges US$ 100,000-150,000 for any such shows in the world. Moreover, the organizers are required to pay his air passage as well as all other expenses in the host country.

On the other hand, though the organizers are publicizing in Bangladesh that Bollywood actor Rani Mukherjee will also arrive in the same team with Shah Rukh Khan, there is no such indication from the office of Ms. Rani Mukherjee about her visit to Bangladesh to participate in the show. The organizers are also publishing Rani Mukherjee's picture in the most humiliating matter, thus placing her in the category of mere third ranking artistes.

The organizers have also paid significant of money to Indian artistes Arjun Rampal, Isha Koppikar, Shefali Zariwala, Ganesh Hedge and Neeraj Shridkar. According to initial estimation, Antar Showbiz has already smuggled out a significant amount of foreign currency for paying advance amount to the Indian artistes, including Shahrukh Khan, while the remaining balance will also be paid in the same manner.

Though some Bangladeshi government is giving special encouragement in organizing programs of Indian artistes in Bangladesh since 2009, there is no sign from India in even allowing satellite based Bangladeshi television channels in their country. Indian government continues ban on allowing any channel from Bangladesh or Pakistan to their households, while Indian channels are earning millions of dollars from Bangladesh every year.

Will SRK forgive Farah Khan?

B-town war for supremacy is getting hotter day by day folks and the latest is a spoof of Badshah Khan in Farah Khan forthcoming Christmas bonanza ‘Tees Maar Khan’.

Akshaye Khanna plays a character of an actor who suffers from backache and has to fly off to London for treatment. Hold on, in the movie Akshaye is approached for a role by an international filmmaker named Danny. Akshaye makes him wait for six hours and then refuses to do the role which eventually goes to Anil Kapoor who wins an Oscar for his performance, leaving Akshaye angry.

The similarities are not at all surprising as the whole industry knows that SRK visited London for his back problem and Danny Boyle waited for hours to hear a ‘No’ from the King Khan.

And that’s not all, in the movie Akshaye will be introduced as a star who will show his packs while doing a ‘dard-e-disco’ type item number.

Spoofing legends is not new for Farah as she did in her previous blockbuster by making a dig at the legendary Manoj Kumar who just received a Life time achievement award and this time the choreographer turned director has gone ahead to spoof her mentor Shahrukh Khan.

Has Farah going too far in the name of entertainment or she is helpless over her hubby Shirish Kunder who is not at all SRK’s favorite and Akshay Kumar who is a close friend of Shirish Kunder and everybody knows how much Akshay ‘loves’ Shahrukh Khan.. The Khiladi never misses a single opportunity to make a dig at SRK.

We don’t know how Shahrukh is going to take this and will he ever patch up with Farah and forgive her by taking this spoof sportingly…… or he will hit back by spoofing Akshay, Farah in his home production ‘Ra.One’.

Wait and watch….

SRK in Oscar-winner Danny Boyle’s film!

The Oscar-winner Danny Boyle has had plans to make another film on the city of Mumbai ever since he completed Slumdog Millionaire.

So, Danny set his eyes on the critically acclaimed novel by Suketu Mehta, based on Mumbai, Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found and wants Shahrukh Khan in the film.

This time the Khan can’t say no to Danny. Earlier he refused to do Slumdog and that role went to Anil Kapoor. Now, Anil is shooting for Mission Impossible 4 and has also acted in a US TV series. As per reports, Danny will start shooting the film by 2011 and has met Shahrukh for the project. However, the novel has the city of Mumbai as its main character.

As sound engineer Resul Pookutty, who won Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire, tells a tabloid, ‘Maximum City’ will be very different from Slumdog.

We agree to him as the book explores the interconnected worlds of Mumbai’s slum-dwellers, bar dancers, the dingy underworld and even the Hindu radicals.

Farah's spoof on SRK

TOI would not like to hazard a guess on the relationship status between Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan, but the buzz in Bollywood is that the choreographer-director has mercilessly spoofed the Bollywood Badshah in her forthcoming film Tees Maar Khan.

It is said that Akshaye Khanna's role in the film is completely modelled on SRK. And the references to the superstar are as bold and direct as they can be. Trade pundits don't find this unusual. They say the film was written by Farah's husband Shirish Kunder, who doesn't see eye-to-eye with SRK, and naturally — the script-writer would have lampooned the Bollywood Badshah given the opportunity.

So, Shirish's script has Akshaye suffering from a terrible back ache for which he has to constantly go to London for treatment.

And, there's Akshaye in his opening shot talking about showing off his six-pack and going topless for a scene, which will remind viewers of SRK's Dard-e-Disco number in Om Shanti Om. Also, there's an international filmmaker coincidentally named Danny who comes to meet Akshaye and is kept waiting for six hours before Akshaye declines his film offer.

Anil Kapoor, who plays a cameo in TMK, then replaces Akshaye in this international film that wins an Oscar and Akshaye is shown regretting his decision. Which is really what happened when Danny Boyle approached SRK for Slumdog Millionaire with the role that Anil Kapoor went on to play and become an international superstar. Farah Khan, when confronted by BT with this, cleverly replied that she did not get our question at all. Hmnn... ignorance is bliss, isn't it?

SRK, Farah fight continues

The SRK-Farah Khan war only gets hotter. Rumour has it that King Khan has influenced Eros International to shift the release date of Ajay Devgn-Kajol starrer Toonpur Ka Superhero from December 17 to December 24, 2010, so that Farah's film does not go uncontested at the box-office.


If true, this is a rather strange, as Shah Rukh does not seem to mind if not-exactly-best-friend Ajay Devgn's film eats into former best buddy Farah's Tees Maar Khan. It must have been a tough call. SRK is very close to the Kishore and Sunil Lulla, head honchos of Eros International, ever since they produced Om Shanti Om, which Farah directed.

As already known, Shah Rukh kept dillydallying on Farah Khan's forthcoming film. When Farah decided to cast Akshay in the film, it did not go down too well with King Khan. Matters came to head when Shah Rukh even refused to show interest in Farah's offer to act in a remake of the 1983 super hit, Satte Pe Satta (Mumbai Mirror, May 5, 2010).

On Saturday, we bumped into the co-producer of Toonpur Ka Superhero, Kumar Mangat, at the first-look party of his film Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji at Cinemax. When questioned him on this change of date, he said, "Aisa nahi hai. Toonpur Ka Superhero ka producer main hoon aur maine uska release date decide kiya."

We sent a text message to Sunil Lulla. The company's official spokesperson denied this. "Toonpur Ka Superhero has been scheduled for Christmas Eve as it is a children/family entertainer. No other reason. So, December 24 would be a perfect time to release the film as vacations would have begun by then," said the spokesperson. Point noted.

When asked why the release of the film has shifted from December 17 to December 24, the spokesperson replied, "Eros International has a film, No Problem, scheduled for December 10." SRK and Farah Khan remained unavailable for comment. But the countdown, it seems, has begun.

‘Weather’ spoils SRK dinner - Channel puts off London event

“Unforeseen” circumstances that were later specified as “bad weather conditions” have forced the postponement of a gala London dinner planned by “the best British Pakistani channel” with Shah Rukh Khan as the main attraction.

Before the elements struck, the Shiv Sena had affected the climate through a warning in its mouthpiece Saamna: “It is inappropriate for Khan to be part of the event when India is observing the second anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks.”

A spokesperson for Prime TV, the organiser available on the Sky platform in the UK, said: “Shah Rukh will issue a statement — we are in a deep mess.”

The channel had continued to sell tickets almost till the last minute, confident that the actor would make it to the dinner.

Shortly afterwards, the channel attached a statement to its earlier promotional poster for the dinner: “With regret and apologies we announce postponement of the Shah Rukh Khan Gala Dinner to be held on Sunday 28th Nov in London due to unavoidable and untenable circumstances. An official press statement will be made by Shah Rukh Khan shortly today. We regret any inconvenience caused to our viewers and customers.”

From Prime TV’s statement, it appeared that the onus for the cancellation was being shifted to Shah Rukh who has been filming in Germany.

Later, a notice sent by Prime TV to those who had bought tickets sought to clear such a cloud. “Mr Shah Rukh Khan presently shooting in Berlin will not be in a position to travel to London for the event owing to bad weather conditions, which has caused a major delay in his shoot schedule,” it said.

“The challenging logistics of the crew, various permissions, arrangements and deadlines make it impossible for him to leave the assignment and travel for the event,” the Prime TV notice added.

“He sends his apologies and regrets missing an opportunity to meet all his fans. The event is postponed to May 2011. The date will be communicated to all concerned. Presently we are glad to refund your ticket monies and once again apologise for the inconvenience inadvertently caused.”

Some parts of Europe are indeed experiencing “historic-low” temperatures but flights from Berlin to London were operating as usual today.

The promotional posters had promised a fashion show. No mention was made of fundraising but, given the damage wreaked by floods in Pakistan, some were expecting to raise money for the victims.

If the dinner has been cancelled because of reasons other than the weather, few except the Shiv Sena win from this sorry affair.

It is not known how many tickets had been sold but the banqueting room of the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, one of London’s newer hotels located by the Thames, can accommodate 1,000.

Prime TV will have to refund the tickets, which will be a lengthy and cumbersome process. It will also have to pay penalty charges to the hotel and possibly the caterers.

It will not matter much to Shah Rukh that he will lose his fee, which has been estimated at upwards of £30,000. There may also be a clause for cancellation but this is unlikely to be enforced because both sides seem to be maintaining that he will appear on a future occasion.

Even yesterday, Prime TV had insisted that Shah Rukh was “a professional guy” who would “definitely” keep his promise to appear at the dinner.

SRK's father was considered for a role in 'Mughal-e-Azam'

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's father Taj Mohammed Khan was considered for the role of Durjan Singh in K Asif's 'Mughal-e-Azam', but was forced to turn it down due to ill-health.

"My father did consider Khan saab for the role - if his son is anything to go by then I'm sure he would have done a tremendous job," K Asif's son Akbar said in a documentary on the Star Network last night.

The documentary was released as part of the 50th anniversary tribute to the historic film 'Mughal-e-Azam'. Hosted by Shah Rukh himself and produced by his company Red Chillies, the unique Mughal-e-Azam documentary features interviews with Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan and Prithviraj Kapoor's great grand children Ranbir and Kareena Kapoor.

The documentary also featured masterpieces by artist M F Husain who was directly inspired by the film to paint 52 priceless works of art. "I wanted Mughal-e-Azam to take a step beyond immortality and that is why I humbly asked the great Husain saab to do the paintings.

"He has worked hard over the period of five years to create superb works of art, which say more about my father's film than any scholar, expert or historian can and that is why they will remain a permanent stamp in history, just like this great documentary," said Akbar.

King Khan to vote for Sundarbans while he in Dhaka for live show on Dec 10th,

Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan is going to perform live at Army Stadium in Dhaka and campaign for the Sundarbans to help it become one of the Seven Wonders of the World on December 10.

He will vote for the largest mangrove forest on stage. Local private television channel Boishakhi TV will telecast the megastar's voting and stage performance.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard between event organiser Ontor Showbiz and Boishakhi TV at a city hotel yesterday.

Swapan Chowdhury, chairman of Ontor Showbiz, at a press conference after signing the MoU said they have also launched a promotional campaign for the show.

Indian silver screen stars Rani Mukharjee, Arjun Rampal, Isha Kopikar, singer Niraj Sreedhar and choreographer Ganesh Hedge will also perform with Shahrukh Khan, said Swapan Chowdhury, adding that Bangladeshi movie star Shakib Khan, singer Kumar Biswajit and dancer Prantor will also perform in the six-hour show with the guest stars.

Shahrukh Khan and his co-performers will arrive Dhaka on December 9 and leave for home the day after the programme.

"This event will be a milestone in the realm of entertainment in Bangladesh and we are very excited as well as delighted to be a part of this," said Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, CEO and editor-in-chief of Boishakhi TV.

Tickets for the show will be available at different selected points in the capital. The price of tickets have been categorised in four kinds -- Bronze at Tk 3,000, Silver at Tk 5,000, Gold at Tk 10,000 and Platinum at Tk 25,000.

Re: CTBP - October-2010 issue - Papers 5 to 13

Shooting of Don 2 tend to a close

The Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan holds sympathetic because of the filming of the sequel "Don 2 - The Chase Continues" continues in the German capital Berlin, and was pleased to enter in the past week, so in the Golden Book of Berlin.

This Shah Rukh Khan resides in a Berlin hotel, where it has a little thanks to its special legal status because, contrary to the many other hotel guests should the Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan in his hotel room to his liking, smoking pursue.


The management allowed the actor Shahrukh Khan, in his suite to smoke while likely that this exemption for the charming Asian super star Shahrukh Khan be quite good because the main character of "Don 2 - The Chase Continues" smokes like to one or the other cigarette a day, but we do not like Apunkachoice.com For example, to exaggerate and claim that Shah Rukh Khan smokes like a chimney. "

But in his room is so Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan smoke probably not, because there is a terrace with its beautiful suite in Berlin, it has the hotel management, as producer Rithesh Sidhwani betrayed, allowed only pursue on his cigarette consumption to this terrace can .

One can not therefore claim that the German press "Gaga" due to the filming of Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan in Berlin, but it certainly is for many is a very beautiful highlight that this man and the actor already (with some interruptions) for weeks living in Berlin. Whether this visit and the film "Don 2" (sequel to Don) for more visitors from Asia (India) will not provide, but we know, although it certainly is good for Berlin to be able to host seeking an outstanding artist and star.

Over two months, began shooting the second part of 'Don' with Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Om Puri, Lara Dutt and Boman Irani and Florian Lukas and Kuran Kapoor in movie directed by Farhan Akhtar and as long is it shooting unfortunately longer pause.

The final film, "Don 2 - The Chase Continues" will start at the end of next year in theaters and is already looking forward to, of course, the fact that Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra can be seen in such a film, where you see it as a nice bonus that "Don 2", etc. takes place in Berlin.

All is well between SRK & Arjun,

Shah Rukh Khan and Arjun Rampal apparently had a brief tiff over payment issues and the Bollywood grapevine had it that the closest of friends weren't close anymore.

Arjun was reportedly upset that he was not getting his due for working in SRK's forthcoming movie Don 2. It is believed that Arjun, after films like Rajneeti, Housefull and We Are Family, had hiked his fee which did not go down too well with SRK. Reports of their fall-out hit headlines, but BT believes the boys are bonding big time again. Have they buried their differences and moved on? Our informer certainly say so.

BT has learned that Arjun, who celebrated his birthday on Friday in Delhi at his private club, was missing SRK. King Khan, who is shooting for his home production Don 2 in Berlin, is in the middle of a very gruelling schedule and could not fly down to celebrate with Arjun. However, SRK apparently intends to make it up to his buddy by throwing a party for him once he is back in town. Arjun admitted, "It is sad that some of my friends including SRK could not be there for my birthday. But we don't really need occasions. I will catch up with SRK when we both have time to bond. He and I have no problems with each other. This year I cannot travel during the December holidays. I have my plate full. Otherwise, we generally look to travel together."

Our informer added, "They are too mature to let gossip ruin their relationship. Even if they have had differences, they are not letting it hamper things. Arjun and SRK are planning to meet up soon for a boy bonding session. Their wives won't be part of it. This session is expected to cement their friendship further."

SRK, Kjo to launch David's son Varun,

It is perhaps the best way to get launched, some might say. Shah Rukh Khan is all set to launch David Dhawan's son, Varun Dhawan, and newcomer Sidharth Malhotra in Karan Johar's next film.

Although initially Karan was to only produce the film, he has now apparently decided to direct the film as well. This will be the first time that Karan himself will be directing a film which will star all newcomers.

Our source said, "So far he has only made multi-starrers right from his debut film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. However, the interesting part is that the film will be made with the association of SRK's production house Red Chillies as well and will be a joint venture with Dharma Productions.

David Dhawan's son Varun and Sidharth were both assistants to Karan in his last film My Name Is Khan. Karan also met a couple of young directors for the film. However he has finally decided to direct the film himself. The decision has been kept hush hush and a formal announcement will be been made."

Another source close to KJo said, "Karan is definitely producing the film with Shah Rukh. But it is still unclear over who will direct it. He has been meeting a lot of aspiring directors." Will Varun and Sidharth be having coffee with you next year, KJo? Only time will tell.

SRK in Berlin, but Sena attacks him for being in London, IDIOT Sena,

The Shiv Sena on Friday attacked Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for agreeing to perform at a function for Pakistani TV channel on the second anniversary of the 26/11 terror strike. However, the actor's office said that there was no truth in the allegation and that he was in Berlin shooting for "Don 2".

In a sharp editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamna, the Sena said Khan lived in India, worked in Mumbai, constructed a palace (Mannat Bungalow in Bandra) in Mumbai but agreed to do a song-and-dance for a Pakistani TV channel in London, ostensibly to help the victims of the recent floods there.

"This (26/11 anniversary) is becoming an occasion to celebrate, instead of remembering the sacrifices of the martyrs and the innocent victims of the terror attacks and paying them homage," the editorial said.

However, a source in Shah Rukh's office said, "Shah Rukh is very much in Berlin. He's shooting for Farhan Akhtar's 'Don 2'. He's not going anywhere. There is no truth in the Saamna story."

The Shiv Sena also castigated home minister R R Patil and opposition leader Eknath Khadse of the Bharatiya Janata Party for visiting Ajmal Amir Kasab, the sole surviving 26/11 terrorist, three days ago.

The party also frowned on the recent trip by US President Barack Obama, who stayed at the Hotel Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, to symbolise the unity against terror.

"But, President Obama, you had more than 50,000 policemen protecting you and the entire hotel evacuated for your stay. If the same amount of security had been deployed during 26/11, it would have never happened in the first place," it argued.

Besides, it sarcastically added that in his country (US), the home minister and opposition leader don't go and meet terrorists in jail enquiring after their well-being and happiness.

SRK, Rani, Arjun Rampal & Isha Koppikar to perform in Bangladesh

Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherji, Arjun Rampal and Isha Koppikar will perform in Dhaka on 10th December to campaign for the world's largest mangrove Sundarbans as one of the seven wonders of the world.

"The Bollywood stars will perform and vote to select the seven wonders at the Army Stadium. Bangladeshi private television channel Boishakhi TV will telecast the event," Swapan Chowdhury, chairman of Ontor Showbiz which signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the channel, announced on Thursday.

Bollywood singer Niraj Sreedhar, choreographer Ganesh Hedge, Bangladeshi movie star Shakib Khan, singer Kumar Biswajit and dancer Prantor will also perform at the six-hour show.

King Khan and his co-performers will arrive here a day earlier.

"This event will be a milestone in the realm of entertainment in Bangladesh and we are very excited as well as delighted to be a part of this," Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, CEO and editor-in-chief of Boishakhi TV was quoted as saying.

Shiv Sena targets SRK yet again

The Shiv Sena targeted Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan in its party mouthpiece Saamna on Friday.

Sena slammed the actor for appearing on a Pakistani TV show on the second anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack.

Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna claims that SRK will also host a dinner party at a restuarant in London for Prime TV where a fashion show will also be organised.

A news item in Saamna claims, "while the country mourns the deaths of 26/11 terror attack victims, SRK is going to dance and sing for a Pakistani channel called Prime TV in London."

This is not the first time the party has targeted the actor. Earlier in January, it launched a campaign against Shahrukh Khan for his stand on allowing Pakistani players to play in IPL.

In April, the Shiv Sena criticised SRK for renaming the heritage bungalow he purchased to 'Mannat'.

SRK gets special permission to smoke in Berlin hotel

The actor has been allowed to smoke in his hotel room in Berlin, a city where lighting up is banned!

Germany has banned smoking in public and private restaurants since 2008. Those caught flouting the ban would face a fine of up to 100 Euros (approx Rs 6,116).

Smoking in public places, especially in hotels and restaurants is strictly prohibited not just in Berlin but in other German states as well.

There are 'No Smoking' signs and warnings that the offender would be fined if caught smoking, put up everywhere.

Bending rules

However, the rules have been bent for Shah Rukh Khan, who is shooting in Berlin for Farhan Akhtar's Don 2. The actor can smoke at the Hotel Mandala on Potsdamer Platz for the entire duration of his stay there. It has been two months since he began shooting there.

Recently, a German magazine carried a report about the general manager of the hotel giving Shah Rukh special permission to flout the norms.

A special exception was made for Suite 1107, where Shah Rukh will stay till the end of November. The actor has also been provided an ashtray to make sure he doesn't damage the carpeting and linen in his suite on the 11th floor of the hotel. The rate of the room is Rs 113,960 per night.

According to law, smoking is forbidden throughout the property's premises. However, the management of Hotel Mandala has made an exception for Shah Rukh because they consider him their most prized guest. The actor's craving for nicotine is well known, but this is the first time that the authorities have bent rules for anyone.

Royal treatment

The German media has already carried articles gushing about India's King Khan choosing their city for his mega-budget film. Berlin's mayor Klaus Wowereit even gave him a personal tour of the majestic Town Hall, the Rotes Rathaus.

It's obvious the Germans are going all out to make SRK's stay in their country as comfortable and memorable as possible.

Producer Ritesh Sidhwani confirms, "Shah Rukh's suite has a terrace attached and they (the hotel authorities) were kind enough to allow him to smoke only on the terrace."

Germans Love SRK
There's a regular stream of fans outside SRK's hotel every morning, waiting just to meet him. It's the same scene when he returns at night from his shoot. SRK happily obliges fans with autographs and poses for photographs. Incidentally, Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom, who was recently staying at the same hotel as SRK thought he was being stalked by paparazzi but was told by the hotel management that the fans outside the hotel were there for the Indian actor.

Pehle Bhi
The National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), protested against Shah Rukh, who was shown on TV, smoking during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on April 21, 2009 in South Africa. NOTE asked the South African National Council Against Smoking (NCAS) to consider the issue seriously and stop smoking in the stadium during IPL matches. After this, Shah Rukh expressed his willingness to stop attending further games if his smoking would become such a big issue.

SRK to vote for Sundarbans to make it one of the 'New Natural Seven Wonders'.

Bollywood Superstar Shahrukh Khan will cast vote for the Sundarbans to make it one of the 'New Natural Seven Wonders'.

His casting will be broadcasted on private TV channel Boishakhi TV, said chairman of Antar Showbiz Swapan Chowdhury at a press conference organised jointly by Ontor Showbiz and Boishakhi TV at a city hotel.

Khan known as 'King Khan' is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on December 9, 2010. The show will be staged on December 10 and the megastar will go back the following day.

Hrithik respects Shah Rukh

Hrithik about life after the Barbara rumours, surviving the Kites debacle and being a bad businessman with his career

Hrithik Roshan is back home after being hospitalized for a day. The actor still had a bloated face, when we I caught up with him at his plush residence in Juhu.

What went so wrong that you had to be hospitalized?
I didn't think I could be allergic to an antibiotic. But something went wrong; my throat shut and there was no speech, and we managed to reach in time before my lungs collapsed.

Only I had to spend the night in the hospital. By morning I was discharged and now I just have a little swelling on my face which will go in a day's time. Then back to celebrating and partying again. (Smiles)

They say it's the partying that caused this in the first place. The partying at Zayed's house...
No, I was already sick. I have been sick ever since I have done the Sa Re Ga Ma show. I just went to Zayed's place for five minutes. I just ate the vegetarian food there and came back. Doctors, who did their tests, found that it was an allergic reaction to a Levofloxacin tablet that I took.

Guzaarish's box office collections are not great.
I am not anyone to gauge or predict the graph of box office. All I know so far, the graph is exactly like Jodha Akbar. They are a few films which open like a Dhoom 2 or a Krrish and there are a few films like Jodha Akbar, where the appreciation keeps growing when one watches the film.

A major portion of the film was in English. Is that what kept the audiences away?
In my 10 years I have not received this kind of applause. I have not received this kind of feedback. People are giving me love without words. It is just a hug and the hug lasts for an entire minute and that just says soo much more.

Did you need a critically-acclaimed film after the Kites debacle?
I don't manipulate, calculate and plan my steps. I only follow my instincts. I don't know what is going to be next. I didn't know Agneepath was going to be next. I don't know what is next after that. I am a very bad businessman. I don't keep my work as business.

What do you think went wrong with Kites?
I think it was my attempt to break the language barrier. I think apart from that nothing else was the problem.

Did rumours about you and Barbara Mori affect you and your family?
Well, if it did, then you would have seen an affected behavior. When it affects it is very apparent. Barbara, Sussanne and I, my father, her brother Kintaro, all through Kites shared a close and a very nice relationship.

There is no distance there, if there was distance that would create awkwardness. So because of that there was no need to get affected.

The only thing that happened was a lesson in disguise because those rumors and talks pushed me into playing Ethan. My attempt to cut off from the world and get into that mind just became more driven, so I got that extra nudge and push from God, which is why my silence and which is why the media just went on and on. So all worked out in the end and you see the fruits in the end.

Are you in touch with Barbara?
Of course. My entire family is in touch with her and so is she.

Shah Rukh Khan and you have become thick friends suddenly?
I don't think we have become close now. We were always close, but from my side there is of course friendship, but it stems from a very, very deep amount of respect which I have for him as an artist, as a human being, as a person. He is a symbol of what all of us aspire to be.

How do you justify your inclusion to step into Big B's shoes in the remake of Agneepath?
I know a lot of people are seeing it like that but let me clear that out. I am not a fool. It is the most foolish and naive thing to try to fit into God's shoes. It is Agneepath, but it is re-worked.

Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra was supposed to direct Krrish 3. It's back to daddy now.
I forced dad to make this film. It is his baby and I think only he can do justice to it. If my dad doesn't work for one year then this house will turn into hell (laughs.) He needs to work, he is a passionate man, so his passions needs to be vented out.

Shekhar Kapur approached you for his next Paani?
There have been talks. We are all friends in the industry and we all talk. It would be great if I ever get to work with him.I love him as a person and as a director. Deep, deep respect for him. I am hoping and praying we will work with each other one day.

"Ra.One" needed special effects similar to X-Men" - Jeff Kleiser - VFX Supervisor,

Jeff Kleiser is a name you may not instantly connect with. But in the coming few months, one could be sure that every Bollywood lover will instantly recall this name when the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Ra.One hits the silver screen. Reason? Well, Jeff is the VFX supervisor for this most talked about VFX heavy flick and also the CEO and Co-founder of US based Synthesian Studios.

On his recent India visit, Bollywood Hungama caught up with this VFX stalwart who is closely working with Ra.One VFX India team (Red Chillies.VFX) and is in the process of executing some rare VFX shots for the flick. Jeff Kleiser's pioneering work in computer animation has spanned the history of the medium. He has contributed to films with groundbreaking visual effects including Tron, Stargate, Judge Dredd, Clear And Present Danger, Mortal Kombat Annihilation and X-Men to name a few.

In a quick Q n A with Money Sharma of Bollywood Hungama, Jeff shared tit-bits about Ra.One, Indian studios, their work culture and the industry.

Excerpts from the conversation:

Can you please tell us more about your background and credits...

Apart from working on several Hollywood 'VFX heavy' flicks, I have served as senior visual effects supervisor on The One - a film starring martial arts master Jet Li, which required the development of innovative digital face replacement techniques. More recently, I also supervised visual effects for Son of the Mask, Fantastic Four, Scary Movie 4, and most recently, Surrogates. In addition to supervising visual effects projects, I have also directed numerous commercials.

With partner Diana Walczak, I have directed CG-animated stereoscopic films for projects such as The Thea and EDDY Award-winning Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Thrill Ride (for Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida); the Philip Glass/Robert Wilson digital opera, Monsters of Grace, Santa Lights Up New York for The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and Corkscrew Hill an original ride attraction written by Walczak and myself for Busch Entertainment.

Besides all this, I am also a founder and trustee of the Williamstown Film Festival and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In addition to that, I also teach computer animation at Williams College.

How did your association happen with Red Chillies VFX and Shah Rukh Khan?
My good friend Shelley Page, Head of recruiting for DreamWorks, recommended me based on our Mystique transformations on the X-Men films, which is somewhat similar to effects needed for Ra.One

Ra.One is talked about for its VFX extravaganza these days. How are you going to make sure that it is going to live up to the audience expectations?
We are employing new software technology and developing custom tools to create the effects. We have lined up an extreme computing solution so that we can execute novel VFX for the show.

You have been in India for a while now, how do you define the work culture here?
I have enjoyed India immensely. From a live action photography standpoint, it is a very different work culture in that there is much less pre-planning than I am used to, and there is a reluctance to make decisions and expedite strategies quickly that has been frustrating.

If we talk about the creativity, where do you put India on the global VFX's scale?
I have been seeing more and more interesting work done in the animation schools in India, but I would have to rank them substantially below the US and European efforts.

As India is getting prominent on the global map, what kind of feedback are you getting from colleagues in Hollywood?
Hollywood is waking up to India as a global player, and more US talent has been visiting India and working with Indian funding sources. I expect this trend to accelerate as more Indian films break through to the West, with Ra.One hopefully leading the charge.

How does technology fare in India?
Technology is becoming readily available globally, so there is little problem obtaining what is needed. India is behind in many areas of filmmaking technology, but many new companies and investors will change that quickly.

Future plans...
I am looking forward to coming back to India to wrap up Ra.One post production and have been talking with local producers about upcoming projects, in which we would like to become involved.

Will Shah Rukh Khan Say Yes To Dhoom 3?

Bollywood ‘Badshah’ Shah Rukh Khan has portrayed negative roles in movies like Darr, Baazigar, Anjaam, Duplicate and several other films and he was appreciated for his performances in those films. His character in Darr gained immense popularity for his typical stammering style. Recently, we have seen him portraying the popular character of ‘Don’ in the movie by the same name, which was originally immortalized by mega star Amitabh Bachchan.

Now, there is a buzz that SRK is going to don the grey character once again and that too, for the third movie of Dhoom series. After much talk and speculation about the director and the actor to play the negative character, it has been reported that Aditya Chopra will direct Dhoom 3 and King Khan has reportedly given dates for the movie. Sanjay Gadhvi, the director of Dhoom and Dhoom 2, has quit Yash Raj films so Adi decided to take the responsibility on him.

However, some sources deny the confirmation saying that nothing has been finalized yet as SRK has been approached for being a part of the directorial venture of Yash Chopra.

Shooting for Dhoom 3 is likely to start from March, 2011. In Dhoom 2, Hrithik Roshan became the real hero even if he portrayed in the negative character. Now, it will be a challenge for SRK to recreate the magic that already touched the viewers’ heart. However, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra will continue to portray their respective roles.

Vijay Krishna Acharya of Tashan fame will be writing the script of this challenging sequel. We hope the news of SRK taking up the negative role comes out to be true since the audience have always loved him in such roles.

SRK to do a Di Caprio

Bollywood is excited that the patch-up between Shah Rukh Khan and Vishal Bhardwaj (after years!) has led to the possibility of a remake of Martin Scorsese's super hit The Departed.

That SRK and Bhardwaj will do a film is certain, and if it is the official remake of Scorsese's film, then the actor will most certainly do Di Caprio's role. Which is that of a cop! The last time Shah Rukh played a cop was 10 years ago in the average action drama One 2 Ka 4 co-starring Jackie Shroff.

Apparently, both SRK and Bhardwaj are keen on a joint production and in the meeting that they last had, they were eager to remake The Departed. The consent and rights have to be got from the international production house post which they can embark upon their ambitious film. For Matt Damon's role in the Hollywood film, the two will have to sit down and think about which other big Bollywood star to cast.

However, at the time both SRK and Bhardwaj are busy with current projects, and this remake will not take off before 2011. The Bollywood Badshah is working on Ra.One and Don 2, the former being his home production for which SRK will look into everything from marketing to promotions. He apparently has kept three months away from all other work for Ra.One. Actor SRK, meanwhile, is busy going through a gruelling schedule in freezing Berlin for Don 2. Thus, he has no time to sit with Bhardwaj and discuss their project.

Bhardwaj has dedicated all his time for Saat Khoon Maaf and his ambitious next film Dream Sequence which is still going through casting issues. Hence, the project with SRK is also not on his mind. They will only meet early next year to have a fresh discussion on The Departed remake. In case, it is too difficult for them to work out this project given the rights that have to be taken, they might discuss doing something else. But they will work together next year, that's a guarantee.

Who's the Supercop?
Interestingly, the two other Khans — Aamir and Salman — are also playing cops in movies slated for 2011. While Salman will again play the lovable Robin Hood-ish Chulbul Pandey in the sequel to Dabangg, Aamir is playing the cop after 12 years in Reema Kagti's film. He last played a police officer in the hit Sarfarosh.

SRK made Sachin Tendulkar dance

Trust Shah Rukh Khan to achieve the near impossible. He made Sachin Tendulkar dance. This is how it went down.

At the recently held Sahara India Sports Awards hosted by SRK, Virendra Sehwag was called on stage by King Khan to dance, and Viru, in turn challenged SRK to get Tendlya on the stage.

He even bet the actor that if he managed to do so, he would do anything for him in return. Shah Rukh took up the challenge and brought Sachin on the stage.

An awfully embarrassed Sachin moved sideways, did a small cute jig, and then SRK rescued him and put him out of his misery.

It is a known fact that Sachin seldom attends parties or dances on the stage like his contemporaries. In the past, Sreesanth, Harbhajan, Yuvraj have tried to make him dance but in vain.

Suffice it to say when SRK beckons, nobody refuses him and neither did Sachin.

SRK Touched With Hrithik’s Performance In "Guzaarish"

Even a few days back, Hrithik Roshan had been completely written off as an actor after his much awaited film Kites bombed at the box office. With the release of Guzaarish, the actor has more than made up for the flaw. His film is not only a commercial hit, Hrithik Roshan has also completely gave an answer back to the critics speaking against him. Hit or flop, Hrithik Roshan has never had a dearth of fans. But after his touching performance in Guzaarish, he has a very special fan and he is none other than Bollywood co-star and friend Shah Rukh Khan.

According to reports, Shah Rukh Khan was so touched after watching Guzaarish that he immediately called up Hrithik to congratulate him on his performance. And since Hrithik’s wife Suzanne Khan was already a part of the group watching Guzaarish at Shah Rukh’s home Mannat, SRK asked Hrithik too, to drop by. All this took place in the late hours of the night, and if reports are to be believed Hrithik Roshan stayed back until 2 am speaking to SRK about his experiences on working as a quadriplegic in Guzaarish.

While Bollywood’s King Khan has gone on air showering praises on Hrithik’s Ethan act, saying that the actor surpassed his own performance as a diseased man in My Name Is Khan, Hrithik Roshan very humbly denied that he was disturbed by Shah Rukh’s call in the middle of the night. Though the actor has been recovering from viral fever, he made it a point to drive down to Mannat, stressing on the fact that it was for Shah Rukh who is not only a great friend but also a very generous human being.

While My Name Is Khan was already a frontrunner in film awards to be held next year, Shah Rukh Khan now has stiff competition from Hrithik Roshan’s Guzaarish.

SRK's film "DON 2" Explosion on a movie set,

Confusing scenes at the weekend in the middle of Berlin: helicopter circling over the fairgrounds, smoke draw on Germany Hall, injured are loaded into ambulances and a fire engine exploded with a huge bang!

A fire mushroom rising in the night sky, blazing flames, forces of police and firefighters are on site.

This scenario was fortunately not a real bombing or a terrorist act. It was "only" about the shooting of Shah Rukh Khan's latest film "Don 2".

The Indian superstar has been chasing many Berliners with such massive action scenes certainly a shock.

SRK rebuilding his social network

The saying goes: you've got to be careful about who all you offend on your way up because these are the same people you will meet on your way down. What this means in Shah Rukh Khan's context is gradually coming to the surface now.

Yesterday, we told you that Shah Rukh called up Sanjay Leela Bhansali and mended fences with him, praising his latest film Guzaarish.

The latest is that King Khan apologised to Sunil Gavaskar close to two weeks ago, at a sports awards function. After lashing out at Gavaskar in 2009 for his comments on the Kolkata Knight Riders' coach John Buchanan, Shah Rukh made an extra effort to mend his differences with him.

Says an eyewitness, "When Gavaskar came up on stage, SRK politely told him that whatever had been reported had been misconstrued by the media, that he respects him very much and loves him for the several honours he has brought to the country." And Gavaskar apparently smiled and told SRK that things often get blown out of proportion.

We agree. But Mumbai Mirror gives you a tell-it-as-it-is account of King Khan's attempts at patching up with friends he almost lost.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra: The SRK-Vidhu war started after Vidhu justified Eklavya being nominated for the Oscars by saying, 'If the SRK starrer Paheli could be India's official entry to the Oscars earlier, why not Eklavya?' Chopra and Khan stopped talking post this.

SRK opted out of Vidhu's 3 Idiots and asked the Munnabhai director Raju Hirani (a Chopra loyalist) to direct a film for his banner, and things got ugly then. The latest buzz is that Vidhu is contemplating making a film with SRK.

Vishal Bhardwaj: Bhardwaj and SRK had creative differences over a script some time ago. Now, SRK has signed Bhardwaj to direct a film for his company Red Chillies Entertainment.

Aishwarya Rai: SRK cast Rani Mukherjee instead of Aishwarya Rai in Chalte Chalte after noticing Salman Khan's unruly behaviour on the sets. SRK and Ash stopped talking. Things changed after Karan Johar's birthday bash, last year, wherein SRK apologised to her. The latest is that SRK wants to cast Aishwarya in his next production and sources say that she too has agreed to play his ladylove.

Akshay Kumar: It's known that while SRK's camp has never wished ill for any of Akshay's films, Akshay's coterie used to send out SMSs on SRK films hitting the theatres and not doing too well, even when the collections were respectable. Today, Shah Rukh is in frequent touch with Akshay. He even visited the sets of Akshay's show Master Chef.

Arjun Rampal: SRK may not have gotten over Rampal's demands for a decent fee for RA.One, but after a brief fight with him, SRK invited Rampal home for dinner and now, they're talking again.

Pakistan's Bollywood affair marred by piracy

People in Pakistan swoon over Shah Rukh Khan's dimples and love the melodrama of a Karan Johar movie but like a typical Hindi film there's also a villian in the script - piracy.

"Screening of Bollywood movies is still restricted in a lot of cinema halls because of the huge print costs. And on top of that, we have to battle with piracy here as well, which is quite rampant in Pakistan,"the managing director of Mandviwalla Entertainment, Nadeem Mandviwalla, told IANS.

He says that Bollywood has been popular in Pakistan for over 30 years, but piracy is killing the movie-watching experience.

"The day a movie releases here, you can get its pirated version as well. Hence it affects our business and not many cinema hall owners can afford to do that. Piracy is the biggest deterrent in our industry," he added.

Mandviwalla, who is also the owner of Nishat and DHA cinema complexes in Lahore, says that Karachi had around 36 stand-alone theatres, and one multiplex with five screens, Universe Cineplex.

While pirated CDs and DVDs may make Hindi films accessible to a larger audience, the shoddy quality is too huge a price to pay.

The menace of piracy is so rampant that theatre owners say they can tackle it only by giving an "enhanced viewing experience" to film buffs.

Mandviwalla said he wanted to give a complete cinematic experience to movie buffs in Pakistan, and was launching a digital cinema multiplex in Karachi.

"There is no 3D cinema in Pakistan; so we are introducing it by this month's end in Karachi. We will give our audience a world class experience. This will be the first ever in our country," he said.

"It's the elite class and some of the middle-class people who come to watch movies in cinemas and our sole focus is now on giving them a different experience. Many people will buy pirated copies and won't ever come to a theatre, but real movie buffs won't mind going that extra mile to get a good experience," he said.

The tickets at a multiplex cost 350 Pakistani rupees, while for a stand-alone theatre, tickets cost 250, 150 and 70 Pakistani rupees respectively for gallery, dress circle and stall.

So, what is it about Bollywood that makes Pakistanis such fervent adherents of the 'love thy neighbour' philosophy?

"I love everything about Bollywood. We relate so much to the culture and the way it is presented. There is so much drama into it, so much style and glamour... it is simply amazing," gushes Zahra Lotia, a student, to this visiting IANS correspondent.

While for the older generation, Shah Rukh Khan rules the popularity charts, the youngsters prefer stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif.

Among the filmmakers, Karan Johar is an overwhelming favourite.

"He is a rock star. Look at his movies, he knows how to hit the nail on the head. His larger than life movies take us to into another world altogether, where we have happy endings," said Anam Sheikh, another student.

In a nation where people have learnt to live with uncertainty and chaos, it's these Bollywood masala fares that provide much-needed relief.

"We have learnt to live our life the hard way, so our love for Bollywood gives a breather from the regular news of bloodshed and killings. Sometimes, one needs to live in the reel life as well," said beauty saloon owner Ruquia.

Kareena not in action for film "Ra.One"

Shah Rukh Khan's Anubhav Sinha directed RA.ONE is presently taking a much needed rest. While SRK has been busy with the shooting of Farhan Aktar's DON 2, his directer Anubhav Sinha is recently back from a very rejuvenating holiday in US and UK. The scene is all set for the penultimate schedule of RA.ONE in Bombay from December 12, where two songs are to be picturised, as we have already told you.

Although a lot of info is being circulated about RA.ONE, most of it unsubstantiated, nothing much has been written about the leading lady Kareena Kapoor. We did read somewhere that Kareena Kapoor was all set to indulge in some breathtaking stunts, but once again it is not true.

Kareena recently disclosed that she does not like action and once again she is not into action kind of stunts in RA.ONE and is playing the mother of SRK's kid in RA.ONE and hers is more of a song-dance kind of conventional role in the film. So that is it straight from the leading lady!

Well, after the blockbuster success of GOLMAAL 3, we wish an even bigger success to Bebo for RA.ONE.

When Shah Rukh, Hrithik bonded over "Guzaarish"

Shah Rukh Khan was so moved by Hrithik Roshan's performance as a paraplegic in "Guzaarish" that he yanked his younger colleague out of slumber and made him immediately drive down to his bungalow 'Mannat'.

Tired and fighting off a viral attack, Hrithik still drove down to 'Mannat'. And he and King Khan discussed "Guzaarish" and Hrithik's performance until 2 AM.

"Shah Rukh had asked for a print of 'Guzaarish' because he's very fond of Hrithik. Also because Shah Rukh had played a mentally challenged character in 'My Name Is Khan', he was curious to see how Hrithik had approached the character of a physically disabled hero," said a source.

Shah Rukh was watching the film with his family and friends and it was half-way through that he rang up Hrithik and asked him to come home immediately. The two are close friends and their wives are even closer.

Said Hrithik: "In fact, Sussanne was already at 'Mannat'. When Shah Rukh wanted me to go over, I had no choice. He's always very generous."

The source added: "What started as professional inquisitiveness turned into a complete involvement with the on-screen goings-on. Shah Rukh felt Hrithik in 'Guzaarish' out-excelled his own performance in 'My Name Is Khan'. Shah Rukh also feels 'Guzaarish' was way superior to what the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had achieved with Shah Rukh in 'Devdas'."

"Guzaarish", in which Hrithik plays a paraplegic, hit screens Friday and also stars Aishwarya Rai.

Aditya Chopra isn't directing Dhoom 3 & SRK isn't playing a pivotal role in the movie.

Yash Raj Films has had to come out and make another statement saying this story is So Not True. Apparently, the highly anticipated Dhoom 3 is the subject of another false story. In the article it was reported that Aditya Chopra was going to direct Dhoom 3 and that Shah Rukh Khan was part of the cast. YRF has totally refuted that any of this is true and says, "It is really sad that we have to comment on articles like this time after time".

In a statement blasting the story, YRF's Rafiq Gangjee wrote, "While the least one expects is that news be checked with us before going to print, it is utterly astonishing and nonsensical that despite a clear SMS, as well as a personal phone call, denying that the story was untrue, an irresponsible journalist still chose to carry a fabricated concoction in this morning's Mumbai Mirror titled, "Aditya Chopra to direct Dhoom 3" and that Shah Rukh Khan is playing a pivotal role in the movie. And that too by choosing to start the article by saying "it's official now!" One can only presume that it's either for the sake of occupying newsprint space!"

SRK, think of your fans before driving in the wrong lane

Celebs, especially cricketers and filmstars, are followed like religion. It is no surprise, therefore, that they are often the first choice of any corporate group that can afford them for product or service endorsement. Hence, you see Dhoni, Sachin, Dravid, Yuvraj, Kareena, Amitabh, Abhishek, Hrithik, Ranbir, Deepika or Shah Rukh, among scores of other celebs, lending their face or name to almost any product or service available in the country.

And since only the biggies can afford their services, the big marketing and advertising budgets also ensure these faces are all-pervasive and stare down at you from any TV channel or print publication in the country, often translated into different languages to cater to different regions.

Do these stars possess the sensitivity that they should exhibit when they endorse a product? Over a decade ago, Sachin and Hrithik endorsed an internet company that actually turned out to be a fraud. There was a bit of debate on the issue and whether the stars should not be careful when they lend their names to dodgy stuff. To be fair to Sachin and Hrithik, however, when they endorsed this company, the entire nation, perhaps the world, was in the midst of an internet boom and they had no way of knowing if this was a fraud or not.

However, the same cannot be said of a recent TV commercial involving Shah Rukh Khan, in which he is promoting a new version of Hyundai's i10. In the commercial, which can be seen on almost every channel these days, the frequency rising with the festival season, Shah Rukh takes a left exit, stops dead in the middle, debates whether to go to Mumbai, the lane in which he is standing, or to Goa. After deliberating briefly, the superstar nonchalantly reverses in the wrong lane and gets on to the road leading to Goa. He made it look so cool and easy, and of course, the done and macho thing.

Dear Shah Rukh, you know you are a role model for millions. I may not necessarily think you are a great actor, even in commercial cinema, but you are a great entertainer for the masses and that is a huge achievement. Thanks to that, you also have an enormous grip over your fans. So, your hairstyle to dressing habits to the way you speak to the way you walk to the way you drive, is all emulated. It is extremely important, therefore, that you do things right.

India, as you know, has among the deadliest roads in the world in terms of fatalities. While I would have expected even the multinational auto manufacturer and the advertising agency to be sensitive to this, the onus on you, for obvious reasons, is even bigger. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. More than that I was disappointed, for I have heard you utter "politically correct" sentiments so very often that to see you do something wrong in an advertisement was a shock.

The least you can do now is to speak to the car manufacturer and ask them to amend the commercial appropriately. It would be great to see you driving that car and endorsing its drivability, but all done the right way, so that millions of your fans too can follow you, the right way. It would be sad if someone were to stop dead in the middle of the road and reverse in busy traffic and get hurt, or heaven forbid, even fatally, just because he saw his hero do so.

Reve "Shahrukh Bola Khoobsurat Hai Tu"

Story: The film explores the effect of movies and superstars on the life of small-timers who form the hardcore fan base of larger-than-life actors. Young Lali (Pritika Chawla) may be an ordinary flower seller, but her life changes when superstar Shah Rukh Khan stops at a traffic signal one day and tells her she's pretty. Overcome by self-importance, she turns her back to her old flame, John and begins to lead her life in a fantasy where she believes super-god Shah Rukh will save her from all her travails.

Movie Review: This one's a small, experimental film that delves into the psyche of the archetypal Bollywood fan who transmutes the object of his devotion -- a movie star -- into a demi-god. A smart little fable that kinda explains why Indians erect temples for their favourite stars or write fan mail to them in blood.

Set against a crumbling bustee in Mumbai, the film revolves around a traffic signal where a bunch of small-timers live and love. And against this colourful backdrop of fringe folks, Shah Rukh Khan (in a special appearance) accidentally unleashes a Devdas-ish folklore, where book-seller John (Sanjay) pines for his own Paro (Pritika) who has eyes only for her DDLJ hero SRK, while the friendly neighbourhood hooker (Choyoti) doubles up as the local Chandramukhi and tries her best to seduce the reluctant Romeo.

Makarand Deshpande has already made his name in theatre and has almost always pitched in an arresting cameo in his screen avtar. With Shah Rukh Bola...he makes an interesting debut as a film director and holds out promise for the future. The film does have a few rough edges and needs a bit of editing. But it exudes a sense of novelty that keeps the moments ticking.

Daniel Radcliffe: Harry Potter’s take on Bollywood and Shahrukh Khan

Deathly Hallows actor Daniel Radcliffe (co-star of Emma Watson and Rupert Grint) has been donning the wizardry robes for nearly 10 years playing the central character of Harry Potter in the Warner Bros. fantasy franchisee.

Daniel has a humongous fan following in India and the wizard knows a thing or two about Bollywood. Admitting his love for Bollywood films, Radcliffe cites that he loves the song sequences coz they make the film a lot more engrossing and entertaining.


Daniel Radcliffe
Yes! He has watched a few Bolly flicks. However, he doesn't quite remember the difficult names, them being in Hindi with which he is not quite acquainted.

But when quizzed if he liked any actor, he was quick to name the Bollywood King Shahrukh Khan. Radcliffe cites that SRK is big in Britain and has a tsunami-like fan following. Admitting his fondness for him, Dan hails him as the epitome of style and class.

Daniel (aka Harry) also professes his nostalgia now that the curtains have fallen on the Harry Potter films. For over a decade, he has lived the life of a wizard but now he has to move on. Deathly Hallows Part I hits theatres on 19th November and the concluding part shall release on July 15th the following year. Are you prepared for the end?

Shah Rukh's Eidi to his fans

After a prolonged shooting stretch in Germany, SRK returned India on Eid eve.

His homecoming on Eid is the biggest gift he could have given his fans. The shutterbugs had already lined up at the airport terminal to capture the return of King Khan on their lens and expectedly there was hysterical commotion on his entry. So much was the madness outside the airport that one photographer was literally swept off his feet. The gentleman that Shah Rukh is, he helped the photographer get back on his feet.

Incidentally actress Madhuri Dixit arrived in India around the same time. Shah Rukh Khan has always been a huge admirer of Madhuri Dixit. The two stars just missed each other by few minutes. Hopefully the two can catch up sometime soon with Madhuri being in India for some time for her new assignments.

Shah Rukh Khan has been shooting nonstop for his upcoming film Don 2 – The Chase Continues in Berlin. In fact he celebrated his birthday as well as Diwali out of country. It's always great to have him back.

My Khans and me: Kareena

SHAH RUKH: ‘Raj or SRK, he’s every woman’s dream’ He’s been the Badshah of Bollywood for years. And is as lovable and energetic off screen, as he is on it. Raj or Shah Rukh, he’s every woman’s dream.

After "Asoka", "Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham" and "Billu",
in which I made a special appearance in a song, we’re now working on Ra.One. It’s exciting being a part of a fantasy adventure in the superhero genre and from what I’ve seen, Shah Rukh will pull it off.

There’s been talk that since Robot’s release, some of the super effects are being redone or upgraded. That’s non-sense! RA.One is going to introduce you to SFX that you have never seen before.

Shah Rukh and Arjun (Rampal) have their superhero costumes. For once, I’m glad they are not a part of my wardrobe, and for a change, the weight loss controversy is dogging my co-stars rather than me. For me, the biggest high as far as this film goes, is Akon’s song. That will be my memento!"

"Ra.One" SRK’s special gift in Diwali 2011

A King is always the King and rightly so the ruler sets standards and the pupils follow. Bollywood Badshaah Shahrukh Khan is gung ho to see that his dream project 'Ra.One' leaves no stone unturned in Bollywood super hero sci-fi genre.

With 'Robot' setting new standards in Bollywood sci-fi, SRK wants his 'Ra.One' to surpass all expectations.

The movie which was supposed to be released by mid of 2011 has been sifted till Diwali because the SFX won't be complete by then.

Shahrukh wants to ensure the best effects for his fans and is ready to go to any length to achieve his goal.

According to close hands, 'Ra One' will have the best effects which money can buy.

So all of you fans can wait till Diwali and can ignore the hassle of buying crackers next year because the Badshaah is all set to blast his way into your Diwali plans to make it more and more enjoyable.

German fans love King Khan

Shah Rukh finds out just how much fans love him in Germany. They even offer him free cab rides,

They love Shah Rukh Khan in Germany. The superstar is in Berlin shooting for Don 2 and there's a crowd outside his hotel every morning just to meet him. It's the same scene when he returns at night from his shoot.

Considerate star
SRK happily obliges fans with autographs and poses for photographs. Says an eyewitness, "He does this every day without fail.

Fans queue outside the hotel even when it's freezing or if it rains. SRK even sends out for coffee and pizzas for those waiting for hours."

But it does get embarrassing when they refuse to accept payment for services rendered. Like the time he got a free cab ride in lieu of a pic and an autograph.

The lowdown

Here's what happened: After shooting, the Don 2 cast and crew indulge in soccer matches at a ground close to the hotel.

One day, it went on till 4.30 am. SRK decided to go out for coffee. Instead of calling for the hotel car, they hailed a cab.

As soon as they stepped in, the driver recognised SRK. When they reached their destination, the cabbie refused to let him pay for the ride.

Despite King Khan insisting, the driver in Berlin said he would accept only a picture with the actor as the fare because his daughter was a big fan.

Shah Rukh posed with the driver and signed an autograph for his daughter before thanking him and leaving.

Producer Ritesh Sidhwani confirms, "Yes, Shah Rukh is pretty famous among the local people and yes, the taxi ride was a impromptu plan as we decided to step out pretty late and this taxi guy refused to accept money from us."

Not For Me?
Incidentally, Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom, who was staying at the same hotel as SRK thought he was being stalked by paparazzi but was told by the hotel management that the fans outside the hotel were standing there for the Indian actor.

SRK wants the best for "Ra.One"

Fans of King Khan, who are eagerly awaiting the release of his next film, might have to wait even more as RA.One has now been pushed to a Diwali 2011 release.

The film was scheduled to be released in June next year. However it seems that the SFX won't be complete by then.

Our source said, "RA.One is Shah Rukh's most ambitious film till date. He is leaving no stone unturned for the production values of the film.

Already there are strong rumours that Rajni's Robot is similar to RA.One; it is a known fact that SRK was the one who was scheduled to star in Robot before he had differences with Shanker and Shanker went on to make the film with Rajnikanth.

Now people are saying that both the films have lots of similarities. That apart, Robot is already a huge hit and the SFX of the film are being talked about. Keeping all this in mind, SRK wants the film to be nothing less than the best.

He will not settle for anything but the best and he wants the special effects of the film to be of the top order, making it a technical feat in Bollywood.

SRK himself had tweeted that the film will release on June 3 sometime ago but he now knows that it is not going to be possible. The SFX will take time."


The source further said, "The next deadline has been set for October end, which will be during Diwali.

The film also stars SRK and Kareena, both sharing screen time with one another after a long gap.

They worked in Asoka together and after that Kareena did a couple of songs in Don and Billu with SRK. The team of Red Chillies is trying to meet this deadline."