SRK has taken it upon himself to make Ra.One the biggest of them all films,

"The film hasn't become costly during the process of its making; it was always supposed to be expensive right from the time film's script was being written. Later when the process of storyboarding started, Shah Rukh and Anubhav rea...lised that Ra. One would require much more than just 100 crores. As things stand today, the making itself has cost over 125 crores. This doesn't include Shah Rukh's remuneration as he is the film's producer as well and hence is a partner in all profits that come along", confirms an industry source on condition of anonymity.
Given the fact that even on a conservative side Shah Rukh's fees wouldn't be less than 25 crores, the cost of making Ra.One elevates to a good 150 crores. This would be notches above Rajnikanth's Endhiran/Robot (132 crores) which is the costliest India film ever made and Bollywood's Blue which was pegged at 100 crores. Going by the super-success of Endhiran which was a regional film and had a limited market in Hindi speaking circuits, the makers of Ra.One are confident though that they would not just recover the amount but also make neat profits, courtesy the huge market that Shah Rukh commands

"Not to forget the scale at which the film has been made", says Anubhav Sinha who has invested half a decade into the making of this film, "The kind of VFX that would have seen in the film belong to never seen before variety. Also, when we claim that the film is big, it is big in all regards. It was all planned though."

Continuing in the same vein, he adds, "We invested as many as two years into the pre-production of the film, the actual filming was spread through one full year and then the post-production has been a year long process as well. Don't forget that Ra.One is not one of those films where only the shooting days consume money."

When asked to quote the exact money that has gone into making the film, Anubhav just smiled it all away. "Please ask Shah Rukh about it. All I can say is that the amount of money Shah Rukh has pumped into the film is unimaginable. Trust me, it will all show on screen. I can see how passionate Shah Rukh is about this film and he has taken it upon himself to make Ra.One the biggest of them all."

Akon to sing, celebrate b'day in city, Shah Rukh, Siddharth Mallya expected to attend midnight birthday bash after R&B singer's Friday,

POPULAR rapper and R&B artist Akon will be in the city this weekend. The rapper will not only perform before a 2000-strong audience at Westin hotel on Friday, but will also bring in his birthday -- April 16 -- with a grand celebration there at midnight.

According to sources close to the event, biggies from Bollywood and other celebrities are expected to attend the birthday party, including Shah Rukh Khan and Siddharth Mallya.

Though Westin authorities said they did not know whether Khan or Mallya would be present on Friday, they confirmed the singer's performance and birthday bash.

"We can not confirm Khan's or Mallya's presence because there haven't been any reservations in the hotel, but we have heard that a few VIPs will be present at the party -- but we do not have the names yet," said Nasir Shaikh, director, food and beverages, Westin.

Akon will also be performing at Gurgaon and Bengaluru over the weekend. But the inclusion of the city in his itinerary happened at the eleventh hour, said sources close to the event. They said they had started working on the programme just a few days ago and were having a tough time managing things.

"We have loads do, including the concert and the birthday celebrations," said a source. "The event got confirmed only last week."

Birthday cake
Hotel authorities said they had booked a presidential suite for the artist as he was expected to stay the night.
"We are planning a special Akon cake and menu for him, especially for his birthday. We are looking at what he likes and after that the chef will decide on what to prepare," said Shaikh. "As for the cake, it's going to be a chocolate cake."

According to hotel authorities, a popular poultry brand from the city is getting the singer to the city. Though a spokesperson from the poultry company denied the concert and the birthday celebrations, other sources said it was on. About 22 people will accompany Akon, crewmembers as well as family. His sister and personal bodyguards will be with him.

"He will be belting out six popular tracks, after which there will be the birthday celebrations," said Shaikh.
Though the singer had performed at a private party in the city in December, this week's event will be his first before a large crowd.

Last week there were reports that Shah Rukh Khan was throwing a birthday bash for the rapper and that the singer would perform either in Mumbai or the city,

Long way to go in the tournament: Gambhir

A guarded Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir on Monday refused to get carried away with their victory over Deccan Chargers here and said the Shah Rukh-owned team have a long way to go in the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League.

After the shocking two-run loss to Chennai Super Kings in their tournament opener, all eyes were on the Knight Riders in their first home match today and they did not disappoint the crowd, securing a nine-run victory over Deccan to register their first points in the ongoing Twenty20 tournament.

"It was a great feeling. We want to play some good cricket and bring some joy to the people of this city. The venue is fantastic. We hope to win a lot more games. We are hungry and we want to do well," he said at the post-match press conference.

"We are just happy, not relieved. It's just the start of the tournament. We got a long way to go. I don't believe in a word called relief. I want to take every game seriously. It's a good feeling to get points on the board and we hope to continue with the momentum," a visibly upbeat Gambhir said.

Gambhir said he was confident of a victory after setting Deccan a challenging 164-run target.

"It was a very good total on this slow and low wicket. 163 was a par score. We have a good bowling attack as well. Initially we were thinking of 150, but getting to 163 was good," he said.

Gambhir hailed young left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla, who returned with impressive figures of three for 24 runs from his four overs.

"The wicket suited him (Abdulla). We thought he could be used in the first six overs. He is a quality player and has a great future ahead.

"The way he has shown his character bowling in the first six overs and then in the death, it says a lot about him. I hope he can keep his head on his shoulder and it will be a lot more for him," the left-handed batsman said of Abdulla.

Gambhir insisted that his team was the better side on display today but said Knight Riders should have won their opening fixture against Chennai Super Kings the other day.

"It was not much different. We just played better cricket. I feel we should have won the first game as well. It's how you finish the game is important. Our batting order was flexible and we have the depth," he said.

I want KKR to win for Ganguly: Shah Rukh Khan

Aware of the negative vibes in Kolkata after the exclusion of local boy Sourav Ganguly from the team, Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan on Monday night dedicated his team's nine-run victory to Sourav Ganguly and the sports loving people of the city.

"I came back only for the fans. I wanted to do this for Knight Riders, the fans of Kolkata, I wanted to do this for Sourav Ganguly.

"I want my team KKR to win the IPL for Kolkata and Sourav Ganguly," said the matinee idol.

"I am very happy. It was really a cool moment. (Skipper Gautam) Gambhir and (Jacques) Kallis were really cool. It was really a cool moment as our team is unused to wins," said Shah Rukh Khan after KKR clinched their first win in IPL edition four.

Shah Rukh also expressed his disappointment over unnecessary controversies revolving the team for the last three seasons.

"A win is always welcome. We had lot of unnecessary controversies in the last three seasons," said Shah Rukh.

SRK and Anubhav set high standards for ''Ra.One'',

While RA.ONE is in its first leg of promotion, in parallel there is extensive work being done on the film's post production. This means that director Anubhav Sinha is neck deep into supervising finer details for the film which are being added shot-by-shot at various studios all across the globe. Meanwhile VFX department of Red Chillies (Shahrukh Khan's production house) is driving the entire show to ensure a view in totality.

"Red Chillies VFX team is the best in our country. Period", exclaims Anubhav whose earlier films like DUS and CASH have boasted of heavy duty VFX as well, "Jeff Kleiser is the best VFX supervisor that I could have got while people like Harry Hingorani and Ketan Yadav from Red Chillies are just superb. I could be convinced by a particular shot in the film but they find it difficult to convince themselves. Since they are at the helm of making the biggest Indian film ever, they know that the stakes are high, reputations are at stake and hence they are in no mood to compromise."

No wonder, despite the film's shoot being over late last year, there were as many as 9 months reserved for the extensive post production of RA.ONE.

"The team's standards are really high and folks involved are the masters of the game", says Anubhav with a sense of contentment in his voice, "These are the folks who have been associated with some of the best visual effects in many major films. When you have such people in your film and a producer (Shahrukh Khan) who goes all out to make it happen, you do end up reaffirming your own belief that there is indeed something special on the way."

SRK to do cameo in Always Kabhi Kabhi

It has been known for some time now that Karim Morani's daughter Zoa is being launched by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment in Always Kabhi Kabhi. However, there was much speculation about SRK's presence in the film.

Well, it has now been confirmed that King Khan will not be a part of the film but he will do a promotional video for it. The said promotional video will feature SRK talking about his school days.

With the backdrop of high school students, their issues and their relationships, the film is expected to hit the screens on June 17. Besides Zoa, the film also stars Love Aaj Kal damsel Giselle Monteiro, Ali Fazal and Satyajeet Dubey.

New-look KKR eye a fresh start,

For three years, the Kolkata Knight Riders have been the Indian Premier League's most under-performing side. The Shah Rukh Khan-owned KKR have lost a whopping 24 games out of the 42 they have played in the three editions.

In the two seasons that the IPL was played in India, KKR won a meagre three matches away from Eden Gardens. They are also the only franchise not to have made the last-four grade even once. In a bid to turn things around, the team management changed the coach, captain, players as well as support staff, but to no avail.

Lack of success perhaps explains the non-retention of a single marquee player by KKR for IPL 4. By freezing out their former icon player Sourav Ganguly and not showing interest in the likes of Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle and Ishant Sharma, the KKR management has made it amply clear that they want to make a fresh start with 'new' faces.

At the auctions they spent half of their $9 million purse in picking up Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan, whose reputation as a big hitter has taken a big hit in the World Cup. The KKR management has tried to correct the imbalances in the their squad during the first three seasons by assembling an array of all-rounders who are expected to mount a strong challenge for IPL glory.

Jacques Kallis, Yusuf Pathan, Ryan ten Doeschate, Shakib Al Hasan, Rajat Bhatia and Laxmi Ratan Shukla are all Jacks of all trades who are expected to back up the specialists - Gambhir, Eoin Morgan, Brad Haddin and Manoj Tiwary in batting and Brett Lee, L Balaji, Jaidev Undakat and Iqbal Abdulla in bowling.

There is no denying the fact that there is plenty of quality in the KKR's 20-member squad but the Indian component is rather lightweight.

Gambhir has the right credentials to lead KKR, having led India successfully against the Kiwis in the run-up to the World Cup, but apart from the skipper himself, Pathan and Tiwary, the other Indian players are yet to prove themselves at this level. KKR's other big worry is that they will miss the services of Lee, Haddin, Pattinson and Shakib for at least the first two matches as they will be on national duty. KKR, however, will take heart from the fact that on paper they have a pretty decent side. It may not be as imposing as the ones assembled by the Chennai Super kings and Mumbai Indians, but KKR are certainly better on paper than the likes of Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers, Rajasthan Royals and Kochi Tuskers.

The biggest challenge for Gambhir and KKR, however, will be to win over the spectators at the Eden Gardens, who are known to swear by one Sourav Ganguly.

Gautam Gambhir (Captain)

No doubt, he is right man to lead KKR in IPL 4, but his brand of leadership will constantly be compared with that Sourav Ganguly, the man he has replaced. Gambhir must win over the KKR faithfuls, who remain distinctly bitter about the manner in which their favourite icon was discarded.

Key players:

Yusuf Pathan: He could be the key to winning over KKR faithfuls in the stands with his big hits. KKR need him to fire consistently with the bat and finish close games, something they have failed to do in earlier seasons. Pathan's quickish off-spin gives Gambhir an added option if one of his frontline bowlers take a pounding.

Shakib Al Hasan: Will be worth his weight in gold when he joins the squad after national duty. His batting and bowling in Indian conditions will be an asset for KKR. The Bangladesh captain will be a key component in the middle-order as well as the middle overs.

Squad: Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami, Manoj Tiwary, Jaidev Unadkat, Sarabjit Ladda, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Rajat Bhatia, Manvinder Bisla, Pradeep Sangwan, Shami Ahmed, Iqbal Abdulla, Laxmi Ratan Shukla Foreign players (7) Jacques Kallis, Eoin Morgan, Shakib Al Hasan, Ryan ten Doeschate, Brad Haddin (wk), Brett Lee, James Pattinson.

Shah Rukh, Hrithik patch up!

SRK and Hrithik Roshan seem to have patched up after their mini-war...

There were talks that actors Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan weren't on talking terms. And it was all around the time Hugh Jackman was in Mumbai. Apparently, Hrithik Roshan was miffed that SRK didn't invite him and wife Susanne at the bash at Mannat, SRK's residence thrown in honour of Hugh Jackman.

There were talks that Hrithik was going to adopt the eye-for-an-eye attitude and not invite Shah Rukh and Gauri for a bash hosted by him, but all seems to be well now. With the cricket World Cup came about a spirit of friendship and unity.

Hrithik and Susanne Roshan made it to Shah Rukh Khan's house to watch the India-Sri Lanka finals with much luxury and with friends. The actors later went outside and even danced with the crowds gathered there in jubilant furore when the Men in Blue brought home the cup!

So, there's no bad blood between SRK and Hrithik. MS Dhoni, Sachin and the boys seem to have undone what Hugh did!

Chak De India! says SRK on World Cup win

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said "Chak De!" on the Indian cricket team winning the cricket World Cup in a thriller against Sri Lanka here Saturday.

"Chak De India," Shah Rukh exclaimed in front of media at his Bandra residence after the team picked up the trophy.

Until India winning the World Cup the tattoo 'D' in his hand was meant for " Don 2" but from now it would mean skipper M.S. Dhoni, said the actor.

"Now the tattoo 'D' would mean Dhoni," said Shah Rukh.

SRK, Ranbir's tribute to Big B.

Producer Bunty Walia is organising a live concert to honour Amitabh Bachchan's acting career.

The Forever Bachchan show, which incidentally coincides with Amitabh's 69th birthday will be held in Mumbai in October.

The show will feature all of B-town's contemporary leading men dancing to their favourite Bachchan song.

A source tells us, "s is the brain-child of Walia. When Amitji learnt of this, he was embarrassed. He quipped, 'Who would want to dance to my songs? Don't they've anything better to do?' But Walia was adamant. It has taken him a year to convince the Big B that the concert is a good idea."

Reportedly, Shah Rukh has chosen Khai ke paan benaras wala from Don (2006). Ranbir has opted for Saara zamana haseenon ka deewana from Yaarana(1981), which also happens to be Bachchan Jr's pick.

When contacted, Walia said, "It's really too early to talk about this. Nothing has been confirmed yet. It is my dream project. We're a long way from going on stage."

''Ra.One'' will change the genre of films. SRK

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan says his upcoming sci-fi superhero film " RA.One" is an attempt to create something that will change the genre of Indian films.


"It's an indigenously made film and it's made in VFX studios in India and is trying to create something which will change the genre of films. If Indian filmmakers would like to make something alike, they have the access to the technology," King Khan told reporters at FICCI-Frames Friday.


He also said that the film would be his first step in paying back to the audiences the love and honour he has received in the last 20 years of his career.


"I have made one promise to every one in India. I have been working for 20 years and I have been given too much; much more than I deserve as an actor, as a star, and I think it's time to give back some," the superstar said.

"RA.One" is scheduled to release at Diwali time but the star has already started its marketing so that the superhero character sinks into the psyche of his audience.

"I just thought that we don't have any background of a superhero in terms of comics like 'Spiderman'. We have superheroes like 'Krrish' and 'Drona' but they are film superheroes.

"I tell people this is the one who's gonna do... he is going to fly, he has these powers and once this becomes known, then people would like to come and see the film... I just thought to market a year before, hope it pays off," Shah Rukh said.

SRK to romance Katrina now

Following our story on September 28, 2010, about SRK in Yash Chopra's next directorial venture, the industry was abuzz with speculations over the actress that would make the cut.

All rumours can be put to rest now. For the first time in her eight-year acting career, Katrina Kaif, will star opposite SRK in the YRF project.

A source close to YRF says, "Katrina was the first choice for the heroine's role in Yashji's film. She immediately said 'yes' to the film. She has loved the script and is looking forward to working with Yashji. She will play Shah Rukh's romantic interest."

Talking about the film's storyline, the source reveals, "Obviously, the film will be a love story. Yashji is a master of romance. There is no reason why he will not generate and extract great chemistry between Shah Rukh and Katrina."

Since the production house has witnessed some turmoil in the recent past, YRF is depending on the success of this project. When asked if SRK and Katrina feel secure about this endeavour, the source says, "Shah Rukh and Katrina have very good relations with Yashji and Aditya. They have equal faith in both of them. They are like family to them."

Considering, the last film that SRK did with Yash Chopra (Veer Zaara, 2004) was a success, here's hoping that all works out well for YRF.

Religion is a personal thing, SRK

The Badshah of B-town Shah Rukh Khan yesterday graced the India Today Conclave held in Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi. The event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The renowned actor spoke on the topic - 'Movies, Magic, Life: Making Movies Work in a Brand New World'.

With the presence of King Khan the serious event was literally turned into a light-hearted session, where SRK came up with his usual tongue-in-cheek speech. Remarked the star, "My wife always tells me, 'Please don't try to be funny at serious events, please don't speak too much'. And I am told this is a very serious event."

In the course of the event, Shah Rukh was asked about his famous six-pack physique and the actor sportily pulled up his shirt to show the audience his abs. "I don't know whether it is a six pack, but it is definitely a four," said SRK, which was followed by applause and cat calls.

The star went on cover issues related to politics, religion and of course cinema. Shah Rukh poked fun at the politicisation of the word 'Mumbai' and on speaking about communalism and Indian cinema going global he said, "Indian cinema is going from Mumbai to Melrose. Though I would have preferred saying Bombay to Beverly Hills, that kind of alliteration is not allowed to Muslim actors,"

He stated that religion and politics should never be mixed and he finds communalism "low down and deplorable". "I truly believe that politicians should not use religion as an agenda. It is just not acceptable. The issues like education, development and women's upliftment, which are sidelined are the basic political issues which need to be looked upon," quoted SRK.

He went on to add further, "I am a Muslim myself and I am married to a Hindu lady and my children know about all religions and its my conscious decision to make them aware of it. Religion is a personal thing and nobody in this world has the right to come between you and your God."

Stressing about the importance of our Indian films, the actor said that "We need to make our own Harry Potter films. Hollywood has trained the world to watch films that are made on a set format. To sustain ourselves in the market, we need to master the skills in which we are lagging behind."

He finally summed up his session, by re-phrasing his famous dialogue from ‘Om Shanti Om’- “Duniya ko hamari badi badi filmein abhi dekhna baaki hai mere dost.”

There's no bigger superstar than me, SRK

Actor Shah Rukh Khan on Friday said there was no bigger superstar than him and that he wished to be recognised by all age groups, especially the young people.

Khan wowed the audience and kept them in splits throughout his session 'Movies, magic, life -- Making movies work in a brand new decade' at the 10th India Today Conclave in New Delhi.

While agreeing that movies are a way of life for India, Khan said that the film industry needs to learn a few things if it truly wants to go global.

Known for his wit and easy charm, Khan was a different, more serious self as he broke down the issues plaguing the industry.

"We need scientific screenplay writing and the organisation and discipline we see in Hollywood and the science of marketing firms," explained the Om Shanti Om star.

Recounting a meeting with Hollywood actor Will Smith, he said that Smith had shared that he worked in just two films a year, one was to satisfy the actor in himself and the second was to satisfy the urge of working with someone bigger than him.

Khan joked that his problem was that couldn't find a bigger superstar but, on a serious note, he added that the bigger star needs to be visual effects.

Sharing his secret ingredient of making the movies work in a brand new decade, he said that though the Indian film industry had the music, the film and the math (economics), it was missing a symbiotic relationship with Hollywood.

Also tearing into the Indian industry's long-time obsession with crossover films and actors, Khan suggested a ban on the phrase "crossover films" because they just don't exist. "We should instead take Bollywood to the world," he said.

"Mumbai to Melrose, the road is shrinking. Warner Brothers and Sony are making movies here while UTV is doing the same in Hollywood. If you want to do crossover films, then you are barking up the wrong tree because the Indian audience loves the musical dramas," said Khan.

Abiding by his wife Gauri Khan's strict instructions not to make a clown of himself, Khan, instead, thrilled the gathering by flashing them a lightning fast look at his four-pack, if not a full six-pack, abdomen.

On a more sombre note, he also touched upon communal tensions. He explained that the reason the film industry has not fallen prey to such filmmaking is because it makes films that have to please everyone and are acceptable to the whole country.

On politics, Khan added, "Politicians should not come between you and your God." He later diffused the solemn topic by joking that if he were the prime minister, he would probably take a holiday right now to an undisclosed location.

In the end, he aptly described what his epitaph would read. For Khan, who can charm a billion Indian hearts and break them just as easily, his life would read, "Here is Shah Rukh Khan. He tried hard. Very hard."

Bollywood lacks film-making skills: SRK

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan stole the show at India Today Conclave 2011 in New Delhi with his charm and wit. Shah Rukh spoke about the shortcoming of the Hindi film industry.

During his session - 'Movies, magic, life - Making movies work in a brand new decade,' he presented his view on films and magic and discussed how Bollywood lacked the basic skills of film making. He said, "Bollywood lacks the 3 important film-making skills - Screenplay writing, special effects and science of marketing."

While discussing Hollywood and special effects in Bollywood, SRK said, "We need better visual effects & discipline in Bollywood."

"We don't need Hollywood investment as much as we need their knowledge," added Shah Rukh Khan.

SRK has six-pack abs, we have pictures to prove it!

Actor Shah Rukh Khan on Friday said there was no bigger superstar than him and that he wished to be recognised by all age groups, especially the young people.

Khan wowed the audience and kept them in splits throughout his session 'Movies, magic, life -- Making movies work in a brand new decade' at the 10th India Today Conclave in New Delhi.

While agreeing that movies are a way of life for India, Khan said that the film industry needs to learn a few things if it truly wants to go global.

Known for his wit and easy charm, Khan was a different, more serious self as he broke down the issues plaguing the industry.

"We need scientific screenplay writing and the organisation and discipline we see in Hollywood and the science of marketing firms," explained the Om Shanti Om star.

Recounting a meeting with Hollywood actor Will Smith, he said that Smith had shared that he worked in just two films a year, one was to satisfy the actor in himself and the second was to satisfy the urge of working with someone bigger than him.

Khan joked that his problem was that couldn't find a bigger superstar but, on a serious note, he added that the bigger star needs to be visual effects.

Sharing his secret ingredient of making the movies work in a brand new decade, he said that though the Indian film industry had the music, the film and the math (economics), it was missing a symbiotic relationship with Hollywood.

Also tearing into the Indian industry's long-time obsession with crossover films and actors, Khan suggested a ban on the phrase "crossover films" because they just don't exist. "We should instead take Bollywood to the world," he said.

"Mumbai to Melrose, the road is shrinking. Warner Brothers and Sony are making movies here while UTV is doing the same in Hollywood. If you want to do crossover films, then you are barking up the wrong tree because the Indian audience loves the musical dramas," said Khan.

Abiding by his wife Gauri Khan's strict instructions not to make a clown of himself, Khan, instead, thrilled the gathering by flashing them a lightning fast look at his four-pack, if not a full six-pack, abdomen.

On a more sombre note, he also touched upon communal tensions. He explained that the reason the film industry has not fallen prey to such filmmaking is because it makes films that have to please everyone and are acceptable to the whole country.

On politics, Khan added, "Politicians should not come between you and your God." He later diffused the solemn topic by joking that if he were the prime minister, he would probably take a holiday right now to an undisclosed location.

In the end, he aptly described what his epitaph would read. For Khan, who can charm a billion Indian hearts and break them just as easily, his life would read, "Here is Shah Rukh Khan. He tried hard. Very hard."

No bhaang for SRK

Just a while ago, Baadshah Khan had come to Delhi sporting long tresses – revealing his look in Farhan Akhtar's " Don 2: The Chase Continues" , but since he came to town this time, for bro-inlaw Rustam Tiwari's wedding , we know he's bid goodbye to that look.

In town for promotional activity , SRK was asked if he misses his long locks, and he replied with a smile, "Not at all. In fact, I've begun to respect women even more, for they can manage their tresses all their lives, I couldn't do it for a few months. I was massively irritated with my hair when we were shooting in Malaysia in that humid weather... bahut sweating hoti thi... aur main bahut pareshaan hota tha..." he said, reaching for his hair, "When I woke up in the morning , it would feel like many people were sleeping with me, and it used to take two people to shampoo my hair... and believe me, I didn't feel pampered at all. And I insisted on getting my hair chopped off the same night the film's shooting got over."

Buzz has it that Shakira will be singing for KKR. "I came back from Malaysia a few days ago, and till now, I have no idea of it. In fact, my team partner too has no clue! So, let me go back to Mumbai and find out if it's true. I'll be happy if it is," was SRK's reply.

Talking about the rumours about his production house flouting a few rules, Shah Rukh chose to laugh it off, with a, "Yes, I am all for flouting a few rules here and there..." Talking of mannerisms, he was asked as to how many hours does he spend on his mobile phone. "I spend a good 3-4 hours on my phone, but while shooting I keep my phone away. Though I keep frequenting my vanity van to check missed calls and texts, I keep it away when on the sets. And if my colleagues are listening, I hope they follow this too," said SRK.

Lastly, before he left, he was asked whether he loves to have bhaang on Holi, as the festival is approaching. "I have never tasted bhaang in my life. I think, apart from smoking, aur koi buri aadat abhi tak nahin hai mujh mein," he said and asked during the chat, "Holi kab hai, by the way?" which spread some laughter in the hall, "Guess I will be shooting that day."

SRK hosts special screening for ''Always Kabhi Kabhi'',

Guess some of the good habits of Aamir Khan are rubbing over Shah Rukh Khan as well. It is a known fact that Aamir Khan hosts special screenings for practically each of his films prior to their theatrical release. Now Shah Rukh too has done the same for Always Kabhi Kabhi, a film coming from his production house which is directed by Roshan Abbas.

Informs a source closely attached to the film, "Yes, there were a couple of test screenings that were held a few weeks back. Unlike many film makers who host special screenings only in Mumbai, Shah Rukh took the film to Delhi as well. He wanted to gauge reaction from the two biggest audience bases for his campus entertainer."

The test screening was held for hundreds of students and youngsters who belonged to 14-24 year age group, which is also the film's target audience. This is not a first in Bollywood though as Aamir has done this for each of his films, whether it is 3 Idiots, Taare Zameen Par or even nephew Imran's Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa.

"The idea is to closely monitor audience reaction and see which are the scenes that are the highest as well as the lowest points in the film's narrative. Roshan was quite involved in both these screenings and took notes so that he could go back to the editing table and make necessary changes, if required", continues the source.

Roshan doesn't deny that these screenings indeed took place. "I had shown Shah Rukh some portions of the film to understand if we are reaching out to the audience we had in mind", he says, "I was also of the view that we should show the film to sample of such audience. Shah Rukh too converged on my point of view and we went ahead with the screenings."

Since the film's final edit was not yet done, Roshan and his team set expectations with the audience.

"We told that that the film that we were showing them was a rough cut and yet to be polished in totality", says Roshan, "To our delight though, the audience was pretty involved with what they saw and later commented that the film was reflecting their own story. They laughed with us at the right spots and then went quiet when the story touched their hearts."

Well Roshan, hope the wider audience too shares a similar thought.

''Ra.One'’s VFX supervisor wants credit for his 750-strong team.

Star-producer Shah Rukh Khan is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that his superhero sci-fi fantasy, RA.One, is a one-of-its-kind Hindi film. Recently, director Anubhav Sinha got a mail from his VFX producer, Keitan Yadav, stating that officially 750 people were working on the visual effec related stories

Anubhav reaction was, “I love my team, I love my kafila. Shah Rukh and I started dreaming about RA.One four years ago, and today such a large number of talent is colouring that dream. I can never thank them enough.”

The team has been picked from across five countries, including India, Canada, France, Thailand and the US. And at least five of them, Anubhav, Keitan, Jeff Kleiser, the lead VFX supervisor, Harry Hingorani another supervisor, are on video conference everyday at the oddest of hours because of the time difference.

Anubhav admits that both Shah Rukh and he are making this film primarily for their kids. “Shah Rukh’s son Aryan is 13, and his daughter Suhana is 10, while my son, Shlok, is nine. Every father wants to be a superhero in the eyes of his child,” he muses. “It’s a cycle. As a parent you go beyond your capabilities to make your child proud of you. And then, when the child grows up, he or she goes beyond his capabilities to make his parents proud of him. It’s my turn now, both as a father and a son.”

Just before the film’s first look was unveiled, Anubhav left on a 10-day, much-needed break. On his return, he was prepared for some negative reactions because Shah Rukh has never been presented like this before. “SRK’s blue look has been universally acceptable,” he exults, quick to dismiss speculations about RA.One being a ‘desi’ Avatar. “But if it does even half the business of James Cameron’s sci-fi adventure, I’ll be a superhero.”

In this age of sequels, will we see a RA.Two? “Why not?” retorts Anubhav. “Sequels are in vogue, and this one is designed as a franchise. But there’s still time for Part 2. Right now, I’m so busy with RA.One that I have no time to eat or sleep. I haven’t even had a drink in months.”

Thanks- Hindustan Times

10 lakh people don't make a hit!! SRK

Shah Rukh Khan has been one of the most active Bollywood celebs on social networking site Twitter.

However, the star has been out of action since sometime now. Many would be content in believing that the Khan is inactive as he has no projects to promote and will be back as soon as his films near release. But the real story is very different from the common assumption.

In a recent interview when enquired about his absence from micro-blogging, Shah Rukh explained, "As an actor and as a celebrity, I often come across people who look into my eye and ask me embarrassing questions at press conferences. However, I don't have any option other than putting up a smiling face and replying to the questions even if I am upset or angry.

"It has been happening since 20 years and it happened even during my interactions on Twitter. But I am socially inept, I don't know how to handle relationships and am not very good at dealing with such questions and therefore I thought it would be best to quit," said Khan.

SRK also said that he was having a great time while on Twitter and thought it's great to deal one on one with his fans, until some people started posting crazy questions and comments. Relating one such instance SRK said, "There were comments that 'Oh he only comes on Twitter when he wants to promote his films'. Well with all due respect to everyone, I want to say that 8-10 lakh do not make a film hit."

But SRK also confirmed that he would go back to Twitter someday and as usual talk about life.

Shah Rukh, Vishal and Sajid to go international with ‘2 States’

Vishal Bhardwaj, who is known for his impeccable sense of filmmaking and his abilty to adapt novels into cinema, is planning to use the international platform for his latest adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s ‘2 States’. And superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala will team up with the ace filmmaker to go global with the film.



Talking to a tabloid, a source revealed, , “For Shah Rukh, as well as his director Vishal Bhardwaj and producer Sajid Nadiadwala, ‘2 States’ will be a chance to crack the international market.”

Moreover, SRK, who has an uncanny knack of grabbing eyeballs across the globe, believes that Bhagat’s novel has the formula that can appeal to the international audiences.

“Not that Shah Rukh is looking to give Brad Pitt and Colin Farrell a run for their money but he feels that Chetan Bhagat’s novel has the potential to appeal to NRI audiences,” added the source.

And the flick will be King Khan’s first bi-lingual project. Bhagat was initially asked to write the script but the filmmakers along with the industry heavy weight have zeroed in on Sabrina Dhawan to write the screenplay.

Producer Nadiadwala, while confirming the news said, “Yes, we’re looking at ' States' as a project with a much wider reach than our other films, as it has the potential to break through boundaries. We’ve got Sabrina Dhawan on board to write the screen adaptation. Sabrina and Vishal are now in Delhi working on the script. We’ll finalize the casting after the script is done. It should take about a month as we’re going on floors in July.”

However, the biggies have not discussed the film’s proceedings with Bhagat. And the author has very little idea about the development regarding the film. Bhagat said, “I have not been in the loop so I don’t know what the progress is. I’m busy with my next book. If things are moving along with '2 States', that’s great.”

SRK clueless about Shakira dancing for KKR

If the morning papers were to be believed, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was going to rope in international pop diva Shakira for a promotional music video for his Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). But King Khan says he is quite clueless about it.

"We have a team of people working around the marketing for KKR. But I really don't know if Shakira is going to dance for KKR. It is wonderful if she is going to... but I really don't know yet," Shah Rukh said at a press conference here Monday.

The actor was here to launch Nokia's latest phone smart phone E7. He said Nokia, which is one of the main partners for KKR, too had no idea about any such development.

The promotional song for his cricket team is said to be composed by Salim-Suleiman and sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

But Shah Rukh was quite overwhelmed when he had met Shakira at the FIFA World Cup 2010 along with his family.

"Gorgeous, gracious and absolutely heartwarming Shakira. (She) was so nice to the kids. We are (her) fans for life," Shah Rukh had posted on his Twitter page, along with a family photograph with Shakira, in July 2010.

SRK salutes girls with long hair!

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who grew his hair long for his role in " Don - The Chase Continues", is more than happy after getting rid of it and says his respect for girls with long hair has increased manifold.

"I think girls are wonderful, for they are able to keep long hair for years and years. It's great. I had to maintain long hair for my look in 'Don 2' and that was the first thing I wanted to get rid of after I finished shooting for the movie," said Shah Rukh, looking suave in a black suit.

The actor, who was here to launch Nokia's latest smart phone E7, says he was so desperate to get back to his short hair that he got his hairdresser to trim his locks at 3 a.m. as soon as he finished shooting for the movie.

"When I used to get up in the morning, I used to feel there were a lot of others sleeping with me. It used to take two people to shampoo my hair and believe me, I didn't feel pampered at all...So I feel it's amazing how girls are able to manage long hair everyday," he said.

Shah Rukh sported his long-haired look on his last visit to the capital for a quiz organised by the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM). But young female fans gave a thumbs down to it. One wonders if his look would work any wonders for "Don - The Chase Continues".

SRK, Sonam named worst actors at the third ''Annual Golden Kela Awards''!!

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan was named the worst actor and Sonam Kapoor the worst actress at the third annual Golden Kela Awards Saturday night, a spin-off of Hollywood's Razzies awards, which recognises the worst in cinema.

While Shah Rukh won the award for Karan Johar's " My Name is Khan", where he played a patient of Asperger's syndrome, Sonam got the award for her home production "Aisha".

Ironically, Shah Rukh has also won the Filmfare award for the best actor for the same film.

"My Name Is Khan" also received the worst film award.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali won the worst director award for "Guzaarish". "Guzaarish" also got Black Award for Emotional Blackmail.

Director Ram Gopal Varma was awarded the Bas Kijiye Bahut Ho Gaya Award (Please Stop Its Enough), asking him to stop making films.

The worst supporting actor male went to Arjun Rampal for "Housefull", and worst supporting actress female went to Kangana Ranaut for "Kites".

Interestingly, out of five nominations in the category of supporting actress, three were for Kangana in "No Problem", "Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai" and "Kites".

Bawra Ho Gaya Hai Ke award (Have You Gone Nuts) was given to actor Ben Kingsley for his participation in the film "Teen Patti".

However, there was a special category of 'Anti-Kela' awards for the films that were the saving graces of 2010. The awards were for the films that were meaningful and entertaining, while still being in the mainstream.

Those awarded in this category were "Udaan", "Ishqiya", "Love, Sex and Dhoka", "Do Dooni Chaar", "Peepli Live" and "Tere Bin Laden".

"I think we should learn to make fun of our own work and I think it's just fun although it's tough because we make a lot of bad films. It will be easy to choose good films but it will be difficult to choose worst work," said Vishal Bhardwaj, producer of "Ishqiya, who was present at the award ceremony hosted by Cyrus Broacha in Rockdome at the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon.

"Ishqiya" director Abhisek Chaubey added: "Nobody wants to admit that they have made the worst film and coming here would be admitting it, nobody really wants to believe that they did something worst. But really hope people who are nominated see the lighter side of it and come here."

Small-budget film "Udaan" swept this year's prestigious Filmfare awards and here also it won the Anti-Kela for being 2010's "saving grace".

"Being given an award by people who are looking for bad stuff in films means a lot," said director Vikramaditya Motwane in a video message.

Meanwhile, Aditya Narayan and Pakhi Tyrewala were awarded the Golden Kela for worst debut male and female for "Shaapit" and "Jhootha Hi Sahi" respectively.

Actor Uday Chopra was given the Chimpu Kapoor award (No talent award for relatives of celebrities).

"Pee Loon" from "Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai" was adjudged the most irritating song and Sanjay Leela Bhansali won another award for the most atrocious lyrics for song "Sau gram zindagi" from "Guzaarish".

Akshay Kumar-Aishwarya Rai starrer "Action Replayy", which was the big screen adaptation of a play, was given the award for the Most Original Story.

Director Sanjay Sharma's gay love story "Dunno Y... Naa Jane Kyun" received the Lajja (Shame) award for worst treatment of a serious issue. "Ek Second... Jo Zindagi Badal De" won the When did This Come Out Award.

Rohit Shetty's "Golmaal" series won the worst triology ever in the history of films and Salman Khan starrer "Dabangg" was given the Ajooba Award for Sheer Awesomeness.

The worst animated film award went to "Baru the Wonder Kid".

Pradeep Sarkar's "Lafange Parindey" was given the Jajantram Mamantram Award for Worst Named Film.

Singer Sukhwinder Singh was given the Sonu Nigam Award for Career Suicide for his debut in "Kuch Kariye".

Vivek Oberoi-starrer "Prince" was given the Golden Kela for the most ridiculous sequence in the film.

Jackie Shroff won the worst casting ever award for his role as Shirdi Sai baba in the film "Malik Ek".
Host Cyrus was at his wittiest best during the award function. Also present were actor Praduman Singh of "Tere Bin Laden" fame and "Do Dooni Chaar" director Habib Faisal.

SRK, Gauri & Suhana shakes leg at SRK's bro-in-law's wedding,,

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan flew from Malaysia on Friday evening especially for wife, Gauri Khan's, cousin's wedding. The star landed in Delhi around 11pm for brother-in-law, Rustam Tiwari's wedding, which took place on Saturday evening.

Even though SRK looked very tired, he was ful...l of energy during the entire ceremony and partied till the wee hours. The private party was hosted at the groom's residence.

Delhi-based DJ Amit B spun some popular Bollywood chartbusters at the do. He told us, "Shah Rukh looked quite happy and was enjoying the party with his wife, mother-in-law and family members, and kept dancing all through the night to some of his own popular songs. He was dressed casually in a T-shirt and denims and was dancing with wife Gauri on the number "Mil Gayi Aaj Yahan Pe" from the movie "Guzaarish". Later, he also danced with his saasu ma and other relatives on the song "Ainvayi Ainvayi" from the movie "Band Baaja Baaraat"." After a while, actor Chunkey Pandey also made a surprise visit to the do and was seen having a good time with all the guests at the party.

SRK's son, Aryan, was busy reading a novel and didn't participate much in the function, while daughter Suhana was busy playing with her cousins. Gauri was dressed in a simple long floral printed kurta and jeans, and looked radiant with hubby dearest by her side.

A videogame for ''Ra.One''

King Khan has created a videogame that can be played at home,

Shah Rukh Khan and Arjun Rampal, friends turned foes turned friends again, G.One and RA.One respectively from the upcoming megaflick RA.One, will also lock horns in a video game inspired by the same film.

Yes, a game is being readied along these lines. The entire videogame, based on the playstation format, is being created in Los Angeles.

The Game is the brainchild of Shah Rukh Khan. Says a source, "Shah Rukh sat down with a lot of software experts and envisaged the game.

He was thinking about it for a year. His thoughts on this precipitated only recently and the deal with the makers of the game was locked."

Adds the source, "RA.One is Shah Rukh's most ambitious venture till date and he is leaving no stone unturned. He might surprise you with a lot more other things during this year." RA.One is expected to release by 2011 end.

Explaining what the game is about, our source said, "There will be two main characters in the game, G.One and RA.One. Besides these two, there will be other fighters too. Basically, it's a fight game.

The game has something unique for every age group at home. It will be available at many outlets even before the film hits the theatres."

Shah Rukh has also ensured that Arjun's and his characters in the game will have not only the same look but also the same weapons, which their characters carry in the film. Let the games begin.

SRK to Join the Cast of ''Krrish 2''

The stars just keep coming for Rakesh Roshan's Krrish 2! After roping in Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra, the movie director has now managed to convince none other than Shahrukh Khan to play the role of a villain in the highly anticipated sequel.

Rakesh Roshan, who... has worked with King Khan in movies like King Uncle and Koyla, wants to recreate his son's and SRK's chemistry from movies like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham and is hoping that the star will soon finalize the plans to join the Krrish cast.

Apart from Priyanka and Hrithik, Rekha will portray Krishna's grandmother Sonia Mehra and Riya Sen will play the villain's girlfriend, and it looks like the villain could be Shahrukh! According to the buzz out of B-town, PC will once again play a journalist named Priya. Rumors had it that Deepika Padukone would replace Priyanka in the role of Priya but the actress will come back to the set of Krrish once again.

Krrish was a follow-up to the 2003 movie Koi... Mil Gaya. It told the story of Krishna, a boy with superpowers that he had inherited from his dad. He falls in love with Priya and follows her to Singapore where he tries to keep his identity unknown. The superhero soon goes on a mission to save the world from the wicked Dr. Siddhant who has invented a machine that can see into the future.

After the success of Krrish in 2006, director Rakesh Roshan promised fans that a sequel would come out after he was done shooting Kites with Hrithik. Krrish 2 will reportedly tell the story of Krrish saving the Seven Wonders of the World, but the sequel was put on hold for a long time.

Are you excited to see Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Shahrukh Khan in Krrish 2 or would you prefer other stars?

I can call Malaysia my home, SRK

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan feels right at home whenever he is in Malaysia...
KUALA LUMPUR: "After filming for 45 days in Malaysia, I feel I can go to any house and call it my home," said Datuk Shah Rukh Khan, a smile dimpling his cheeks.

"The people are very sweet," the star added, as he ran his hand through his thick hair and waved to a horde of fans shouting his name.

Bollywood's king of romance, who was awarded the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka Kehormat in 2009, was pleasant when answering a deluge of press queries after launching Tag Heuer's global concept store at Suria KLCC here yesterday.

Shah Rukh, 45, is filming Don 2, directed by Farhan Akhtar, in Malacca, Langkawi and here.

It is the sequel to his 2006 remake of Don. The story revolves around Shah Rukh as Don, an undercover police officer masquerading as the leader of an international gang of drug smugglers. Priyanka Chopra plays his love interest in Don 2, set for release by year's end.

Ready to be the Bollywood ambassador to promote Malaysia, Shah Rukh said the first thing to come to mind about the country was that "it is modern and (Tun) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) lives here, so I love it".

"I've been filming in Malaysia for 45 days so far, with nine days in Langkawi.

"I've been to every part of Langkawi, fed the eagles, rode on the cable car. The beaches there are awesome."

He feels Malaysia is defined by, "in terms of personality, Dr Mahathir, who is looked at as a world leader; for nature, Langkawi beaches; and for buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers".

Not allowed to divulge details about Don 2, Shah Rukh instead mentioned an upcoming film with Hollywood director Martin Scorsese and said to also star Leonardo Di Caprio.

"Martin and I have discussed the film. India is ready for a mix of Western and Eastern films."

Shah Rukh leaves for India today and is set to return to filming Don 2 next week.

SRK switches on to social networking,

With the IPL season drawing nearer, the B-town superstar Shahrukh Khan, who is on the go with his forthcoming films, has one more endeavor in line for him.

Tabloids have revealed that King Khan, the celebrity co-owner of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, has geared up for the promotion of his team, and has even switched on to the social networking sites.

As social networking sites have become an integral part of lifestyle these days, SRK, who had parted himself from it long time ago, sensing the pulse of the populace, has worked his way back to it.

It's learnt that the Baadshah of Bollywood has employed a group to shoulder the responsibility of promoting his Kolkata Knight Riders, through all the social networking sites.

SRK's Kolkata Knight Riders, which was just a group on FB, will be having an official brand page for it on the social networking sites, shortly.

Thus, following the World Cup, the IPL fever is going to grip the nations soon.

King Khan's ''Ra.One'' has an early Diwali !!!

Seven months before it is due for release, Shah Rukh Khan’s latest home production, Ra.One, has started setting new records. In the biggest such deal in the Indian entertainment industry, Star India has snapped up the satellite rights of the movie for Rs 40 crore.

In the process, Ra.One has gone past the milestone set by another Khan. Multi-Screen Media (MSM), which runs Sony Entertainment and SET Max, had paid Rs 36 crore for the satellite rights of the Aamir Khan-starrer, 3 Idiots.

Ra.One is said to be one of the most ambitious Bollywood projects, featuring famous Hollywood technicians and visual effect artistes. The music has been composed by Academy award winner Hans Zimmer.

According to Shah Rukh Khan, the idea is to take Bollywood to a new level with “daredevil action sequences and world-class special effects”. Khan is believed to be playing the role of a superhero in the film.

This science fiction flick also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. It will be part of Shah Rukh Khan’s production banner, Red Chillies Entertainment.

A spokesperson of Eros International Media confirmed the satellite rights had been sold but declined to comment on the price and the television channel.

According to industry sources, the deal with Eros not only includes outright distribution and marketing but also part-funding the movie. Eros is expected to shell out around Rs 170 crore for the movie.

Television industry officials say movies with established stars are a good acquisition. The TV screening of a big Bollywood film can trigger a spike of 30-40 gross rating points for the channel during the week it is aired. This has often helped channels displace competition in viewership rankings.

According to data with TAM, which tracks TV viewership, 3 Idiots had a television rating of 10.1 in the six metros during its first screening on July 25 on Sony Entertainment Television. As many as 16.8 million people watched Sony during the premiere. A senior executive said MSM made around Rs 16 crore from advertising. Sony had roped in 12 associate sponsors, including Life Insurance Corporation of India, Cadbury, Airtel, Raymonds, Tata Motors, Tata Sky and Lux.

From the production house’s point of view, pre-selling various rights like satellite and home video helps de-risk the effort by reducing the dependence on revenues from theatres. For instance, last year, UTV had sold Guzaarish and Tees Maar Khan to Colors. Dabangg was also pre-sold to Colors by Shree Asthavinayak Cinevision.

Analysts say such deals also help production houses tie up with broadcasters and plan their marketing, promotion and advertising strategy months ahead of the release. Industry sources say satellite and other rights of films slated for release in 2012-2013 are already under negotiation.

Kamal Jain, CFO, Eros, said the Indian film industry was gradually de-risking the model. “We are trying to pre-sell the maximum rights pre-release, from satellite to merchandising,” he added.

In Hollywood, 70 per cent revenues are secured before the film’s release, and the dependence on the response in theatres is only 30 per cent. Film trade analysts said there had been a huge shift in India as well over the past six months, with the dependence on theatres coming down to 45 per cent, and the rest from satellite (30 per cent) overseas (20 per cent ) and others (5 per cent).

SRK keeps ''ALWAYS KABHI KABHI'' young at heart.

When Shahrukh Khan decided to make a film about youngsters, he wanted it to be young in all aspects. To ensure that it does happen, he was creatively involved in the entire making of the film which also included changing the dialogues that had originally been put together by director Roshan Abbas and his team.

'This meant that for ALWAYS KABHI KABHI, Shahrukh didn't just require four young and largely untested actors along with a first time director; he also wanted the film to be young in it's entire outlook', informs a source attached to the film, 'While Roshan did work on the original script to make it suitable for the big screen, Shahrukh felt that there was still more work to be done on the written material so that it suited the sensibilities of today's youth.'
he did acknowledge the fact that Roshan's writing was quite pure and that stemmed from the fact that he had a good upbringing, Shahrukh felt that a new perspective added to ALWAYS KABHI KABHI will only make it spicier and more entertaining. The first step in this direction was to hire a writer, Ishita Moitra, for whom the single line brief was to come up with dialogues that spoke in modern day language

'Yes, Ishita's contribution did came in handy. What she has written has managed to bring an altogether different dimension to ALWAYS KABHI KABHI', says Roshan when asked if this indeed was true, 'I am glad this happened because I could see where Shahrukh was coming from.'

Well, we would love to see that difference for sure.

SRK to play Don & Leonardo as a cop in ''Xtrme City''

Shah Rukh's first Indo-Hollywood project of sorts, Xtrme City will see the actor playing Don in the film. Leonardo Di Caprio will play a cop.

Mushtaq Shiekh, scriptwriter of the film revealed, "Xtrme City is a cross-cultural thriller designed for both Bollywood and Hollywood. And if we get it right...this will be an attempt at true global entertainment."

Speaking about the story of the film, he added, "It's a story of an Indian (SRK) and an American ( Leo) from radically different worlds, who both served in the UN peacekeeping force in Somalia during the 90's.

The American saves the Indian's life; in the aftermath they become indebted to each other then go their own separate ways: The American becomes a cop in New York, the Indian a bhai in Mumbai. Many years later the American has a burdensome family obligation, which compels him to return to India to seek help from the Indian comrade whose life he had saved--but becomes deeper and deeper drawn into an alien world; As such, it's both a "buddy" film and a "fish-out-of-water" film."

Shah Rukh who is shooting for Farhan Akhtar's Don2 will yet again play a Don onscreen. But since the film pairs two superstars from the world's biggest film industries, we are sure it won't be your typical gangster film.

Paul Schrader will direct the film which will be co-produced by Martin Scorsese.

SRK to attend "India Today Conclave 2011''

The Arts Dialogue - Movies, magic, life - Making movies work in a brand new decade.

Since Deewana, his debut film in 1992, two things have changed for Shah Rukh Khan. The manner in which he is perceived; and the industry he works in. The one-time television rookie is today the Hindi film industry's pre-eminent superstar. And Bollywood, as this Mumbai-based industry is popularly known, has shed its low-tech reputation and relative clumsiness of form to morph into an edgy juggernaut that competes aggressively in the era of high-decibel entertainment TV. In great part this is because the art of storytelling has changed with the evolution of Indian audiences into a more aspirational, aware, and nationally and globally wired society. How has this art really changed? How have new writers and new directors refreshed Bollywood's vision? How will the industry change in this decade-in India and globally? Will screen stars still rule, or will special effects? Will the way we watch movies change the way we make them? Shah Rukh Khan talks about all this and more as he recounts his own experiences of showing movies from India to the world.

Speaker: Shah Rukh Khan , Superstar
Session Chairperson: Koel Purie Rinchet, Actor, TV Host
March 18, 2011; 10.45-11.30 hrs

Dabangg director refuses Sallu, chooses SRK

Abhinav Kashyap said no to Salman Khan's Dabangg 2 because seemingly Shah Rukh Khan gave him a better offer.

After frequent admittance and denial, it was finally reported today that Dabangg director Abhinav Kashyap won't be directing the sequel. The report claimed that Kashyap didn't want to direct the sequel which he expressed to producer-actor Arbaaz Khan. With Abhinav's ouster, Arbaaz has taken over the directorial reins and will be directing the sequel now.

However what is surprising is why did Abhinav Kashyap refuse to direct Dabangg 2 especially since it's a big project, more so after the immense success of the first part? The other side of the story seems to be untold. An industry insider claims, "Arbaaz was not willing to give Abhinav a good price as a director despite Dabangg being a huge hit. Kashyap expected a better remuneration. Other big banners were willing to offer him Rs 2-3 crores but he kept saying no to them because of his attachment to Dabangg . While he didn't expect that kind of money from Arbaaz, he surely expected something better than what he got for his debut film".

But there seems to be an even bigger reason for Abhinav Kashyap to leave Dabangg. "Apparently Salman Khan's archrival Shah Rukh Khan managed to bowl over Kashyap with a mind-boggling offer", claims the source. " SRK is desperate to make a masala film starring himself and wanted Kashyap to direct it for him". As per trade sources Shah Rukh lured Kashyap by offering him a hefty fee of Rs 2 crores.

But over the fact that money is good, Abhinav Kashyap seems more kicked about directing Shah Rukh Khan. "Also Shah Rukh was willing to offer complete creative freedom to Kashyap in terms of directing the film", adds the source. "It's a known fact that Salman Khan had things go his way during the making of Dabangg . Lines in the script were changed at the last minute. Also Abhinav did not sit for the editing".

Kashyap seems to have taken a Dabangg step of shifting loyalties from Shah Rukh to Salman. Let's see if he is able to recreate the same success with the other big Khan of Bollywood.

I'll play seductress to SRK, Vidya (Exclusive Interv)

But engagement though is not on the cards yet. To Vidya Balan, love is when you begin to see yourself in another person's eyes and you like what you see there. On her recent trip to the city, the actor decodes 'Ishqiya'

Critical acclaim, commercial success and controversies. All that has been part of Vidya Balan's life in the recent past. And now, there are also rumours of her getting engaged to corporate honcho Siddharth Roy Kapur — who also happens to be the elder brother of actor Aditya Roy Kapur of "Guzaarish" fame. Kolkatans have even gone to the extent of claiming that since she loves all things Bengali, she has chosen to date someone with a Bengali surname! But, fact is, Siddharth Roy Kapur doesn't have roots in Bengal and the Roy part of his surname has a Punjab-connect . Vidya, who was in town to promote her commercial with Chandrabindoo, shares her Kahaani.

Three back-to-back releases — "Paa", " Ishqiya" and " No One Killed Jessica" — have had you in performance-oriented roles. As an actor, can you rate the most challenging one?
It's very difficult for me to do that. When my mother watched "Paa" , she said she felt as if she was seeing me on-screen the way I am at home. Javed saab said that all through the film, he felt I'd slip out of the character. But that never happened. After "NOKJ" released, Shabanaji said that there was not one false note in my performance. After watching "Ishqiya", Vishal (Bhardwaj) said: "I could never see you in the film. It was your character everywhere." All compliments are important but these are very special. As for myself, I still think "Paa" was the most difficult role. Playing Sabrina (Lall) was straight and one had read so much about the incident. There is a seductress in every woman. In that context, my role in "Ishqiya" wasn't that unknown to me. But before doing "Paa" , I had never connected with my maternal instincts. Moreover, it's very difficult having Mr Bachchan play my son and me having to tap his head the way I would do with my family members. I had grown up watching his movies and getting under the skin of a character that demanded all this from me was very difficult. As an actor, that's also what I like.

There's already a lot of criticism regarding you playing Silk Smitha in "The Dirty Picture" what with Vinu Chakravarthy allegedly claiming that you just don't have it in you to play that role...
I take that as a compliment. It's true that I am absolutely not like Silk Smitha. I thank Milan (Luthria) for having faith in my acting abilities to cast me in this role. Of course, I'll be needing a lot of hand-holding for this role. I am not impersonating Silk Smitha. For me, it's about the person beneath the buxom body. Many find her sexually offensive. But I feel one has to understand the choices she made during the 70s and 80s. Today, we live in a global village and are exposed to a lot of things. Reality shows encourage people to be the way they are. It's far easier for Rakhi Sawant to say what she does today without people reacting to it. But when Silk Smitha was around, it wasn't easy to be a woman and do what she did. She was clear that she wanted to be a frontrunner at any cost. If displaying her body was the path for it, she had no inhibitions about choosing that route. During those days, Silk Smitha never played the female lead in the film and yet ensured that she got equal billing as a hero. That, I think, is commendable.

Do you have any inhibitions about how bold you'll get on-screen for this movie?
I am an actor and I don't have any reservations. But yes, as I said, I will need a lot of reassurance for this role. There can be instances when I might have reservations and not want to shoot some scenes in movies because I feel they are not important in the larger scheme of things.

You've done backless shoots for magazines, used cusswords in movies and are now portraying Silk Smitha. At this age and stage in your career, do you still need to get all these vetoed by your family before shooting?
It's not about age or stage. No parent would feel comfortable to see their daughter play a seductress and discuss the role threadbare. My father, I think, didn't even understand the language in "Ishqiya" too well. My mother watched me and liked my portrayal. My family knows the profession I am into and they respect my choices. I like to share whatever is happening in my life with them. They have two questions to ask me when I have such scenes. They want to know I trust the people I am working with and if what I am doing is actually required. If I've the answers to that, they are okay with it.

You are very close to your family. Do you really have any secrets?
Of course, I do. I don't believe that my parents are my friends. They are my parents and I love that. Even when I turn 80, I'll still be their little daughter . Of course, there are some secrets that I can't share with them.

Like... being in love?
(Giggles) I thought that's my secret.

Define love and being in love...
Love is when you begin to see yourself in another person's eyes and you like what you see there. Being in love is when you begin to realize that everything else around you is inconsequential , when you feel all problems in life will surely get sorted out, when you feel very large-hearted , when you want to share that feeling with others and feel like hugging everyone around.

So, are you giving jadoo ki jhappis?
Yes, I just did. Or let me put it this way — I like when I see me now...

In his eyes?
(Laughs) I feel like a teenager now. Dil toh bachha hai ji...

In today's age when everyone is living for the moment, is marriage a necessary conclusion for a relationship?
Some things don't change. For most people, it's important to believe in the possibility of something beyond this moment. But for the moment, let me enjoy being in the moment.

From sensual, sari, Sabyasachi and SRK — what's between you and the S word? Is there a connection?
(Laughs out loud) As South Indians would say: Yesssssss. I'm ready to play seductress to SRK in a sari for a Sabya film. Hope Sabya casts SRK in the film that he is planning to direct.

While on South Indians, have you dubbed in Malayalam for 'Urumi'?
I've a song and a couple of scenes in Santosh Sivan's 'Urumi . It's my gift to my parents as they've always wanted me to do a Malayalam film. My mother always says I speak better Bengali than Malayalam. So, I've also dubbed in Malayalam for 'Urumi'

Of late, you've been a subject of controversial issues about you agreeing to pose nude for MF Husain or wearing a bikini for the annual issue of a mag or your marriage/engagement issues...
I was not even in the country when all these topics about me posing nude came up. I never posed in a bikini and all that one sees on the magazine cover is photoshop work. I plan to sue the magazine for this. As for the third issue, marriage or engagement is not on the cards.

SRK wants ''Ra.One'' to be hugest, Anubhav Sinha

After CASH, an action thriller, was panned by most and didn't quite work at the box-office despite a good start, many wondered if it was a right decision forShahrukh Khan to be actually putting his money on the film's Anubhav Sinha. However the actor and the director went on to surprise many when they not just went ahead with bringing RA.ONE on floors but also pitched it as the biggest and the costliest film ever made in the country.

"The amount of money that Shahrukh has pumped into the film is unimaginable. I can see how passionate he is about this film and he has taken it upon himself to make RA.1 the hugest of them all", says Anubhav who has seen success coming his way earlier in the form of DUS and TUM BIN.
This can well be reflected from the fact that while a couple of years were spent into the pre-production of the film, the actual filming was spread right through a year. Now even the post production would be consuming almost a year before the film arrives at theaters this Diwali.

Meanwhile Anubhav decided to stay quiet right through the making of the film instead of trying to be in the limelight over a last couple of years. So much so that even Shahrukh was prompted to comment in a recent interview - 'Anubhav apne kaam se kaam rakhta hai'."

Concludes Anubhav on a lighter note, "I like it the way it is currently. I didn't mind whatever was written about me in the months gone by. At the end of it, all I want now is that people spell my name right when they write about me and put a nice picture of mine. Bass itna sa khwab hai."