SRK clarifies stand on Ra.One-Raavan controversy

Call it ‘Ra.One’ or ‘Raavan’, it sounds the same. But that has become a matter of concern for Shah Rukh Khan who is all set to start his first science-fiction superhero film Ra.One soon.

Shah Rukh is amazed that his fans are confusing the title ‘Raavan’ with ‘Ra.One’. However SRK decided to clear it once and for all. “Abhishek's ‘Raavan’ is different from our ‘Ra.One’. Our film will release later this year. It’s very different from Mani sir’s Raavan,” said SRK.

Mani Ratnam’s forthcoming film Raavan is a modern version of Ramayana that stars Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan in lead role. While ‘Ra.One’ will be directed by Anubhav Sinha and will star Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena in lead roles. It will be produced by Shah Rukh Khan under his home production Red Chillies Entertainment.

SRK is aware that this unusual title is creating curiosity among his fans. He is also planning to launch a website soon before the film goes on floors so that his fans can get more information about his first superhero film. ‘Ra.One’ will commence on 20th March

Bipasha loves SRK, Gauri

Bipasha Basu says she adores Shah Rukh Khan. So what is news in this? Every girl in Bollywood likes him. Bipasha also loves Gauri Khan.

She says Gauri is the classiest star wife she has met. Bips recently requested SRK to do a small interview for her fitness video. And she was blown away by the hospitality given to her by Gauri and SRK. While SRK was recording his bit for Bips’ video, Gauri played the perfect hostess. And when the sexy Bong actress left Mannat that day, SRK had added one more name to his long list of fans.

Kareena, the yummy mummy!

The glamorous Kareena Kapoor has always been stylishly put together on screen and will now play a glam mother to an eight-year-old in Anubhav Sinha’s Ra.One.

A source reveals, “Kareena doesn’t want to be styled in the stereotypical mould of a mother. She plays a modern mum, and Manish Malhotra will design her look accordingly. She will be seen in extremely glamorous outfits.”

After all, why should mothers look dowdy and defeated? The source continues, “Her look is ultra chic and her wardrobe will include the trendiest outfits. She will be seen in short dresses, skirts and tight fitting tops.

She had a word with Manish and he will dress her in the latest summer/ spring collection.”

Manish Malhotra, Kareena’s favourite designer, says, “The film is based in London and she needs to be dressed keeping in mind the avatar of a modern mother.”

SRK means India for Cameron

When James Cameron sat on the couch with Koel Poorie for her TV show, Shah Rukh and Aamir were just some of the many things he knew about India

We all want to know what’s the first thing you said to your ex-wife (Kathryn Bigelow) after she won the Oscar.
(Laughs) I don’t remember exactly. Actually, she got up and went on stage, and then they go backstage, and I didn’t see her again for the rest of the night.

What about the famous picture of you strangling her?
That was before the ceremony. We decided to just give the press the photo op they were looking for.

Of course, the truth is that you both are friends?
Yes, and we made a promise to each other to just have fun that night.

You like powerful women both on and off camera...
Absolutely.

What marriage are you on? Fifth now? When James Cameron sat on the couch with Koel Poorie for her TV show, Shah Rukh and Aamir were just some of the many things he knew about India
I’m on my last marriage now.

Oh, that’s a lovely way of putting it ... You’ve been married the longest to Suzie?
I think when we were on our 4th or 5th anniversary, and this was 5 years ago, I said we’ve officially been married longer than all my other marriages put together, so she liked that.

What does the word avatar mean to you? It is a Hindu word for us also ...
Of course, and we don’t even pronounce it correctly in the west. I understand the traditional roots of the word, which is that it is the descent or incarnation of a divine being in the flesh. Of course, that was the significance in the film, although the characters are not divine beings. But the idea was that they take flesh in another body. ‘Avatar’ is a term that’s now widely in use, as we all know, in cyber space, relating to second life, alter ego and things like that.

A lot of your references rang true from the Hindu context. Was that intentional or a happy accident? Did you know that Hinduism is a self-interpreting, non dogmatic religion?
I didn’t, I’m not a practising Hindu. I’m certainly familiar with a lot of beliefs of the Hindu religion; I find it quite fascinating. I tried to make a film that would touch people’s spirituality across the broad spectrum.

So it’s definitely open to self-interpretation?
Yes, exactly. And everybody sees the film through the own lens of their life.

This fascinating world that you created, for me it was, sort of seeing things underwater. And you’re a very keen diver as well. Is that where it’s coming from, or is it a lot of drugs?
(laughs) Not drugs... at least I’m not gonna admit to anything... not since my college days.

It was very trippy...
I have spent 3000 hours underwater (diving). Also, I was a teenager in the 60s. So there were lot of black light posters around and so on. But the underwater part of it, I think it’s my love of nature in general. By the way, a major part of it is having great artistes from all over the world, all feeding into one big pool of imagination... that’s where these images come from.

Would Pandora be quite close to your idea of an ideal world?
No, I think Pandora is kind of a fictionalised fantasy version of what our world was like, before we started to pave it and build malls, and shopping centres. So it’s really an evocation of the world we used to have.

How much do you know of Bollywood?
Very little, because our films tend not to penetrate here that much, and Bollywood films tend not to penetrate in the American market that much. It’s almost like two different worlds to a large extent, but that’s changing.

From our perspective, you make something which we term as ‘masala films’ which are blockbusters, all of Bollywood is about masala films...
You like the epics.

We are all about big scale, emotions and manipulation...
So you get it, you guys get what I like to do...

I’m going to say a word to you, tell me what comes to mind. India...
For me, it’s fantasy.

Shah Rukh Khan.
Giant movie star.

You know him?
Absolutely.
How does it make you feel that this giant movie star, Shah Rukh Khan, has called us up to say, please get a T2 poster signed by you?
I’m more than happy to sign it, if he’ll sign a poster for me!

Oh! What poster? You’d have to see one of his films...
My Name Is Khan. How about that?

Aamir Khan?
He is the other big movie star. All the big movie stars here are named Khan – is this a designation or a name?
People change their names just to come in that category!

Shahrukh Khan Bollywood’s top taxpayer!

Shahrukh Khan is again the highest Bollywood’s tax payer. Though last year it was Akshay Kumar securing the first position, according to reports, this year it’s SRK who is on top for the financial year 2009-2010.

Among actresses the top taxpayer is Kareena Kapoor, with her brand Kareena going strong and with the success of her last film 3 Idiots. No doubt, the lady is among the top earners of Bollywood.

And as she tells a tabloid, “It’s been a great year for cinema and a great year for me in every way. I am happy to have pleased my fans and the public.”

Last year, Kareena paid Rs 3.7 crore while SRK gave Rs 30.99 crore. This year’s numbers are yet to come.

Shahrukh Khan receives Global Entertainment award

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was presented the Global Entertainment and Media Personality award at the FICCI Frames 2010 Excellence Awards here Thursday.

“Thank you so much to FICCI for bestowing this award on me, and the job that you guys are doing is absolutely outstanding,” said Shah Rukh after receiving the award.

SRK 'chirrups', KJo blames Twitter!

he’s got dark circles and stays up all night, don’t tut-tut Shah Rukh Khan. Simply blame his buddy Karan Johar. For he’s the man who introduced King Khan to sleepless nights.

So while Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan prefer an online presence for their stars, SRK tweets away. All thanks to media’s darling KJo. The Khan doesn’t deny this either; he says, “Karan forced me to join in. Actually, I’m not very good at replying, I’m not social and I’m quite reclusive. I don’t SMS, I don’t talk too much on the phone, and I’m proud of it. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve spent so much time dealing with people, loving people, being with people; that there are times I want to be alone and don’t want to share anything with anyone. My wife and kids give me that time. Over the years I’ve become more like this and people think I’m being socially incorrect. So I didn’t want to be part of a socially interactive space where I didn’t know what to say. But recently, I tried it and found that people have been so warm and loving. Of course, some stupid people feel I must’ve gone there to promote my films. Again, I’m saying this; I don’t need to promote my films like this.” Kudos to KJo. And must say, such a ‘tweet’ friend this one is.

Global Entertainment and Media Personality award to Shahrukh Khan at FICCI Frames

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was presented the Global Entertainment and Media Personality award at the FICCI Frames 2010 Excellence Awards on Thursday. FICCI Frames, the global conference on the business of entertainment which ran from March 16-18 came to a close with the award ceremony in Hotel Renaissance in Mumbai.

The Global Icon of the Year award was presented to Oscar winning music director A.R. Rehman.Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan bagged the best actor award for their outstanding performance in R.Balki's film "Paa".

Director Raju Hirani garnered two awards - best film and best director - for his film "3 Idiots".

Pritam Chakraborty was presented the best music director award for Imtiyaz Ali's "Love Aaj Kal" while Ranbir Kapoor won the best entertainment award.

Gayle to join Knight Riders in Ahmedabad on Thursday

Kolkata Knight Riders’ big hitting opener Chris Gayle will join the side in Ahmedabad on Thursday ahead of their away IPL match against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday.

"Gayle has already arrived in Mumbai and he would join the squad in Ahmedabad tomorrow," a KKR source said.

The Knight Riders had a rest day on Wednesday after their Tuesday night's loss to Chennai Super Kings.

The Knights are still expecting the services of their other opener Brendon McCullum who is busy with New Zealand's Test commitments against Australia.

The team will leave for Ahmedabad on Thursday to face the Royals in their fourth match.

Shah Rukh Khan bigger brand for KKR than Saurav Ganguly? Ajay Jadeja

It was by far the most entertaining discussions to have happened on day one of FICCI Frames 2010. Former Cricketer Ajay Jadeja, Former Hockey striker Viren Rasquinha and actor Rahul Bose got together to discuss the amalgamation of Sports and Entertainment today.

Ajay began the conversation by saying how Bollywood has acted as the icing on the cake for IPL. “IPL will survive because people like Cricket but Bollywood had a strong role to play in its success” said the charming Cricketer. He further dared to elaborate his opinion by giving a hypothetical example. “If Shah Rukh Khan chooses to leave KKR tomorrow, it will definitely be a bigger dent to the franchise and IPL as a whole than a Saurav Ganguly leaving KKR. Today, Shah Rukh Khan is certainly a bigger brand than Ganguly but say a few years back in 2003, things were different. Ganguly then spoke with his bat and today it doesn’t happen much. Bollywood has brought glamour to the game and it has widened the reach of the game. Today more ladies watch the game because they like Shah Rukh and they spot him sitting in the stands watching his team play. Bollywood has certainly expanded the audiences of the game. “

Last year in the second season of the IPL when SRK and his coach had asked Ganguly to step down as the captain of KKR, it had created a huge furor in the country with the majority backing Ganguly and not SRK. Then many believed Shah Rukh shouldn’t interfere in Cricket no matter how big a star he was.

Ajay’s comments were thus surprising. Ajay was neither diplomatic nor was mincing words fearing a supposed controversy that his statements might trigger.