"My competition is with myself, not with any celebrity" SRK

SRK reveals all about his comeback to the small screen with 'Zor Ka Jhatka'

The TV industry today might be inundated with regular notifications, criticisms and controversies for its reality show content but Shah Rukh Khan, who is making his comeback on the small screen as the host of 'Zor Ka Jhatka' on Imagine TV, says his will be a dignified show, just like the superstar himself.

"I might joke around, fool around with my loved ones, entertain people at length. Sometimes they misinterpret it but I believe I am a dignified person. I am a dignified husband, a father, a brother, a son-in-law," Shah Rukh said.

"I will never want my show to stoop down to a level where I feel ashamed of it. I will never do or let any kind of misbehaviour rule my show just for TRP ratings as people say."

The 45-year-old has earlier hosted shows like 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' (2007) and 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?' (2008) and people loved him for his natural wit and humour that had audiences in splits.

Last month, the information and broadcasting ministry cracked down on two shows - 'Bigg Boss' and 'Rakhi Ka Insaaf' - by issuing directives to change their telecast timings following viewers' complaints about vulgar content being proliferated through them.

Shah Rukh's new show is the Indian edition of the internationally popular 'Wipeout'.

'Zor Ka Jhatka' will see 28 TV stars battling it out in an obstacle course set in Argentina and the superstar also claimed he will stand as an apostle of love and peace to curb eventual male egoes on the show.

"Fights on my show are a little dicey to see. I am a love maker and not a fight maker. And if they do, I will stand as a peacemaker then," he said with his trademark dimpled smile with visible ripples around his cheeks.

Asked about his competitive strategy to tackle other celebrity hosts on the small screen, he said: "Till the time competition is healthy everything works perfect. Everybody is doing their job and are giving it their best shot."

"My competition is with myself and not any celebrity. I truly believe that I do a good job, I work very hard and I will keep working hard. And that is what is of concern to me," he added.

So will the host perform any adventure sports too?

"The first thing that I made clear to the channel was that please don't make me go there and do any of those sports. They want me to do a promo where I need to do some of the activities, but I'm not looking forward to it. Getting dipped in mud, drenched out in dirty water - I can't take that humiliation. But lets see," he quipped.

The show will go on air in January next year.

SRK to be brand ambassador of XXX Energy Drinks by next year

MJ Group firm XXX Energy Drinks Limited today said it plans to rope in Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan as the brand ambassador of its products as it embarks on a Rs 100 crore expansion plan by next year.
The company, which is looking to garner a sales of Rs 100 crore from the brand by 2015, said it is looking to set up its first production facility for which it is scouting for location.
"We are in talks to get Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador... We will officially announce in March or April next year," JMJ Group Vice Chairman Sachin Joshi told PTI.
Earlier this year, the brand has been associated with Khan''s IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as its principal sponsor.
He, however, did not give further financial details on the contract and the time frame of it.
The company said it is looking at setting up its first facility, planning to introduce more brands in the near future, besides expanding its presence in the overseas markets by next year.
"To set up a manufacturing facility, we need to do a substantial business first. By 2012, hopefully we would start setting up a plant, which could entail an investment of USD 10 million (Rs 45 crore)," he said, adding that the capacity of the plant will be around three million cans a month.
It could be either in Pune or Dubai, where it currently manufactures its products through third party, he added.
Besides, the company is also introducing products at price points between Rs 25-30 as part of its plan to tap into the mass market and expand its presence into the smaller cities.
"We will be launching one more brand soon. One of the main reason for the slow growth of energy drinks in India is the high price. So we are looking at introducing an brand which could cost around Rs 25-30," he said.
At present, the firm sells four brands -- XXX, Rejuve, Nicofix and Minus in India and abroad.
On expanding its international presence the company said it is looking at taking to products to around 14 countries across the globe, including UK, African countries and Singapore by the end of 2010.
"We will also be increasing our marketing spend to USD 10 million (Rs 45 crore) from USD 8 (Rs 36 crore) million by next year. We are tying up with a lot of events as part of our marketing activities," he said.

Hrithik wants SRK to quit smoking

After kicking his smoking habit for his children and wife, Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan has set his eyes on making sure that his friends too, chuck the butt .

TOI has already learned that his pal Arjun Rampal isn't lighting up his cigarettes anymore thanks to Hrithik and Duggu now wants to achieve the impossible - make Shah Rukh Khan, who is addicted to the cigarette and always seen puffing away almost more than a pack of it every single day, leave the habit.

When contacted Hrithik says, "Arjun Rampal has teamed up with me and given up. SRK is next!" A close friend of Duggu informs that Hrithik has kept his promise that he would quit smoking the day his last film Guzaarish released. And he has stuck on to the plan. He almost became addicted to it during filming the movie as he had to smoke to get into the skin of his character. At present whenever someone offers him cigarettes, he takes them and crushes them before throwing them away.

A close friend of the star says, "Now that he is living a healthy life and can feel it, he wants to tell his friends about the change that he is actually feeling. Hrithik has been able to make one chain smoker, Arjun Rampal to leave the habit. Let's see if SRK would give in to his friend's request. Hrithik is very motivated to see SRK quit cigarettes but understands that it will be a difficult proposition given SRK's habit of smoking so many of them in one day. He has to cut down very slowly. Hrithik will give him the company and support he needs and explain why he needs to do that."

Ask Hrithik how one can have so much will power and he shoots, "I started with the excuse of it being a part of the character two years ago with the idea that I'll stop after the film. I've always loved exploring with different experiences but a true adventurer needs courage and a will of iron. I love throwing challenges at myself and this was tough, but I've conquered it and grown stronger in the process. It's empowering."

Big B awaits SRK’s reply

If Koffee With Karan has been bitchy, catty and controversial so far, this episode is sure to bring some good-old warmth and love back as Karan Johar hosts the father-daughter duo

Amitabh Bachchan and Shweta Bachchan-Nanda. This is the first time that the duo decided to do an interview together and they sure made it was a treat of a show. One look at Amitabh and Shweta and you can totally understand that she is a daddy's girl.

Bachchan did not hesitate to pamper his daughter and it was evident that Shweta is a super caring daughter. The two even engaged in some friendly banter and also showed rivalry in the rapid fire round trying to out-do each other to win the hamper. The suave Karan made sure that he wasn't partial to either, thus making the round a really interesting one.

During the shooting of the show, when Shweta could not guess an answer Bachchan was seen sulking which was adorable and humourous, much liked by the host as well as Shweta.

One of the highlights of the show was when Amitabh disclosed that he is yet to receive a reply from Shah Rukh Khan, whom he had wished on his birthday (November 2). It's been more than one-and-a-half months that SRK hasn't reverted and he asked Karan to tell SRK that.

Hope this small thing won't hamper the good relationship that SRK and Amitabh currently share. There was a rumour, in the not so distant past, that they don't bond all that well until it was finally reported that they had patched up. Catch all this and much more when the show is aired tonight at 9 pm on Star World.

SRK's next heroine - Priyanka, Deepika or Katrina?

Shah Rukh Khan's next film, a screen adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's TWO STATES to be directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, has been announced and the field is wide open for a leading lady to be signed opposite him. Now that makes for an interesting pairing as it wasn't too many weeks ago when names like Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone were thrown around.

"This would indeed be an interesting development for sure due to many reasons", says an industry insider, "First and foremost Vishal has already worked with Priyanka in two back to back films - KAMINEY and 7 KHOON MAAF. While there is a pro in the form of a comfort factor that has set in between the two, the con comes from the fact that Vishal too may want to work with a new face now."

"Similarily, Shah Rukh is already working with Priyanka in DON 2 and hence the pro and the con is on similar lines as Vishal", she continues, "On the other hand he and Deepika haven't worked together since OM SHANTI OM and if the duo comes together, it would be one reunion that would be much talked about."

This is not all as Sonakshi Sinha and Katrina Kaif too haven't worked with Shah Rukh Khan till date and together, they may well give Bollywood a new pairing.

While the round of speculation continues, the insider says, "Whether it would be Priyanka, Deepika, some other leading lady or a newcomer would be known in a few days from now. Just wait and watch."

Well, we are waiting for sure.

Shah Rukh Khan’s life is more interesting than Bigg Boss

Shah Rukh Khan soon will start shooting for ‘Zor Ka Jhatka’ the Indian version of ‘Wipeout’ and make his entry to the Indian Television again with the game show. While he does watch serials and other shows on the television, the man is not interested in the show Bigg Boss.

SRK feels that his life is more interesting than what goes on in Bigg Boss and moreover, the actor is not too keen on watching someone else’s lives voyeuristically. Rather he enjoyed all the three seasons of ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ and still loves to watch the shows like ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Dexter’. Shah Rukh had revealed earlier that he and his kids are avid fans of the original ‘Wipeout’ and hence is looking forward to host the Indian version of this water based game show.

So have Shah Rukh watched an entire episode of Bigg Boss 4, that’s being hosted by friend turned foe Salman Khan? Well, the King Khan tells that he is so not interested in seeing the program after getting to watch bits and pieces of the show while flipping channels and in the news channels.

While SRK abhors the fact of voyeurism in Bigg Boss and doesn’t watch it, it’s the same reason that people love to watch it and not everyone’s life is as interesting as SRK.

SRK gets Yash Chopra to direct him a part of song in "Ra.One"

The steel grey canvas of Shah Rukh Khan's sci-fi flick RA.One will have a touch of Yash Chopra in it. On the actor's request, Yash Chopra directed a part of a song in the film.

Apparently, while shooting for this particular song at the YRF Studios recently, King Khan asked the filmmaker if he could direct the first half of the song. Yash Chopra agreed. Our source from the sets said, "SRK is working on his next schedule at YRF currently.

A song sequence is being shot there under the supervision of Anubhav Sinha, the director of RA.One. While shooting on Thursday afternoon SRK learnt that Yashji was present in the studios. SRK went to him and brought him to the sets of his film.

SRK felt it needed that 'YRF touch'. Yashji was happy and he did the needful. In fact, the song sequence apparently had Kareena Kapoor in it as well; Chopra directed her for the first time." It's quite sporting of Anubhav, really.

Interestingly, cameo directors have been occasionally populating the production of RA.One. The source added, "Earlier, during the shooting of RA.One in London, Karan Johar had stepped in to direct a couple of emotional scenes. So, even KJo has been a part of the film."

In the past Yash Chopra has directed SRK in Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai and Veer Zaara and, if rumours are to be believed, his next, which will go on floors in March 2011, is likely to have King Khan in the lead role. How romantic.

Payal misses meeting SRK every morning!

Payal Rohatgi has been smitten recently by none other than the King Khan SRK, who is hosting the new reality show - Zor Ka Jhatka, of which she is a part. She was very excited from the moment she heard that he will be in Argentina and she will get to be around him. She even informed everyone in her friends circle of the news with a lot of excitement & mentioned how charming & a gentleman he is. But unfortunately she had a freak accident on the set where she fractured her hand, she still went on the sets with equal fervour as he would be there and his encouragement was enough for her to keep going.

Nevertheless life is not a fairy tale & since her pain was just increasing, SRK asked the production house not to eliminate her as a failed contestant but to have her go from the show with respect. She is now headed back to Mumbai but with a heavy heart not only to have left the show mid-way but also that she would not be meeting SRK every morning.

Priyanka is not SRK's choice for Vishal's next

Priyanka Chopra may have declared herself as SRK's biggest fan, but it seems Bollywood's King Khan dosen't believe in favoritism. Rumor has it that SRK has insisted Vishal Bhardwaj to drop PC and hunt for a fresh face for his adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's '2 States'.

The actor who has previously acted in 'Don' (2006), and is currently shooting for 'Don 2' with SRK, was finalized for the lead role in Vishal's film until Shahrukh suggested the director that she might not suit the role.

Priyanka axed from Vishal's next?
Recently, multiple tabloids had reported that SRK replaced Saif in Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of '2 States.' Now, the industry insiders reveal that PC, too, might get axed from the film.

Earlier the film was to be made by 'Anjaana Anjaani' director Siddharth Anand with Saif and Priyanka in lead roles. Although, Saif and Siddharth are no longer a part of the project, Priyanka was always the first choice for the female lead.

SRK and Sajid Nadiadwala are co-producers of the film. A source said, “Initially when the film was solely produced by Nadiadwala, it was Siddharth Anand who was directing the film and Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka were to play the lead roles.

“Although Saif and Siddharth are no longer in the project, Priyanka still continued to be the choice for the leading lady. Until now that is,” the source added.

Explaining the whole matter, the source revealed, “Vishal flew down to Berlin, where SRK and Piggy were shooting for Don 2. He narrated the revised script to both the actors in the same room; sure enough they liked it. This was the second narration Piggy Chops was hearing, after the one from Siddharth.”

Scuttlebutt has it that after listening the script, Shah Rukh insisted Vishal, who has already worked with Priyanka in 'Kaminey' and 'Saat Khoon Maaf', to drop Piggy Chops out of the project and search for a new face instead.

“He told Vishal that he knew Priyanka was one of his favourite heroines, but the demands of the script could not be ignored,” the source said.

Hope Priyanka knows that!

I will never want my show to stoop down, SRK

The TV industry today might be inundated with regular notifications, criticisms and controversies for its reality show content but Shah Rukh Khan , who is making his comeback on the small screen as the host of Zor Ka Jhatka " on Imagine TV, says his will be a dignified show, just like the superstar himself.

"I might joke around, fool around with my loved ones, entertain people at length. Sometimes they misinterpret it but I believe I am a dignified person. I am a dignified husband, a father, a brother, a son-in-law," Shah Rukh told IANS in an interview here.

"I will never want my show to stoop down to a level where I feel ashamed of it. I will never do or let any kind of misbehaviour rule my show just for TRP ratings as people say."

The 45-year-old has earlier hosted shows like "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (2007) and "Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?" (2008) and people loved him for his natural wit and humour that had audiences in splits.

Last month, the information and broadcasting ministry cracked down on two shows - "Bigg Boss" and "Rakhi Ka Insaaf" - by issuing directives to change their telecast timings following viewers' complaints about vulgar content being proliferated through them.

Shah Rukh's new show is the Indian edition of the internationally popular "Wipeout".

"Zor Ka Jhatka" will see 28 TV stars battling it out in an obstacle course set in Argentina and the superstar also claimed he will stand as an apostle of love and peace to curb eventual male egoes on the show.

"Fights on my show are a little dicey to see. I am a love maker and not a fight maker. And if they do, I will stand as a peacemaker then," he said in his trademark dimpled smile with visible ripples around his cheeks.

Asked about his competitive strategy to tackle other celebrity hosts on the small screen, he said: "Till the time competition is healthy everything works perfect. Everybody is doing their job and are giving it their best shot."

"My competition is with myself and not any celebrity. I truly believe that I do a good job, I work very hard and I will keep working hard. And that is what is of concern to me," he added in his nonchalant King Khan manner.

So will the host perform any adventure sports too?

"The first thing that I made clear to the channel was that please don't make me go there and do any of those sports. They want me to do a promo where I need to do some of the activities, but I'm not looking forward to it. Getting dipped in mud, drenched out in dirty water - I can't take that humiliation. But lets see," he quipped.

The show will go on air in January next year.