Om Shanti Om music release in mid-September

OM SHANTI OM, an extravagant offering from Shahrukh Khan and Farah Khan, is aiming for a November 9th release. The film's promotion is all set to get started in a week from now while the music album is expected to hit the stands somewhere around middle of September.
Music of film has been in news ever since the project was announced. To begin with A.R. Rahman was finalised as a composer. Later due to certain differences over holding of rights, replacement for Rahman was sought and duo of Vishal-Shekhar was instead roped in. Also, services of Pyarelal [of Lakshmikant-Pyarelal duo] were sought to arrange one of the songs from the film.
As per insiders, Vishal and Shekhar have come up with a terrific soundtrack that traverses genres. A complete Bollywood soundtrack that goes with the 'masala' flavor of the film, OM SHANTI OM is one music album to watch out for as it hits the stands next month.

Source: IndiaGlitz

Minister wants PM to see Shah Rukh's film

A seasoned minister is so excited over the success of Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Chak de India' that he hopes to persuade Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to watch the surprise hit of the year.

Prithviraj Chavan, the minister of state for Prime Minister's Office (PMO), does not hide his excitement when he says that he had a 'brush' with the film.

He was handling the sports ministry when the Indian Women Hockey Federation mooted the idea of making a film on the game.

'I was excited when Vidya Stokes, president of the federation, approached us with the idea,' said Chavan, who handled the sports ministry briefly after Sunil Dutt died in 2005.

He had then taken Stokes and others to the National Stadium - where parts of the movie was shot - and asked the authorities to extend all help to them.

'Frankly speaking I did not even believe them when they said that Shah Rukh Khan would be approached for the main role,' he said.

'I am so happy and thrilled at the positive reports about the movie. I must see them (actors) and I will also request the prime minister to watch it (movie),' Chavan said.

Source: IANS

The Marathi version of Shah Rukh Khan's biography will be released on Saturday

From dancing around the trees with the prettiest of Bollywood belles to teaching the art of wielding the hockey stick to a bunch of enthusiasts , Shahrukh Khan has for years captured the imagination of a nation.

Litle wonder than that there has no been a dearth of books and biographies on King Khan-the latest to hit the market being Anupama Chopra’s King of Bollywood: Shahrukh Khan and the seductive world of cinema. This book, that was released in New York on August 9, has now been translated in Hindi, German and also Marathi, with the Marathi version all set for release in Pune on September 1 at the S N Joshi auditorium. “I am a die hard fan of Shahrukh Khan so the idea of publishing his biography thrilled me,” says Ulhas Latkar, the owner of Ameya Prakashan publishing house that is bringing out the marathi version.

Almost 14 years old, the publishing house has carved its niche in the genre of biographies with names like Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhubala, Aditya Birla immortalised by it in the pages of books dedicated to them. “It has been a conscious decision to publish biographies because they are inspiring and make a difference,” says Latkar. So when he learnt about Chopra’s book, he immediately approached her with the idea to release the book for the marathi readers. “I read the book at least four times before making this decision,” he adds. And then came the trickiest part of zeroing in on a suitable writer to do the work. Since Latekar had read Mumbai based freelance film journalist, Aruna Antarkar’s work he contacted her for the job. Working against time Antarkar translated the book in a span of one month without taking any other assignments. But she seems to have done the job more for personal than professional reasons. “Not many people know this but 12 years back Shahrukh saved my life. During the shooting of one of his films I unknowingly stood in front of a moving crane and he pulled me on time just before the machine could hit me. I guess it is about time I expressed my gratitude to him,” she says.

The autobiography is divided in three sections- one part talks about the actor, the other about Bollywood and the third about the changing phases of cinema in the country. Also Antarkar feels that the book has an unbiased approach and cuts through the fluff. “Even where it talks about Shahrukh’s competition with Hrithik Roshan, it emerges that Hrithik, despite being the younger on, comes across as more mature and wise,” she says. Also Antarkar on her part has tried to mould the book according to the taste of the marathi readers without tampering with facts. And, she adds, despite being a collection of memoirs of the actor’s life, it does not compromise on the element of entertainment.

ShvetaVashistGaur, ExpressIndia

Chak De 'Girls'

We met the nine girls at a city multiplex.

Nisha: I was elated to be chosen for the movie. Whoever wouldn’t be? But I could never imagine that the film will be such a huge success. The adulations, the fame — it’s come all of a sudden and at first I did not know how to handle this, but I am now going with the flow, taking one step at a time. What about you Sandia?

Sandia : I am living every moment of it. I am getting loads of attention and I am really appreciating it. See, it all depends on you. You could get irritated or you could just learn to live with it. But, to tell you the truth, I do not want a lot of fame... that could be a curse. What do you think Chonchon?

Chonchon : You know, how in the movie Kabir Khan tells the girls to play their best game within the stipulated 70 minutes and how their lives will change after that. Kabir Khan was right. The movie has changed everything. It’s like a dream. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it was worth it.

Chitrashi : I am enjoying myself. If success has come to me, why wouldn't I make the most it? Even on the sets I used to get pampered by SRK. You girls used to tease me na ki main kaisi unki godi mein baith jaati thi. Haha! I had never thought of taking up acting, but now I am thinking. But, at the moment I am soaking in the experience of being loved so much.

Vidya : It was an honour for me to lead you girls. I have been a part of this glam world for long... I have been a model, done ads and films too. I think you girls are lucky. You have tasted success from the word go, but I know what it feels like to have success elude you. But Chak De! India has given me a different high. It’s so wonderful to be your Didi — onscreen and offscreen.

Shilpa : I am living it up. Wherever we are going people are coming up to me and saying how much they loved the movie and how we girls were so good. Yes, we are celebrating girl power. In fact, people have been telling me how jealous they are of me for having acted with SRK and for that scene where I try to seduce him. Imagine people being jealous of me! I hope to have many more ‘fame’ous moments.

Tanya : Now, that the movie has become a hit and people are recognising me, I am hoping to get a boyfriend. Boys are too scared of me. Mereko gussa itni jaldi aata hain na! And on top of that I am a judo player. I am hoping things will change now. Haha! But to tell you the truth I am enjoying myself. People are asking me to take up acting full time. Let’s see what kind of offer I get. But I plan to complete my studies first.

Arya : You know life is ironical. I was always scared of being mobbed and remember how in Australia people had surrounded me? I cried for help and look at us now. Well, to tell the truth, I am not handling fame well. But I am getting there. I am learning to be diplomatic and not being the spitfire that I usually am. SRK is a dream I admired him as an actor, but now I admire the man. He is so very humble!

Shubhi : I have been a choreographer, been an anchor, hosted events and I thought that I am qualified enough to handle fame. But the truth is that right now fame is handling me. I think that with Chak De! India, we have all become a team and we are helping each other out even when we are out on tours. My dream would be to host a Filmfare award with SRK and then I will ask my parents to look for a boy and settle down and have children (Laughs).

JayeetaGanguly, TimesofIndia

"I need to enjoy what I am doing. I love the process of film making," Shah Rukh Khan

Congratulate him on the success of 'Chak De India' and he surprises you with, "I am glad it worked because sometimes I do films for his my own satisfaction like 'Paheli' and 'Swades', but they don't always work commercially," he says.

The actor reveals candidly, "I generally do films which are bound to be successful. But, once a year, I do one film for my own personal satisfaction as an actor. 'Chak De' was one such film and I am glad that it has worked."

However, it's not the flops that upset him. "It makes me very unhappy when people say I cannot act. Without wanting to sound pompous, if I have survived in this industry for 19 years, I must know something. I definitely can't be a fluke," he says.

Ask him who his favourite director is and he gets diplomatic, "I have worked with most established as well as new directors. I find everyone unique in some way of the other. I have enjoyed working with 90 percent of them. I am someone who is a complete slave to the director. However, I need to enjoy what I am doing. I love the process of film making," he says.

Shubha Shetty & Saha,DNA

There has been no fight: Farah Khan

There is no bad blood between the producers of Heyy Babyy and Om Shanti Om, says Farah Khan who spent a fun Rakhi day with brother Sajid.

It was recently reported that actor Shah Rukh Khan was miffed with producer Sajid Nadiadwala for not airing the promos of Om Shanti Om before the screening of Heyy Babyy . It was said that the OSO team was quite miffed with the Heyy Babyy team. However, this story ain’t true.

For on Raksha Bandhan, sister Farah Khan spent good times with bro Sajid Khan (director of Heyy Babyy ), and SRK, too, on reading the report, promptly sent a text message to buddy, producer Nadiadwala, stating that he wasn’t angry at all about anything. “What kind of rubbish rumours are these,” says Farah. “We have no problem, there has been no fight, and nothing of that sort will ever happen.”

Here’s to the shanti that prevails on both sides!

Source: TimesOfIndia

SRK suffers muscle injury

It’s no mean feat to sport a six-pack abdomen and ribbed muscles at the age of 42. However, Shah Rukh Khan has learnt that brawn comes at a price. The actor has been complaining of cramps and a pulled hamstring recently.

It all started on the sets of Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om while filming a lavish song recently. Says a reliable source, Shah Rukh has done a tremendous job in the song sequence where he will be seen bare-chested. There were times during rehearsals when he got terrible cramps in his legs.

The actor’s personal trainer, Prashant Sawant blames it on the actor’s low-carbohydrate, protein-rich diet. Also, the actor had sustained injuries in the hamstring while filming for Chak De in Australia earlier this year.

A reluctant Sawant says, It’s a minor thing. He has almost given up on carbohydrates and that’s why he keeps getting these frequent cramps.

The story goes that Khan has always aspired to have a physique to reckon with. However, back problems and a tight schedule didn’t leave him with much time to concentrate on his body. After wrapping up Chak De and Kaun Banega Crorepati, the actor has been working out rigorously every day.

Talking about it Sawant says, Shah Rukh has been training every day for the last four months. The actor’s exercise regime includes cardio exercise and weight training. We have concentrated on abs and I can tell you he has got the best abs in the business. We do crunches, reverse crunches and leg raises. There have been days when we have done about 1500 of them.

Khan abstains from restaurant food and eats small meals after every three hours. Apart from drinking lots of water, he also swears by protein shake. Says Sawant, The protein shake helps in building muscles. Also, after five in the evening he is supposed to have even lighter meals. The actor was unavailable for comment.

Source: TimesOfIndia

Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan are upset with Sajid Nadiadwala

Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan are upset with Sajid Nadiadwala. Reason: the promo of their forthcoming film, Om Shanti Om (OSO) was not shown along with Nadiadwala’s Heyy Babyy at the recently held trial shows of the film. The promos of OSO were missing from most of the 20-odd trial shows that were held for the film industry at Yash Raj Studios, Film City and other preview theatres.

SRK, who wanted to gauge industry reaction to one of his most ambitious projects thus missed out on the important feedback that he was looking for. Naturally, he’s fuming.

A source says, Shah Rukh is not the one to be upset over trivial issues but when it comes to his films, he doesn’t take things lying down. SRK is very close to Sajid Khan because of Farah and he never thought that Sajid would be so careless about SRK’s film, especially since his sister Farah is the director of the film. SRK had also gone out of his way to do a special item song for the film on Sajid’s request.

However, he is not very happy that his promos went missing in some of the trials, especially the ones held at Yash Raj Studios. SRK also lost his cool as he got very little feedback from the trials. In fact, when he would call for feedback from his friends who saw the trailers, they said that they never saw the promos. That’s when SRK called up Sajid to express his grievances.

When contacted Sajid Khan said, The promos of OSO have been shown in all the trials and now it is being shown in theatres across the country. He seemed to be unaware of SRK and Farah’s displeasure. So what really happened? Industry insiders are hinting at deliberate sabotage.

Meanwhile, Sajid Nadiadwala, producer of Heyy Babyy , says, 700 promo prints of OSO have been attached to the negatives of my film in a laboratory. It cannot be edited during the screening.

Source: TimesOfIndia

I think CHAK DE! is SRK's best performance till date: Sunil Shetty

An Interview with Sunil Shetty

The mood of the nation is hockey and not cricket, courtesy CHAK DE! INDIA. Even Sunil Shetty, who is a cricket buff, feels so. Sunil, who was recently appointed official brand ambassador for hockey in the country, talks all about it and more.

When did u first learn that you were appointed the brand ambassador for hockey?
I learnt about it about two months back. I had okayed the papers. I have some friends in Bombay Customs who came to me and asked if I wanted to do something for hockey. They said that they had spoken to K P S Gill and he had mentioned that it would be great if I, being a sportsman and an active athlete, would be able to do it.

How do you feel about it?
I am very proud to be associated with hockey which has brought us more national glory than cricket. Except for the World Cup in ’83 and a few heroes like Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, can we talk about anything else in cricket?

You had okayed the papers before CHAK DE! released?
Yes… but I say that the actual brand ambassador of hockey should be Shah Rukh Khan and nobody else. See CHAK DE! And you will know what I am talking.

Did you like CHAK DE!?
I loved it. I messaged Shah Rukh about it. Then I saw it once more. And I liked it even more. I think CHAK DE! is SRK’s best performance till date.

Did SRK reply back?
Yes. He always does. He and I are pretty close.

There is a school of thought that if LAGAAN can go to the Oscars, why not CHAK DE!?
I endorse on that. What a patriotic film, and that without shouting any slogans! I think that the film is also a slap on the cricket selectors that they should start looking beyond their respective states.

Being the hockey brand ambassador, what will you be required to do?
I will certainly have to give time and I am willing to do that. It will require me to travel and be present at the major hockey matches which India plays, shoot a national feel song for them and talk about the game wherever possible. Also, I would invite some of my Bollywood colleagues to come over and be a part of it as and when they can.

Are you aware about the technicalities of hockey?
Look, I have not been appointed as the coach. My job is something else. Like today, my friend Akash Gupta of Air Hostess Academy has agreed to sponsor the forthcoming Glorious Cup between India and Pakistan which begins on September 11.

Source: GlamSham

'Chak De India' goes to Oscar library

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has requested a copy of the screenplay of CHAK DE INDIA for the permanent script collection. The scripts in the collection reside at the Margaret Herrick Library and are made accessible for research purposes only; students, film-makers, writers and actors are among the regular patrons. Screenplays may only be viewed in the library; they do not circulate. Also, no screenplay is allowed to be photocopied.

Source: IndiaFM

Shah Rukh has agreed to cut his hair

Vivek states, "Shah Rukh has agreed to cut his hair whenever I announce the next schedule of Dulha Mil Gaya. We have to shoot the portions involving him on a cruise liner. If I go ahead with it in the rainy season, it will be a risky proposition so I am desperately waiting for the rains to stop."

The film stars King Khan in a brief but important part and has Sushmita Sen, Fardeen Khan and newcomer Ishita Sharma in lead roles. The film has been in the making for some time now with delays reportedly happening because of the SRK’s busy date diary.

Vivek Vaswani, defending his super star buddy, says, "There has been no delay from Shah Rukh's side. It is just a ten-day shoot that is left with him. He is currently not shooting any other film and has assured me of his dates for Dulha Mil Gaya. I am currently chalking out our next schedule plans for the film to be shot with him in Goa on a cruise liner."

Shah Rukh had gone on his annual vacation with his family in late May, earlier this year to London. When he was back in a month's time, he was seen sporting long locks with a pony tail. He shot for Chak De India's title number as a promotional video and also the making of this hockey themed film with his long hair. The new Pepsi ad also featuring John Abraham had SRK in his new look. Last week he was seen shooting for home production, Om Shanti Om's item number in long locks too.

Source: Indya

Shah Rukh Khan The Box Office King

Three weeks after Chak De India's release, it has become clear that its scored a goal at the box office and become a phenomenon.

But with no leading lady, no love angle, no song and dance an unusually restrained, understated Shahrukh Khan, none of the tried and tested box office elements its not difficult to imagine the nervousness of the filmmakers of Chak De before its box office release.

"You get a few films where the producers and directors have guts to say let's take Shahrukh Khan and let's not make it a in-your-face commercial film and make him do what he does.

"I remember the last night when we saw the film. It was releasing the next morning. Adi and me sitting and Shimit, it's about 1.30 in the night.

"We were just seeing the film. Adi looked at me and he said, 'What do you think the film will do? My son and my daughter said they have loved the film. We will still worry, it has no standard to compare it with," said Shahrukh Khan, actor.

It's a film that makes a strong comment on hockey and women's sports. So does he think that this film will change perceptions about hockey and bring our neglected national game at par with cricket?

"I think we should take a cue from cricket and hopefully what cricket has done shows the way to not just what to do for hockey, for every sports.

"Sports are good. So I hope that but whether I think it will happen or not I don't know whether the film will do well or not so, let alone whether hockey will change or not. But, I am just glad that I could comment about the sport that I love," said Shahrukh.

Identity issues

Not only is Shahrukh's role in the film very different from the ones he's used to doing, it also engages with the complex issue of Muslims' indianness in the country.

"I am a complete promoter of the fact that if you have to ask am I a Muslim in a Hindu country, then I am not secular enough.

"I never asked myself that because I was never built like that. I think I am Indian. I am Indian. I mean, the question of being Muslim, from which part of the country, has never mattered to me.

"It has never been brought to my notice and I think the religion of our country is Indianness," said Shahrukh Khan.

It's obviously been a win-win situation.

It's a role that's probably lent more gravitas to superstar Sharukh's iconic status and repertoire of work.

And its worked the other way round also with his presence providing the initial impetus and draw to a film which is off the beaten track.


Swati Maheshwari, NDTV

SRK In Shimit Amin's next

Though at the moment Shimit isn't revealing anything, it's quite evident that the colossal impact of Chak De India has fastened up his desire to embrace the sporty theme. It is reliably learnt that sports and Shah Rukh will recur in Shimit's next.

Writer Jaideep Sahni, who gave such a stunning spin to the obsolete game of hockey, is likely to join the successful twosome in the next Yashraj film.

Says Shimit, "Audiences, do have certain expectations from me after Chak De India. And I'd be foolish not to live up to those expectations. But right now I'm not pushing myself to make my next film. I'm not going to force myself to start my next film. I'm on an extended vacation. I'll be visiting my parents in LA." Further decisions on his next project will only be taken after he returns from "home" in the US.

The big news is that Chak De India has now been given exemption from entertainment tax all over the country. "But the proposal to do so was put forward long before the President saw the film. I think a tax exemption for Chak De India is just the right prescription. Now I think people who never go to the movies can afford to catch Chak De India. I'm glad because it's very important for the film to reach the maximum number of people." Now the ball is in the producer's court.

Cheque de, Yashraj!

Subhash K Jha, IndiaFM

Shah Rukh Khan The King of the Bollywood

He is a Muslim who is worshipped by hundreds of millions of Hindus, Christians and, of course, Muslims, all over the world. He's often called India's Tom Cruise, and India's Tom Hanks. But unless you have Indian ancestry or have been to India or Pakistan, chances are you've never heard of Shah Rukh Khan, a.k.a. SRK or, as he's affectionately known, King Khan.

Nobody could have predicted that this short Muslim guy lacking conventional good looks would one day become the biggest star in the world. Hindi cinema tends to be ruled by dynasties. New stars are usually the children and grandchildren of past movie heroes and heroines, or come from other powerful families in India. Shah Rukh had no such connections.

How Shah Rukh defied the odds to become King Khan is the subject of Anupama Chopra's smart biography, The King of Bollywood.

Disclosure: Anupama Chopra and I have the same literary agency and we know each other slightly. It was that connection, discovered with a simple Google search, that scored me an electronic file of the book well in advance of publication. As a long-time lover of Hindi cinema and Indian film in general, and as a fervent Shah Rukh fan, I was looking forward to this read, and Chopra did not disappoint me. Her book is not just an insightful biography of Shah Rukh, it's a witty and thoughtful history of the Wild West that is Bollywood and, by extension, a portrait of the New India.

Shah Rukh Khan was born in Delhi in 1965 to Meer and Fatima Khan. His father's family had been followers of Badshah Khan, a colleague of Gandhi's and his Muslim counterpart in the non-violent movement to obtain Indian independence. They were educated people with an artistic bent who always struggled for money; Shah Rukh and his sister were brought up in "genteel poverty." Meer was a secular Muslim. Fatima was devout yet modern. She prayed five times a day. She also worked as a family magistrate, helped promote Indira Gandhi's birth-control program in the Muslim slums and ran several businesses after her husband's death in order to support the family.

As a child, Shah Rukh liked Urdu poetry, dress-up, mimicry and Hindi movies. He was an exemplary student, who studied under the Irish priests of the Congregation of Christian Brothers. At an early age, he demonstrated a talent for creative pranks (one of these, involving a brown suede shoe, is laugh-out-loud funny). When he was caught, his good grades, quick wit and personal charm always got him through.

Surprisingly, acting was not SRK's first choice for a career. When he did go to Mumbai, home of the Hindi film industry we know as Bollywood, it was not to find an acting role, but to find an ex-girlfriend who had spurned him, a young Hindu woman named Gauri whom he later married. While he was there, a few people saw his potential and steered him into acting.

Things were rough, but he struggled and persevered, making do with supporting roles in small films or on TV, displaying a multitude of talents, moving with ease between comedy and drama, heroes and anti-heroes, until he finally got his big break.

His entry into Hindi films in the 1990s coincided with rapid and dramatic change in India. Shah Rukh came of age in the 1980s, when action films and Amitabh Bachchan's "Angry Young Man" characters still personified the average Indian's frustrations with the country's institutions and injustices. These roles made Bachchan a virtual god. When economic liberalization came to India, after decades of socialist-inspired entropy, the country needed a new persona to symbolize new problems. Shah Rukh was the Everyman, the boy next door - not, Chopra says, "an inaccessible celestial being but simply the most charismatic member of the family," who evolved into "an articulate global Indian who was equally at ease in a nightclub in Paris or in a village in the Punjab."

Chopra's most important point is this: As a Muslim married to a Hindu, and as a modern, free-thinking man who nevertheless respects the best Indian and Islamic traditions, Shah Rukh Khan bridges the gaps in the Indian imagination and soothes the conflicts of rapid industrialization. This is important not just to India, but to most of the world. The United States, and the West in general, are no longer looked to for help with democratic ideas in the developing world. India, the world's largest democracy, with more than 20 official languages and as many major cultures, has more relevance for people in tradition-bound countries who are seeking social and economic progress without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. For all its fantasy, Bollywood more accurately reflects their daily conflicts than Hollywood can.

This translates into huge popularity for Shah Rukh all over the world, especially in places like Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Middle East (as well as Korea, East Africa and Germany, which has three magazines about Bollywoodfor non-Indian readers).

Chopra quotes the director Mahesh Bhatt declaring that Pakistan will never go to war with India because Shah Rukh lives there. It's hardly an overstatement. Despite the banning of Indian films in Pakistan, SRK's videos are everywhere, and you can't walk through a bazaar without seeing his photograph every few steps. In Afghanistan under the Taliban, when all movies were forbidden, Shah Rukh's movies circulated widely in a samizdat-style system.

Though she clearly has a great affection for her subject, Chopra doesn't omit his flaws. Shah Rukh can be cocky - which both helped and hurt him coming up - and he seems to hold a grudge for a long time, though without apparent vindictiveness.

Chopra, a respected film journalist with an impeccable family pedigree - she's the sister of Vikram Chandra (Sacred Games) and the wife of Bollywood director Vidhu Vinod Chopra - has an insider's view of King Khan. But you needn't be an insider. She's such a gracious and interesting guide that you don't have to be a Bollywood fan, or know anything about it, to enjoy the ride.

When you've finished the book, head to the video store to rent Veer-Zaara, Dil Se, Main Hoon Na, Dil To Pagal Hai, Devdas, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna or any of the more than 60 movies Shah Rukh Khan has made.

Source: GlobeAndMailCanada

Chak De Phatte!

Chak De Phatte’ wait a min was that wrong, oh yaaah! It’s ‘Chak De India’. A slight alteration in the name and see what a sensation it has become all over the world.

The film Chak De India starring SRK and 16 new girls, has been, talk of the town. It’s bound to accumulate the best awards for this year.

Shimit Amin the director and Jaideep Sahni story writer had gone through an extensive research for the film. And it has paid off well. Amul in its new print ad celebrates the success of Chak De India. The Amul girl dressed in the uniform joins the SRK on the field.

Source: IndiaFM

Next movie, I’m just going to wear an underwear over tights and be a superhero: Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan is shooting a dreamy number for his home production Om Shanti Om at Yashraj Studios and you wonder whether he can switch into Chak De India mode. He does, telling you all about how he played hockey with his father and how his son can beat him at soccer.

Does your role in Chak De India mirror your real feelings on hockey?

This film is my take on sports in general, hockey, cricket or football, plus the role that women should play in society.

See, every year I do a film like that. I love women and make no bones about it. I have an immense amount of respect for them. I think I’m brought up like that because being with my mom early, then my sister, then my wife. Even my best friends are girls, whether it’s Farah or Juhi. I like girls more than guys.

Did your father teach you hockey?

Yeah, we used to play together. Like I play hockey with my son. Whatever sport I’m at, my rule is that I teach him for a year and then he should overtake me. In soccer, he’s much better than what I was at his age. Of course, he’s smaller so I can push him around.

Even my daughter — I want her to be a runner and swimmer. Because she’s good at that, not because I’m pushing her. I think she runs like a gazelle (laughs).

I run with her every evening or whenever we get time. I would like to encourage them and hope they start beating me. My dad did the same. Even in chess.

In your school magazine, you were the star sportsman in hockey, cricket and soccer.

Yeah, I was (grins) but now I don’t play as well.

Which was your favourite?

I think I played hockey the best. Then I was a very good wicketkeeper and soccer came next. I wasn’t very good at soccer, but I had stamina. You know midfield, running around, giving my life for the game.

Apparently you hated the beard in Chak De...

Yeah yeah, I don’t like it. I’ve never grown a beard. You take a bath, but it doesn’t make you look clean in the morning. My daughter wouldn’t kiss me.

Yes, during Paheli they hated the moustache…

Yeah, I think my kids hate me with moustaches and beards. Next movie, I’m just going to wear an underwear over tights and be a superhero. They don’t like me with all this stuff.

I think they have an image of a father in the house who’s easygoing and soft, clean-shaven. My daughter gets very disturbed. My son is very conscious of how I dress up.

He doesn’t like me wearing churidars and achkans. My daughter is very opinionated with my hair, beard, moustache. She’d say, ‘I don’t like it papa, I won’t kiss you.’ Even I don’t like it. I like my cotton clothes and hair all ruffled.

What do they think of your long hair now?

My daughter is ok with it because she looks a lot more like me now. They don’t mind my long hair. See once I bathe, it just flops in front. They like it.

How do youngsters treat sport today as opposed to when you were playing?

I would like my children to be sportspeople above actors, actresses or producers — if they chose to. I would be really proud. I feel proud when I see kids wearing studs on a soccer field.

I go every Sunday now to play soccer. I take my son. I have this group that’s very good — Dino and all — they allow me to play. I think I must be the oldest there so they are kind to me.

I play with my kids — I’m now clearing up a place in my house and asking my wife if we can make a soccer field there. I play any game. I play pittoo with my children, breaking those stones.

You have to sweat in a day. I remember when I initially started doing movies, when I did Dilwale, I didn’t think that I had done a good film because I hadn’t sweated. It was a love story and I had never done one before that. You have to sweat everyday.

I make it a point to play an hour every day, even if it’s Playstation in the night. In my house, we play dog and the bone, langdi, chor sipahi, soccer, badminton, everything.

Except swimming, I’m not good at that. My kids are always sweating, always dirty — I love it. I believe kids till the age of 15 should be disheveled, dirty, sweaty, rolling in the mud and have marks all over them. And their shoes should always stink.

ShradhaSukumaran, MidDay

"Shah Rukh Khan has proved his range as an actor with right opportunities,"Kunal Kohli

He’s a fallen hero who failed to save India’s fortunes in the finals of a crucial hockey tournament. To retrieve his lost glory, he takes on a women’s hockey team and leads them to win a global championship. Meet Shah Rukh Khan the actor, not the star.

In a new age Bollywood, when star actors choose to steal the show with offbeat roles, Khan somehow ended up restricting himself to mushy glamorous romances, thanks to buddy Karan Johar’s money-minting movies (mostly at the overseas box office). However, with Chak De India, everyone’s talking about Khan’s versatility. The king of bubblegum films let’s his histrionics take over for a change.

“His range as an actor is huge; he is someone who has performed street theatre,” says the film’s director Shimit Amin.

“It’s unfortunate that Shah Rukh’s true acting potential has not been tapped properly. It is filmmakers like us who don’t offer him challenging scripts. He has proved his range as an actor with right opportunities,” says director Kunal Kohli.

Khan, who shot to stardom with Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Deewana and Baazigar in the early ’90s, emerged as the most popular actor in the NRI market with Johar’s glossy romantic drama archetype.

“Our cinema is becoming bolder and Shah Rukh is supporting it,” says Ritesh Sidhwani, producer of Don. “In Don, he broke his romantic image to play the ‘cool’ villain.”

“In most of his films, Shah Rukh Khan’s overwhelming image surpasses the characters he enacts, something that has not happened in Chak De,” says Anupama Chopra, author of King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema.

“We associate him with these romantic films because they were hits.”

Unfortunately, films like Swades and to some extent, Paheli, where Khan tried to move away from the stereotype, failed to make a mark at the BO. In this context, the commercial success of Chak De is all the more important. “It’s common in our industry that when a ‘different’ film becomes successful, more filmmakers are encouraged to experiment,” says Honey Irani, script and storywriter of Darr, one of the films that made Khan popular as an anti-hero in the early ’90s.

In the mid ’90s, when Khan had become typecast as the passionate anti-hero with hits like Baazigar and Darr, he went on to redefine his image (after offering duds like Anjaam, based on the same theme) as the romantic Raj and Rahul with the record-breaking Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and consequently Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

This November, Khan will be back again as a larger-than-life hero in Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, but there are concerted efforts at moving away from the glam. He will reportedly play a Muslim protagonist in Johar’s forthcoming My Name is Khan (working title), which unlike the latter’s regular fares, is said to deal with terrorism and being a Muslim in post 9/11 New York. He is also supposedly featuring in Rajkumar Hirani’s next, loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s Five Point Someone.

Source: NewIndPress

Shah Rukh Khan's busy schedule

SRK's schedule is extremely hectic with his next release Om Shanti Om, activities for his company Red Chillies, endorements and more.

A little birdie tells us that a 3-day shoot for OSO is still pending and needs to be done ASAP.

And since SRK is such a good time manager, he knows the film has to finish in time for a Diwali release. We believe he is making time for that soon.

Post Chak De! India, the Khan camp feels Farah's film will be the next big one.

As a result, the schedule of his other project, Viveck Vaswani's Dulha Mil Gaya, is being pushed back.

Source: Mid-Day

"I am thankful to the audience" Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan 's brilliant acting in Chak De India as the coach of the women's hockey team, who helps them lift the World Cup, has won him rave reviews with many in the film-critic circles pitching for making him the new ambassador for the game of sticks in the country.

The movie has become a new anthem for sports in the country.

However, for SRK, portrayal of Kabir Khan's character was just another role and not an advocacy on his part to promote the game.

''It's not for me to decide who's going to do what. I am in the profession of acting and filmmaking. And I very, very clearly do my job keeping in mind certain criteria...beyond that everybody else knows their job,'' he said adding, ''the sponsors, corporates and film associations, and the sports associations-- they all know their job. I am nobody to turn around and say - ok from today onwards, hockey is going to be the new cricket now!''

''I am just glad that I could comment about the sport that I love. I don't know whether the film will do well or not... So, let alone whether hockey will change or not,'' King Khan said in an interview to NDTV 24X7 Saturday night.

SRK, however, expressed the hope that success of cricket could pave the way for other sports like hockey in the country. ''I think we should take a cue from cricket.''

Asked whether he had expected the movie to do as well as it did, SRK said, ''I don't do any film which I don't think is going to do well. When I think of a movie doing well, I don't think in terms of money. I think of getting something new to do. The team was wonderful. Jaideep, Shimit and Sudeepa who shot the film are my friends and I really like them.''

SRK was also thankful to the producer Aditya Chopra and director Shimit Amin for giving a role he had not done earlier.

''I am very humbled and thankful to all these guys for giving me a chance to do a film like this, because sometimes stardom comes in my way of being able to perform the way I like to.''

There are few films where the makers have the guts to say let's take SRK but not make it an in-your-face commercial film and give him the freedom to what he does, he added.

''I am thankful to the audience for understanding the ideology behind this film. And I am thankful to Shimit for making me act well,'' SRK said.

Source: ApunKaChoice

SRK The Super-Hero

It’s Shah Rukh’s turn to play superhero. Dressed up as one, he woos Deepika Padukone with some crazy stunts for Farah Khan’s ‘Om Shanti Om’.

While Superman goes ‘Up, up and away’ before taking off, our desi prefers ‘Oodi Baba’.

Apparently SRK so liked playing being goofy that he did retake after retake just to repeat the experience.

Oodi baba, now that’s a whacky superhero!

Source: NewIndPress

I'm very fond of Shah Rukh, As a person I respect him tremendously: RGV

Ram Gopal Verma is a very shrewd man. He knows where his bread is buttered. In the days when his business almost went bankrupt he clung on to Shah Rukh Khan promising to make a film with him. The film was titled Time Machine.

SRK was also very keen to work with Ramu and thought to himself that as Ramu’s business is down he would put in all his talent and energy to make a brilliant film with full concentration on SRK. Both were excited. The intense discussions began on the script and film.

Ramu was finally going to direct SRK and the actor had finally found himself a director outside of his favourites. A different approach to film making was about to be witnessed.The scene was set.

Suddenly overnight Shah Rukh and Time Machine were forgotten and dumped! After all, Ramu had got Mr. Bachchan to do Nishabd with him. His wish had come true. Bachchan was to be his star.

So RGV dropped SRK like a hot potato for AB and Nishabd. Says Ramu, “I did not just drop him in a second like you put it. I did give it some thought and finally saw no reason to go ahead with the Shah Rukh Khan project. His youthful and exuberant image just didn’t go with the dark brooding intensity of the cinema that I believe in. So I decided to put Time Machine aside and work on a more exciting project like Nishabd.”

What was it about SRK that made you change your mind? “I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of directing Shah Rukh. He is so predictable. It is senseless investing my time into a project where my heart is not. Besides, when you think superstar, you think Amitabh Bachchan, not Shah Rukh Khan. I have grown up on Mr. Bachchan’s films; he’s the stuff legends are made of. I have not grown up on Shah Rukh Khan’s films. I'm very fond of Shah Rukh. As a person I respect him tremendously. But I feel I'm incapable of doing justice to his image. There's a tremendous difference of sensibility in the cinema that Shah Rukh generally does and I make. I know he has a staggering fan-following among children and women who love those kinds of sugary romances. I would be a total mismatch with Shah Rukh. He's a very intelligent man. But as an actor Shah Rukh is someone I cannot connect with. I am not saying he can't act. But he's expected to be projected in a certain way. I'd have been doing disservice to him and me if I went ahead with our project. Whatever I've made so far —good, bad or ugly —I've always made films from my heart. And I've had great fun making each of my films. Time Machine didn't feel like fun. It felt like work.”

The dumping of SRK for AB at that time had set off the SRK and AB rivalry to greater heights. But if SRK was mad at Ramu he decided to treat it lightly, “If you know Ramu, you will know that he talks for effect. He doesn’t mean to be nasty. Most actors, including yours truly, say many things for effect.”

Source: KhaleejTimesOnline

Shah Rukh Khan is in celebratory mode

The actor's latest release has been declared an All Time Blockbuster. Not recent Yash Raj production CHAK DE! INDIA, but that other high profile SRK project, Anupama Chopra's book 'King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema'.

Released in India August 9th, the title is already a top grosser in the domestic market, and is performing well in packed book-shops across the country. In Mumbai, Om Books International with Radio Mirchi, celebrated the success of the book, with a reading from both the author Chopra, and its lead actor Khan.

The book has surpassed sales of 10,000 copies within its opening two weeks of release, delighting fans and critic alike. Chopra laughed, 'I think it's a little tacky for an author to be crowing about sales'. This left it to publisher Ajay Mago, from Om Books International, to confirm the collections.

The event was attended by a metro audience of friends and industry insiders, including many characters that played supporting roles in the book. Anu noted 'there is a list of over 80 names that I interviewed. Everybody had really fascinating stories to tell. From the film industry of course there was Yash Chopra. Karan (Johar) was a great help. He knows him very closely, and he was able to help me access many other people that Shah Rukh is friends with. Everybody contributed to different parts of the book'.

All eyes are now on Shah Rukh Khan's performance in the overseas territories. Released to a US audience on August 2nd, Chopra has been on a promotional tour that has taken her from New York to Los Angeles. The author reported, 'I don't have any US sales figures yet. That usually takes a little longer because it's such a huge market'. But with the overseas star power SRK has, when receipts are out, they are expected to show the hit running to full capacity. Next for The King of Bollywood, trade pundits are looking to the lucrative UK market, where the title is scheduled for a September 6th release.

Steven Baker is a UK writer who divides his time between London, Delhi, and Mumbai. Best known for his writing on the Hindi film industry, his work regularly appears in a range of Indian, NRI, and international publications. Steven Baker is presently the Co-ordinator of the British Council's Creative Writing course in New Delhi. He has also appeared in 15 Bollywood films.Steven

StevenBaker, BollywoodTradeNewsNetwork

Shah Rukh the actor, not the star

He’s a fallen hero who failed to save India’s fortunes in the finals of a crucial hockey tournament. To retrieve his lost glory, he takes on a women’s hockey team and leads them to win a global championship. Meet Shah Rukh Khan the actor, not the star.

In a new age Bollywood, when star actors choose to steal the show with offbeat roles, Khan somehow ended up restricting himself to mushy glamorous romances, thanks to buddy Karan Johar’s money-minting movies (mostly at the overseas box office). However, with Chak De! India, everyone’s talking about Khan’s versatility. The king of bubblegum films let’s his histrionics take over for a change.

“His range as an actor is huge; he is someone who has performed street theatre,” says the film’s director Shimit Amin.

“It’s unfortunate that Shah Rukh’s true acting potential has not been tapped properly. It is filmmakers like us who don’t offer him challenging scripts. He has proved his range as an actor with right opportunities,” says director Kunal Kohli.

Khan, who shot to stardom with Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Deewana and Baazigar in the early ’90s, emerged as the most popular actor in the NRI market with Johar’s glossy romantic drama archetype.

“Our cinema is becoming bolder and Shah Rukh is supporting it,” says Ritesh Sidhwani, producer of Don. “In Don, he broke his romantic image to play the ‘cool’ villain.”

“In most of his films, Shah Rukh Khan’s overwhelming image surpasses the characters he enacts, something that has not happened in Chak De,” says Anupama Chopra, author of King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema. “We associate him with these romantic films because they were hits.”

Unfortunately, films like Swades and to some extent, Paheli, where Khan tried to move away from the stereotype, failed to make a mark at the BO. In this context, the commercial success of Chak Deis all the more important. “It’s common in our industry that when a ‘different’ film becomes successful, more filmmakers are encouraged to experiment,” says Honey Irani, script and storywriter of Darr, one of the films that made Khan popular as an anti-hero in the early ’90s.

In the mid ’90s, when Khan had become typecast as the passionate anti-hero with hits like Baazigar and Darr, he went on to redefine his image (after offering duds like Anjaam, based on the same theme) as the romantic Raj and Rahul with the record-breaking Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and consequently Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

This November, Khan will be back again as a larger-than-life hero in Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, but there are concerted efforts at moving away from the glam. He will reportedly play a Muslim protagonist in Johar’s forthcoming My Name is Khan (working title), which unlike the latter’s regular fares, is said to deal with terrorism and being a Muslim in post 9/11 New York. He is also supposedly featuring in Rajkumar Hirani’s next, loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s Five Point Someone.

Suruchi Mazumdar, ExpressIndia

President Pratibha Patil was impressed with SRK's acting

It was a big day indeed when the first woman president of the country got to see a bunch of girls from all over the country making the ultimate statement of women empowerment . We are talking about a special screening of Chak De! India which was held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan at the special request of President Pratibha Patil.

Shah Rukh Khan, director Shimit Amin, producer Yash Chopra and scriptwriter Jaideep Sahni flew to Delhi for the screening, which was held on Friday evening. A few members of the president's staff were also present for the screening. Patil was floored by SRK's acting as Kabir Khan. "You were too good in the film," she told him.

Source: TimesOfIndia

I am the superstar in the country: Shah Rukh Khan

His portrayal of a Muslim hockey player out to prove his Indianness in "Chak De India" has earned him kudos, but superstar Shah Rukh Khan says he does not identify with the main protagonist in the film.

"No, not at all. I am Shah Rukh Khan. I am a superstar in the country. People have loved me so much," he said in an interview to a private TV news channel.

"I am a complete promoter of the fact that if you have to ask am I a Muslim in a Hindu country, then I am not secular enough. I never asked myself that because I was never built like that. I think I am Indian," Khan said.

The question of being Muslim, from which part of the country, has never mattered to him, King Khan said. "I think the religion of our country is Indianness," he said.

Khan said he has never been ostracised on account of being a Muslim as the religion is not different to this country.

"And I do not any which way think like what happened to Kabir (his role in 'Chak De India') will happen to me. I am an actor, so I just acted it out," he said.

Kabir Khan in 'Chak De India' is a member of the Indian hockey team that loses to Pakistan in the World Cup. He is accused of throwing the match and is ostracised on account of being a Muslim.

Asked about the success of the film, Khan said he sometimes felt stardom was coming in the way of him being able to perform the way he would like to.

Source: EconomicTimes

"I'm very, very secular and noncommittal." Shah Rukh Khan

"Stories of our freedom struggle will always be there and every new generation will hear them... But those days are over when we were ruled by someone. Now the only thing ruling us is the economy. It’s good, but there are problems to be overcome. Like how we view women in society, goodness to mankind, peace not war…"

You can be a nationalist in different ways. If you look at Chak De India, I think that sports itself inculcates a feeling of team spirit. It could be eleven players or two cyclists cycling together, but it’s the whole country that they’re representing. The word may be patriotism, but it’s actually the team spirit of the country. Why do we get so excited when England lost to us recently? Why are we so excited that Zaheer Khan has overcome the jellybean problem? It’s like all of us are going, ‘Those b******s!’ Actually, we don’t know, it could be that the jellybeans just fell down there. But we’re like, ‘Good, he screwed them!’ See, we’re a team now. One billion people are a team because of a jellybean.

"So it’s sometimes more than patriotism, it’s team spirit. It gets inculcated when you play sports. For example, Iraq is playing the Asia Cup — there has been no insurgency and fighting within Iraq in the last ten days. Since it reached the quarterfinals, semifinals and won the finals. Because a country infested with fights, suddenly stops and says, ‘God, Iraq is winning the Asia Cup final!’ Team spirit can be looked at as patriotic and it’s not like Chak De India’s giving patriotism another face for youngsters. We’re giving team spirit that’s existed for years. And of course, our team is India and we have the colours of the tiranga.

"I would like the film to tell youngsters to play like a team, play for India. That means you’re patriotic. Don’t fight for the country. Play and win for India. That should be brought to youngsters’ notice. A nice line of the movie is ‘Sometimes, winning is everything.’ That’s the mantra for youngsters. You can’t tell them, ‘Go to the Himalayas and get moksh. Let the world go by, it’s a material world.’ No! You have to exist in this world. There’s nothing wrong in winning.

"Stories of our freedom struggle will always be there and every new generation will hear them. Like you would tell your kids the Ramayana. I tell my kids the story of Prophet Mohammed. Those stories will be there. But I guess movies like Lagaan, Swades, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Rang De Basanti, Chak De India tell us to be nationalistic in this way. Those days are over when we were ruled by someone. Now the only thing ruling us is the economy. It’s good, but there are problems to be overcome. Like how we view women in society, goodness to mankind, peace not war and if you want to fight, fight on the play field. For all our problems with Pakistan, just have a cricket match!

"Chak De India is a younger, subtler take at patriotism. It may seem documentary-like — the youth may say, ‘Hey this is a nice way to make a film.’ It’s offbeat. It may be saying the same thing as other films, but Chak De India isn’t shoving it down my throat. They are not trying to just say ‘Mera Bharat mahaan!’ Chak De India is like what youngsters are — wearing white t-shirts and jeans. It’s modern.

"It also has a take on the educated Indian Muslim. I’m playing a Muslim guy who isn’t a terrorist. I’ve never played a Muslim guy. The whole beauty is…see, these are the nuances… 16 women from different parts of the country. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Gujarati, Jharkandi, Uttar Pradeshi, Bihari, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and one Muslim man. Muslim men and women aren’t considered in such stories because purdah hota hai. But here is a Muslim man between 16 women wearing shorts and skirts and playing for only one goal and that is the country.

"I’m in the dressing room and they’re changing; I treat them like equals. I read a report recently that said, ‘16 women and Shah Rukh Khan’. My reason for doing Chak De India is if you could just forget that notion, that they’re women and I’m a guy. And see, I’m usually a romantic hero! But there’s no sexuality here. I wanted that to come across. The idea is that he’s more obsessed with the honour of his country.

"I’m an actor. I’m very, very secular and noncommittal. I don’t know finally the religion of the character I’ve played. My characters don’t have religion. I believe that. I’ve played a Vir, Rahul, Raj, Kabir Khan. The fact that it’s not important to me, I think, makes the point that I want to make. It’s Shah Rukh Khan and he’s playing a Muslim — it shouldn’t matter. Even the beard isn’t because he’s Muslim, but because he’s older and it’s 8-9 years later.

"Secularity is important. You don’t turn around and see what religion when you’re playing. When I’m going to win, I say my favourite Muslim prayer. Everyone else says it and it feels good — you may not understand it, but you know it’s like the Gayatri mantra. Bhagwan ka naam aur Allah ko yaad kiya. What binds us together is godliness, not the religion. I want people to understand that.

"I don't know if I can make that point through my work every time. Personally, I may believe whatever I do. Like I've always said, films are for entertainment, not for messages. I hope Chak De India is an entertainer and some of this message comes across."

Shah Rukh Khan is the reigning box office star and his home production Om Shanti Om is "a movie about the movies"

Shradha Sukumaran, MidDay

SRK Planing DON 2

Shah Rukh Khan does not give up easily. After the mixed response to his Don, King Khan is all set to make a sequel to the film.

The film will be produced by his production company “Red Chillies” in association with Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s “Excel Entertainment”.

Farhan will also direct the film, which will have an all-new star cast and will hit theatres around the country late next year.

The film will take off from the point where the first movie ended – with Don surviving the final attack.

SRK will go on to become a much bigger and powerful don in the sequel. The character will be completely dark and SRK will be at his evil best.

King Khan Rocks in Heyy Babyy

After showing glimpses of his directorial skills in an episode of Darna Zaroori Hai, Sajid Khan returns with his first full-length feature film Heyy Babyy The movie is not an out-and-out comedy. It has many emotional moments as well.

Sajid Khan has attempted to make a wholesome entertainer by blending comedy with drama and sprinkling some ‘hot stuff’ on top of it to please the young audience. Sajid follows a simple formula – to have at least one interesting sequence in every reel. Most of these sequences do manage to keep your interest kindled, but some of them do fall flat.

‘Heyy Babyy’ is not a copy of the Hollywood movie ‘Three Men And A Baby’. The similarities between the two movies are superficial. ‘Heyy Babyy’ has a very Indian brand of humour and drama. And Sajid treats his subject with simplicity without blowing either comedy or drama out of proportions.

The movie tells the story of three bachelors – Arush ( Akshay Kumar ), Ali ( Fardeen Khan ) and Tanmay ( Ritesh Deshmukh ). All three of them are confirmed flirts who sleep around with girls without the slightest intention of committing to a relationship.

But then the course of their lives is changed with the coming of a little baby. At first, the incurable flirts get on with their lives as usual. But a small tragedy opens up their eyes. Afterward, they transform into father figures for the baby, who becomes the focal point of their lives.

‘Heyy Babyy’ starts off very well but begins to lose steam mid-way. Thankfully, Akshay Kumar shows his incredible comic flair once again and invokes genuine laughs from the audience. The movie has many hilarious scenes but the ones featuring Akshay turn out to be the best.

Along with humour, Sajid Khan maintains a continuous thread of drama in the plot. Several scenes involving the baby will leave you with moist eyes. However, some tend to get a little melodramatic.

The movie’s strength lies in its storyline and appropriate casting of actors in their respective roles.

On top of it cinematographer Himman Dhamija captures the beauty of Sydney well enough.

The music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy is groovy but not exceptional.

Among performances, Akshay stands out among the trio. His comic timing is becoming impeccable by the day and his scenes with Vidya Balan are simply a delight to watch.

Fardeen Khan gets his funny lines right and Ritesh Deshmukh is brilliant as usual. But one does get the feeling that Ritesh has not been used up to his potential. Vidya Balan looks absolutely gorgeous. However, her role doesn’t have much scope for histrionics. The little baby Juhaina is cute and loveable. Boman Irani is impressive as usual.

On the whole, ‘Heyy Babyy’ packs in enough masala and emotion to keep you entertained throughout its running time.

The title song with 15 Bollywood hotties and cameos of Shah Rukh Khan and Anupam Kher add an extra zing to the movie.

Interestingly, SRK’s cameo is intelligently conceived by Sajid.

An entertaining watch.

Rating: ***

Aparajita Ghosh, ApunKaChoice

Om Shanti Om Trailer is a Grand Spectacle

Alright, so the hardcore Urdu couplet that kick starts the promo of Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om rewinds you back to the sixties social, a la Yash Chopra’s Waqt where the poetic meaning forewarned us, as to what is going to follow. Well, it goes without saying that the premise of this hugely mounted entertainer has movies as its backdrop. Shah Rukh is a junior artiste with star-gaze as his only respite; while ravishing Deepika Padukone is the proverbial amply-endowed star of the sixties-seventies, with a smile that kisses her dimples like the dewdrops sliding on a nubile flower petal.

The dream girl is off to a premiere of her big ticket flick while love-struck SRK (in a check coat) is driven away by guards forcefully. Montages of transition follow. A convertible biggie car stops with a screech. ‘STAR’ shines on its number plate. SRK has a Filmfare award in his hand while Padukone draped in a Kanjeevram sleeveless sari dances away to glory on a big dhol (obviously it’s an ode to Sridevi of Himmatwala). Helen is not to be left behind, as totally transformed Deepika oozes out of a life like cage draped in the Monika ensemble. Phew!

SRK on his part showcases many of the characters that he has played in his career. There are traces of Raj-Rahul as he dances in a lavish party, sings the open-chested romantic duets, rides a macho bike, the blood smeared Baazigar who also dabbles in Devdas for a while. There’s a Shah Rukh Khan voiceover that takes this ninety second promo forward proclaiming adherence to escapist cinema. Yes, no bad endings for this one. “Picture abhi khatam nahin hui hai,” he says in an inebriated tone. Well right!

The Om Shanti Om first look promo is exciting, grand, opulent and surely spells magnificence. All you guys who missed SRK’s star-power in Chak De India, it seems the king won’t disappoint you in this one. Deepika Padukone is undoubtedly the find of the decade. She Rocks! In fact she overpowers everything that comes in her way. Only disappointment was Shreyas Talpade’s hackneyed hairstyle. A let down one must say. Even Shah Rukh’s Devdas act left something to be desired. Nevertheless, the promo makes you very curious as to what the whole film must be like. Let the fireworks begin….

Faridoon Shahryar, IndiaFM

Everyone wants to look better

In a country where matrimonial ad pages are dotted with requests for “fair-complexioned” girls, it comes as no surprise that a fairness cream has roped in the relatively light-skinned Bollywood darling, Shah Rukh Khan, as its key endorser.

Lately, however, Khan's attempt to get more men to use Emami’s popular skin-lightening product, Fair and Handsome, has raised the hackles of some social commentators.

“When the reigning star of Hindi cinema publicly endorses a cream that openly advocates fairness, lightness of skin as desirable, nay, necessary, it is a damn bad show. How could he do it?” wrote columnist Shailaja Bajpai in The Indian Express daily. She pointed to a media report that said Shah Rukh took eight months to agree to do the ad, and asked: “What overcame his scruples? Money?”

In the television ad, released a few weeks ago, Shah Rukh persuades a dark-complexioned youth using a women’s product, Fair and Lovely, to switch to Fair and Handsome. The young man complies and turns noticeably whiter, attracting attention from a group of women.

Indian ad guru Alyque Padamsee, who was responsible for a successful Fair and Lovely ad campaign in the 1970s, and the Fair and Handsome launch in 2005, rejected charges that the products enforced skin color biases. “All fairness products are really appearance enhancing, more to do with brightness than fairness,” he said.

Fair and Lovely and Fair and Handsome are currently among the fastest-selling consumer goods at their respective companies, Emami and Hindustan Unilever Limited.

“Everyone wants to look better. What’s the difference between a woman using lipstick, Europeans using skin-tan lotion, and an Indian skin lightening cream?” Padamsee asked Forbes.com.

“Market research for the company showed that 25% of the users of Fair and Handsome were men, so I suggested we should push a separate cream for men. Even without endorsements, it’s been a huge success,” he said, adding that the product had made over $12 million in sales within nine months of launching.

Padamsee said Shah Rukh backed the idea only when Emami convinced him that it would not perpetuate colonial hangups over fair skin in India.

Shah Rukh may have it easier because women in India, not men, are under societal pressure to be fair. “The controversy is over women feeling the pressure to be fair. I don’t think an advertisement for a men’s cream has the same impact,” media commentator Sevanti Ninan said.

Shah Rukh, whose latest release, Chak De, is yet another box office hit, is getting paid a reported $1.2 million from Emami to endorse its products. The star has put his name behind a host of products, including for PepsiCo and Hindustan Lever. His ad for the popular soap brand Lux featured him in a bathtub filled with rose petals, a first for macho-man loving Bollywood.

Movie stars give a product tremendous saliency in a country where they are often hero-worshipped, said Padamsee. Popular stars like Shah Rukh and Amitabh Bachhan can make as much as $25 million on their multiple advertisements, he said. In Bollywood, the big stars are known to make the bulk of their riches from lucrative ad deals instead of from big banner films that pay relatively less.

Though stars lend their names to the smallest of brands in India, product sales for the lesser-known products tend to lag after their campaigns end, Padamsee said. Contracts are usually for two years.

Ruth David, ForbesMarket

SRK and Kajol's apprehension comes true ?

The apprehension that was being raised by Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol seems to be coming true. The media seems to be veneering towards paparazzi, as it is getting more and more engrossed in the news related to films and film personalities. It was evident in the manner copious discussion was being made about the supposed visiting of storks for the hottest couple in the town AB Junior and Ash. There have been number of new additions in the family of the stars who have recently wedded, but they have never been a part of the prime time discussion as this topic has become. It is hitting prime time slot in various television channels on a regular basis.

Does it then, point out to the fact that page-3 has indeed become Page-1 and this conversion is being fed by multitude of television channels. The initiators of the same must be very happy as when this trend was started by the news media it was scoffed at. Now the repeated manner in which the news related to film industry is hitting the head lines and is forming a part of the panel discussion is clear indicator about the fact that entertainment has started getting serious eyeballs.

The other reason for this prioritization seems to be the way the economy has progressed, dominated by unearthly hours and services industry. With such punishing schedules, it is but logical to catch the eyeballs this kind of news has to be prioritized. This is how CNN had come to establish itself as the news channel, and now news getting updated at the twinkle of the eye, it is the news based on entertainment that gets viewers attention in the first instance. This is part of a human psyche as even in a news magazine or a portal, when it is being viewed it is viewed from backwards in the case of magazine and from entertainment up to political news. The element of sensationalism and the ability to catch the eyeballs, which is interwoven into a news item based on a film star or an event, has success written on it as a story.

It was clearly evident in the manner in which Sanjay Dutt's entourage was followed up to Yerawada Jail, in Pune and this is why there were barrage of mikes being pushed and shoved into him when he returned back on the temporary bail. The soldiers in the form of cameramen carrying the cameras on the shoulder like the kalashnikovs use it in such a lethal manner that it has the profoundest impact.

The conversion to paparazzi is also owing to the fact that the magazines and newspapers may be able to provide information related to entertainment industry is updated on a daily basis, while the electronic media and the Internet has the potential to get updated many times over during this interregnum. The advent of paparazzi should be welcomed, but to the point that it does not become intrusive as when it becomes intrusive it looses its zing. This is a new phase that the country is passing through in which entertainment is defining the contours of news and it should bask in glory of the times.

Source: GlamSham

An Interview With King Khan

The King is back. Shah Rukh Khan, sporting a new look in his latest film, "Chak De India," speaks with INDIA New England about the film, life, and "Kaun Banega Crorepati."

Colas are yet again under scrutiny; so why do you still endorse Pepsi?

Pepsi has said in the past that they are ready for any kind of testing as and when required. I like the product, and I think that anything in moderation does not harm anyone. I used to drink a lot of Pepsi. I even have a Pepsi dispenser at home but I have reduced my consumption in the last few years.

What was your most emotional moment on "Kaun Banega Crorepati"?

There was this man who lost after the first five questions, but he was brilliant in the dummy run. He was not well versed with television or films, else he would have been fantastic. After he lost, his wife kept telling me that he is an intelligent man. “Woh bahut achche hai (he's very smart)," she kept saying. I literally cried. I felt very sad because he indeed was very smart.

What made you decide to do "Chak De India"?

There were a lot of reasons. First is, of course, the director (Shimit Amin). I have known him for years and he is a very simple, hardworking and talented. He has worked with me in the film “Ashoka.” He’s a very sweet, unassuming kind of a guy and to choose a film which is on sports and which is normally neglected say perhaps apart from “Lagaan,” “Hip Hip Hurray” and “Iqbal” now [is great]. We haven’t really made sports films and it’s something that I thought I should be doing when I was younger, but I didn’t get a chance. So, when I am old and grey and over the hill, I am glad someone like Shimit thought that I could sort of fit in a sports film.

What was it like working with a whole lot of newcomers?

Fantastic! Earlier, I thought that working with newcomers would be a bit of a hassle because they would not know their lines, you become a little patronizing, you become a little kind at times, a little agitated and irritated at times because things are not going the way you think they are going. But I think the whole production and the whole team had worked very hard with them. Not to take any credit away from these girls, I think they are very hardworking and wonderful; they put their heart and soul into the film. They have practiced and learned hockey, they have learned the lines, they know the scenes. They knew everything and at the end of it all, after having worked for 18 years as an actor, I got to learn a lot, because there is a bit of rawness when newcomers come and face the camera. After working for so many years, you tend to become a little mechanized.

We know you are a very sporty person. Have you taken any special training for the film? Did you play hockey in school?

Yes, I used to play a lot of field hockey in my school days, I was good at it. But when I went and played for the film, I sucked. I was really awful; I have no stamina left. I think the technique of hockey has changed. Astroturf itself is very tiring. As shameful as it is to say, but I thought I would be able to beat the girls, but they kicked my butt.

Your look in the film is very different and most talked about, can you tell us a bit about it?

I have noticed this that when directors tend to write characters like themselves — like Shimit has a beard so he wanted me to have a beard. I have reached a stage in my career where people are not happy with letting me look the way I look. They cast me and they say, ‘You know what, we don’t want Shah Rukh Khan in the film.’ So they all try to change me, and I think the producer, director and the writer thought that may be with a beard and shorter hair I would look different!

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the words “Chak De India”?

“Chak De” strangely to me, is a line from “Dilwale [dulhaniya Le Jayenge].” I remember we used to say “Chak De Phatte” in “Dilwale...” so I don’t know, but I get reminded of that. I hope “Chak De India” becomes like a sporting thing whenever Sachin is playing or whenever Dhanraj Pillai is going with the ball — somebody screams “Chak De India” which means score a goal or hit a sixer or get Sania Mirza to win the Wimbledon.

Viralbhayani, IndiaNewEngland

SRK's son Aryan kicked a girl in his class because she called his father "fat"

Just about everybody has been wondering what's with King Khan's long mane, bulging biceps and six-pack abs. Not the requirement of another film, says the actor, but his son's wish.

If he is to be believed, son Aryan kicked a girl in his class because she called his father "fat". Not a very nice thing for his son to do, declares Shah Rukh, but the incident made him tone up his physique.

"My son had a skirmish with a girl who said I was an a***ole, and that I look ugly on "KBC", and that I was fat." The last one, the boy could digest and landed a kick on the unsuspecting girl.

"I did get angry on him for what he did but he told me 'You don't look ugly, I know that. You are not an a****ole, I know that. But even I feel that you are fat.' So I had no other option but to work on it," the actor admitted.

Now, that's what we call small inspiration and big determination.

Source: SantaBanta

Arguably Shah rukh Khan is currently the number one star in Hindi cinema: Sajid Khan

Yash Raj Films’ new offering Chak De! India , with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead is, by all accounts, a hit. According to trade sources, it has generated Rs 20 crore within a week of its release in India and collections are likely to pick up in weeks to come. And that’s not counting the overseas collections that the movie will generate.

“ Chak De! lacks a mass appeal and it does not feature Shah Rukh in an avatar people usually associate him with. As a result, the film could not have been an instant hit, but critical acclaim and word-of-mouth is getting the audiences interested in SRK’s ace performance,” says Vinod Mirani, a senior trade analyst.

The fate of Chak De! is important for several reasons - it has, after the debacle of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and the lukewarm response to Ta Ra Rum Pum , given Yash Raj Films a reason to cheer. Then there’s Shah Rukh Khan’s stellar performance in the film, which establishes beyond doubt that King Khan is here to rule. So will his professional fees currently in the range of Rs 2-8 crores shoot up even further? Unlikely, say trade analysts according to whom he may instead, demand a larger share of the overseas collection. Says Mirani, “Aware of his popularity with the NRI audience, Shah Rukh can ask for the overseas rights of his films. However, this might not be possible when he’s dealing with big production companies like YRF, as they have their own distribution channels. In such cases, Shah Rukh may take an additional charge equivalent to the film’s overseas business or demand a part of the revenue generated from music and satellite television rights.”

Close friend and colleague Sajid Khan believes that hits or misses do not affect a star as big as Shah Rukh. “Arguably he is currently the number one star in Hindi cinema and as a producer or filmmaker you can bank on his image,” says Sajid, adding that Shah Rukh is one of the most intelligent and street-smart actors in the Indian film industry. “He sticks to his strengths and works on elaborate and organised projects, making success almost inevitable.”

Before the release the common perception was that Shah Rukh, the hero of the film was himself none too convinced about whether the film would be successful. Industry-wallahs felt that it was because of his long-standing friendship with the Chopras that he agreed to be a part of the film. As it turns out, the risk seems to have paid off for both sides. Among other things, it puts to rest talks of differences between the two.

Mirani points out that SRK is intelligent enough to work with selective people. “Shah Rukh works mostly with the likes of Yash Raj,

Dharma Productions or his own companies. His biggest hits have been with these production houses and he has been smart enough to understand what works best for him,” explains Mirani.

A likely fallout of the success of the film could be that the star can charge a higher fees for any new brand endorsement deal that he signs, says adman Prahlad Kakkar who has worked with Khan.

His fees for live events could go up as well. Mohammed Morani, a veteran event organiser who has worked with SRK on numerous occasions credits the actor’s versatility as the primary reason for his popularity in live shows. “People like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan are far better dancers than Shah Rukh, but SRK has an inimitable charm and conviction that sets him apart. Having him on stage assures us that our audiences will definitely be entertained,” elaborates Morani. According to Morani, doing such events and shows not only helps an actor financially, but also helps him build goodwill. “When people see you working hard and putting your heart in, on stage, live, they applaud your efforts. SRK always puts his heart into a performance and comes out with flying colours.”

So what is it about Shah Rukh that makes him a bigger draw than his equally successful contemporaries like Aamir and Salman Khan? Sajid Khan believes it’s Shah Rukh’s ability to connect with his audience. “Whether you are a 16-year-old schoolgirl, 20-year-old college-going boy, a 40-year-old housewife or a 45-year-old father, you still cry for Aman Mathur in Kal Ho Naa Ho or fall in love with Raj in DDLJ . SRK’s films have a universal family appeal just like Titanic, ET, Casablanca or any other classic. That’s the secret of his success,” analyses Sajid.

Although with films like Asoka, Swades and Paheli the star has shown a willingness to experiment with a variety of roles, it is the success of commercial films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham… and Kal Ho Naa Ho where-in he plays the romantic lead that is responsible for his iconic status.

A scroll through box-office figures from the last five years suggests that SRK films lead the Bollywood bandwagon in countries like USA, UK, Canada and Africa. The rest of Europe is a smaller market, but nonetheless SRK’s demand in countries like Germany is notable.

That he has managed to create a strong presence in film production also helps. His first production company Dreamz Unlimited along with friends Juhi Chawla and Aziz Mirza gave way to Red Chillies Entertainment. While his initial ventures like Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and Asoka didn’t do too well, the success of Chalte Chalte, Main Hoon Na , Kaal and Don changed that. Dinesh Raheja, former editor of Movie credits Shah Rukh’s filmmaking efforts by saying “SRK’s making films stems from his desire to bring about a change. Being a part of the industry he understands what can work and what is different and a star like him working in that direction is truly commendable.”

So with the success of Chak De! India and projects like Om Shanti Om generating a lot of excitement months before their release, the future for SRK is looking good. In fact, it’s looking better than ever before.

Source: ScreenIndia

Chak De India Second weekend performance

One can't remember any movie coming after RANG DE BASANTI which fetched such unanimous appreciation from all corners. While some sections of media had gone all out to paint a poor picture about the film throughout it's making, the audiences came up with a tight slap of it's own as they praised the film to the skies. By the time the Wednesday holiday of 15th August was through, the writing was clear on the wall.

Collecting more than 20 crores in the first week with A, B as well as C centers coming up with heartfelt collections, this offbeat yet thoroughly entertaining film is now en route to be a huge success. The film did tremendous in Mumbai which contributed with more than 5 crores. Delhi was terrific too with 2.5 crores + whereas NCR was tremendous with more than 1.75 crores coming in. Pune was superb with 1.25 crores + while Ahmedabad too came close to 1 crore mark, hence making CHAK DE INDIA an all around success. The way film is being patronized, expect a fall of only around 35% in the second week.

Shahrukh Khan did have a money spinner in KANK followed by a designated hit in DON but still certain sections of media preferred to paint an alternate picture. Thankfully with CHAK DE INDIA, there are no justifications for doing otherwise as the audience has come out in full force for the film. YRF too get one of their most 'respected' earners in the recent time while Shimit Amin finds himself to be recognized as a film maker who can direct an underworld film with as much panache as a sports based film.

The only film that survived the CHAK DE INDIA onslaught and stayed on to be audience favorite was PARTNER. Collecting close to 4 crores after seeing a drop of only around 40% in it's 4th week, the film is standing at close to 58.5 crores and is all set to break the 60 crore barrier as the week comes to a close. Mumbai held on excellently with further contribution of 80 lakhs though Delhi fell from 65 lakhs to 30 lakhs.

In the future

A baby is all set to slaughter a young romantic lead this weekend as HEYY BABYY comes face to face with a small film called KAISE KAHE. HEYY BABYY has created immense hype around itself and is expected to take a very good start (70%-80%) all over. A family film, it would attract audience across all age groups. On the other hand the only hope KAISE KAHE has is a spill over audience, though even that isn't much of a possibility due to a show-an-hour release which HEYY BABYY is enjoying at the multiplexes!

Source: IndiaGlitz

Exclusive - Om Shanti Om Official Trailer

Farah Khan's OM SHANTI OM is a tribute to that era, the psychedelic 70s and 80s! No wonder that the much awaited promo of the film commences with, 'Noor-e-haq, Sham-e-ilaahi ko bhuja sakta hai kaun (The ultimate true light, the light of God, cannot be extinguished), Jiska haami ho khuda, Use mita sakta hai kaun' (One who is protected by God, cannot be obliterated).

The trailor then has Shah Rukh Khan saying (in the background), "Take 2, Ladies and gentlemen, Kehte hain, agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho to puri kaynat use tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jati hai. Aap sab ne mujhe meri chaahat se mila diya. Hmmmmmm. Thanks, thanks very much. Hamari filmon ki tarah hamari zindagi mein bhi end tak sab kuch theek hi ho jaata hai. Happees Ending! Aur agar theek na ho to woh 'The End' nahin! Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost. Picture abhi baaki hai haan."

(Translated- "Take 2, Ladies and gentlemen, It is said that if you want something from the bottom of your heart and soul then the entire universe tries to unite both of you. All of you helped me get my love. Hmmmmmm. Thanks, thanks very much. Like in our films, even in our lives, it's all sorted out by the end. Happees Endings! And if all is not fine, then it's not 'The End! The film is not over my friend. There is more to come.)

While the above commentary continues, graphics from 'OM SHANTI OM' play on. It is obvious that the movie recreates scenes from a few blockbusters of the 70s and 80s, and Shah Rukh Khan imitates a few superstars from the era!

Koffee With King Khan

This Sunday, Karan Johar welcomes back his favourite guest Shah Rukh Khan on Koffee With Karan. He is accompanied with his Om Shanti Om director Farah Khan and costar Deepika Padukone.

Both SRK and Farah have been on Karan's chat show four times, and claim that they've been on the show as often as Karan has!

Excerpts from the fun episode:

Karan: Welcome back to Koffee with Karan, How does it feel? It is your third appearance?

Farah: Fourth, if you are not counting when I was a judge in the last season.

Karan: Oh right, you judged the finale episode.

Farah: Ya. I have been here almost as much as you.

Karan: A big event that has transformed your life is your wedding. That happened two years ago?

Farah: Ya, two years.

Karan: I thought it would change you. Tell me, has it changed you?

Farah: ahhhhhh... has it?

Karan: I am asking you. Has it made you softer, calmer?

Farah: I don't think it has made me calmer for sure. But yes, it has given me a perspective in life. And I do enjoy staying at home a lot more now.

Karan: Yes, you have someone to come home to.

Farah: Ya. I like being around the house, doing homely things... not just being on set so much. But I still enjoyed making my second movie a little more than I enjoyed making my first one... when I wasn't married then.

Karan: So cool you look -- new hair do, muscles, six pack I heard...

SRK: Four

Farah: Four have come, two to go!

SRK: I am still working on the last two.

Karan: What made you make this change?

SRK: My son feels I am fat.

Karan: He thinks you are fat?

SRK: He thinks I am fat. He beat up a girl because, first she called me an a******, then she said I look very ugly on KBC... sorry Star. He didn't react, he controlled himself. Finally, when she said, your father is fat, he kicked her. So I got angry with him, and he said, 'Papa, you know what? It is not her fault, it's you. Why are you fat? Because she said, ugly, I didn't mind. You looked handsome on KBC. You are not an a****** I know. You are a cool guy. But you are fat Papa.'

Karan: He thinks you are fat.

SRK: Just imagine. What he thinks about you and Farah, lets not get into that.

Farah: Thanks!

Karan: Are you nervous at all?

Deepika: I am very nervous.

Karan: Was it the same kind of nervousness when you were offered this film? You had to work with Shah Rukh, with Farah... were you completely like all nerves the first day?

Deepika: It was the same kind of nervousness; especially on the first day. Although Farah went all out to make me feel comfortable, she introduced me to Shah Rukh well in advance...

Karan: And everyone tells that he is a terrific co-star...

Deepika: He is fantastic to work with.

Karan: It feels special that you are a part of such a monstrous project?

Deepika: Yes and we have almost come to the end of it.

SRK: I thought Karan was saying you are part of such a monster (pointing to Farah).

Deepika: No, she was wonderful.

Watch Koffee With Karan on August 26 at 9 pm on Star One and Star World.

Source: RediffNews

SRK's biography selling like hot cakes

Mumbai: It was a grand set designed by Nitin Desai, and dotted with a bevy of stars. At an event to mark the success of the latest book dedicated to Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood celebrities including the star himself took turns at reading excerpts.

Titled King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema by Anupama Chopra, the book symbolised Shah Rukh’s rise to that of the post reforms 90s economy of India. And the intellectual analogy driving it has found admirers in the filmi circle.

"I think Shah Rukh redefines the cinema success story and Anupama's book chronicles this to the best,” said actress Dia Mirza.

Filmmaker Karan Johar added, “It's a book that will tell the world that humane side of Shah Rukh that no one has quite known so far.”

As for Shah Rukh Khan himself, his association with this biography has been so close that he has put his autobiography in the back burner for now.

"I began my book almost seven years ago and have delayed in one way or the other. Now Anupama's book is updated till 2006. And there's not a lot more to tell, I am hoping that in another four years to make it interesting,” he said.

So if the success of Chak De India were not enough, SRK is now celebrating the success of his latest book. All this while though, we shall await his tell-all autobiography that shall surely spell a lot more success than this one.

Source: IBNLive