T-Series has bagged the audio rights of Shah Rukh Khan starrer film Om Shanti Om

Music giant T-Series has bagged the audio rights of Shah Rukh Khan starrer film Om Shanti Om. The film is directed by Farah Khan and is produced by SRK's company Red Chillies.

Despite repeated attempts, T-Series chairman and managing director Bhushan Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan were not available for comment. However, sources inform that the deal has been struck for an amount in the range of Rs 60 - 70 million (Rs 6 - 7 crore), making it the biggest audio buy ever.

The highlight of the music and the film is that close to 36 film personalities (mostly actors), from the Hindi film fraternity come together in one song and even do small cameos throughout the film. They include Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Mithun Chakraborty, Rishi Kapoor, Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Subhash Ghai, Suniel Shetty, Karisma Kapoor, Karan Johar, Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Govinda, Bobby Deol, Kajol, Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra, Shilpa Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Zayed Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Dino Morea, Ritesh Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, Rekha, Shabana Azmi, Lara Dutta, Vidya Balan, Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora, Juhi Chawla, Tusshar Kapoor, Tabu, Urmila Matondkar and Vishal Dadlani.

The music of the film has been scored by Vishal Shekhar. Lyrics have been penned by Gulzar. The film also stars debutante Deepika Padukone alongside, Arjun Rampal and Shreyas Talpade.

The film is due for release in the month of November, however exact date is yet to be known.

SRK's home production Om Shati Om bags Rs 75 crore

For over two months, big boys of showbiz have been bidding for the worldwide rights of Shah Rukh Khan's home-production Om Shanti Om. While one of the Bollywood trade papers pitched the deal at Rs 80 crore, sceptics scoffed the speculation because it was an unheard of amount for a Bollywood film. Buzz is the deal is largest for worldwide rights for Om Shanti Om finally closed in the last couple of days.

It is learnt Kishore Lulla's Eros International, listed on AIM's junior LSE, has bagged the worldwide rights for the Khan flick for Rs 72-75 crore.

When asked about the deal, Sunil Lulla of Eros said, "I will be in a position to talk to you about the deal only next week." But insiders say the deal has been signed, sealed and is waiting to be delivered.

Another film that is being sought after is Aamir Khan's under production Taare Zameen Pe. "Since PVR is producing film with Aamir, they may distribute it themselves," says analyst Amod Mehra.

Acquiring the worldwide rights of a Bollywood film is the latest innovation in showbiz deals. "Since companies like Adlabs Films, Eros, UTV, Studio 18 and T Series are flushed with funds, it has become easier for them to shell out astronomical sums to acquire the worldwide rights of a film," says Mehra.

"Consolidated distribution rights will be the business practice in the future," adds Sandeep Bhargava of Studio 18. "This is primarily due to the entry of organised players in the distribution business." Studio 18 recently acquired the worldwide distribution rights of Mahesh Bhatt's Awarapan.

According to Bhargava, producers prefer to sell worldwide rights to a single party because it saves them the bother of dealing with a network of distributors.

One of the earliest examples of the acquisition of consolidated distribution rights started with Yash Raj Films taking over Mangal Panday The Rising. Next, UTV took over the WWR of Taxi 9211 from Adlabs and Ramesh Sippy Entertainment.

Vipul Shah, whose Namastey London was acquired for global distribution by Eros, feels selling worldwide rights makes good business sense.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is being sought to promote Basmati rice

After promoting cars, soft drinks, biscuits, chyawanprash, computers etc. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is being sought to promote Basmati rice.

SRK is being sought by rice exporters to promote Basmati rice, but there is a hurdle as the government has raised objections over the global Basmati promotion campaign.



Upset over objections raised by the government on their Rs 21-crore proposal to launch the campaign featuring SRK, rice exporters will present their case before ‘higher-ups’ in the Commerce Ministry.

"I will soon seek an appointment with higher officials in the Commerce Ministry and explain how this campaign, to be launched in Europe and Middle East, is important for the country’s rice growers and the industry," All India Rice Exporters' Association (AIREA) Chairman Vijay Setia said.

The AIREA along with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) had finalised the campaign to be executed by Grey Worldwide and Crayon Advertising. It was to be financed by the Basmati Development Fund (BDF) which is created by contributions from exporters.

One of the objections raised by the government on a complaint from a Punjab-based association relates to the fact that the entire money lying with BDF would be spent on this high profile campaign.

"What is the use of keeping this money in a Fixed Deposit when we can get a definite value addition from advertising," Setia asked.

He said since the exporters are enjoying good times in the world market, they can again bring money to BDF many times over ‘in a matter of days’.

Shah Rukh Khan's next home production "Joker"

Shah Rukh Khan's next home production after 'Om Shanti Om' will be directed by Shirish Kunder and the film has already generated curiosity with its title. It has been titled 'Joker' and will have SRK as a superhero.

The film will be perfect blend of comedy, action and special effects and will be the costliest films ever made in Indian Cinema till date. The film will start in the first quarter of next year and will be released in 2009.

Walt Disney officials had met Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan's (SRK) Red Chillies Entertainment, which has been investing heavily in assembling a world class team of VFX professionals in Bombay, is set to get a whopping $30 million investment from entertainment colossus Walt Disney Pictures.

According to the Mumbai Mirror, representatives of Walt Disney Pictures met SRK with an offer during his recent holiday in London.

"Walt Disney has plans of investing $30 million in the first phase of their partnership tenure…other international companies like Sony Pictures and Rupert Murdoch's company had also shown interest in investing in Red Chillies Entertainment. Although SRK hasn't confirmed the deal yet, it might be interesting if he decides to do so," says a source.

Bobby Chawla, Shah Rukh's manager was guarded when asked to confirm the report.

"I don't want to comment on this subject. I only know that Walt Disney officials had met Shah Rukh, but I am not too sure what happened after that."

SRK has been investing heavily in assembling a world class VFX team that currently consists of 40 professionals but is likely to grow rapidly in the days ahead.

Before leaving for his recent vacation in London SRK has leased a property in the Lokhandwala area of Andheri (West) which has enough office space to support the 300 professionals that the company eventually plans to hire.

In the past the VFX team has worked on Main Hoon Na, Paheli and more recently, Don.

Currently it is working on TV commercials and Farah Khan's film, Om Shanti Om.

Shahrukh Khan to attend Indian Festival in London

A floating replica of the Taj Mahal will sail down the Thames to launch a spectacular Indian festival in London.
The marble mausoleum will be recreated as part of a three-month festival celebrating the country's culture in advance of a visit by Mayor Ken Livingstone to India in November.
Created by Bollywood film-set designer Bijon Das Gupta, it is now under construction and will be launched on 17 July, on a barge from Vauxhall to London Bridge.
Mr Livingstone, who will view the floating six-metre metal and wood replica when it docks near City Hall, will visit Mumbai and Delhi in November to open two offices to boost business and tourism links with one of the world's fastest growing economies.
His office is co-ordinating the India Now festival of around 1,500 events at 200 cultural institutions, including a three-week showcase in Trafalgar Square from 2 August that will cost £383,000.
Other highlights include appearances by "Indian royalty" - Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, whose new film Chak De India will premiere at Somerset House, and India cricket captain Rahul Dravid.
There will be a fashion show at the Victoria & Albert Museum and exhibitions at the British Library and Museum of London, while the Regent Street festival on 2 September will have an Indian theme.
A Bollywood night will be held at Kempton Park racecourse, Sanjeev Bhaskar will give a talk at the V&A and there will be a Mumbai clubbing night at the ICA.
The 430,000-strong Indian community is the largest minority group in London .
The Mayor hopes to use the festival and his official visit to showcase contemporary India.
"Modern India is developing so rapidly that Londoners cannot refresh their knowledge of it fast enough or too often," he said.
"I hope that all Londoners will experience the many exciting cultural events taking place throughout July to September as part of India Now. It is our biggest opportunity to enjoy the cultural richness of a country that will be a huge part of our futures."
The Mayor has also lent his support to a new tour of London promoting the time spent in the capital by Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.
The two-hour walk has been devised by Ajay Goyal and covers Gandhi's five visits to London, starting in 1888 when he was training to become a barrister and used to walk up to seven miles a day searching for vegetarian food.
Many of the restaurants and places he lived in have since been demolished or destroyed in the Blitz, but the tour includes Gandhi's first London home in Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, plus Inner Temple and Farringdon Street.
Mr Goyal said India Now was a "very positive" initiative. He added: "India is going to be one of the biggest international players in the next 10 to 20 years. If you have billions of dollars worth of Indian businesses listing on the London Stock Exchange and opening offices here, the Mayor is right to focus on India for the commercial investment and co-operation.
"I think it's very important that India is highlighted as an example of peaceful co-existence. What we have learned in India is that you need two things to survive. You need tolerance and peace. You need to tolerate your neighbour no matter what his creed or colour or religion."

Ckah De India Trailor has not found much appreciation

According to a section of the media, the trailor of Yash Chopra's CHAK DE INDIA, which made its first appearance in the prints of his JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM, released last month, has not found much appreciation.

For one, the trailor has just a song which, too, is unlike the traditional songs that we are used to listening and seeing in films. In fact, it is more of a poem than a song! Secondly, there is no heroine in the film, and so, despite the presence of an entire team of hockey players (in the song), the thirst of the audience to see that one glamorous face may not have been quenched.

However, not too much should be read into the 'so called' lack of appreciation for the trailor. These days, with so many films, which have magnificent and enticing trailor, falling like nine pins at the box-office, CHAK DE INDIA, just might stand tall in the cinemas, when it hits the screens on 10th August.

As a leading trade expert says (in a lighter vein) - If a great trailor is no guarantee for a hit or even an average film, a dull trailor just might be a surefire precursor to a hit film! Yes, one never knows!