Chopra's "king of Bollywood" formally released in India

Anupama Chopra's third book titled King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema hit stores across the world. The book was formally released in United States of America and India on 9 and 20 August respectively.

As the book formally released in India, its first 10,000 copies had already been sold out and the book is now in its second round of printing.

Shah Rukh Khan was present at the launch and even read excerpts from the book, about his father's brush with the film industry and how his parents first met and thereafter got married. Also present on the dais to read excerpts from the book, was Khan's close friend and director producer Karan Johar and writer director Rajkumar Hirani.

Speaking on the occasion Anupama Chopra said, "Work on this book started four years ago, as a vague idea about post liberalisation India and Shah Rukh Khan. I am glad that through these years SRK has been patient with my emails and SMSes even as he traveled all around the globe."

Khan added, "This book is not just on me, it is also about the Hindi film industry and also how the country was going through a change in the 1990s. Anupama's research is extensive."

Khan autographed a copy of the book, which will be put up for auction on eBay.com and the amount will be donated to Khan's favourite charity informed Chopra.

SRK modestly went on to say, that he felt awkward when people write books on him. "I haven't done anything that books are written on me. But if people write books on me, then I think, I must be someone important and I want to prove my importance in the coming years with my hard work."

Additionally, it's been some years since Khan started penning his autobiography. "I also started work on my autobiography, but when someone as good as Anupama started writing about me, I let go of my book. My book was titled Twenty Years of a Decade because when I worked in the film industry for 10 years, it felt as if I had put in the work of about 20 years into it. Now it's been seven years since I have been writing the book, so it's been a total of 17 years in the film industry. So I guess when it's a whole of 'twenty years of two decades,' I should hopefully be ready with it. Actually, I wanted to end my book with my son's birth, but now I even have a daughter, so she too has to be a part of the book. Anupama's book was completed in 2006, so if by 2010 I release my book it will have newer chapters and will be more relevant at that time," Khan concluded.

Also present at the launch were Gauri Khan, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Tanuja Chandra, Shahnaz Lala Rukh (SRK's sister), Neeta Ambani, Amit Khanna, Manmohan Shetty, Subhash Ghai, Vivek Vaswani, Anu Malik, Juhi Chawla, Prasoon Joshi, Rohan Sippy, Dia Mirza and John Abraham.

Source: BusinessofCinema

SRK is a football lover

Shah Rukh Khan sure loves to kick a mean ball. The actor, who plays a hockey coach in Chak De! India , is actually a football lover. Not only does he follow the sport keenly, he also goes to the American School of Bombay ground at Bandra-Kurla complex every Sunday to indulge in a good game of football.

The line-up includes, apart from SRK, Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Chunky Pandey, Dino Morea and Dino's brother Santino amongst others.

Every Sunday, from 5 pm to 7 pm, SRK and his squad meet up for a testosterone-soaked two hours. After coming back from London, Shah Rukh has not even missed a single session of the game.

What's more he takes his son Aryan along as he wants him to toughen up playing the game with big boys. "SRK gets along his son Aryan to play. Apparently, he wants Aryan to play with them. He is also getting him trained in the sport from a professional trainer," reveals our source.

Reportedly, Dino encouraged him to join the gang that anyway used to meet regularly. For those who don't know, Shah Rukh was a University level football player.
In Melbourne, while shooting for Chak De! India , he used to play football during breaks with his 16-strong all-girls team as well. When contacted Dino Morea confirmed, "Shah Rukh has been playing football with us at the school grounds regularly of late. He is very passionate about the sport and there isn't a day that he is not willing to be present on the ground for the game."

Ritesh Sidhwani adds, "Farhan and I are also a part of the team. There are a lot of friends from the industry who play with us but I'd rather not disclose any other details."

Chunky Pandey is part of the team too, although he's upset that he couldnt make to yesterday's game, "I have been playing with the team but yesterday I couldn't make it as I had a shoot."

Source: TimesOfIndia

Shah Rukh Khan’s turn to play A Superhero

After Hrithik Roshan, it’s Shah Rukh Khan’s turn to play superhero.

The only difference is that King Khan is doing it only to win his lady love over in Farah Khan’s ‘Om Shanti Om’. “It’s a scene where Shah Rukh is trying to impress Deepika Padukone. He’s all dressed up as a superhero to woo her with some crazy stunts,” revealed a witness present on the sets during the shooting of the sequence.

Like most SRK romances where he does something to impress the heroine — right from ‘DDLJ’ to ‘Pardes’ to ‘Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa’ — this scene is a comic one. While Superman goes ‘Up, up and away’ before taking off, our desi superhero prefers ‘Oodi Baba’.

Apparently SRK so liked playing a goofy superhero that he did retake after retake just to repeat the experience. “Farah okayed the shot but Shah Rukh was enjoying the whole thing. He kept on doing retakes,” the witness added.

We all know film cans are expensive, but Farah let Shah Rukh have his way because he is producing the film. SRK’s other director Shimit Amin used up 1500 cans for ‘Chak De India’.

Given King Khan’s enthusiasm for playing a superhero, don’t be surprised if ‘Krrish 2’ stars him instead of Hrithik.

Oodi baba, now that’s a thought!

Source: DNA

We are happy, and as always: SRK

While directors of Dutt’s yet-to-be-released films are hoping that the seven-day bail will be extended for good, his actor colleagues can’t stop praying.

Said Shah Rukh Khan, “We are happy, and as always, I will pray for the fact that this whole thing that has happened around him keeping justice and jurisdiction in mind. I hope everything else is sorted out for the best.”

Filmmaker Karan Johar recalled with nostalgia his emotional bond with Dutt. “Speaking about Sanju, I always speak emotionally because that’s the only way I can feel about the situation right now. He has been a member of our family . My father has known him very closely for many years and he is and will always remain our sanju baba. I am ecstatic and there is a huge sense of relief,” he said.

Actor Diya Mirza who has acted with Dutt in Lage Raho Munnabhai said she wished the best for the actor. “I am relieved as well and I do hope that this relief remains constant in his life. I do wish him well and hope fpr the best for him,” she said.

On Monday too, Bollywood rallied behind the actor and hailed the SC ruling. “We welcome the SC verdict. The Sanjay Dutt judgement needs to be re-looked into. I am going to cast him in my next film,” said veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal.

Filmmaker Ashok Pandit said it was an emotionally positive moment for the industry. “He is our family member and we will stand by him,” he said.

Dutt is expected to be released from Yeravada jail on Tuesday after the Supreme Court order granting him bail reaches the prison authorities there.

Satish Mathur, IG Prisons, Maharashtra told PTI that the copy of the apex court order will be routed through the TADA court in Mumbai before it can be handed over.

Under these circumstances, the actor, who has served about three weeks of his six-year rigorous imprisonment sentence slapped by the TADA court in the Mumbai blasts case, is likely to walk out of jail only on Tuesday.

Source: CNN-IBN

Rumour or Truth?

A director is a director; he is in charge of everything. He guides all, irrespective of one's stature in the industry. A recent incident proves it. Shah Rukh Khan wasn't too comfortable during the shooting of some scenes of his 'Chuk De India'. The reason was that director Shamit Amit had been repeatedly insisting for retakes. This happened during Shah Rukh's enacting a scene of riding a bus with his suitcase. Even though the take was okay, Shamit insisted for a retake. Since SRK has a back problem the retake made him uncomfortable. This is another thing that the director used to beg retakes from the senior actor. When asked Shamit explained that this is the first ever sport movie of Bollywood and therefore he wouldn't like to take any chance.

Source: EyeTVIndiaBureau

Om Shanti Om promos are scheduled to go on air from August 26

After the success of Chak De India, SRK's fans can't wait to see him again hitting the silver screen with the highly awaited film of the year Om Shanti Om.

SRK leaves no stone unturned to make his fans happy. The promos of the film are scheduled to go on air from August 27 but his fans can catch a glimpse of it a day before. Nilofar Qureshi, the spokesperson of SRK, says, “The promos of Om Shanti Om will go on air on August 27, but a day before that, the promo will be played on Karan Johar's show Koffee with Karan”

Shah Rukh Khan and debutant actress Deepika Padukone would be making an appearance on the show. The buzz about SRK's advice to Deepika of not being accessible to the media and being out of Mumbai for two months is something irrelevant clarifies Nilofar. “I know I have read it somewhere, but its rubbish, she is very much here and you can get in touch with her anytime”, states Nilofar.

Om Shanti Om is directed by Farah Khan. The film is produced by Shah Rukh Khan's production banner Red Chillies Entertainment. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Shreyas Talpade in lead roles.

Source: IndiaFM

An intimate and crisp account of SRK's life

It isn't clear in this lucid treat of a treatise on the life of a Bollywood superstar whether it is about the seductive world of Indian cinema or the indomitably seductive powers of Shah Rukh Khan.

The two have been pretty much synonymous during the last decade. More books and films have been made on the life and work of this Khan than any other popular entertainer in this country.

Last year, Mushtaq Shiekh, a popular journalist and a close friend of the superstar, had put together what can only be termed a monumental labour of love. Shiekh's Still Reading Khan was a 500-pager with more pictorial passion and chatty chutzpah than I've seen in any star biography.

Anupama Chopra's ode to Shah Rukh's spellbinding stardom is far more intimate and compact, crisp and to the point, punctuated by bouts of humour occasionally directed at the star.

Her aim is to give us an insight into the running of that great big dream factory known as Bollywood while providing glimpses into the very private life of one of Asia's biggest entertainers.

There's a dichotomy about being Shah Rukh. Though the star is exceptionally exuberant, extroverted and fan-friendly, he remains at heart a very private person.

Chopra takes us to Shah Rukh's roots. Vignettes into the star's family life in Delhi, his parents and his sister, give to the account a kind of fascinating frisson found to be absent in most biographic accounts on celebrities.

The author has studied and comprehended the Shah Rukh phenomenon from very close quarters. Admirably, she steers clear of turning her account into a dry academic discussion on Shah Rukh's art and craft.

What we see is a mercurial, spontaneous, passionate and natural actor who is capable of going from malice to magnanimity, from teasing co-stars to playfully heckling fans without making either action look unjustified.

Especially notable are the portions describing Shah Rukh's demoniacal energy and passion to get what he wants.

In all fairness, most of the incidents described in the book are well known to Shah Rukh aficionados. Nasreen Munni Kabeer's outstanding documentary film, The Inner-Outer World Of Shah Rukh Khan, covers just about everything there is to uncover.

The charm of Anupama's chronicle lies in its simplicity. The choice of words is almost always apt and the images created of the superstar's world are quaint and correct.

No misfit this icon. Shah Rukh, in fact, comes across as a star who takes his stardom so well in his stride that he leaves no room for pompous arguments.

Source: HindustanTimes

Bachchans step in SRK’s shoes

It was said that the project Ram Gopal Varma was supposed to start with Shah Rukh Khan, titled TIME MACHINE, has been scrapped. But it will be made with different stars: It will star RGV favorites Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan in lead roles.

RGV confirms the development, “Yes, both Amitabh and Abhishek will star in the film. I haven't decided on the date [of shooting] yet, since I am pre-occupied with RAMGOPAL VARMA KI AAG, DARLING and SARKAR RAJ at the moment… It's unfortunate that I couldn't make the film with Shah Rukh”.

Source: IndiaTarget

'"Shahrukh is very humble and has regard for elders despite being one of the best actors in film industry." Negi said

Former Indian hockey coach Mir Ranjan Negi was all praise for Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan saying he was overwhelmed by his dedication towards work and respect for elders.

Recounting his experience while working with Shahrukh in Aditya Chopra's 'Chak de India' -- a film that draws inspiration from Negi's life --, he told UNI here today that he found that the actor was full of dynamism.

''Shahrukh is very humble and has regard for elders despite being one of the best actors in film industry,'' Negi said, adding that the actor used to touch his feet as soon as he arrived on sets although he asked him not to do so.

Whenever a crowd gathered to have his glimpse during shooting, Shahrukh told them that 'Negi Sahab' was real hero while he was merely a filmi hero.

Negi had trained Shahrukh and the girls who acted in the movie.

The film had received accolades for the manner in which Shahrukh and the girls appeared on the field.

Source: UNI

The film is not about Hindu aur Muslim: SRK

The latest hit at the box office ‘Chak De India’ has notched up a number of firsts. It’s a Yashraj Film. It has no heroine. It has no song sequence. And it has Shahrukh Khan playing Kabir Khan. Why is that such a big deal? Well, because it is the first time, this actor has played a Muslim character in his career. What’s an even bigger deal is that with this, the superstar says it was his big chance to knock some favourite Hindi film stereotypes!

Explains Shahrukh, “The film is not about Hindu aur Muslim, but it is important for the protagonist in the film to be Muslim. I don’t want anyone to feel that an educated Muslim is a terrorist or a bad man, and he talks in a peculiar manner. Like how we depict Christians, for instance, character like Aunty Mary gets dialogues like “kya karta hai tum man”. There is no clichéd Muslim in this film. It is most important for me that when all the Muslims in India see Kabir Khan, they should feel that ‘yes, this is what we stand for, we pray five times a day, but that is not the only aim of our life’. “

Chipping away at the stereotypes have been films like Sarfarosh in 1999, which for the first time gave a mainline voice to the Indian Muslim. Next month, Mahesh Bhatt’s Dhoka releases – the film is about an upright Muslim cop whose religion is held against him. Bhatt is characteristically vocal on the need for popular cinema to set things right.

“I feel this is how change suddenly makes its presence felt through a popular medium through a film which has got a superstar and also a banner which has mostly made what are largely called escapist films,” says the vociferous Bhatt. “I need to look at the world through the eyes of a young Muslim and it is not the prerogative of the majority community to have its own heroes up there on the alter. Its time to put the minority guy on the altar.”

In a nation where films are probably the biggest religion, a move away from religious stereotyping is more than welcome. We asked filmmaker Govind Nihalani, who in 2004, directed ‘Dev’, a film based on the sensitive issue of communal violence, for his take.

Says Govind matter-of-factly, “I firmly believe that films represent our times and the perceptions as they are changing and I believe that our films are reflecting that and the minorities particularly Muslims are being treated with much more sensitivity, much more complexity and a greater sense of equality.”

With mainline Hindi cinema on the whole moving away from clichés, filmmakers who want to break myths are fortunately not a minority and that is good news for all concerned!

Source: E NOW WEEKEND

When you talk about our industry, you have to talk about Shahrukh Khan: Karan Johar

The book, titled ‘King of Bollywood : Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema’, traces SRK's journey in Bollywood
After the runaway success of Chak De India, there’s more reason to cheer; a book on Shahrukh Khan, written by film journalist and author Anupama Chopra, has already sold ten thousand copies just two weeks after the book was released.

“The idea for the book was always to create a portrait of a superstar, a film industry, and a country. It was always going to be a journey into India and into popular Hindi cinema through the work and life of Shahrukh Khan,” said author Anupama Chopra.

And the King of Bollywood certainly didn’t lack star support at the party to celebrate the success of the book, with many of them even offering to read chapters of the book.

"With the globalisation of our industry, Shahrukh has become the face. When you talk about our industry, you have to talk about Shahrukh Khan - brand Shahrukh Khan," said Karan Johar, director.

"I'll tell you what I think of SRK as a person. He's genuine, wonderful, and he's very supportive," said John Abraham, actor.

"He is a genuine superstar. Its fantastic; people want to know about him," said Sudhir Mishra, director.

And while Bollywood gushed on about the Baadshah, Shah Rukh opted for modesty. “They are two people who think for films more than Shahrukh Khan, i think. They love films, they love the world that cinema has created around them. And it just so happens that they are in the time when I've been doing well and I've been prominent in this field. They've taken me as a focal point or a starting point to talk about cinema in India,” he said.

He is one man who’s been at the right place at the right time and the stars are shining down on him. Chak De, Shahrukh!

Source: TimesNowTV

Radio Mirchi today celebrated the success of the book 'King of bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian Cinema’

Om Books International in association with Radio Mirchi today celebrated the success of national award winning author Anupama Chopra’s book 'King of bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the seductive wprld of Indian Cinema’ amidst people from the entertainment world. The book has sold over 10,000 copies in a span of two weeks. The celebration had a reading session in which Karan Johar and Rajkumar Hirani read some interesting excerpts from the book, in an ambience reminiscent of a library, with Radio Mirchi India’s hottest radio station for company. King of Bollywood, published by Warner Books, has received rave reviews from across the globe.

King of Bollywood is a sweeping portrait of a man who is worshipped as a modern-day God, a country finding its identity and a movie industry that helped to change the face of India. The book reveals how Shah Rukh Khan, a middle-class Muslim boy from Delhi, broke into the insular, nepotistic world of Bombay show business and emerged as a superstar. His larger-than-life tale takes us through the colorful and idiosyncratic Bollywood movie industry, where fantastic dreams and outrageous obsessions share the spotlight with extortion, murder, and corruption. The book is priced at Rs.395.

Commenting on the book, A.P. Parigi, Managing Director, Entertainment Network (India) Limited (Radio Mirchi) said, “Shah Rukh Khan has this “Elvis-like effect" and I think Anupama’s book does full justice to him as a person, his charisma and his Iconic status. Her writing is skillful, so much so that I wished this biography was 3-4 times longer & more academic & detailed. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing and recommend the book to not only those who enjoy Shah Rukh Khan's work and Bollywood movies but even to his critics.” Providing a rationale to Radio Mirchi’s association with the celebrations he further added, “The biggest common factor between the brands SRK and Radio Mirchi today is the fact that both are a household name in India. Shah Rukh Khan is an undisputed ‘King of Bollywood’ a ruler of all hearts of Indians. While Radio Mirchi is the hottest radio station our country has. Both are for the masses, by the masses and of the masses.”

Speaking on this Ajay Mago, Publisher, Om Books International said, “I am extremely happy to be associated with Anupama Chopra and her book. King of Bollywood is doing very well and already crossed over 10,000 copies in 2 weeks. Books of different genres have been man's best friend for times immemorial and especially that on famous personality because we get such a lot to learn from them”

According to Anupama Chopra, “This book was ambitious and challenging. I wanted it to be all things to all people. I'm thrilled that it is connecting with both Indian and American readers”.

Source: IndianTelevision

Srk's Relaistic Look

Take a breath, think Lara Dutta running through a forest in Kaal wearing three-inch hooker boots and a leather mini skirt! Well, not for long. With bollywood shedding its uber glamourous skin, the threads too are increasingly getting ‘de-glammed’.

Take Shah Rukh Khan in Chak De India for instance, no designer glasses, no ed-hardy T-shirts, no dinner freshly plucked off the shelves of international stores. Instead, it’s all about shirts, trousers and mismatched basic trackies and basic keds! And, that is what has had people, swooning, “he’s looking by far his best,” was what a designer said.

The idea as Shiraz Siddiqui, the man behind SRK’s look in Chak De says was to not treat Khan as a superstar, “Then it tends to get a little disconnected from reality,” he says adding that Kabir Khan’s threads are probably one of the most ‘realistic looks’ that he’s ever had.

“The character is about a man with no fuss and the clothes had to depict them, they couldn’t have been anything OTT or glamourous. We weren’t showing him as a coach in London or Brussels that we could give him wacky designer sportswear. The character is very simple and basic, not contrived,” Siddiqui laughs!

Though Chak De isn’t the only torch bearer as bollywood takes its first ginger steps out of wedding catalogues, stylists had ventured out in their quest for the real touch even in movies like Yuva, Rang De Basanti, Omkara and even Swades. Be it Abhishek and Rani’s styling, Soha Ali Khan’s rasta chic and Kunal Kapoor’s kurtas in RDB or Saif and Vivek’s rustic persona in Omkara, the focus was on keeping it real!

Source: DNAIndia