Is Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi about a dancer

Top choreographer Shiamak Davar has a long association with Yash Chopra and his banner, Yash Raj Films.

One can remember his superb choreography in 'Le gayee le gayee' (DIL TO PAGAL HAI), way back in 1997. Some of his subsequent projects with Yash Raj include BUNTY AUR BABLI (2005) and DHOOM 2 (2006).

Shiamak is presently involved in one of the most prestigious projects of recent times, Aditya Chopra's Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Vinay Pathak starrer, RAB NE BANA DI JODI (RNBDJ).

However, he has just not restricted himself to Bollywood and is also busy with other non Bollywood projects, including a hot dance routine for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.

He is also a frequent globe-trotter and during one such foreign trips (Vancouver, to be precise), he was asked about the storyline of RNBDJ.

The guarded choreographer said that the film is about a dancer and apologized saying that he was sworn to secrecy and so would not be able to disclose anything further.

Well, it seems like we will have to wait for December 12 to decipher what exactly Shiamak means; though another section of the media terms RAB NE BANA DI JODI as a romantic comedy.

Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network

‘SRK’s success is due to his mother’s dua’

Aziz Mirza talks about bonding with Shah Rukh Khan.

Aziz’s association with Shah Rukh spans more than two decades.

They have worked together in Chalte Chalte, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Yes Boss and Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.

Aziz also directed Shah Rukh for the TV serial Circus. However, not many know that Shah Rukh had even acted in another tele-serial with Aziz before Circus. “I started working with Shah Rukh in the TV serial Ummeed, which nobody knows. It’s one of Shah Rukh’s best performances,” he says

Aziz also goes on to narrate an interesting episode with Shah Rukh’s mother. “I had met her about a week or 10 days before she passed away. She asked me ‘will my son become a star’. I said ‘I don’t know if your son would become a star. But I can assure you that he will never run out of work. He’s a good actor. And good things will happen to him’. Mashaallah, today he is gone a lot ahead of his time.

And it’s all because of his mother’s dua. Wherever he’s reached today, it’s because of his mother,” he says.

Aziz's latest film Kismat Konnection with Shahid Kapoor and Vidya Balan is also the first film made by Aziz that does not have Shah Rukh Khan associated with it. “It didn’t require Shah Rukh. It’s about a young boy. Juhi (Chawla) had said ‘this is a Shah Rukh role 15 years ago’. But now 15 years have passed,” he says.

Though Shah Rukh is not a part of this film, Aziz still has a tremendous bonding with him. They both, along with Juhi, had set up Dreamz Unlimited, their production house. So how come Kismat Konnection was not part of the Dreamz stable? “Dreamz comprised Shah Rukh, Juhi and myself. But here there was no Shah Rukh or Juhi. Inshaallah, the moment I make a film with Shah Rukh, it will be under the Dreamz banner, or now maybe even Red Chillies,” says Aziz.

Aveek Bhowmik, DNA India

"Love is in the air ," says SRK

This weekend is indeed a remarkable one as King Khan finally gets a chance to meet up with his ‘Bichdi hui Behen’ Yogita Sethi & his crazy fan Sweety Sharma on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on Friday, June 27.

The rollover contestant Yogita Sethi continues to play smartly and wittily as she gets her answers right keeping her cheats till the end. Yogita ends up winning a handsome amount on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? and wishes to buy her husband their dream car. The couple is much in love and expresses their affection on screen as they lovingly exchange flying kiss.

SRK humorously comments that “love is the air”. Yogita blushes while she goes on to reveal another secret that she was once madly in love with Shah Rukh. Acknowledging her confession, SRK makes her the ‘Bichdi hui Behen’.

The second contestant of the day on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? is the hilarious Sweety Sharma. SRK addresses her as Swe throughout the show as it’s her nick name. Swe turns out to be a great fan of King Khan and gifts him a red rose as soon as she enters the set.

Being confused with the questions, Swe admits that she has come to the show completely unprepared but meeting SRK is the finest experience. King Khan appreciates her sense of humor and insists her to say ‘maal pahunch gaya’ in DON style. Sew also gets an extra doze of gyan from SRK as he shares his tips on success & hard work.

So who will win the heart of SRK on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? Will Yogita be able to gift her husband their dream car or Sweety be able to crack the jackpot?? To know this, watch Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on Friday, June 27th, 8 pm only on Star Plus.

India Infoline

Clash of the Titans: King Khan vs Southern Shehanshah Rajini

Actor Shah Rukh Khan is yet again pitted against a top superstar. And no it's not Big B. It's an even bigger this time round as King Khan has some fierce competition coming his way from Southern Shehanshah Rajinikanth.

But wait it's no blog thrashing or poke fun remarks that the two actors are involved with, in fact, it's purely business and that makes things even messier.

Sources told Spicezee that SRK's film 'Billo Barber' and Rajinikanth film 'Kuselan' are both inspired by a Malayalam hit 'Katha Parayumpol'. It's obvious then that the two films have the same story line where two childhood friends drift apart after one of them grows up to be a superstar taking the nation by storm and the other is reduced to a village barber.

However, what's interesting is that Rajinikanth's flick has beaten SRK film to the release date and the Southern actor's film will now release much in advance than that of King Khan's.

It seems that this time SRK will have to work harder to retain his king's stature as the competition is getting tougher.

Shah Rukh Khan goes to Village

Actor Shah Rukh Khan is back shooting for films. In fact while he was busy at the IPL, SRK used to shoot for Priyadarshan's Billoo Barber , too. With just one schedule remaining, we guess the makers of this one are keeping a rather low profile.

It was not very long ago that the shooting schedule of this film was to take place in a village. Shah Rukh who plays a simple, aam aadmi in this movie, had no choice but to travel with the cast and crew to a village in North India – where Viraasat was shot.

Apparently, sources close to us say that the one thing SRK hates is shooting in a village. After all, the actor is used to the lavish luxuries of life, and the close-to-no-facility areas provide much discomfort to him. A unit member informs us, "I don't know much about his likes and dislikes, but Shah Rukh is a sport. He adapted ok and didn't as much as complain even once. He was ready to do whatever it took for him to deliver! Also, he mingled well with one and all and didn't have any prolems. He went out of the way to make the locals there feel special."

Well, here's to the professional, who has returned to the luxuries of his home!

King Khan set for clash with Khiladi Kumar!

In his last release Shahrukh Khan faced competition from two newcomers. But King Khan’s next release would have him facing competition from none other than Akshay Kumar .

SRK’s home production Billoo Barber is on a collision course with the Akshay-starrer Chandni Chowk To China . If there is no change in the release dates, it would mark the clash of the two Bollywood titans in the last quarter of this year.

Akshay is considered the most reliable actor when it comes to drawing crowds to the theatres. And ‘Chandni Chowk to China’ is partly based on his own life. This USP of the film is expected to get house-fulls at theatres.

On the other hand, SRK is known to promote his movies aggressively. He outshone Saawariya last year with the publicity blitz of his Om Shanti Om . And he is expected to do the same with ‘Billoo Barber’.

However, one thing that goes against SRK’s film is that it has the superstar in a brief role. It is Irrfan Khan who plays the protagonist. But there are added attractions like item numbers from Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in the film.

The duel is evenly poised. And it would be interesting to watch who annihilates whom. Or may be they both will survive.

Apunka Choice

"Shah Rukh is a huge craze"

Amsterdam: Amsterdam loves Shah Rukh Khan. The fact was driven across by a full house at the Ahoy in Rotterdam on Saturday night where he performed for his Temptations Reloaded show. The show, organised by the Moranis, ran to a full house despite the fact that most people in Holland were in mourning over their defeat to Russia in the Euro 2008 quarter finals.

The Moranis were so thrilled by their successful show that they are now planning another Temptations Reloaded with King Khan in October in Germany.

Says Ali Morani, "Shah Rukh is a huge craze, not just in India but also abroad. The Rotterdam show on June 21 with SRK, Kareena, and Katrina was a huge hit." He confirms that they are planning a similar show in Germany in October, "We are working out the modalities with Shah Rukh and the rest of the team.

Going by the success of the Rotterdam show, the emails we get every day and the feedback across the Dutch border for Shah Rukh, we decided to have another show in October in the four main cities of Germany as of now Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Munich.

We have had enquiries for a SRK's Temptation Reloaded show even from Paris but we will have to go along with a piecemeal tour as we don't have Shah Rukh's dates for a month-long one."

Mid-Day

SRK arrive for Temptations Reloaded

An evening in London, with SRK

The King entertained the British lords as well as old mates like Vijay Mallaya and Nikki Bedi.

From dancing, to answering questions, to pulling up fans on the stage, King Khan had his audience eating out of his palm.

When contacted, Nikki Bedi, a presenter in the UK, talks about her evening out with Khan.

She says, "The evening was just brilliant. SRK danced, performed, played Paanchvi Pass and answered questions from the audience. Kunal Ganjawalla and Ganesh Hegde also performed, but Shah Rukh took the cake."

Nikki particularly goes ga-ga over SRK's stunts in the event. She reveals, "The act where he topples off the chair drew in much cheer. I am amazed at his fitness level. At one point, he invited me on stage and made me play Paanchvi Pass. And it was not just me, even Vijay Mallaya was quizzed. It was so much fun," recalls Nikki.

Khan was in the UK as a part of his annual break with his family. After wrapping up his holiday, he got back to work - initially with his bank event and followed by his Temptations Reloaded performance in Amsterdam on Saturday night.

Mumbai Mirror

"SRK is a charmer I couldn't keep my eyes off him," - Yuvika

Models, we often hear, are eager to make it in Bollywood. But Yuvika Chaudhary, who follows up her cameo in Om Shanti Om with a lead role in Summer 2007, is a selfproclaimed exception. It took a lot of chasing on the part of the producers to get her to do this film, says Yuvika.

"Every time they came and said 'Do it, do it, do it', I refused," says the actress, who has been paired in the film with Sikandar Kher She is, however, not immune to fame. "Though I was hardly there (in OSO), people still call me Dolly, after the character What more can I say?" she asks, not a little proud.

The film's director Farah Khan and star Shah Rukh Khan, she says, were impressed by her work. According to Yuvika, Farah had to do a bit of wooing, too. "I was the first one to be approached for the role in OSO," she says. "Farah left the choice to me, saying, 'If you refuse the role, only then will I approach somebody else." It was the thought of working with Shah Rukh that clinched the deal. "He is a charmer I couldn't keep my eyes off him," she says.

Her most prized possession is a message from Farah, saying, "Shah Rukh is really impressed with you and so am I," It took her a long time to accept Summer 2007, Yuvika continues. Modelling assignments, including a cola ad with Kunal Kapoor where Farah spotted her, were a more attractive proposition.

Here, too, her idol influenced her decision. "I was turning down film offers, but then Kirron aunty Anupam uncle, Farah and even SRK told me to take up Summer 2007 SRK said, 'In the initial stages of my career; even I did films that I thought wouldn't do the magic."

Her initial reluctance gave way to interested involvement as the shooting progressed: "I realised that Summer 2007 is destiny's gift to me. It taught me that acting is a lot of hard work." As she sets out on the road to stardom, Yuvika still retains the young fan's gushing enthusiasm for King Khan. "When I looked into his eyes, it was hard to believe that he is in his forties," says the actress. It was a bit of magic, that overwhelming star quality. It's magic ghat Yuvika hopes will a one day be hers, too.

Minakshi Saini, Hindustan Times

Shah Rukh Set to Return with KBC 4

Star Plus and Siddharth Basu's Synergy Communications met to discuss about the show's fourth season. Shahrukh Khan is all set to host the show, though Amitabh Bachchan's name was also discussed.

It is believed that the show will be shot early next year as Shahrukh's dates during that period are available. Star Plus officials were also concerned over Paanchvi Pass' poorer TRPs when compared to Salman Khan hosted 10 Ka Dum on Sony. Incidentally Siddharth Basu is also the producer of 10 Ka Dum.

Hope KBC 4 revives the fortune of SRK on television.

Subhadeep Bhattacharjee, One India

Today I am competing with myself, says Shah Rukh

“People should learn how important studies are through this show,” Shah Rukh Khan states. His Indian television general knowledge quiz show, ‘Paanchvi Pass’ based on the US programme ‘Are you smarter than a Ten Year Old?’, was launched in London last Tuesday. The series kicks off on June 13 on the Star Plus Channel in the UK and Europe.

After taking over from Amitabh Bachchan in the Indian TV equivalent of ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’, this is the second time the ‘King Khan’ is the quizmaster or ‘Head Boy’ as he is called in the show. Why is he doing it? “I love the show; it gives me pleasure to see kids studying in a fun way. My own children Suhana and Aryan like it a lot.” Does he know the answers himself? The honest Khan comes clean: “I don’t know most of the answers; it’s fun to learn through a quiz.” Was SRK a good student? “I used to come top in class as I was naughty and the teacher made me stand on top of the desk!” Khan jokes.

Following Shah Rukh onto the small screen will be Salman Khan with his reality show ‘10 Ka Dum’ and Akshay Kumar with the Indian version of ‘Fear Factor’. Has SRK started a trend for Bollywood A listers moving into television? “I don’t think I set a trend. It was Amitabh Bachchan who really set the trend. I wish Salman and Akki all the best!”

Shah Rukh Khan’s hockey film ‘Chak De! India’ won the Best Film, Best Director, Best Story and Best Actor awards at last weekend’s International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFAs) in Bangkok. The ‘King’ is in heaven: “I proved I could do a significant role without songs or heroines. The film consolidates my reputation as a good actor. Today I am competing with myself, not with any newcomer or other heroes.”

Anil Sinanan, Times Online UK

Shah Rukh brings ’sunshine’ and Bollywood dreams to Rotterdam

Rotterdam, June 22 (IANS) Screaming fans from across Europe showered flowers, notes and trinkets as Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan performed at Ahoy, Rotterdam’s large cultural and sports complex, to launch the world premiere of Temptations Reloaded, a live song and dance show that saw a number of Indian stars descend on the city Saturday night. Shah Rukh performed on stage with Bollywood favourites like Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor in an auditorium with a capacity of 25,000 before a mixed audience of Asians and Europeans.

In between the two-and-half-hour long show, Shah Rukh and Arjun Rampal drove through the aisles of the auditorium in light vehicles and the venue echoed with the adoring screams of fans, some of whom showered them with trinkets, flowers and notes.

Some European fans were dressed in Indian clothes and referred to the Bollywood superstar as the ‘Saudagar of Sunshine’. And Dutch fans preferred to watch Shah Rukh instead of the Euro 2008 football champion semi-finals between Holland and Russia played around the same time.

In a continent starved of warmth for most parts of the year, King Khan is called ’sunshine’ by his fans here.

Ignoring weather forecasts that had predicted clouds and rainfall, fans travelled from all over Europe to witness the live performance.

With stars in their eyes, cine buffs arrived here under clear blue skies to watch the midsummer night performance and to sigh that the mere presence of Shah Rukh Khan makes clouds part.

“Shah Rukh Khan is our sunshine! When he is close to us, the worst day becomes bright. He fills my life with light and warmth,” an Indian female fan said rubbishing weather forecasts.

“Bollywood makes you happy” is the slogan for marketing popular Indian cinema in Europe, suggestive of the fact that Hindi movies create a state of emotional well-being that goes far beyond mere entertainment.

This is the reason for a dramatic increase in Bollywood fan communities on this continent whose activities revolve mostly around Shah Rukh Khan and his work.

“Bollywood makes European audiences happy because the films are like life seen in dreams,” Ségoléne Roudot, a French fan who is researching fans of Indian cinema in France, told IANS.

Colours, costumes, music, dance and Shah Rukh’s charismatic screen presence have brought much joy into many lives here.

An online Swiss fan forum has a special web page filled with thank you notes to Shah Rukh for coming to Europe. The notes thank the superstar for the colour that he brings into lives and for being the light for fans in the dark.

“Such feelings become stronger at the possibility of a meeting with Shah Rukh Khan. The desire is to touch him in an attempt to experience some more of the joy and happiness that he radiates,” Elke Mader, a professor of Vienna University who monitors the behaviour of non-South Asian fans of Shah Rukh Khan for Bollyglobal, a research project, told IANS.

Mader gives the example of Christina Zück, a Berlin-based artist who has publicly confessed that her life was magically transformed after she touched Shah Rukh at the Berlin Film Fesival of “Om Shanti Om” earlier this year.

“The experience of fans like Christina goes beyond admiring Shah Rukh Khan as a movie star. Shah Rukh is seen much more than just an entertainer here. He is happiness and love personified. Fans want to touch him and to talk to him because he is able to transfer a lot of joy to those who are lucky enough to cross his path,” Mader said

Hosted by Netherland’s Sekier Entertainment Service, the next European stop of Temptations Reloaded, a sequel to the ‘Temptations’ tour Shah Rukh started in 2004, is Berlin.

Founded in 1999 by Ishaq Sekier, a Dutchman originally from an Indian family from Surinam, with an evening of songs by Manna Dey, the entertainment service has since sponsored Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shaan, Shreya Ghosal, Kavita Krishnamurti, KK and Jagjit Singh here.

“We would like to see Bollywood activities increase around continental Europe,” Monique Dabloe, a Sekier staff member, told IANS.

SRK cuts short his family holiday

Shah Rukh Khan visits London very frequentlyand usually for 40 days with his family, but had to squeeze his summer break down to just a week in London this year. He loves London and once he has been quoted as saying: I love London as I feel at home there. People say English people are very cold and not friendly but I find them amazingly warm.

But Khan like always is making sure it’s only about friends and family this year too. Catching up for dinners and spending the day with kids is what’s keeping Bollywood’s busiest actor occupied at the moment.

“Gauri and the kids had left for London before SRK joined them. The first two days went for some business he had pending. A couple of business meetings but now its all about Aryan and Suhana… SRK has been taking them around London and places close by.”

“Aryan is very fond of sports and so they have been tuning into the Euro Championship. In fact they might head for the finals in Vienna if possible. He has also been meeting up with some of his close friends who live in and around London,” says a source close to the actress, “But more than seeing the city its more of an opportunity for Khan to spend uninterrupted quality time with the family which is very difficult for him to do when in Mumbai.”

While it is impossible for SRK to step out in broad daylight in the UK thanks to his popularity but he still takes the children around to sight see. “For security reasons it needs to be done very discreetly. He has taken them shopping for some gadgets that Aryan wanted. Suhana has been shopping for clothes with Gauri,” says a source.

Last year Khan spent a month in London where he took his kids to see his wax statue at Madame Tussauds. “The two kids were so proud to see their daddy there. And Khan’s life lies in Aryan and Suhana… in fact I think he actually enjoyed his statue once he saw that look in their eyes,” says a friend who accompanied them last year.

When Khan was invited to Warwick Castle to open its latest attraction he took his family along. So from landing on the castle grounds in a helicopter to a sword slashing red carpet ribbon cutting ceremony, flanked by fully armoured medieval bodyguard the kids were in for a real treat. But that was just the start of the fun for SRK. After the inauguration Khan went for a private visit of the Castle with his family.

My News

Professor Shah Rukh becomes Quick-Gun-Murugan

Shah Rukh Khan is leaving no stone unturned to boost the viewer ship of his game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? While he managed to rope in celebs like Kareena Kapoor with beau Saif Ali Khan, Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra and even good friends Karan Johar and Rani Mukherjee in some of the special episodes, this weekend, Khan himself takes on the mantle of doing something out of the ordinary.

Professor Shah Rukh Khan would be seen at his naughtiest best doing his famous 'Quick- Gun -Murugan' take from Om Shanti Om on this Sunday's episode of Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? He would be seen in his complete get up a-la South superstar Rajinikanth sporting bright red clothes, an atrocious moustache and a raucous accent.

Needless to say the contestants on this show didn't 'Mind It' and had a blast with 'Quick-Gun-Murugan' oops… SRK. To catch all the fun and action of this special episode, don't miss Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on this Sunday 22nd June at 8 pm IST

Meri paanch crore ki dulhaniya kaun le jayegaa, asks Shahrukh

Meri paanch crore ki dulhaniya kaun le jayegaa? wonders Shah Rukh Khan as he comes across some very intelligent and witty contestants on Kya aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on Friday, June 20.

Handsome Sheetanshu Dube from Bhopal, an aspiring pilot, proves that he is tez by answering some of the initial questions very confidently and at top speed. On asked whether he is single, he says that he would like to declare on national television that he is very much so and is looking for the ideal girl. This young contestant brought his guitar along and also played a song for Shah Rukh. He wanted to win big bucks at Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tze Hain ? to fund his mother’s thyroid treatment abroad which he could not afford at present.

Also meet Prajyoti Samal from Bhuvaneshwar who remarks that she is quite literally from many places in India! Born in Bhuvaneshwar, Pragjyoti has studied under many South Indian teachers, works in a software firm in Kolkata and has auditioned for Paanchvi Pass from Bhopal. Her diverse background has helped her learn many languages which she uses in her everyday conversations and now her family and friends are quite used to it.

Pragjyoti is full of energy and enthusiasm. Her mother says that whatever Pragjyoti puts her mind to, she always succeeds at. She is convinced that her daughter can win Rupees 5 crore and so is Shah Rukh Khan as she bedazzles him with her quick answers without any assistance from the classmates.

So who will become the first Crorepati on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass se Tez Hain? Will Sheetanshu win this amount and take his mother abroad for thyroid treatment or will Pragjyoti take the booty home and become the first crorepatni on a television show?

To know this, watch Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on Friday, 8 pm only on Star Plus.

Indian Television

Shah Rukh Khan's Crorepatni!

Pragjyoti Samal is the first woman to win a crore on a reality show on Indian television. The Bhubaneshwar- based 24-year-old software engineer will be seen pocketing the crore in the Shah Rukh Khan hosted 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?' episode on June 21.

As reported (‘Crorepatni’; May 7), Star Plus had not revealed her identity when the episode was shot on May 5, to avoid her being hounded.

It is learnt that Pragjyoti who was working with Cognizant Technology Solutions in Kolkata has quit her job and is back home in Bhubaneshwar. However the winner denies that this decision had anything to do with her big prize money.

“In the IT industry, you have to keep moving and take up new challenges,” says Samal from Bhubaneshwar. “Except for my mother (Nirlipta Patnaik) who accompanied me on the show, I have not told the rest of the family what happened due to channel requirements. We will watch the episode together. There is a big shock in store for them.”

Pragjyoti, who is single, was one of the zillions of contestants who’d SMS to the question that flashed on the screens to gain entry to Paachvi Pass. “All contestants had to appear for a test on the phone, followed by a written test as well as camera audition rounds.”

The contestant has not yet decided what she will do with the prize. The cheque will be hers after the episode airs. “It has yet to sink in… maybe after the telecast it will. As they say: I will cross the bridge when I come to it.”

She adds that she took a lot of risks during the game but it all paid off. “Everyone was encouraging and enthusiastic. Everyone from Siddhartha Basu’s unit was so excited and happy for me.”

About the show’s host Shah Rukh Khan, she says, “He provided a lot of support and made me feel at ease. All this while, I knew him as King Khan the actor, now I know him as a person. This show gave me an opportunity to know the real SRK.”

Shaheen Parkar, Mid-day

SRK's Face Saver : Ravi Dada

King Khan has had the same make up man, Ravi dada since the first time he set foot in B-town. He doesn't have any quirks as such but only and only Ravi dada does his make up whether it is for movies, ads, TV shows or performances.

He trusts his loyal make up man immensely and doesn't interfere. The only problem is that he arrives late so his make up man has to work super fast and complete it in half an hour.

Yo, Ravi Dada!
Loyalty be thy name.
We love you.

Star Box Office

KJo on SRK's Autobiography

Excerpts from the interview:

Ok, finally, one person whose blog you’d love to read?
Shah Rukh Khan. Not for any other reason except I that I have had the privilege of reading parts of the book that he has been writing for the last five years. It’s amazing. Every chapter in the book has heart, soul, guts, emotion, drama... enough to keep the reader completely engrossed. If he ever decided to blog, it will be something to look out for.

Johar’s blog which begins online tomorrow at www.mynameiskaran.com

Meet SRK's German fan, the 48 yr old, Ute

This Saturday, Shahrukh Khan will be performing live-on-stage with Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Javed Ali, Anushka Dandekar and Ganesh Hegde in Ahoy, Rotterdam. Temptation is back! Not only will be Dutch fans be joining the show, but several fans from European countries will fly in to see Shahrukh Khan and the other stars perform live. Here we have a short interview with a German fan called Ute. She is 48 years old and lives in Germany.

Why and when did you become fan of Shahrukh Khan?
I became a fan of Shahrukh Khan exactly on November 19, 2004, when K3G was shown on German TV for the first time. This man impressed me on first sight and the more I got to see and know about him, the more I adore this wonderful actor and human being. Admiring any artist is something that never happened to me before, even when I was in my teens. There has never been someone, who was worth it.

Have you ever met him before?
I've never met Shahrukh or any of the other stars.

What are your expectations of the show?
It will be a treat for the eyes for sure! Hopefully there will be a lot of interaction with the audience. Shahrukh is able to leave a crowd of 30,000 people spellbound, only by sitting on a wooden chair on an empty stage!

Why are you coming to see the show?
I'm coming to see Shahrukh in person, my heart's desire. Shahrukh Khan sure has great fans. I, for one, am definitely looking forward to what Temptation Reloaded will bring us!

The interview was conducted by Charla Manohar

SRK's Future Plans

Everybody knows about Shah Rukh Khan’s penchant to be a winner all the way. Far from sulking about his team, Kolkata Knight Riders being defeated at the recently concluded Indian Premiere League, he is already making all the necessary arrangements like getting international cricketers (one of who is Andrew Flintoff) on board for the next IPL season.

He also has other ambitious plans for Kolkata Knight Riders.

A source says, “SRK is leaving for London for a few days to join his wife Gauri and children, Suhana and Aryan, who have already left in a private aircraft.

Apart from shooting for his next film, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in London, SRK's main agenda for the trip is to get some of the biggest international cricketers for his IPL team. One of the cricketers he's already in advanced talks with is Andrew Flintoff.”

When contacted, a source close to the actor confirms and says, “Yes, it's true that SRK is in advanced talks with Flintoff.

Whatever happened has happened at the recent IPL. But now on, SRK has taken complete charge and he's leaving no stone unturned to make his IPL team a winner next year.”

And when one talks about SRK, can entertainment be far behind? The source adds, “SRK has ambitious plans for his team.

Apart from playing against international cricket clubs abroad, his team of cricketers will also perform on stage along with him within the next day for the international audience.

The shows will be grand. After a day of watching serious cricket, the public will get to watch their favourite cricketers perform on stage along with SRK.”

“SRK and his family will be holidaying for the first fifteen days after which he will start shooting for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi while his agents have already reached London to interact with the cricketers and make necessary arrangements for SRK's meeting with them,” says the source.

Ravikaran Deshmukh & Ashwini Deshmukh, Mumbai Mirror

Shabana will play Shah Rukh's Mom in 'My Name Is Khan'

Last year, she turned down Yash Raj Films’ Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (the role that eventually went to Jaya Bachchan) because apparently, she was busy with The Loins of Punjab Presents . However, Shabana has now agreed to play Shah Rukh Khan’s mother in Karan Johar’s Khan.

A source said, “Normally, Karan would not think of casting anyone but Jayaji to play Shah Rukh’s mother. Reason being that both Shah Rukh and Karan dote on Jayaji and she has already played SRK’s mother in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Kal Ho Na Ho.” Apparently, it’s the strong political message of Khan that convinced Karan to sign Shabana instead of Jaya for the project.

The source added, “Khan conveys a very strong message. It’s about the isolation of the Muslims after 9/11. And who better equipped to put forward a cinema of ideas than Shabana? Also, the film is about a Muslim family based in the US. And Shabana would bring a natural elegance and credibility to her part.”

However, not much is being revealed about Shabana’s part in the film. But it goes without saying that she would be an essential part of the project.

When contacted to confirm her presence in the film, Shabana just laughed and said, “Main chup rahungi.”

Times Of India

SRK's Reaction to Kareena's Self-Obsession

Much to the dismay of the studio audience, host Shah Rukh Khan ordered all the four LCD screens fitted around the sets to be switched off for this particular episode. Why? Because of Kareena.

Says an eyewitness, "Ever since the shoot began, Kareena constantly kept looking at the LCD screen to see how she was looking. Shah Rukh observed this and told her that she was looking great, and need not look at the LCD screen every now and then."

It seems that Kareena was in no mood to listen to SRK. She could not refrain from looking at herself on the screen. "Consciously or subconsciously, she continued checking herself out on all the four screens. Time was running out so SRK ordered that the screens be switched off. Only then did they start the shoot," adds the eyewitness.

And what did Kareena do after that? The insider says, "Well, Kareena had no choice. She had to go ahead with the proceedings. Thankfully, everything went off smoothly after that."

SRK in ad visibility race

Bollywood and cricket might be the two passions of India, but when it comes to celebrity brands' visibility on TV, the silver screen stars are clearly ahead of sporting heroes.

Only two Indian cricketers - M S Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar - figure in a list of the 10 most visible celebrities featuring in TV ads. There are no other sportspersons in the list.

And while Shah Rukh Khan may be the undisputed badshah of Bollywood, he's been pipped in this particular race by Chhote Nawab Saif Ali Khan.

According to the AdEx Survey, prepared by TAM Media Research, TV ads featuring Saif Ali Khan appeared for as many as 45 lakh seconds through 2007. SRK followed with 42 lakh seconds, while Amitabh Bachchan was third with 32 lakh.

Hrithik Roshan may not be seen too often on the silver screen these days, but he's highly visible in ads, coming in fourth with 31 lakh seconds.

Kajol - another star whose movies are few and far between - was fifth overall and the highest-ranked woman with 22 lakh seconds. Dhoni followed close behind at No. 6, ahead of Tendulkar.

Preity Zinta, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Juhi Chawla rounded off the top 10. With 13.2 lakh seconds, Chawla was ahead of reigning box-office draws like Priyanka Chopra (11 lakh seconds), Bipasha Basu (6.4 lakh) and Kareena Kapoor (6 lakh).

However, SRK and the Big B continue to endorse the largest number of brands. In 2006, Bachchan endorsed 41 brands, SRK had 35. But in 2007, the tables were turned: King Khan endorsed 39 brands with 21 advertisers while Bachchan was brand ambassador for 36 brands with 20 advertisers.

In terms of visibility, Dhoni, Sachin and Dravid (8 lakh seconds) were well ahead of other Indian sportspersons, including Yuvraj Singh (6 lakh) and Irfan Pathan (4 lakh). The highest-ranked non-cricketing sports star was N Karthikeyan (1.5 lakh seconds).
Interestingly, small screen actors fared quite well too. TV star Hussain, with 8.85 lakh seconds, came in ahead of Bollywood hunks Akshay Kumar (8.7 lakh) and Salman Khan (2 lakh),while female stars like Mona ‘Jassi' Singh (3.4 lakh) and Smriti

'Tulsi' Irani (3.35 lakh) made their mark as well.

The Times of India

Shah Rukh Khan is the “Kewlest Dad” at Nick’s Daddy Cool contest

MUMBAI: Nick has announced Shah Rukh Khan as the “Kewlest Dad” of its Daddy Cool contest. In a recent survey conducted amongst kids by Nick as part of the Father’s day special promotion, ShahRukh has topped the charts.

Kids had to choose their favourite celebrity dad from Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan.

According to an official release, around 6000 kids from across India voted for their favorite celebrity dads. Shah Rukh Khan recieved 42.5 per cent votes. Tailing him at second position is Akshay Kumar, with 28.4 per cent of kids’ votes. Hrithik Roshan with 21.7 per cent votes is number three and Saif Ali Khan got 7.3 per cent votes.

IndianTelevision.com Team

“The wait is over, I am coming to your city.”

This famous Bollywood rivalry is going to new shores now. After face-offs over popularity in films and on telly, Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan now seem to going head-to-head on world tours.

While Amitabh Bachchan’s Unforgettables tour – which will also have Abhiash, Preity Zinta, Riteish Deshmukh, Madhuri Dixit and Akshay Kumar – kickstarts on July 18 in Toronto, Shah Rukh has decided to begin his own Temptations Reloaded tour on June 21 at Amsterdam.

This means the rivalry between the two most powerful Bollywood stars will now go global and with big stars from the industry joining either side, it is now to be seen which tour is able to garner more popularity.

Confirms Mohomed Morani about SRK’s show, “Yes we are starting off from Amsterdam on June 21. In the first show, SRK, Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor and Ganesh Hedge will perform.”

And which countries are on their itinerary? Morani reveals, “The Amsterdam show will be the curtain raiser for us. A few months later, we will go for the jugular, touring all parts of the world. The media will be informed of dates, stars and venues then.” Sources say that a promo of the show has already been shot at SRK’s bungalow, Mannat. It has Shah Rukh saying, “The wait is over, I am coming to your city.”

The buzz about rivalry between the stars started after Shah Rukh stepped in as the host on Kaun Banega Crorepati and did the remake of Big B’s ’70 hit, Don. Will the two coinciding world tours add more grist to the rumour mills?

Direct entry to Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass via 'Airtel Skip The Gun Contest'

The Rise and Rise of Shah Rukh Khan

Zoom to air eight-episode special on Shah Rukh Khan

Mumbai: Starting 18 June, Zoom will be airing an eight-part special on Shah Rukh Khan, titled The Rise and Rise of Shah Rukh Khan.

The series recreates the rise of Bollywood's biggest superstar from his ordinary life as a Delhi lad to his extraordinary success as a global icon. The series traces SRK's notorious days at school and college and takes you along on his first trip to Mumbai.

The Rise and Rise of Shah Rukh Khan takes viewers behind the scenes, from SRK's first big break to the time he stunned the industry with his Bad Boy image. Overlooking the risk of being type-caste to negative roles, the unpredictable star slowly charmed his way to the top.

Also, get a taste of the controversy and hype behind Don and Kaun Banega Crorepati and the rumored cold war between SRK and Amitabh Bachchan.

The actor also speaks about his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders and what the success of the mega event means to him. Finally, the series takes a look forward with sneak peeks at what fans can expect from SRK in the months to come, including the film My name is Khan.

Saif and Kareena playing Paanchvi Pass with SRK

The Baadshah of Bollywood has managed to bring one of Bollywood's hottest couples on his game show. Yes we are talking about none other than Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor who will be seen playing Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai with Shah Rukh Khan and his bunch of kids.

The episode which is going to be telecast this Saturday (June 14th ) at 8 pm IST promises to be a complete riot. To start with Saif Ali Khan opens the game as the host and invites Shah Rukh Khan as a contestant to play. Shah Rukh enters with Kareena Kapoor, hand in hand, and announces that as Saif has taken over his show, he has stolen Saif's girlfriend. Seeing Saif's reaction to this is something which you don't wanna miss!

This star-studded episode of Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai also reveals for the first time on television certain cute anecdotes like when did Saif first meet Kareena? How they fell in love? Do they fight with each other and what do they do when they are mad at each other? The answers to all the above questions will be revealed on the show.

Despite being warned and tutored by his daughter, Saif Ali Khan was bowled by some of the initial questions; he was found biting his nails all through. Shah Rukh also teases Saif each time he gives a right answer, saying, "Shakal se lagta nahin, par Saif intelligent hain".

The classmates also had a rollicking time with the celebrity couple. Anubhav flaunted his Kareena tattoo which resembled the one on Saif's wrist and even sang a song for her. Shreya gifted a small T-shirt that she had outgrown to Kareena saying that she thought it might just fit Kareena because of her size zero. Milanjeet offered Saif-Kareena a full laddoo. Catch all this fun and action on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai?

'Saif-eena', as Saif and Kareena are popularly known as, will be playing for a charitable cause. Saif Ali Khan will donate the winning amount to Naaz organization (Delhi), which takes care of HIV positive kids, while Kareena will use the funds for the aged and lonely parent from St. Anthony's Old Age Home, Bandra.

So don't miss as Saif and Kareena get grilled with some fiery questions on this special episode.

Shah Rukh's High Five

Aditya Chopra is leaving no stone unturned to make his ambitious film Shah Rukh Khan-starrer, Rab ne Bana Di Jodi a grand success.

Aditya Chopra has recorded an 11-minute song in the film for one important sequence in the film that will have Sonu Niggaam paying tribute to five yesteryear stars.

Our source says, "Aditya Chopra has recorded an 11-minute song in the film which show cases the style of five different generations in one single song.

The song tracks the journey from 1950s to the 90's to the present era and will be picturised on Shah Rukh Khan.

Adi had reached a dead end with the song where he had to scrap it when he thought of Sonu.

The specialty of the song is a tribute that SRK gives to stalwarts like Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Rishi Kapoor.

But music composers Salim-Suleiman and Jaideep Saini were asked to compose the song which would have the first line of the most famous numbers with their romantic icons and these involves songs sung by singers ranging from Mukesh, Rafi, Kishore to Jolly Mukherjee. Spanning the '50s to the '90s.

The voice had to encompass the spirit of the old and the new equally, and Sonu was the only option.

Apparently Sonu who was travelling extensively obliged thrice to rehearse and work on the song and then finally sang in less than 45 minutes.

Sonu Niggaam remained unavailable for comment.

Shah Rukh Khan's Performance in Zee Cine Awards 2008

Heavy Rains Destroy SRK's 'RNBDJ' Sets

Aditya Chopra who is back to the director’s seat after eight long years had to go through a heavy loss before the completion of his movie Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi . Chopra commenced shooting from May 16 at Filmcity. A huge set was constructed in film city where Chopra was shooting with Shah Rukh and his new actress recently. Unfortunately the set has been destroyed due to the heavy rains.

It is believed that Rs 4 crores was spent to build the set. When contacted YFR spokesperson Monika confirms, “Yes it’s true that the set which was erected for RNBDJ has been destroyed due to heavy rains. They started shooting on May 16 and finished that shooting schedule long back so the destruction of the set does not matter. They have finished the schedule in film city and they are now shooting in Yash Raj studio.”

Setbacks and losses are not new for big films. Tragedy is a constant companion in the film production business. It can be recalled that Sanjay Leela Bhansali was shooting in Film City when the sets at the studio caught fire and the total gear of the movie was destroyed.

RNBDJ is Shah Rukh’s third film with Aditya Chopra after Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Mohabbatein and film buffs would like to see the magic being recreated on celluloid.

SRK, Chak De! India Steal Accolades at IIFA

It was a golden day for Shah Rukh and Chak De! India as the movie swept nine honours at the glittering ninth IIFA awards.

The Bollowood King Shah Rukh Khan received the best actor award for his inspiring role as a hockey coach in the film.

Khan, who gave a miss to Sunday's star-studded ceremony here, virtually ruled the awards function as his home production Om Shanti Om also won five trophies.

His award was collected by the film's producer Yash Chopra.

Chak De which was adjudged the best film of 2007. The movie is about a coach inspiring the Indian women's hockey team to victory.

The film's director Shimit Amin received the best director's award. Jaideep Sahani received the award for best story for the film.

The awards in the technical section won by the film were: cinematography, Sound recording and sound re-recording, editing.

On the other hand, Kareena Kapoor bagged the best actress award for "Jab We Met." Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma won for supporting roles in "Life in a... Metro".

Jaideep Sahani shared the screenplay award for the film with Anurag Basu (Life in a Metro).

SRK's home production Om Shanti Om bagged awards for art direction, costumes, special effects and make up. Javed Akhtar also won the best lyricist award for the song Main Agar Kahoon.

The awards ceremony was held at the Siam Niramit complex in the heart of Bangkok city. Ritesh Deshmukh and Boman Irani were the hosts of the awards ceremony.

Dia Mirza donned a black halter top for a racy performance to promote her upcoming action thriller "Acid Factory," only to be hit by a technical glitch that cut out the music and forced her to start again.

The stars of thriller Mission Istaanbul , about a terrorist plot centring on a Turkish TV station, shined in silver with Shriya Saran in a glitter top and a hip hop-styled Vivek Oberoi in a white plastic jacket and black trilby.

Akshay Kumar received a special achievement award. Kumar also told the audience that he had once waited tables in the host city Bangkok before setting out to become a movie star.

"I was just a young man when my adventure began here. I was naive, restless and eager to please. This city embraced me with such love and kindness," he said.

At least 500 of Bollywood's biggest names walked down a carpet, which was changed from red to green in a nod to the environmental themes the event is working to promote.

Sahara Samay

SRK's panchvi pass tops TRP charts

In a clash between Bollywood biggies, Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, it is SRK whose game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain? that appears to be doing better, according to snap polls done by aMap in six metros.

the overnight audience measurement agency, aMap, has suggested that while Roshan attracted an average television rating of 0.82% for his music-based contest Junoon - Kuch Kar Dikhane Ka , Salman's Das Ka Dum (DKD) could only garner a TRP of 1.65%.

Both were launched on June 6 after much hype and promotion. DKD promises an astounding cash prize of Rs 10 crore besides getting to watch Salman dance to his favourite numbers on the set.

Junoon , on the other hand, is a music show for which Roshan is a "goodwill ambassador". However, SRK is not nicknamed King Khan for nothing.

His show Kya Aap... - that was launched on April 25 - got off to a better start. The quiz show enjoyed a TRP of 2.7 on the first day.

The show that evaluates the participant's knowledge on information that a fifth class student knows, has dipped in popularity since its launch. Industry experts have blamed the low ratings to the IPL season that consumed public interest earning TRPs of 7 or 8.

Even in its peak rating, the Indian version of Are you Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? has beaten both Salman Khan and Roshan with a peak rating of 3.5%. DKD had a peak rating of 2.6 while Junoon barely managed a rating of 1.1.

Incidentally, Kaun Banega Crorepati 3 - another show hosted by SRK last year - did better than the three that are currently running. While its average rating was 3.4%, it had a peak rating of 4.9%.

Himanshi Dhawan, Times Of India

SRK's Paanchvi Pass show set to go international

While Shah Rukh Khan's much talked about game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai? opened to quite a mixed response in India, looks like the NRI folks are really excited to see their matinee idol's show. Needless to say, King Khan enjoys unprecedented popularity among the NRI junta and it's this very reason that the show is all set to be telecast in some foreign countries.

According to Akash Sharma of Bulldog Entertainment, license owner of the show, the tremendous response in the form of fan-mail from NRI's has made them take the decision to telecast the show in some foreign countries.

The show would first be launched in U.K. on June 13 followed by countries like U.S., Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Indonesia, Fiji and Australia.

While NRI's would be able to enjoy SRK at his wittiest best, they would still be ruing the fact they can't participate in the show.

I don’t know who the actual Shah Rukh, says Shah Rukh

Starting his career with 1988 Doordarshan serial ‘Fauji’, Shah Rukh Khan has traversed a long to reach his status of King Khan. Here he has taken out few moments to have a bird’s eye view at his past life, his true colour.

Who is the actual Shah Rukh Khan, an actor, a businessman, a father or a husband?
Even I don’t know who the actual Shah Rukh is as because I spend most of my time portraying different characters. Most of the time we play such characters who are much superior from any point of view. But there is one common factor in each of the character I play and that factor is emotion. It’s impossible to depict a true sketch of a character without proper emotion.

But, when I stay at home I show my true emotions as a father and a husband. And I don’t know how much truth I can maintain while talking about my role of a father outside my home.

Where do you find yourself at the best of your professional graph, as a host or as an actor?
Whether it’s in acting or hosting a show, success stays with me for very short period of time. I feel reaching height only when I make my cameraman or director astonished with the best of my performance. I feel really happy when all those shots reach the remote areas of the country and people feel them from the core of their hearts.

What did your teachers think about when you were in school?
I used to be very mischievous in school but teachers always forgave me seeing the beautiful dimples. That’s how my smile was famously known as the Satan’s smile. Despite being so naughty I was the monitor of my class because I always topped in the class. Reading less was enough for me to bag best numbers. I had interest in everything other than learning.

Any memorable incident of those days?
I still can remember that my few friends, including me, were doing masti because of which all of those friends were suspended from the school. My absence from the school on that very day saved me from suspension. The five of us were the best buddies in school. We later on decided to beg pardon from the principal. All my friends were very jealous of me as I was not suspended. I agreed on going with them to the principal and told them that everything would be alright. We went to meet the principal. He was quite friendly with me and that day also he started talking to me very generously which my friends could not accept. All of a sudden they started revealing my tomfooleries one after the other. The aftermath was very obvious. Along with my friends, the principal suspended me also. Still I can remember all those four friends.

With your KBC you offered people an amount of two crores and the amount has reached to five crores with your on going show Paanchvi Pass, what was your first income?
If I am not wrong then my first income was just fifty rupees. There was Sri Ram centre beside my home. Even Film Fare Awards ceremonies were held at the centre. Once there was the concert of Ghulam Ali Sahab at that centre. I volunteered in the show and earned fifty bucks for that. I took my friends to visit Taj Mahal with that amount.

What do excite your children most?
They feel excitement in all those things that excites me. They are all very excited with what their father does.

What do you think of education?
All throughout my life I have believed that there is nothing more important than education. But the same education sometimes brings in tension and creates lot of problems. Today people stress more on becoming first than learning something. When I hear the cut off marks for colleges now-a-days, I get traumatised thinking that was I a student at this time, I would never have reached college though I passed my tenth with 92%. I think about how to make today generation realizes to go ahead despite having all the pressures from education and job. I want an environment where children themselves wish to go to school. I would request all the schools not to create pressure on children for education.

"Is Shah Rukh Khan coming?"

A bevy of Bollywood stars including Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Preity Zinta and the four Bachchans have descended on Bangkok but Indians living here are missing Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

"Is Shah Rukh Khan coming?" is what most cine fans are asking the visiting Indian media.

They wear a disappointed look on learning that their favourite actor will be giving the show a miss. Many families here say they bought passes for the award night just to get a glimpse of King Khan.

Howrah.org

Shah Rukh to skip IIFA

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will not attend the prestigious International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards gala starting on Friday.

"He had been approached and invited. Unfortunately the period he spent with the Indian Premier League matches disrupted his entire schedule," said Sabbas Joseph, director Wizcraft.

"Shah Rukh has just begun his film with Aditya Chopra. So he is busy with that. But we would have been delighted if he could have come," Joseph said.

For the last two years Shah Rukh has not attended the IIFA awards, the brand ambassador of which is Amitabh Bachchan.

Is his rivalry with Bachchan the reason?

"I don't think there is any rivalry between Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Both have their unique space. Shah Rukh is a great entertainer in any scenario," said Joseph.

However, a bevy of Bollywood stars including Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Jayed Khan and Urmila Matondkar are set to keep the fans entertained.

Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai will make the event all the more exciting with their presence. Their much-awaited Sarkar Raj is premiering at the gala event. Their green carpet will also be attended by the Thai Princess.

Indo Asian News Service