"I said KkkKiran…Aamir really loves Kkkkiran" - Shahrukh Khan

“My wife has warned me if I say anything about Aamir she'll beat me up. She is an Aamir Khan fan,” said Shahrukh Khan replying to the raging controversial fire fanned by Aamir Khan yesterday by posing a question to SRK as to how does it feel being No. 2 to Aamir? Shahrukh was addressing the media along with his Indian Premiere League team Kolkata Knight Rider's Captain Saurav Ganguly and a few other players like Ishant Sharma, Akash Chopra and Murali Karthik in Mumbai today. Also present at the event was Juhi Chawla, Jai Mehta, Gauri Khan and Sanjay Kapoor.

“Aamir is a dear friend and if he says that I'm second to him then it's a great compliment to him….oops that was a genuine slip of tongue (amidst peals of laughter)…I mean it's a great compliment to me. We are complete opposites. He is an intelligent, intellectual person, I'm more physical. I do things. He thinks them out. I know his jokes, he knows mine. He is 100% No. 1…I just said Kkkk Kiran…he really loves Kkkkk Kiran (Again a round of collective laughter),” King Khan said lightheartedly.

While there were regular cricketing Q&A too but the Aamir-SRK controversy remained one of the big highlights of the press conference. When a poking journo reminded SRK about a statement, “There's Chengez Khan and then there's Shahrukh Khan” made before the release of Don on comparison with Salman (whose film Jaaneman was releasing simultaneously) and is Aamir upset that his name was excluded, SRK said, “There's Aamir, then there's me and then there's Chengez Khan I guess…that keeps changing….I'm proud of having learnt a lot from Aamir. One of my biggest desires in life is to do a film with Aamir and learn a lot from him. We should not belittle the importance of Aamir Khan by comparing with someone like me. He is a standalone, one of the nicest gentleman and actor in the country.”

As for the cricketing activities, King Khan showcased the hip shaking anthem Korbo Lorbo Jeetro Be which has been composed by Vishal-Shekhar, sung by Vishal Dadlani and directed by Ganesh Hegde. Yes, you shall see the OSO superstar showing a few mean dance moves in a novel attempt to glamourise cricket like never before. In an attempt to make cricket more entertaining, there was a live video conferencing with Knight Rider's mascot Hoog Lee, a laidback and fun Bengali tiger. And this is what Hoog Lee had to say:

Boys, girls, ladies and gentlemen
Let me bring you all 'the King's men'

We'll make you choke and lose your wicket
And I'm not just simply talking cricket

To slam a boundary or spin a googly
I'm your man and the name is…..HOOG LEE!

The Creed of Kolkota Knight Riders is tough and aggressive having the hard core competitive streak exemplified by its owner itself. Time to check it out:

We fight for passion. We fight for glory.
We believe no dream is too big to achieve.
We believe in winning in the game of life in spite of all the odds.
We believe losing is not an option.

We are here to conquer.
We are the Knight Riders.
We are the King's Men. We rule!

The ruthless creed also rubs onto a few of the names coined for a few individual players. Well Saurav Ganguly (Captain Courageous) and Ricky Ponting (Master Blaster) are regular names but Chris Gayle (Weapon of Mass Destruction), Ishant Sharma (Speed Merchant), Umar Gul (Toe Crusher) and physiotherapist Andrew Leipus (The 'Shape-up' Doc) are both unorthodox, eye catching and makes you say…hey….when do the games begin…Its April 18th that all of us waiting for. Isn't it!

Let's end on a lighter note. A journalist asked Shahrukh that with IPL all set the hog prime time television, what will happen to children looking forward to their cartoons or ladies desperate to follow up on their saas bahu serials. Wouldn't it cause discord in families? “Videocon ke chaar tv khareed lo…koi jhagde nahin honge….(amidst laughter)….tumhara answer bhi ho gaya aur meri branding bhi ho gayi…(laughs all around once again).”

We shall bring all the action in the video of this event soon. And yes, a big plus will be an exclusive video interview with Shahrukh Khan coming your way tomorrow morning where SRK sings his team's anthem….only on SRKTHEDON Broadband!

By Faridoon Shahryar for Bollywood Hungama

"Shah Rukh Khan prefers being number two," says Aamir Khan

It seems like that the clash of two of the biggest Khans in Bollywood is out in the open with Aamir Khan openly taking a dig at Shah Rukh Khan.

Aamir Khan have always said they're friends. And we've always enjoyed the potshots they take at each other.

Yesterday, the usually restrained Aamir, who endorses Samsung mobile phones, reacted strongly at an event when he was quizzed about the kind of competition he foresees from Shah Rukh, who is promoting Nokia these days. He retorted, "Shah Rukh Khan prefers being number two."

Interestingly, the quick-witted Shah Rukh is known for taking digs at his fellow Khan on various public platforms, including on Koffee With Karan. The last time Shah Rukh appeared on the popular chat show Karan Johar had asked him, "If you wake up one morning and you realise that you've turned into Aamir, you would…." Pat came the reply from SRK: "I would tell the world that Shah Rukh is the better actor."

Industry insiders have been speculating about the professional rivalry the duo have had for the last two decades. For starters, Aamir was offered Darr but the fussy actor begged out of the project paving way for Shah Rukh, who ultimately shot to fame by stuttering K-K-K-Kiran and stalking Juhi Chawla in the film.

However, the Khans have been admirably silent about their differences except for the occasional snide remarks that they have made while flashing smiles.

Aamir Khan has always been disdainful about film awards. His standard line of offence has been: "I don't believe in awards. Let other actors be happy getting awards." Said suitably deliberately, this casts aspersions at the real acting abilities of star award winners. SRK got his own back last year, when he said at an award function, "Aamir Khan only goes for the Oscars."

Aamir couldn't help reacting to this in an interview to a news channel. He said, "I just feel that if I don't value a particular film award, then I won't attend it either. Apart from the National award, I don't see any other award ceremony that I should attend. My personal experience about these award ceremonies is that I don't trust them. I have no faith in them so I prefer to stay away."

But the star war hit a high of sorts when Aamir tried to acquire a nickname a la SRK. He said, "SRK is the Badshah and I'm the King."

I am sure Rakhi will win the item act: Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan was in town to talk about cricket and the Kolkata Knight Riders. We caught up with the Bollywood superstar after the press meet and quizzed him on his first love, Bollywood...

Enough of cricket. Are you aware that Rakhi Sawant has challenged you in the item act?

In an item act? (Laughs) Well Rakhi did her first film with us,'Main Hoon Na'. I have a highest regard for her personality and I wish her all the best. At this stage, I think it would be really strange for Rakhi to challenge me and for me to accept it…I wish her success and am sure she will win the item act.

The sky seems to be the limit. A Shah Rukh Khan wax statue is to be installed in France's Grevin Wax Museum. You are the only Indian after Mahatma Gandhi to have a statue there…

I think it is a great honour. I have already been honoured with the highest civilian honour by the French government. It's an honour for the films I have done. It's the Indian economy and Indian films that are reaching out. I simply happen to be riding on that vehicle — sometimes the package starts looking nice because the content is good. I am lucky.

That's modesty, isn't it?

With all humility I truly believe that it is the essence of India and Indian cinema that is reaching further. I am very glad I was born in this time of acting and have made a kind of an impact. I have been to France for Veer-Zaara and saw how the people who came to watch were not just Indians. This is a really good sign.

Is there is no end to Shah Rukh Khan rediscovering himself?

I was always like this and I am like that. People say I have a great business mind but I say no. Some people say that I am an intelligent person but I say no. I always have great belief when I wake up in the morning. And that's where the energy comes from.

Preity Zinta wants Kolkata and Mohali to play in the IPL finals…

I wish her the best. She is confident that she will reach the finals but I will not make tall claims like that. Honestly, on behalf of my team, I would like to say that we hope to play cricket that everybody cherishes and in that process we reach the finals.

Tell us something about your love for Kolkata…

As a sporting city it is the best. People out here have a passion. The city has a history. When I start talking I end up with Subhash Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray.

I am acting with Rani Mukerji, Kajol and Abhijeet and Kumar Sanu are singing for me. So, Bengal is there but we tend to overlook it. When you understand it you realize there is a huge pool of talent somewhere in the water of Hooghly. And this works for me.

When was the first time you watched a cricket match?

I went to watch an India-Pakistan match at Ferozsha Kotla. I have seen some matches in Mumbai and then I watched the T20 finals in South Africa. I had promised my son I would take him to World Cup Soccer but he fell sick in France. Then I took him to the T20 finals.

What drives SRK?

To me, young people are an inspiration. I have reached a stage of comfort now. I am always getting offers to be in some social activity or the other but if there is anything socially relevant I want to do, I want to do it in the field of sports because it makes a lot of difference.

I had problems in childhood, lost my parents but succeeded because of the audience, God's wishes and because I follow certain simple tenets. I want every youngster in the country and around the globe to know that whatever you do you should try and be the best. You want to be an actor be Amitabh Bachchan, you want to be a sportsperson be Roger Federer.