King on various roles!

His releases are scheduled only for the second half of this year.

Yet, thanks to IPL and a TV game show, there’s no missing their fave star for Shah Rukh Khan fans. And they’re loving his juggling of roles. SRK himself had once said, “I do a lot of things on the spur of the moment. I like to try and take chances. That makes me what I am.”

He’s got what it takes to impress in every sphere, say star-watchers. “A good host must have charisma, spontaneity, intelligence, humour, the ability to connect with the audience and presence of mind. SRK has all this and more. He was the most natural choice. There are few people who are so multi-faceted,” says Anupama Mandloi, senior creative director of the channel that airs the SRK game show.

Actress Manasi Joshi Roy wants SRK to do everything that comes his way. “He’s a rockstar. I want him to take up all the projects that come his way so that I get to see him more often,” she says. About SRK’s new avatars, the actress says, “I was impressed to see him as a businessman and team manager of the Kolkata Knight Riders, and was bowled over when I saw him on the new game show.”
Says actress Sophie Chaudhary, “There can be no bigger motivating force than SRK as an IPL team manager. He rocks as a TV host. He’s very spontaneous, witty and I love the way he makes participants feel comfortable.”

Anchor-cum-actor Rohit Roy rates Shah Rukh’s TV appearance very high. “He can make a success of anything he dabbles in. As an IPL manager, he’s stylised his team like no one else has done. SRK presents himself very well as an anchor on TV. He makes the show smooth and his rapport with the participants is unmatched,” says Rohit. “You have to hand it to him for handling it so well in the midst of the IPL tension.”
Others prefer to follow SRK as a cricket entrepreneur. “He’s already made an impact on the small screen.

Now I prefer seeing him as an IPL team manager,” says actor Aashish Chaudhary. “SRK has more guts than talent and he has proved that an actor can do much more than just act. As an IPL team manager, he’s created a new business cult. Marketing is something that cricket has in abundance and films don’t, but with IPL, SRK has bridged that gap. He has so much foresight and business acumen that he’s now holding his own against the Mallyas and the Ambanis,” says Ashish.

Shilpa Bansal

I'm a blind fan of Tagore says Shah Rukh

KOLKATA: Superstar and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team owner Shah Rukh Khan is a true entertainer. Feeling the pulse of the city on Thursday, when Kolkata celebrated the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, he said he was a "blind fan" of the bard of Bengal.

The first thing Shah Rukh said after reaching the city airport for a KKR match at the Eden Gardens in the evening was: "I am a blind fan of Tagore! Though I don't know Bengali, I have read almost all of his translated poems.

"He is the epitome of world literature. Whenever I feel stressed out, his songs and poems inspire me.

"It is an honour that KKR will be playing a match on this pious occasion and that too at the birthplace of the world poet (Bengal). We are really blessed."

Keeping in mind the sentiments that Kolkatans attach to Tagore, Shah Rukh has cancelled his pre-match performance and instead included a 10-minute show by popular artists to pay tribute to the bard of Bengal.

It won't be surprising if Shah Rukh recites Tagore poems to cheer KKR as they play the Bangalore Royal Challengers in a Twenty20 match at the Eden Gardens!

IANS

Daddy cool

Shah Rukh Khan has invited WWE Champion, The Great Khali, for dinner at Mannat as his kids Aryan and Suhana are huge fans of the wrestler.

King Khan has even organised a private jet to fly Khali to Kolkata to join the Knight Riders for their match on May 18.

So, does SRK fulfill every wish of son Aryan and daughter Suhana? Well, it looks like he certainly made this wish of theirs come true.

Not only did he personally invite Khali for lunch at home, but he even wants to share his latest passion, Cricket and the IPL, with him.

Says a well-placed source close to Khali, “SRK has invited Khali for lunch with his family at Mannat. His kids are big fans of the wrestler.”

Khali will be shooting a crucial action sequence of the film Rama - The Saviour before flying off to Kolkata.

A source from the production unit of the film says “We had agreed to part ways with Khali but given his importance in our story, we had a mutual settlement.

Sahil Khan and Tanushree Dutta also insisted on a new deal with the wrestler, keeping in mind Khali's popularity with the masses.”

Ashwini Deshmukh, Mumbai Mirror

SRK and KJO's 50:50 Partnership Deal

One of Karan Johar’s most awaited films My Name is Khan starring Shah Rukh Khan is set to go on the floors in a few months from now. But even before the first scene is shot we have some news for you.

The industry is abuzz with rumours that Shah Rukh will get the negative rights of My Name Is Khan. Our well-placed source from the film industry says, “Karan has offered Shah Rukh 50 per cent stakes in the profits of the film, and in return, Shah Rukh will work on the film without charging a single penny.”

Karan made this offer to Shah Rukh a few days ago. “Shah Rukh Khan loved Karan’s idea. SRK is very excited about My Name Is Khan’s story,” our source further says.

In the film, Shah Rukh plays an activist who gets kidnapped by terrorists and how his attitude and entire perspective towards life changes subsequently. According to the source, My Name Is Khan will have nothing that the audience has come to expect from Karan’s films as it is a serious film.

Our source adds, “Since Shah Rukh will not charge his fee, the budget of My Name Is Khan is unlikely to exceed Rs 15 crore. Going by the track record of Shah Rukh’s last blockbuster Om Shanti Om which was reportedly sold for close to Rs 80 crore, My Name Is Khan also is estimated to go for around that much money.

A Karan-Shah Rukh project in today’s times will definitely command and receive that amount. Thus, the film stands to gain a minimum of Rs 60 crore as table profit. Add to this the box-office collections.”

The earlier plan was that Shah Rukh will work on My Name is Khan as soon as he is free from the Indian Premeir League matches (he owns the Kolkata Knight Riders team) and Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain?, which he is currently hosting. But when Aditya Chopra requested Karan to allow Shah Rukh to start his film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi first; Karan immediately obliged.

The hunt for the female lead of My Name Is Khan is still on. The role was offered to Kajol who turned it down for reasons best known to her. The film is expected to be shot entirely in Los Angeles and New York.

Karan Johar refused to answer our repeated calls and text messages.

Vickey Lalwani, Mumbai Mirror