Shah Rukh Khan accepts Datukship

Bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan has accepted the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM) award from Yang diPertua Negri (or governor) Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob, which carries the title of Datuk.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said that the Indian superstar would be in Malacca next month to receive the award from Tun Khalil.

“Shah Rukh Khan has agreed to accept it and this was conveyed to the Governor’s Office.

“He will try to make it in November but the date of the ceremony has yet to be fixed,” he told reporters after the launch of the RM63mil Menara TM at MITC in Ayer Keroh on Tuesday.

The conferment of the title on the Bollywood heartthrob stirred up a controversy. Some commented that the actor did not deserve the award as he probably did not even know where Malacca is situated, while others said such awards should be given to local artistes.

The Malaysian Artistes Association (Karyawan) however backed the conferment, saying it had no problem with it as long as similar or higher awards were conferred to equally deserving local artistes.

Karyawan said it was the prerogative of the state Ruler to confer awards on intended candidates, but added that it would have been better if associations were given the opportunity to recommend some names for such awards.

Mohd Ali reiterated that arrangements for the actor’s trip here is being made through former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, who was the one who mooted the idea.

He added the ceremony is not merely being held for the actor but also for those who were unable to receive their awards during Mohd Khalil’s 70th birthday on Oct 11.

The ceremony will also be held to confer the award on Honda Motors chief executive officer Tokeo Fukui who was unable to attend earlier, he said.

Mohd Ali was asked whether the state had any intention of retracting the award to the actor following protests from several quarters, as well as the issue being raised in Parliament on Monday by Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh (BN-Kalabakan).

“No there is no intention of retracting the award. How can you give something to a person and later take it back?” he said.

He also defended the state’s decision to confer Datukship on the actor, saying Shah Rukh Khan had helped promote Malacca to an international audinece through the film One 2 Ka 4 and the song Don on one of his CDs.

“If the state wanted to get this sort of publicity on CNN, it would have had to pay millions,” he said, adding the move to confer the award on the actor might prompt him to shoot more films here.

He also noted that local artistes were also confered awards this year, including singer Goh Eng Boon (more popularly known as Andre Goh), comedian Jantan Osman (also known as Ali Mamak) and 1960s singer Mariam Ahmad, who received the Darjah Seri Melaka (DSM) award, one which does not carry any title.

Mohd Ali added that the state would consider conferring awards on other local artistes.

“If there are those who feel that there are other artistes who were left out, they can submit their names to the state for future consideration,” he said.

"I am not king to my kids!" - Shah Rukh

Shah Rukh Khan is away, has been away — actually, post-IPL, from the public eye.

He laughed at the realisation, “You cannot miss me for too long. I will be back.” The Bollywood Badshah explained his absence. He was busy “with incessant shooting” for his home production Billoo Barber and Yashraj’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi which he hopes to complete before plunging into preparations for the next Twenty20 tournament.

During this time the ‘King’ tag which he wore for years came within grabbing distance of other Bollywood contenders. It is a situation that amuses him. “It’s better to be known as King Khan than Pauper Khan,” admitted SRK. “But this is just an image, a clever alliteration by the media. My kids don’t wake me up in the morning saying, ‘Get up, King’. They say, ‘Get up, Daddy’. That says it all. It’s far away from reality.”

However, he is handsome enough to admit that times are changing and these are the signs. “The territory of superstar doesn’t belong to one actor today. Actors who have consistently worked for around 20 years are all superstars. Akshay is rightfully a superstar today. So is Aamir Khan, and Ajay Devgan, Salman, even Hrithik, though he is from the younger lot. They have super energies and super luck.”

How come he is generous in his praise of Salman when, after their fallout, Salman was vocal about his feelings even though he, Shah Rukh, kept quiet? “I don’t like talking things private to me. I’m talked about because I’m emotionally not available to everyone and that disturbs them. They have the right to talk and I have no issues,” he said.

Throwing further light on the spat, he added, “I think like a father would whereas Salman thinks like a son. That’s okay. We are two different kind of people. We had nothing in common. We think differently.” But, in flashback mode, SRK revealed, “Salman and I had some really good times together. Strangely, these memories are fading away. So I’m sure even the bad memories will fade.”

Would they work at a reconciliation? He refused to be drawn into a commitment, but said, “We are both happy in our own worlds. If it happens — good; if it doesn’t happen, — very good. Not being friends doesn’t mean Salman and I are great enemies.”

A bit about 'My Name is Khan'

In Karan Johar’s next film My Name Is Khan , Shahrukh Khan will play a character who suffers from an Autistic disorder.

Despite what the movie’s title suggests, ‘My Name Is Khan’ is not a biopic of SRK. But it’s a movie based on a man who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome.

Scriptwriter Shibani Bhatija, who has to her credit films like Fanaa and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna , has penned script for this movie. Both Karan Johar and Shibani have worked diligently to come up with an evocative script which depicts the condition of Asperger’s patients who are fighting hard to be a part of the society.

While writing the script Shibani reportedly conducted thorough research and also interviewed many people under the influence of this physical disorder.

Asperger’s Syndrome is characterized by physical clumsiness and lack of proper communication skills in people who suffer from it.

According to sources, Karan Johar wants to convey a social message through his film which will be a sort of eye-opener for many, just like Aamir Khan enlightened many people about dyslexia through his lovely film Taare Zameen Par .

What’s even more interesting is that ‘My Name Is Khan’ brings back the jodi of SRK and Kajol to the silver screen again.