Muslim groups protest outside Salman Khan's house

Bollywood actor Salman Khan's comment about Shahrukh Khan's detention did not go well with some Muslim groups and they protested outside Salman Khan's house demanding an apology from the actor. Salman commented that Shahrukh's detention is not a big deal and many people flying to America have to go through such questioning and security process and so there need not to make any hue and cry about the matter.

A few Muslim groups felt Salman's comment about King Khan was insulting. In protest, the Muslim gathered outside Salman's house and demanded apology from the actor. They felt that at this crucial juncture when majority of Muslims are being treated as terrorists in US, Salman should have stand behind Shahrukh forgetting his personal bitterness. They even added that it is a matter of great concern for the entire Muslim community and the two stars need to forget their personal rivalry and come together.

Ironically, they were the same Muslim groups that accused Shahrukh Khan of making an unparliamentary comment against the Prophet in the Time N Style magazine and issue a fatwa.

My deal with Fox Studios is historic: Karan Johar

Filmmaker Karan Johar dismisses reports that his deal with Fox Star Studios for his forthcoming Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol-starrer is worth $20 million. He says the deal is not about the money, but an attempt to expand the reach of Hindi-language cinema with My Name Is Khan.

"Let me tell you the amount mentioned is nowhere near being a realistic one. The deal between Star Fox Studios, my company Dharma Productions and Red Chillies is an internal matter and can't be discussed in public. What makes this deal so historic is not the money involved, but the attempt to cross the diaspora with a Hindi-language film," Karan said.

He also rubbished reports that Fox is trying to give the Islamic world a positive image in the West by buying My Name Is Khan.

"It's not the politics of the film. It's when the film moves you on a human and emotional level that matters. My Name Is Khan endeavours to do just that. I don't think Fox was swayed by the positive message. It's the human aspect that won them over," he said.

Excerpts from the interview:

You've inked a deal with 20th Century Fox for an astronomical never-heard-of amount of money?
Let me tell you the amount mentioned is nowhere near being a realistic one. The deal between Star Fox Studios, my company and Red Chillies is an internal matter and can't be discussed in public. What makes this deal so historic is not the money involved but the attempt to cross the diaspora with a Hindi-language film My Name Is Khan. We'll reach out in places where Hindi-language films have not gone before.

Why Fox Studios?
The Fox guys read the script and have followed the project. They're close enough to it to know what it's all about. I've shared a comfort zone with them from day one. Both Shah Rukh and I believe they are the best people to handle My Name Is Khan. They have faith in our brand power and content creation. It's not about money. It's all about mutual respect.

Is Fox trying to give the Islamic world a positive image in the West by buying a film about Islamic isolation and the western world?
It's not the politics of the film. It's when the film moves you on a human and emotional level that matters. My Name Is Khan endeavours to do just that. I don't think Fox was swayed by the positive message. It's the human aspect that won them over.

I believe in the emotional content of both my cinema and personal relationships. Look at the longevity of the association between my company Dharma Productions and Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies and you'll see what I mean.

You are adapting Fox's Stepmom. Will there be more such adaptations of American films produced by Fox?
I'd always want to direct original content. But there are young filmmakers in my company who are excited by the idea of adapting films. Siddharth Malhotra, for example, is doing a Hindi version of Stepmom for our company. He's working really hard on it. An adaptation is as difficult as an original film.

What is the final cast of Stepmom?
It's Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal.

Arnold Schwarzenegger invites SRK

Only in America, as the old and famous saying goes.

In a new twist to the Shah Rukh Khan-Newark Airport controversy, California Governor and Hollywood superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office has invited him to dinner tonight at Washington DC.

This, after knowing of SRK’s humiliation at the airport and he being made to go through secondary interrogation because he has a common name. An upset SRK had said while leaving the US, “They wanted to know if I know anyone in America.”

Meanwhile, the Bollywood superstar is back in Mumbai. And he is aware of the invitation but he is yet to decide whether he wants to go back to the US so quickly, especially in lieu of the recent treatment meted out to him at Newark Airport. So, the dinner with Arnold stands postponed to September 20. It is not known whether SRK will accept it or not.

Shah Rukh Khan says does not want apology

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, at the centre of a row over his detention and questioning at a U.S. airport, said on Tuesday he wasn't looking for any apology.

Khan, 43, one of India's best known actors, was en route to Chicago for a parade to mark the Indian Independence Day when he was pulled aside and questioned at Newark airport on Friday.

"I respect that my name pops up on the computer and I also agree that I don’t need to be treated specially, I am nobody," Khan told a news conference at his residence a few hours after returning to Mumbai.

"They asked me some questions which I thought was a little embarrassing. But if a procedure has to be followed, it should be done properly," he said.

Khan's detention caused uproar among fans in India. Newspapers and TV channels termed it an instance of racial profiling and the controversy sparked debate in the media.

"I was really hassled, perhaps because of my name being Khan. These guys just wouldn't let me through," the actor had said in a text message to reporters on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Khan sought to play down the controversy and said he wanted to "move on".

When asked if he would go back to the United States, the actor said he would cut back on trips to the country.

"When work calls me I will go again, I will stand in line again, and I hope that the system which made my name pop up on the computer is not there," Khan said.

The actor also denied media reports that the incident was a publicity stunt for his upcoming film "My Name is Khan", which is about a Muslim man's experience with racial profiling.

"It is not a matter of pride for me that I was questioned at the airport," the actor told reporters.

"I don't want to sound pompous but Shah Rukh Khan doesn't need publicity stunts to be in the public eye."