Why SRK chooses mediocre films, asks 'MNIK' editor

Noted film editor Deepa Bhatia, whose latest work includes 'My Name Is Khan', says Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan chooses to act in "mediocre" films despite being a gifted actor.

Deepa, who has been awarded for editing films like Aamir Khan's 'Tare Zameen Par' and 'Rock On!!', said it was a discovery for her to see the real actor in Shah Rukh while editing 'My Name Is Khan'.

"Honestly I am no SRK fan but then he was so sincere in 'MNIK' which was amazing to see. It was a discovery for me to find the actor in Shah Rukh Khan. I fail to understand why he chooses to act in mediocre film," Deepa said.

"I don't understand the reason behind it. Whether he is just not interested or there is something else because he has also given some spectacular performances in films 'Chak De! India' and 'Swades'," she added.

Deepa, wife of writer-actor Amol Gupte, said that the filmmakers today have finally started to wake up to the tool of editing which puts the heart of the film at the right place.

No Politics for Shah Rukh Khan

Scoffing at the persistent speculations about his political ambitions Shah Rukh says he has absolutely no plans of joining politics. “People keep talking about my friendship with certain individuals in a particular party (Congress). But I’ve known Rajeev Shukla from before he was a part of the Congress. And I know Soniaji, Rahul and Priyanka just as I know people from other walks of life.”

In fact, says Shah Rukh, after the political controversy created by the Shiv Sena over what he says was an innocuous statement about the spirit of sportsmanship Shah Rukh has resolved to remain as far removed from politics and politicians as possible.

Shah Rukh Khan now sees the run-in with the Shiv Sena over his statement regarding the inclusion of Pakistani players in the IPL, as a waste of time and energy.

Says Shah Rukh, “It was confusing. What was I supposed to apologize for? Later I heard on television that I wasn’t expected to apologize. Not for a second did I feel any aggression. I was calm throughout. I know Bala Saheb and Uddhav Thackeray well. We meet cordially whenever the occasion arises. But we’re on different playing fields. I’m in the business of cinema. They’re in politics.And we should keep it that way.”

What the mega-star regrets is that he missed out enjoying the release of My Name Is Khan. “The troubles that happened did take away from my thrill of the release. Frankly I was anxious about the safety of my family, colleagues, my office staff and fans. God forbid, even if one member of the audience had suffered any injury while going to see My Name Is Khan I’d have never forgiven myself.”

Looking back at the whole run-in with the Shiv Sena Shah Rukh gets deeply reflective. “I was privileged to have a father who was a freedom fighter, Not too many of us can claim such a privilege. He once said to me. ‘I had a hand in your birth. But I also had a hand in the birth of a free India.’ I didn’t want my father’s struggle to go to waste. When my son is 44 like I am now, I want him to be as proud of me as I am of my father.”

Shahrukh Khan: No Song, No dance till ‘5’ in a row!

Ask Shahrukh Khan why he is not celebrating the victory of his IPL team KKR, twice in a row in season three with much fervor and enthusiasm, and pat will come the reply, no more over excited ness till there are multiple victories.

Well, actually, the star had ha d a very heartbreaking experience during the first two seasons of the IPL Tournament, as his team had performed quite dismally. During those two seasons, he had been a constant driving force for the team. He would attend every match that his team played, until there were only failures and loses. Thus, King Khan had abstained from the grounds in the latter half of the tournament, thinking that his presence made the players a little tensed.

Thus, when this year he did not make an appearance during the first match of his team, he was missed by his fans a lot. After having won the first match against the champs of last season, Royal Challengers, SRK’s spirits were lifted a little bit. He then made an appearance at Eden Gardens, Kolkata with wife and daughter, with a satisfied expression on his face.

Through out the match, he had a subdued expression. Thus, when the Kolkata Knight Riders, finally emerged winners against the Royal Challengers, with a 7 wicket win, SRK was very pleased. However, he came up and said in a somber tone that he would not sing and dance just yet! This, he said had been advised to him by his partners and well wishers. So, our dear King Khan will only celebrate in style, if and when his team wins a total of 5 matches in a row!

Shahrukh Khan plays real life savior with élan

The very famous owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Shahrukh Khan has successfully played the role of messiah, yet once again.

Recently, the fire brigade found super hospitality block- a temporary gallery-block at Eden Gardens to be unsafe. In an attempt to avoid any unwanted mishap, the fire brigade has instructed the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for demolishing the wooden block.

The controversy arose when KKR got to know that they need to make some modifications so that they can get a no-objection-certificate (NOC) from PWD.PWD secretary A Bardhan got a call from Khan, requesting PWD to carry out all the necessary desirable modifications after March 16 match. He also assured that the responsibility of the bloc safety would be taken by the KKR team.

The fire brigade, however, did not react very kindly to this issue. Fire brigade director Gopal Bhattacharjee commented that in case of any mishap, they would not delay in lodging a complaint against IPL and CAB. He also added that nobody bothered to contact the fire department while granting the NOC and using the block on Sunday.

CAB, however, refused to take any responsibility for the incident. CAB joint secretary Biswarup De argued that they cannot prevent anyone from entering the premise if the person has a valid ticket. He thinks that it is the responsibility of the team and fire department to be aware of the safety aspect.

SRK's huge fan following in Andes

Jorge Ramirez seemed like an amiable technician-turned cab owner who might be meeting an Indian for the first time in his life. "From India?" he asked and before I could answer yes, he added, "Shah Rukh Khan?" Before I could answer even that, he popped in a CD in his cab's player that belted out Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

To be asked about Shah Rukh in the midst of the Andes at the elevation of over 12,000 feet was surprising enough. What added to it was Jorge's excitement at meeting someone who was from the same country and, therefore, by implication his favourite star's representative.

As we began driving from La Paz to Lake Titicaca, reputedly the largest navigable lake in the world at an elevation of 14,000 feet, Jorge's CD kept churning out songs from many of Shah Rukh's most popular movies. He would occasionally hum along, not understanding a word of what was being said.

"I love Shah Rukh Khan and I have seen many of his movies," Ramirez told IANS. As if to prove his knowledge of the actor's body of work he mentioned Karan Arjun, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Chalte Chalte, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kal Ho Na Ho and Main Hoon Na.

"I found Kal Ho Na Ho very touching, with Shah Rukh Khan's heart problem. I remember Karan Arjun was about two brothers and a mother. I also loved Main Hoon Na," Ramirez said as he seemed to process the complicated names of movies.

And then as if he had a eureka moment, he started talking about Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. He particularly mentioned a dance sequence of Kajol. "Kahol dances very good," he said pronouncing the 'j' in Kajol the way it is done by the Spanish-speaking people, like a soft 'h.'

Ramirez said his CDs and DVDs of Shah Rukh movies came from Lima, the capital of neighbouring Peru. It was obvious that the products were pirated, a detail that Ramirez was blissfully unaware of. When told about the actor's new movie My Name Is Khan, which Ramirez did not know of, he promised to get it from Lima on his next trip there.

It is hard to gauge how popular Hindi movies are in this part of the world, but if a visit to a corporate office the next day is any indication, their popularity certainly stretches beyond Ramirez. An office worker was playing a Shah Rukh song on her PC!