Shahrukh Khan buys Tata Sky

Bollywood superstars Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan must be having hard time dealing with the endless 'rivalry gossip' by the media. Just on the heels of the report that Aamir is not moved by the recent Shahrukh's detention at an Airport in US, anothernewson them has hit the headlines.

The grapevine is abuzz with thenewsthat Shahrukh has bought a product endorsed by Aamir and not the product he endorses. To be precise, Shahrukh is said to have installed a huge Tata Sky satellite antennae atop his multi-storey office-cum-leisure space in the extension behind Mannat. Coincidentally, it is a rival product to DishTV DTH he endorses. Adding more salt to the wounds, Aamir is the brand ambassador of Tata Sky.

Shahrukh, who has recently renewed contract with ZEE DishTV as its brand ambassador, is going to face embarrassment if the news turns out true.

It's Shahrukh Khan Vs Akshay Kumar

Bollywood is gearing up for the clash of the titans. But this time it would not be on the screen or in any award function but on the small screen. The entire tinsel town is abuzz with the Dance Premier League mania with Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Salman Khan, Arshad Warsi and Sohail Khan having already confirmed their association with the show and having picked up their respective teams.

The latest buzz is that there is merely one slot up for grabs and both Shahrukh Khan and Akshay Kumar are eyeing it. The two stars who are seen as big rivals at the Box Office don’t want to miss this golden opportunity of being a part of the show. Dance Premier League would offer them a solid platform for promoting their films. There are also rumours that Salman is trying to settle his scores with Shahrukh by trying to get Akshay on-board. It remains to be seen who grabs the team and who bites the dust in this.

'Idiot' Aamir snubs Shahrukh again

Aamir made a dig at Shah Rukh at the Mumbai airport on Sunday by slyly hinting that the latter's detention at the US airport was a people thought that the war between the two superstars, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, was over after they came together on a common platform for the multiplex issue.

But it's never as simple as that. On Sunday night, Aamir Khan made another dig at Shah Rukh when he returned to Mumbai after vacationing in France.

An eye witness present at the international airport says, "When Aamir walked in late on Sunday night, he was approached for an interview by a TV reporter. Since Aamir had returned from France, the reporter wanted to know whether, he too, like SRK, was stopped at international airports and interrogated for being a Khan. That's when Aamir retorted that such checks are a routine matter. He also added tongue-in-cheek that, 'No one checks me as I am an idiot', obviously referring to his forthcoming film, 3 Idiots. Then he went on to add that SRK had a problem as he is very intelligent. Aamir's obvious reference means that the fuss created by SRK about being stopped at the airports was a mere publicity stunt. Now it remains to be seen when SRK will respond."

This war of words has been raging for long between the two stars, with Shah Rukh and Aamir regularly taking potshots at each other. However, when the film industry got together for the multiplex issue, the two Khans forgetting their differences, came together on the same platform to express their solidarity. But now, again, Aamir's dig at SRK has set tongues wagging in the film industry about the so-called bonhomie between the two superstars.

Incidentally, Salman Khan had also made similar comments about SRK on the same issue by saying that everyone has to go through these routine security checks at international airports, so what's the big deal?

My Name is Khan 'a tiring experience'

Shahrukh Khan's upcoming film 'My name is Khan' may well be worth a hundred crores, but according to director Karan Johar it was a torturous experience shooting it.

According to KJo, SRK tried his hand at 'method acting' to prepare for the role and even during filming; the actor remained in character even off screen.

Shahrukh became Rizwan Khan through and through, "It has taken its toll on me and Shah Rukh. It's true Shah Rukh remained in character as Rizwan Khan even at home. At home in his body language he's always Rizwan. I see him doing it all the time. I don't think he has got out of it. Even when he's with his children at home." KJo said.

So how did Karan Johar go about researching autism for the character of Rizwan Khan? "Shibani and I met the couple. They were gracious enough to meet us in London. And that couple's relationship became the basis of Rizwan and Mandira's relationsip in 'My Name Is Khan.' At its core level this film is a love story," he said.

"My writer Shibani Bhatija researched extensively on various aspects of an autistic disorder and contacted the various National Autistic Centres.

Shibani and I personally met a lot of autistic people, took notes went to U-Tube. Then Shah Shah Rukh did his own research." he added. He also said that the strenuous shoot has sapped him of all his strength and that he would kike to day a few weeks off. "I need to go away for a month. I don't think it will happen. But no harm in dreaming." he said.

However, KJo vehemently denies claims of 'My name is Khan' resembling the likes of such films as Forest Gump. "It's not Tom Hanks in 'Forrest Gump' at all. That was a totally different strain of autism. It's nearer to Dustin Hoffman in 'Rain Man', though still very different. It's what we call high-functional autism. You can have a regular life, be married, have children. But the syndrome does convey a fair amount of quirks and eccentricities. But his character is not essentially neuro-typical. The film has made me understand human behaviour and how to be compassionate and humane."

Watch out Shahrukh!

The battleground has shifted from the silver screen to the runway as the infamous animosity between two giants of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan takes on a new twist.

It has been reported that Shahrukh’s best friend, Karan Johar (who is also a designer,) plans to launch his clothesline with SRK as the showstopper. The only other model walking the ramp will be SRK’s other half, Gauri Khan with all of this happening at an upcoming Couture Week.

Well now, according to sources, Salman who is quite active with his ‘Being Human’ organization also has a plan to launch the ‘Being Human’ collection at the same Couture Week, with the help of his designer sister Alvira Agnihotri. So, if SRK can be a showstopper then why not Sallu and you ain’t getting anything for guessing it right, it's Katrina Kaif, his ladylove who will sashay down the ramp in the ‘Being Human’ collection.

It’s time for ramp wars!

Shah Rukh Khan lights up seven Orissa villages

Remember the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Swades, where lead protagonist Mohan Bhargava, an NRI working in NASA, returns to his former nanny's village in India and resolves the irregular electricity problem by setting up a hydro power plant. In a case of real life imitating reel life, Khan has lighted up seven remote coastal villages in Orissa by funding a solar electricity project.

The effort has dramatically changed the lives of the people of Ahriajpur, Banhipal, Okilapala, Palachua, Rangani, Denlasahi and Gupti villages in Kendrapara district, about 150 km from here. Each village has a population of 500 people and most of them fall in the below poverty line bracket. They mostly depend on fishing and agriculture for their livelihood. For the villagers, Khan is a messiah.

The rural electrification project used solar energy to produce electricity. Khan funded the project under the NDTV's Greenathon initiative titled 'Light a Billion Lives'. The project was implemented by The Energy & Research Institute (TERI).

Local coordinator of the project Biraja Prasad Pati said, "Can you imagine even after 61 years of Independence, they did not have electricity. But the project changed their lives.

Once dusk sets in, they all rush back to their houses and savour the pleasure of having electricity at home. Can you imagine even after 61 years of Independence, they did not have electricity," he said. Earlier, kerosene lanterns were the only source of light.

Now, the villagers have been provided with solar lanterns. "Life now starts after sun set," Pati said, adding that villagers had taken the cost-effective solar lanterns after paying the users' fees of Rs3 towards charging.But occasional users pay Rs5 by way of charging fees.

A recharging station has been installed in each village. Solar panels have also been set on rooftops to allow villagers to charge their lanterns every morning. "Now people are happy and know more about Khan," said local ward member Tapas Mandal.Ironically, the state government is clueless about the project.

Shahrukh Khan in Danny Boyle's film

If all goes well, Bollywood top actors Aamir Khan and Shahrukh may act together. It was reported that Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle had signed Aamir for his forthcoming film Bombay Velvet. Now, another news is doing the rounds that the Oscar winning director is keen on roping in Shahrukh too.

It seems Danny can't have enough of Mumbai city. Like Slumdog Millionaire , Bombay Velvet is also based on the city. It is a film based on real life incidents and Anurag Kashyap will direct it.

The new film is said to have three parts with a new comer playing the lead in the second part while Aamir Khan takes over in the third part. It is said that Danny is looking forward to sign Shahrukh for the lead role in the first part.

Let's wait and watch if Danny will succeed in casting the two Khans together!

For Orissa villagers Shah Rukh is a hero, not just a star

Laxmi Mondal of Banhipal village in Orissa’s Kendrapara district has never watched any of Shah Rukh Khan’s movies, as the village has been without electricity all these years. But for this poor village woman the Bollywood actor has turned into a real life hero by lighting up their lives.

Shah Rukh has funded a solar power harnessing project which provides light to the village after sunset.

“There is no electricity in our village and we don’t expect it to be provided by the government in the near future. So the electric lanterns have become very handy for us. Though we used kerosene lanterns earlier, they couldn’t be relied upon due to the brisk breeze throughout the day as our village is just a few kilometres away from the Bay of Bengal,” said Mondal.

Banhipal is not the only village which is a beneficiary of Shah Rukh’s largesse. There are six other villages - Ahirajpur, Okilapala, Palachua, Rangani, Denlasahi and Gupti in Kendrapara district which have benefited from this solar harnessing project which has been fully funded by Shah Rukh Khan.

The project is part of the Greenathon initiative of NDTV called ‘Lighting Billon Lives’. Technical assistance has been provided by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Each village has been provided with about 50 solar lanterns with a single charging point. The lanterns are charged every morning through solar panels set on rooftops.

The charging of lanterns, distribution and collection of money are mainly manned by women members of the village.

Though Shah Rukh has borne the installation cost, the maintenance cost is taken care of by the villagers themselves.

“We have a corpus to meet the running expenses of these lanterns. We raise the corpus by charging just Rs.2.50 from every villager. We charge extra if one takes the lanterns for use during festivals and special occasions. And if a person from a neighbouring village takes it then he is charged Rs.10 per night,” said Biraja Prasad Pati, of Nature Club, a local NGO which implemented the project.

These villages are primarily small clusters of Bengali-speaking people. The villagers use these lanterns not only to light their homes but also for other purposes.

“We use these lanterns for different purposes. Our men take these lanterns to scare away wild boars during night as they often destroy our standing paddy. The fishermen take these lanterns for fishing during night and our children study with these lanterns,” said Urmila Modal, from Okilapala village, adding that they often give these lanterns free of cost to meritorious students of the village.

Apart from these seven villages, Shah Rukh’s generosity has helped in bringing light to two other villages - Jadapala and Tarajodi in Mayurbhanj district of the state.

SRK's Delhi visit

Shah Rukh Khan was in the capital Friday evening to attend a promotional event.

He performed to the song, Haule Haule, posed for pictures and signed autographs, with life-sized cutouts of the star providing good company to those who couldn’t get enough of him! Says one of the guests, “SRK’s the real hero. He’s so well mannered and so attractive. He has no starry nakhras at all.”

Shah Rukh, an honorary professor now

After getting an honorary doctorate, Shah Rukh Khan might soon be on his way to being an honorary professor too!

Routes to Roots, the NGO that got him the honorary doctor's degree in arts and culture from Britain's University of Bedfordshire, is now planning to get the actor a professorship from the Coventry University in UK.

The secretary of Routes to Roots, Rakesh Gupta, confirming that this honour will be conferred upon SRK "very soon", said, "Shah Rukh has done a lot for charity and helping people out. There are some villages in Rajasthan, Orissa, etc., which have got electricity because of SRK. People in these villages don't even know SRK, because they don't see many movies. Secondly, the electrification of the village is by alternative sources of energy. So, while it's good for the human beings, it's also good for nature."