I am 42 and have to look after my body now, King Khan

Its not often that Shah Rukh Khan chats about ordinary, everyday issues, but when he does, people strain their ears to listen. Thats the power of the Badshah.

After a long break, SRK is back in the thick of action, promoting his film Yash Raj's Chak De and shooting for Om Shanti Om . Whats striking to the world at this point is SRK's new lean look and long, unkempt hair.

He is looking visibly fitter and younger by the day. Some say I look good and others feel otherwise. When I look in the mirror, I see myself, good or bad.

My daughter Suhana says that when I don't gel my hair, I look like her! And now my hairstylist is thinking of changing my look, King Khan said in mock exasperation over coffee with BT.

He explained his new avatar, so to say. I was on a vacation for a few months and so I just decided to grow my hair. And my lean look, well, I am working out more than ever now. I have taken up sports big time too, because it keeps me fit.

I have got Aryan and Suhana also into it. I am 42 and have to look after my body now, he said blushing.
Fitter yes, younger and hotter, certainly. Is that how he is planning to change the fate of Indian hockey through Chak De?

Spare me! I don't claim to change the world, the actor smiled, adding, Lets put it this way, I started playing hockey for a few months because I love it. So if people see the film and take to playing hockey like me, well, it'll be good.

Otherwise, no problem. He admits to be an ardent hockey player. I love hockey more than soccer. I have played it but not in big way.

Does he believe that hockey is one of the most neglected games in India? All games in India like kabbaddi, basketball, football, badminton, tennis, squash, and golf are neglected. And we grudge cricket because it is getting more importance than all other games put together.

On the contrary, we must applaud the fact that at least in one game India is doing relatively well, said SRK with conviction. Would he object if his son Aryan takes up hockey? Why Aryan, if my daughter Suhana wants to play hockey, I will be fine with it, he added.

He talked about Sanjay Dutt, the topic of hot discussion in Bollywood. Well, we all feel the same about him. Honestly, I am not exaggerating, but Sanju is one of the nicest guys I have known since I came to the industry.

He helped me immensely in every possible way when I was a newcomer. I owe him, said SRK of his friend, who he says is family to him. Whenever I asked him to come over, he would make a point to drop by for sometime, even if it was late in the night.

I cannot relate to anything bad about Sanjay. I have never seen his aggressive side or his famous temper. He has always been so mild mannered and sweet, its difficult to assume Sanju in any other form.

Destiny has its own plans for him, but we can only keep the faith. God looks after good people. I hope and pray that he gets out of this at the earliest.

Source: Timesofindia

I think Chak De! India is a film with a different kind of a soul and a different story line, SRK

An Exclusive Interview With Shah rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan’s first release of 2007, Chak De! India is on its way to hit the theatres on 10th August. Based on our national sport - hockey, this Yash Raj Films’ production showcases SRK in a radically new avatar, that of a go-getter coach and ex-hockey player Kabir Khan.

Also, this time around, for the first time you won’t see this star clean-shaven, romancing his co-star… in fact he is simply flanked by many a new faces, mostly girls who have been his ardent fans since their childhood.

As expectations soar high from this SRK starrer, we get the man himself talking about this not-an-offbeat film (as he claims) and his challenging role, which to our surprise he reveals not to have understood yet!

What made you decide on taking up Chak De! India?

There were a lot of reasons. First, of course, is the director (Shamit Amin) who I have known for years. He’s very simple, hardworking and talented and has worked with me in Asoka too. I have chosen a sport based film, which normally is a neglected territory. Say perhaps apart from Lagaan, Hip Hip Hurray and Iqbal, we haven't really made a film in that genre. This was something that I wanted to attempt since my younger days, but I didn't get a chance then. So now when I’m old, grey and over the hill, I am glad someone like Shimit thought that I could sort of fit the bill.

Field hockey has been a personal favourite sport of mine and I want my kids to learn it. I do feel I am no one to really comment that the state of Indian hockey is not good. But I have always felt that if there is anything that I can do via the medium that I work for, about my things that I love, like field hockey, I couldn't have got a better chance to make my dream come true. My father used to play this sport, my friends used to indulge in it and I love it too. So when all the factors came together, and of course Yash Raj backing it, I had to be a part of it.

Can you thrown light on your character Kabir Khan?

Kabir Khan is a coach, an ex-Indian hockey player. He is living with some demons, has got some problems, has not seen success and wants to overcome it, but without being cynical or disturbed. He made up his mind and heart to deal with it positively.

So it's a film about achievement in the face of failure, a film that looks at defeat in a positive way, the idea being - if you haven't done well, fairly or unfairly, not to give up or become cynical. It’s about taking up a challenge and trying to overcome obstacles which had barred you earlier. I would say the character is quite aggressive when he chooses to be.

If you really ask me, though I have essayed the role, I really don't know what the character is! I have played it from my heart. It's a amalgamation of Jaideep's writing, Shimit's outlook on the whole film, a bit of Adi's belief and a some of my mannerisms and style, its all rolled into one. I would like to believe the character is like that of an elderly brother, who you feel confident in but who himself is shattered from within. So it's very complex, its not just a simple explanation and I haven't been able to gauge it myself yet.

How was it working with a bunch of newcomers?

Fantastic! Earlier I thought that working with fresh faces would be a bit of a hassle as they would not know their lines. You know one becomes a little patronizing, a little kind, a bit agitated and irritated at times because things are not going the way they should. But I think the whole production team has worked very hard with them and not taken any credit away from these girls. I think they are very diligent and wonderful; they have put their heart and soul in the film. They have learnt and practiced hockey, they knew the lines, the scenes, they knew everything.

At the end of it, after having worked as an actor for 18 years, it was a learning ground for me. There is a bit of rawness when newcomers come in. After facing the camera and working for so many years, you tend to become a little mechanized. I saw a scene with a young girl, who's never acted before, where said her few lines, which seemed liked I would not do it that way. But when you see the final output, it sounds very right. It was a great re-discovering process to work with newcomers. I have gone through a similar experience in Swades where I worked with honed theater actors and not film stars. But this time around the girls were novices so it was a nice and different situation.

You were working with a hardcore girls' team; most of them must have definitely been your fans.

The girls are very sweet and they were working really hard. We had a lot of readings and meetings before the film rolled, which made us easy with each other. Talking about some of them liking me, it is a little embarrassing because most of them were just five-six years old when they saw my films. So it’s a bit abashing to be working with these girls where you suddenly realize, God you are old and you’ve been working a lot.

It was also important for me to be comfortable with them and not treat them like kids because the whole purpose of the character Kabir in the film is not to treat them in a similar fashion but like grown-ups and tough people. So the whole fan and stalwart thing got over soon during the reading sessions. After that we were all co-actors working together and having a great time. They were really nice, very well mannered, very well brought up.

Can we tag Chak De! India as your third off-beat film post Swades and Paheli?

I don't think these are off-beat films. Sometimes I like such stories because they are different. I don't think Shimit and Adi are the kind of people who would make an off-beat film, it's very on the beat I think. But the subject is such that you cannot churn out every year. I don't like boring films myself so I don't attempt them.

I don't know what an off-beat film is. I think Chak De! India is a film with a different kind of a soul and a different story line, that’s what makes its unusual.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Chak De India?

Chak De strangely to me is a line from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge. I remember we use to say Chak De Phate in DDLJ. I don't know why but it reminds me of that. But I hope Chak De! India becomes a sporting anthem. Whenever Sachin bats or Dhanraj Pillai runs after the ball or when Sania Mirza competes in Wimbledon, the cry should be Chak De India, which means score a goal or hit a sixer.

Source: Businessofcinema

Shah rukh Khan and Suniel Shetty are set to lead a nationwide movement professing their support for Sanjay Dutt

Mumbai, Aug 3: While the news of a Sanjay Dutt fan having sacrificed his fingers for the actor comes trailing in, friends Shah Rukh Khan and Suniel Shetty are set to lead a nationwide movement professing their support for him.

It is not surprising how every person in the industry, who knows Sanjay Dutt, has been personally affected by the verdict against the actor. A lot of them feel that the affable and child-like actor didn’t deserve this harsh a punishment However, while a lot of them are happy with just going tut-tut, close friends like Shah Rukh Khan and Suniel Shetty have apparently decided to gear up and take some action.

According to sources, the two actors have decided to mobilise not only people from the industry but also those from all walks of life. According to a source, “Everyone who knows Sanju is upset with the verdict. It is too harsh. Shah Rukh and Suniel are in constant talks as to how they can help the cause. They have decided to launch a huge movement throughout the country, taking help from different unions, associations and people. A lot of the common people are also feeling that Sanjay should have been shown a little more leniency.”

Apparently, Suniel has already spoken to the hotel association and rickshaw unions, soliciting their support for Sanjay and they have agreed. The buzz is that the actors will also draft a petition, which will be signed by many prominent people in the city. When contacted, Suniel refused to divulge any details. However, he said, “We have to do something for Sanju. Just wait and watch!”

Source: DNA

If anyone works with Shahrukh they know the kind of commitment he brings, Jaideep

Interview With Jaideep Sahni(Writer & Lyricist)

How did Chak De India happen?
Three years back I was in Delhi. At that time I came across a report in the news paper that the Indian women's hockey team had won an international tournament. My heart swelled with pride. The write up was very small and that struck me. If the Indian cricket team would have won something, then they would have got two pages. This subject kept turning in my head. It grew on me. I researched, read a lot on hockey and hung around in stadiums. After Bunty Aur Babli, Adi asked me what are you doing next! I told him there's a story that is not leaving my head. It is about women's hockey team, they do well against foreign teams who have hundred times better resources. I narrated to Adi and he said that this film has to be made. I started developing it and then the principal character of coach came in. Shimit joined us and he is not the kind of person who'd do a film just for the heck of it.

Why did you think of Shahrukh Khan to play the coach?
Once we started writing, it just seeped into our minds that Shahrukh has to be there. He has been a hockey player and we found the same spirit in him.

What was the next step?
The search for girls took half a year and training them took about four months. Searching for the players was a hell of a task. There were parts where we required the physical presence while there were some parts for which we needed actors. Then we realized it was a much bigger thing. From 4:30 in the morning till 2:30 in the afternoon all players were practicing hockey after that till evening tea it was time for acting. After evening tea there was dialect training. The players were from all over the country and the dialect had to be right. After that there was gym, sauna and injury management. We also had motivation speakers, players from various sports etc. We had decided that we won't roll camera till the time they look like players. A team has to look like a team. Then there were readings of their parts with Shahrukh.

The promos of the film haven't generated much curiosity. In fact there were reports that the video of one of the song was hooted when it was played in between Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.
We had been sleeping for 2-3 hours at night. We saw these things in the papers but we were too much into it. Once it got over we slept uninterrupted. The curiosity about the film is natural as it's an underdog story. Our entire promotion plan is a mix of all kinds of things. We showed the music video. It was a new thing. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.

What about reports of SRK being unhappy with Shimit Amin and the entire making of the film?
Interestingly we used to laugh at all these reports. If anyone works with Shahrukh they know the kind of commitment he brings. He also acted as an off screen coach as well. He helped in things like crowd management.

Movies based on sports haven't worked in Bollywood barring a rare Lagaan. Does that bother you?
If a movie is a worthwhile experience people will come and watch it. Our job is to tell stories and that's what counts.

You're also associated with Madhuri's comeback film Aaja Nachle?
I've written the script and lyrics.

What are your forthcoming projects?
I've written lyrics for Disney-Yashraj's venture Roadside Romeo directed by Jugal Hansraj. I've also written lyrics for the title track of Johny Gaddar.

Source: IndiaFM