SRK cost OM SHANTI OM five crores!

Strange as our headline may sound, but one of the costs involved in making OM SHANTI OM is the 5-crore white money fee of Shah Rukh Khan (for acting in the movie). Shah Rukh Khan disclosed this to India's leading trade journal.

Before our patrons question the veracity of the article, we clarify that even in home productions, prices charged by top stars are added under the expenses head for taxing and budgeting purposes. And it is the usual practice.

While 5-crores as remuneration may look like a heavy price for the also rans, given King Khan's stature today, it can be termed as peanuts.

Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network

Nayaka youths protest against SRK

Karnataka Nayaka Yuva Vedike staged a protest yesterday in front of Gayatri theatre in city demanding an apology from Bollywood cine actor Shah Rukh Khan for his alleged belittling comments about sage Valmiki in the KBC programme recently.

The agitators protested against the release of Shah Rukh Khan starrer Om Shanthi Om in the theatre and set fire to the posters of the film.

The activists alleged that Shah Rukh Khan had uttered negative remarks about Valmiki in the "Kaun Banega Crorepati" programme and demanded an apology from him. They warned of severe agitation if their demand was not met.

Vedike President V. Lokesh urged for legal action against Shah Rukh Khan.

Secretary M.V. Krishna, Maduvana Chandru, Govind, Kumar, Vasanth, Nagaraj and others were present during the protest.

StarOfMysore.com

SRK is the King of the World!

Paired with choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan, who harbors a mad movie love both for the conventions of Hindi cinema and for her charismatic leading man, Om Shanti Om delivers the glitter and glamour, the comedy and thrills, religion and the supernatural, mother love, high fashion and eye-popping production numbers in proper masala fashion.

The film begins on the set of Karz, a disco-era reincarnation melodrama, and cinematic touchstone for Farah's generation. Shah Rukh plays Om, a junior artiste (what we would call an extra, or bit player) in the crowd. He catches the jacket flung away by Karz's star, Rishi Kapoor, featured in the first of a series of Forrest Gump-ish manifestations. Om grapples for possession with Farah Khan herself—playing another junior artiste—an immediate clue that the next three hours is going to be a labyrinth of intertextural high jinks.

The first half unspools in the 1970s, with the women in towering hairdos (newcomer Deepika Padukone looks divine in them) and acid bright saris and the men in psychedelic patterned shirts and ghastly plaid pants. After razzing every possible foible of this era, the film shoots forward 30 years to an affectionately savage portrait of current day Bollywood. Nearly every moment is some kind of a joke; the more you know, the funnier it is. Shah Rukh, also playing the present day Om, stands in front of a billboard, with Om endorsing Tag Heuer watches, a brand Shah Rukh endorses in real life. There is a fake awards ceremony, with wicked parodies of modern day film genres and the song at the after-party features cameos by nearly every current star. That the soireé is an homage to a similar scene in a movie a generation ago, in which some of older stars previously appeared, is just another layer of dizzying pleasure.

One character reminisces fondly of a film in which he had four death scenes: he played twins who were killed before the interval, reincarnated in the second half, they were killed again at the end. The ability to adore such an absurdity for itself, and groove on the spoofing, too, is key to relishing every nutty moment of Om Shanti Om.

Laura Boyes, indyweek.com

Chak De! India invited to Cancun Film Festival

After having charmed the audiences in India, the UK and the US, the film has now been invited to be a part of the Cancun International Film Festival, to be held in Mexico from the 14 – 18 November 2008.

The Cancun International Film Festival is one of the world's youngest but also one of the world's most vibrant film festivals. It is renowned for showcasing alternative cinema from all corners of the globe.

This year's edition features almost 60 films in competitive and non-competitive sections, parties, fashion shows and VIP receptions.

BusinessOfCinema

SRK says 'sorry' to Manoj Kumar

Shah Rukh Khan reportedly told media people that the scene was just a parody and there was no malice behind it. He was planning to visit the veteran actor at his residence and show him the film. SRK also added that he had great respect for Manoj Kumar.

The day saw a flurry of acitivity at the veteran actor's residence, as he called the media to express his anguish over the whole OSO episode. "It was not humour" but in "bad taste" is what Manoj Kumar said about the way he has been portrayed in the film. Both Farah Khan and Shah Rukh have reportedly called up the actor to apologise. Khan, especially, said, "It was not anyone's intention to hurt him."

Buzz18

Manoj Kumar wants to sue SRK

Dil mein mere hai dard ... is what '70s star Manoj Kumar is feeling after seeing Om Shanti Om .

While the chorus from the hit number dard-e-disco in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer is sizzling screens across the country, a scene from the film has made the thespian hot under the collar.

So hot, in fact, that he wants to sue the filmmaker and Shah Rukh for "a clear-cut defamation and deliberate attempt to humiliate" him.

"I am hurt. Shah Rukh Khan has injured my soul. It's a conspiracy to humiliate and ridicule me. This is not filmmaking...My devotion to filmdom for the last 50 years has been insulted," said the Purab Aur Paschim star who had turned patriotism into an art on celluloid. He was referring to the 70's scene in OSO where his young double is beaten by police outside a theatre when he lands up for a premiere.

"Are the Mumbai police so stupid that they can't recognise Manoj Kumar and lathicharge him in the '70s when he was a star? It doesn't stop there. Inside the theatre too, the scene continues in the same vein. At another place where Shah Rukh is shown giving a mock thank-you speech in a drunken state, he says he is Manoj Kumar...," Kumar told TOI on Thursday, less than a week after 'OSO' hit the screens.

"If it was for humour it was okay, but to do it like this showed bad taste," he added. "A junior artist told me he had played my double. About two months back when I met Farah Khan I told her that if she had asked me I would have gladly appeared in the film. But she said it was only a double to portray him in '70s scene for a film premiere.

She was very respectful. She also said I looked lean and fit. I told her I was exercising. I even spoke to her husband." Kumar, who had won two Filmfare Awards in quick succession in 1972 and 1974 for Be-imaan (best actor) and Roti, Kapda Aur Makaan (best director), said though he has never celebrated his silver, gold or diamond jubilee he was "not a man to keep quiet when someone is hitting below the belt".

He said, "I am a peace-loving man. I don't like goondaism otherwise by now the film's banners and posters would have been torn."

Swati Deshpande, TNN

Shah Rukh Refuses to Accept Smoking Charges

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday refused to accept the charges levelled against him for defying the Anti-Smoking Act during recent Twenty20 cricket match in Mumbai and the Hindustan Times summit in Delhi.

National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), an NGO, had issued legal notice to Khan under The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 for allegedly smoking in public.

The anti-tobacco NGO had objected to superstar's alleged smoking in public during India-Australia Twenty20 cricket match and the HT Summit. They had contended that he was setting a wrong example for younger generation while defying the Anti Smoking Act.

A lawyer for Shah Rukh said though the star attended the Twenty20 match, he was at no point of time present in any air- conditioned enclosure. "He watched the match from an open private gallery which was reserved by the Cricket Club of India for persons to be admitted by invitations only.

"Nothing contained in the notice should be deemed to constitute any waiver or admission by our client. We advise you to withdraw your notice forthwith," said a reply sent by Shah Rukh's advocate.

The reply mentioned that Shah Rukh watched the match from an open space which is expressly excluded from the definition of a public place as per section 3 (1) of the Act.

"A space where the general public does not have any access and is therefore excluded from the the definition of a public place as per section 3 (1) of the Act," it stated.

Shah Rukh's advocates also said the telecast of the event was neither in the control or influence or at the behest of their client. "That being so, the element of intent to advertise or to promote is absent in the present case and allegations in this regard are misplaced," the lawyers stated.

TheHindu.com

Shah Rukh Khan at 'Daawat-E-Dosti'

While performing for Daawat-E-Dosti (a show organised by Sahara’s head honcho Subroto Roy) with Indian and Pakistani cricketers in Lucknow, SRK posed as a woman and did a romantic tango of sorts with Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Says an eye-witness, “SRK called Harbhajan on stage and asked him to do exactly what he was doing. In other words, Harbhajan had to mimic SRK. Shah Rukh did a few steps with Dia Mirza which Harbhajan repeated. After four steps, SRK held Dia in his arms and looked into her eyes.”

When the time came for Harbhajan to hold Dia close, he grew nervous. “He suddenly developed cold feet and told SRK that he would be unable to do the intimate pose with Dia,” the source further reveals. What followed shocked the audience out of their wits. The superstar ordered Harbhajan to enact SRK’s part and told him that he would play Dia. This time however, Harbhajan complied. So we had Harbhajan holding SRK in his arms!

When contacted, Dia confirmed the reversal of roles. “SRK did it superbly. The usually reticent Harbhajan finally got it right. It was hilarious,”

TimesOfIndia