King Khan in White House

Karan Johar, the producer-director of My Name is Khan was recently in the US location hunting. And also to apply for permission to shoot at the White House, the residence of US president George Bush; and other presidents before him.

If KJo pulls it off, it will be the first time an Indian movie will be shot on what's easily the only location in the world with the tightest security.

An industry source reveals, "Bollywood producers want to offer something new to the audiences. Snoop Dogg was seen in Singh Is Kinng, Sajid Nadiadwala has roped in Holly star Sylvester Stallone for his next, and Ajay Devgan brought in an action director from the US for Toonpur Ka Superhero. The makers want to bring the two cultures and cinematic sensibilities together for the better. However, in My Name Is Khan, the White House is not merely a decoration but an integral part of the script. The film is based on the problems faced by a Muslim man (played by Shah Rukh Khan) living in America."

Karan has applied for permission to shoot in and around the area. Even big Hollywood makers don't really get this level of permission easily. And if Johar pulls this off for this shoot, it will be quite an achievement.

The director, who just returned from the US a couple of days back, admits, "I'm currently working on pre- production. The story of my film takes the lead actors from San Francisco to LA and eventually to Washington DC. I am trying to figure out permissions including locations in and around Washington. I still have a lot of time till I achieve these permissions as I only start the shoot of the movie from February next year."

The spokesperson for the Nation Security Unit in the US says, "It's next to impossible to shoot anything in the White House. Especially if you are not a US citizen. One cannot shoot on the grounds. But various people have shot their movies outside the grounds (outside the gates of the White House) to which we have no control over."

Amul Sharma, Mid-Day