SRK or Adi: Who’s inspired Simple Simon ‘Suri’

Currently, the vote is out on what people really think of superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s simple Simon look in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

Some insist that the common man look for our most romantic star is a tribute to the Amol Palekar-Hrishikesh Mukherjee-Basu Bhattacharya movies of yore.
But SRK himself has a different take on this. He insists that his almost-boring, simple character ‘Suri’, in the film, is based on director Aditya Chopra.
However, Adi thinks it’s just the opposite; that it’s based on buddy Khan’s truly simple persona.

Then, the third angle of this great friendship triangle, Karan Johar, has his view. “The relationship SRK, Adi and I share, is probably the last of the rare, true, honest friendships in the industry now.” Which is the reason why they’ve started being and behaving more and more like each other. But one thing is for sure. Neither of them is ‘boring or simple’ by any yardstick.
Anyway, if that’s the way they’d like to project themselves, who’re we to dispute?
We’ll still stay as ‘politically incorrect’ as we wish, huh?

My kids were ashamed of me, says SRK

The King Khan himself makes an honest confession about it. He says that his children were ashamed of the fact that he does make-up like a woman before he leaves home.

Says he, “Waise to main mard hoon lekin (Though I am a man) I have to put on a lot of make-up before I go out of my house to give public appearances. Initially my children, Aryan and Suhana were really ashamed of me. They didn’t like it. I had to make them understand that it was a part of my profession. I myself didn’t like it but I knew I am an actor and I supposed to look good whenever I make a public appearance. Initially it was quite unusual for me too but now I have come to terms with it. Now my children are ok with it.”

With his latest film ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ set for a December release, King Khan is all out to promote his film.

Talking about his frequent appearances with new actresses he says, “Of late, I have worked with a lot of young actress whether it’s Deepika or Anoushka. In fact in ‘Chak De India’ I had more than a dozen girls working with me and all of them were quite younger to me. But I have no role in choosing the cast of the films. It’s totally up to the directors to decide who they want to cast opposite me. Till today I think I have worked more than 20 to 22 actresses who are younger to me.”

So how was working with these new actresses? Answers he, “It was excellent. In fact to be very honest whenever I work with a new actress I feel my acting skills improve.”

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Music Review

Music of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, 2008’s most anticipated movie, directed by Aditya Chopra after a gap of 8 years has finally hit the stores. Its finally here…6 fabulous tracks…Get them…NOW!

1. Haule Haule - Sukhwinder Sigh

2. Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai - Roop Kumar Rathod

3. Dance Pe Chance - Sunidhi Chauhan & Labh Janjua

4. Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte - Shreya Ghoshal

5. Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai - Sonu Nigam

6. Dancing Jodi - Instrumental

Music of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, 2008’s most anticipated movie, directed by Aditya Chopra after a gap of 8 years has finally hit the stores. This film has a lot of expectations considering it’s the first release of Shahrukh Khan this year, debutant Anushka Sharma who is creating a lot of buzz among the crowd, combination of Shahrukh and Aditya which created history with DDLJ in 1995, and Yash Raj Films, which are looking for a big hit this year.

In Bollywood, music of the movie plays a vital role in the success of the movie and if the songs are good then half of the battle is won. Looking back at the track record of Salim – Sulaiman, who also gave the music for Chak De India in 2007 and Fashion this year, winning half of the battle doesn’t seem to be a big problem. And yes, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi succeeds in every department. The power of this soundtrack lies in its simplicity. Let’s get a song by song review of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

1. Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai

Roop Kumar Rathod does it again! After making “Maula Mere Maula” a classic with his melodious voice, Roop takes Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai to a whole new level. It requires only one listen to love this song. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this ultimate romantic number. Background vocals add the required mysterious romantic feel to Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai and the music is simple and yet, melodious to ears.

There is also a short version of this song sung beautifully by Shreya Ghoshal. Some of you prefer the short version because it’s too good and also because of the fact that there is only one song of Shreya in the soundtrack.

2. Haule Haule

Haule Haule, the promo song of the movie is already a hit among Shahrukh fans and haters alike. And why not, Haule Haule is the simplest and the most romantic song of 2008 with lyrics so good that you love the song on the very first listen. It’s like love at first sight. I mean how many times have you seen a Harmonium playing an important role in the music of a song in this Hip-Hop era?

Add to that the great voice of Sukhwinder Singh, who is now the voice of Shahrukh Khan, without a doubt. Also worth mentioning is the video of the song which you see on your T.V sets these days. The whole scene was shot in one take. Prodigious!

3. Dance Pe Chance

When I saw the tracklist of the soundtrack, I was little worried about the inclusion of Labh Janjua in Dance Pe Chance. It’s not that he is a bad singer or something but because I can’t see Shahrukh lip-syncing his voice. But O Boy! I was surprised. He turns out to be the strongest link in the whole sing.

When he sings, you can feel the energy which is required for Dance Pe Chance. Going by the lyrics, this song looks like Anushka teaching Shahrukh how to dance. Sunidhi Chauhan has also done a fabulous job and she’ll surely suit Anushka.

A special mention about the music and lyrics, when the song begins, you’ll feel like it’s an average Pritam number, but no, keep listening to the song and wait for the part of Labh Janjua’s part and then you’ll see the difference. It’s a song which is a must inclusion in your I-POD.

4. Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte

Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte is, indubitably, the most creative song of 2008. Music and lyrics of all the classics of golden era of Bollywood has been included in the song. For example; the famous “Yahooooo” by Shammi Kapoor, “Jai Jai Shiv Shankar”, and “Babu Moshai” by Rajesh Khanna from the classic movie, “Anand”.

Two thumbs up for Sonu Nigam, who did the job so well that you just fell in love with the song. Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte shows the genius minds of Salim – Sulaiman, as this song was surely not an easy song to make.

5. Dancing Jodi

Dancing Jodi is basically the instrumental versions of all the songs of the soundtrack just like it was with Jhoom Barabar Jhoom but only better. Calling Dancing Jodi a remix would be wrong and inappropriate. This song is a delight for the dancers who prefer the Indian – Western hybrid music to shake their hips. Kudos to Salim – Sulaiman for a tremendous instrumental version.

Verdict

Verdict-In an age where songs and their remixes are filled with rapping, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi stays away from this. It’s, unequivocally, a gem for the music lovers and the best soundtrack of 2008.

It takes you to those good old days when music was simple and great and at the same time, it has the modern touch to capture universal attention. There is nothing wrong with the soundtrack, no remix, no rapping and most of the songs are of short length which is a big bonus. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is a kaleidoscopic soundtrack which is a must in everyone’s collection. Go out and buy the CD!

Rating: 5 STARS!

Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, and Vinay Pathak

Music Director: Salim-Sulaiman

Movie Director: Aditya Chopra

Waiting for Shah Rukh Khan…

How does a 50-year-old woman who bought a VIP ticket to be “someone special” for one night deal with it when her favourite star Shah Rukh Khan’s concert is abruptly called off, less than four days before it was to be held?

Fans see no boundaries, it seems, when it comes to Bollywood and, in this case, King Khan. When word spread that his three-city Temptations tour of Germany had been called off, his fans in Germany and beyond mourned.

The feelings ranged from shock to anger and concern. “I thought Shah Rukh is ill, because he works too much,” says Anja, 37, from Dortmund, Germany who spent nearly 260 Euros on the ticket, train and hotel booking for the show (some fans over 600 Euros).

Says another fan, who had been looked forward to the concert since May, “I lost a lot of money, but it was the emotional aspect that had me crying. I had been counting the days and nights for the last five months. I imagined how incredible the concert would be, how happy I would be when I saw SRK and the dress I would wear. But nothing happened… We were left without any shows and without SRK. These last five months were for nothing and that’s the terrible part.”

She adds, “To be honest, at first, I was really angry with SRK and thought he was responsible for the mess. But a few day later, I realised I had been angry only because I was so disappointed. Sure, I love him as much as before, but I’m really, really, disappointed.”

The star’s fans feel they’re now a fan base without support. German Bollywood blogger Barbara Skoda writes, “…The German market seemed to look like fat firang tourists in Chor Bazar to the filmi industry-walas that could easily be skinned for money. To steal a line from K3G, Tum sirf entertainer ho, parameshwar nahin.” From the DVD market, where C-grade movies are sold using SRK on the cover, and instead of the real thing, customers get “shiny moments of Indian movie history like Hottestm@ail.com or Husn Bewafa.”

The Shah Rukh visit during the Om Shanti Om premiere at the Berlinale earlier this year led fans to believe the slump was over, “especially since some of the multiplex chains started to screen current films” and both the Bachchan’s Unforgettable and the Temptation tours announced shows.

Skoda adds, “And now we have the latest of their disasters and this time it’s not simply Shilpa Shetty’s Miss Bollywood or the Bachchans (which both probably got canceled due to bad pre-sales). This time it really hits hard. This time it’s SRK. I know of more than a few cases of fans who literally had to scrimp and save to be able to afford a once-in-a-lifetime journey to one of the concerts.”

However, the refrain across is that the fans will definitely shell out money for a ticket for a SRK show again, but not in advance! “Nothing will put me off from Shah Rukh or Bollywood,” asserts Sonja Hellenthal.

As for the star’s appeal, Ramona Magnus describes it as “What makes me such a fan of SRK? I ask myself that very often. Strangely, he feels a little like family. He has a special, very warm charisma and a very strong aura. I like his sense of humor.”

The star’s appeal spreads beyond Germany and Austria or Switzerland, from where fans were headed to catch the Berlin show. A thriving online and offline fan club works across the globe and is connected by… guess what? Mini Khan, a miniature Shah Rukh miniature, the size of a Barbie doll, couriered from member to member.

Says Beth Watkins, from Illinois, US, who bought the doll off ebay, “There are also Kajol, Hrithik, and Priyanka Chopra dolls but, quite frankly, we didn’t think any of those sounded nearly as fun. Mini Khan has been on the road for about a year now. He has visited several locations in the US and Europe so far, with plans to go to Nigeria, India, Japan, Korea, and Canada. Currently, he is in London. He was also with us in Munich during the European Bollywood fan and blogger meetup last March, and now it’s hard to imagine a gathering without him.” There’s even a blog which has a world map with a tracker pointing out Mini’s Khan past, current and future destinations!

The doll came in white and black t-shirt, denim jacket, orange cargo pants, similar to what he wore in Kal Ho Na Ho’s “Pretty Woman” number, but he’s been gifted more clothes since — a fan, a professional tailor, has made him a handmade black leather jacket like the one he wears in Don.

The fans, it seems, will bounce back from the shock of a cancelled tour, though they’re bristling at being taken for granted. However, have these concerts become more about ticket sales and less about reaching out to fans? Says actor Chunky Pandey, who enjoys a huge fan following in Bangladesh, “As for Shah Rukh, I’ve toured with him too and he puts in a lot of money back into his shows. And, generally speaking, when films didn’t pay as well as today, concerts were also about money. But, today, with stars doing brand endorsements too, concerts are more about connecting with fans.” It’s all about nurturing the fan base, he adds. We hope Bollywood is listening!