SRK plans to bring cinematic value on television

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has forayed into television by producing a weekly sitcom 'Ghar Ki Baat Hai' has said that he wants to bring "cinematic value" on the small screen.

"There is no specific cache of programmes which we are planning on television. I have been a film producer for the last eight to nine years and have experience of acting for the last 20 years. I think I can bring a difference to television in terms of presentation of content. I will try to bring cinematic value to television," Shah Rukh said.

"Sitcoms are situational comedies. If you see series like Friends','3 is company', you will realise that situations are same. But, there is newness in the characters. Besides, there is originality in the presentation," he said to a query on 'Ghar Ki Baat Hai' (GKBH) being inspired by popular television series of the 80s 'Yeh jo hai zindagi'.

"'GKBH' is not a copy of YJHZ but a tribute to it," he said adding he loved comedy shows and family dramas and GKBH was a good mix of both.

"Light content was commercially viable. I am strangely connected with television. I made my debut in acting with television working with Saeed Mirza, Kundan Shah and Aziz Mirza and now Aziz, Sameer Nair have persuaded me to be back on television," Shah Rukh said.

He said the actors in the show, which goes on air this weekend, have been chosen by his creative team. It features Sumeet Raghavan, Juhi Babbar, Swapnil Joshi, Jayati Bhatia and Ali Asghar.

The show's director Anant Mahadevan, who was part of TV series 'Circus' made by Aziz Mirza said life has come full circle for him with GKBH because he was working with Mirza and SRK, who played the lead in the serial.

"GKBH is a classic comedy which will capture the essence of television of the 80s where shows by Kundan Shah, Aziz and Saeed Mirza, Sai Paranjpye ruled the roost," he said.

Sameer Nair said the show has a stellar cast and a killer story coupled with King Khan as the producer.

Besides, a reality show 'Knights and Angels', to find cheer leaders for his IPL Kolkata knightriders team will go on air in March. A talk show on first ladies on Hindi cinema is already on air.

Both the shows are produced by SRK's television company 'Red Chillies Idiot Box'.

I would have preferred a soccer career, says Shah Rukh

Shah Rukh Khan is the best known mega Indian film star. But the other day he said he would have preferred a sporting career to one in films.

He was speaking at the finale of the Asia West Pacific Regional physiotherapy conference organised by the Dr Ali Irani-headed Indian Association of Physiotherapy. Dr Ali was the first physio to travel with an Indian sporting team. He was Indian cricket team physio from 1987 to 1997.

Shah Rukh Khan vibed well with the 10, 50 physiotherapists and delegates from 23 countries at the valedictory. He referred to the injuries he has faced all his life, first in sport and then thanks to the stunts he does himself by choice. Said Shah Rukh, "Thanks to my injuries I know every part of my body, the muscles, the tendons.

My body has pieces of metal in it. I have undergone spinal surgery and I am going for a shoulder surgery in some ten days.''

Shah Rukh said he was so injury prone that his interaction with physios began from the age of 15. "I was playing soccer at Delhi's Ambedkar Stadium and had a lower back problem. An old gentleman, Dr Abbott, treated me. I think he was orthopaedics guy. I don't think there were many physios then. That was the end of my professional sporting career. I would have preferred it to the one in showbiz. Now my son is into athletics and soccer and I think he will need the back-up of physiotherapy. ''

Continuing in a serious vein, Shah Rukh exhorted the physios to become affordable to all sections of the society. He said, "In India we are used to medicine of hakims and vaids. Invasive therapy is not the order of the day. Physiotherapy for most is means massage. I love massage though,'' he said smiling.

Shah Rukh-Manoj Kumar truce over 'Om Shanti Om' spoof

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan met veteran actor Manoj Kumar for an out-of-the-court settlement regarding the cases filed against him in connection with the spoof in his home production 'Om Shanti Om'.

Kumar called him to his residence to discuss withdrawal of the court cases, Shah Rukh told reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday night.

"He told me that he was elder to me and was forgiving me for the mistake committed. I and director Farah Khan had sought forgiveness from him several times for our mistake," he said.

"The spoof in the film was not with an intention to belittle him or hurt him. He told me that he would not like to carry on the burden of the court cases," Shah Rukh said.

Kumar had dragged Shah Rukh to court for not honouring the promise of deleting the sequence in the film that shows security guards of a movie theatre beating him up after he displays a driving license showing his photo in his trade mark style covering the face with his palm.

The veteran, who has produced and directed several patriotic films earning him the title 'Bharat Kumar', had asked Shah Rukh to withdraw the scene to which director Farah Khan and he as the producer of the film agreed.

But, the scene continued to be a part of the film and before its television premiere Kumar filed a case against Shah Rukh.

Shahrukh and Kajol return after shooting in Los Angeles

Eight years after they last paired together, Shahrukh Khan and Kajol have completed the first schedule of their next film.

While Shahrukh had been in the US since December last year for Karan Johar’s next directorial venture My Name Is Khan , Kajol joined the shoot only in the second week of January.

The two stars shot for as many as twenty days in Los Angeles before the first schedule was declared complete by Karan Johar . Now, they will shoot the next schedule in Mumbai from March to May. After that they will return to the US to finish the film’s shooting in the final schedule in June.

During the recently concluded schedule of the film in LA, Kajol was accompanied by her mother, sister and daughter Nysa. In fact, the reason why Kajol dilly-dallied so much to do this film is because she did not want to be separated from her daughter.

SRK and Kajol are one of the most sought-after onscreen couples in Bollywood. Though they last paired in Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham , Kajol has made special appearances in SRK-starrers like Kal Ho Na Ho , Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna , Om Shanti Om and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi .

At last in ‘My Name Is Khan’ they are romantically paired after eight long years. The movie has SRK playing a man who suffers from milder form of autism. Kajol plays his wife.