Shahrukh Khan: Once again, on American soil!

Shahrukh Khan, the most popular bollywood star to ring a bell in the northern territories of America, is now going to capture wider audiences soon.

Reportedly, there is going to be a DVD launch in the North American markets of the hit flick ‘My Name Is Khan’.

This Karan Johar flick had managed to rake in the highest gains at the overseas market, and when Karan had re- released the flick there with English sub-titles, so that it would cater to a wider audiences there, it had got a very positive response too.

Now, it is the turn of those people who, for some reason were not able to catch the particular flick in theaters. Even, there are others who for some reason are not able to go to theaters at all.

Thus, for those people, it is indeed going to be quite an experience, to get the opportunity for a great viewing of this super hit flick, right in their living rooms, or even in their bedrooms, for that matter, by simply picking up the DVD.

Well, as much as Shahrukh spells magic, so does his pairing with the all time favorite Kajol, thus, the flick, which has this romantic couple and their sizzling chemistry in the middle of several challenges, should be of a great inspiration for people with similar challenges.

We wish the DVD launch a great success!

The Bollywood romcom still showing after 15 years

After a summer of under-performing blockbusters, Hollywood bosses might do well to look at the incredible success of India's longest-running film, still packing in cinema-goers after 15 years.

Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl: a classic recipe for box office bullion

Released in 1995, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (The big hearted will take the bride) has become one of the most popular films of all time.

Having broken all records in terms of number of showings and box office takings, it is now in its 769th week at one of the main cinemas in Mumbai (Bombay), the beating heart of Bollywood.

And the film continues to play to a nearly full house over weekends at the 1,000-plus-seat Maratha Mandir cinema in the south of the city.

Spectators stream in in steady numbers for the matinee show of DDLJ - as it is popularly known - at the 52-year-old cinema.

The best seats cost just 20 rupees (42 US cents; 27 UK pence).

Manoj Desai, executive director of the cinema, says the movie has been a record-breaking success for multiple reasons.

The film catapulted Shahrukh Khan to Bollywood megastardom

"The film is perfect with lovely music and the best Bollywood pair," he says.

"Also, this theatre is in a strategic location where we get 40% viewing from people who are travelling into or out of Mumbai.

"This place is for masses, so the rates have been maintained for years. Most importantly the film is important because of its message of love with parents' permission."

For sheer box office staying power, the movie has even leap-frogged classics such as The Sound of Music and The Guns of Navarone, Mr Desai said.

'Magical'

It is a love story, where boy meets girl (both Indians living in London) on a trip to Europe.

But girl's marriage is already fixed to her father's friend's son in Punjab in India.

I never get bored of DDLJ - It's like I am in a loving relationship with the film” - Jagjivan Maru (Chief projectionist)

What follows is an entertaining drama careering between London and Punjab, and in the end, of course, the lovers get together - with the families' blessing.

The lead pair, Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, became stars overnight.

The film catapulted Shahrukh Khan, now also known as King Khan, to the top league of stars and he was typecast as a "romantic hero" for years.

Cinema officials say nearly all seats are taken at weekends and the film sometimes does better than new releases.

The film is now run on a no-profit, no-loss basis for the theatre as well as for Yash Raj Films, producer of DDLJ.

Jagjivan Maru, the cinema's chief projectionist, who has been showing this movie since its release, says it is magical.

"I have seen this movie every day for the last 14 years. That is a record in itself. It is our job to show the film. However, I never get bored of DDLJ.

"It's like I am in a loving relationship with the film. I still love the last scene when Amrish Puri [who plays father of the actress] slaps Shahrukh Khan."

A story well told

Rishi, who had come to see the film, said: "I had seen this film earlier four to five times many years back. I also see it on TV once in while.

The laughed, they cried, they came back to see it again and again

"I dropped in with my friends. Maybe I still like the film because I first saw it in my college days and it really worked then. Most of my friends saw the film many times - for the love story, songs and the actors."

Taran Adarsh, a trade analyst says: "It is not about the records this film has set. Records will follow if there is content.

"This film has got everything right: music, actors, direction. The movie is still making decent collections despite it being shown on TV very often. It is a story well told."

The cinema officials plan to keep the film running as long as they can and have planned a big celebration in October 2010 to mark the full 15 years since its release.

Among other popular features of the movie is its catchphrase "Come, fall in love" - and the audience at Maratha Mandir seemed to have done just that with DDLJ.

 - BBC

Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan: Common friends, Thanks to Twitter?

Long has been the battle of the Khans, discussed through out the length and breadth of the country, and the cold war between the two warring Khans, namely Aamir and Shahrukh always seemed to be boiling somewhere deep down in everyone’s heart and soul.

Every film buff in the country was well aware of the fact that, the moment one of the Khans would pass a casual comment on the other; it would soon become a National obsession, to discuss what the other would have to say, as a counter reaction!

But, not anymore. With the advent of technology and science, launching more and more sophisticated ways of interaction amongst humans, the world of the web, has brought about a revolution of sorts, even in binding, building and creating human relationships.

Thus, the micro blogging site twitter has brought about quite a pleasant change in the way our stars seem to face and interact with each other.

Aamir Khan, who has just joined the site a few days back, is already popular amongst most of his fraternity in bollywood. Even though Shahrukh Khan is one of the foremost bollywood stars to have joined this site, he has not yet interacted with his great on and off competitor Aamir Khan!

Aamir has however, gone on record saying that one day, he will surely follow Shahrukh on twitter. But, Aamir has surely managed to rub Karan Johar the right way.

Reportedly, KJO had been a special guest, along with other bollywood bigwigs, at the music launch of the Aamir Khan production ‘Peepli [LIVE], in Mumbai, a day back.

Now, considering the fact that Karan Johar is one of the die-hard Shahrukh Khan Camp bigwigs in bollywood, everyone was quite taken in by surprise, to see Aamir and KJO gelling so well at the event. The two are said to follow each other on twitter too.

Now, whatever might be the opinion of film buffs, but Twitter surely seems to be the binding factor, to make common friends between the two top stars in the country Aamir and Shahrukh Khan. Should we say then –A big thank you to twitter?