Shahrukh Khan, the highest paid host ever?

Looks like Shah Rukh Khan is proving that he is the 'Badshah' even of Tellyland. TOI has learned that King Khan is apparently charging Rs 2.5 crore per episode for his forthcoming reality show Zor Ka Jhatka on TV.

Top industry sources claim that with this astronomical amount, SRK certainly becomes the costliest B-town A-lister to be signed on for a reality show. Whenever Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan have hosted TV shows, the industry debated whether they were the highest paid actors. However, this time it looks like the figures are on SRK's side. A source from the show reveals, "No one will speak openly about how much he is earning, but SRK charging Rs.2.5 crore certainly seems a believable figure.

As of now what can be revealed is that Shah Rukh is on for four weeks, Monday to Thursday, and if you calculate it, he is getting Rs 40 crore for 16 episodes. Bring on the superstar who can charge so much even after his last stint on TV (Kya Hum Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain) was panned and did not get the TRP that he got during Kaun Banega Crorepati."

Shahrukh and Akshay to star together?

The friendship between Shahrukh Khan and Akshay Kumar is growing stronger by the day. Recently, SRK praised Akshay Kumar for his upcoming project TEES MAAR KHAN, which is being directed by Farah Khan.

According to reports, SRK is trying to mend fences with Farah and his growing friendship with Akshay is proving to be fruitful for that. SRK's open praise about Farah Khan's film is his way of sending the gestures of peace across.

Now, reports further suggest that the bonding between SRK and Akshay has reached a point where the two superstars are planning to produce a film together and chances are that they might also star in the same film.

Of ‘Ra.One’ and ‘Robot’…

Did you know that Shah Rukh Khan’s prestigious venture ‘Ra.One’ and Rajinikanth-Aishwarya starrer ‘Robot’ are inter-related? Well let’s tell you how…

Our birdies reveal that initially the titled ‘Robot’ was registered with SRK’s banner Red Chillies. In fact the production company was supposed to have produced Shankar’s film; that was a time when Shah Rukh was meant to act in the film.

For both Shankar and SRK the film was quite ambitious project and they were seriously working over it together, until creative differences followed. Following it, both parted ways and Shankar went on to rope in Rajinikanth for his project while King Khan started to work on his own superhero project, now called as ‘Ra.One’.

At this time, Shankar felt that he needs the title ‘Robot’ for his project and he said to have written a request letter to Shah Rukh to give him the title. And surprisingly, without qualms Shah Rukh parted with the title….

Well, the industry has its own weird ways. While it’s know for tiffs and tussles on one side, on the other ‘give and take’ do happen as well….

Solace from kids for Shahrukh after KKR defeat

Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan today said he felt sad after his team's shabby performance in their away match of Indian Premier League against Royal Challengers Bangalore and had to seek solace from his children and close friends.

"Bad day yesterday. Friend (co-owner Juhi Chawla's brother) still not well ... had to take hugs from kids and friends to avoid being sad. KKR did little to help either," Shah Rukh said on his Twitter page.

"Have to spend more time with people I love and care for.

Feel them around me more. Waste too much time with peripherals of life ... missing the core," he wrote.

Shah Rukh had stayed away from the last two IPL games of his team to be beside Bobby Chawla, his company Red Chillies Entertainment chief executive officer, who was hospitalised after collapsing at a restaurant recently.

Is SRK a better investor or an actor?

Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re Korbo Lorbo Re Jeetbo. This is the theme song of the high profile team Kolkata Knight Riders owned by the King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan. Juhi Chawla Mehta and her husband Jay Mehta are co-owners of the team. The theme song has been composed by music composer duo Vishal-Shekhar and since then this song has been played in all the stadiums where KKR has played.

Even before the auctions of IPL were initialized and it was in the stage of planning, SRK was sure who he wanted as the captain of his IPL team. Team India was playing an international match against a visiting team and SRK was also there to watch the live action. When Team India was batting, a television grab of Saurav Ganguly walking from the pavilion to the VIP stand to meet SRK seemed normal as the actor had been friends with many cricketers. Well, rest is history. Shah Rukh Khan bought an IPL team and made Saurav Ganguly the face of the team.

There were loads of expectations riding on KKR as Shah Rukh left no stone unturned in making his team a high profile brand, with theme song, TV commercials, tie-ups with other brands, thus earning a huge fan following in the process. One of them being Shatrughan Sinha’s son Luv Sinha, who debuted inSadiyaan. Luv says, "Mr Khan is great at whatever he does because he does it with passion”.

Brendon McCullum was not even in the playing 11 for his national team, New Zealand. But at the opening night of the first season of IPL, he smashed the ball at all the corners of the park scoring 158 runs. This record is still not broken by any cricketer in IPL. Also, this knock guaranteed his place in the national side.

SRK jumped with joy when his team did well. He threw lavish parties for his team when they lost. Also, television TRP’s were considerably high during KKR matches as SRK ensured his big family of Bollywood was also there at the stadium. Sometimes, he also used to sit with the team in the dug out but ran into trouble when the ICC (International Cricket Council) issued a notice that no team owner will be allowed to enter the dressing room when the match was in progress.

With such hype around the team, controversies were bound to happen. A fake IPL player blog helped many electronic and print media to fill up their spaces as lot of inside information was leaked through the blog. There were also rumors about rift between SRK and Dada. However, the blog died with the end of the first season of IPL and KKR finished at number of 6 out of the 8 teams. Too bad for a team where the owner has always been a winner. That year, SRK only had two release; Bhootnath and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, both of which failed to set the cash register ringing at the box office.

If IPL season 1 was bad, IPL season 2 was worse for Shahrukh Khan’s team. Team not performing well was just one side of the story. The team was in the news for all the wrong reasons. Saurav Ganguly was stripped of his captaincy and Brendon McCullum was made the captain overnight. Australian coach John Buchanan also introduced a new concept of multiple captains, which was completely thrashed by the experts. The fake player blog returned again with lots of more sensational information from the dressing room.

However all this did not stop SRK from what he does best, marketing his brand Kolkata Knight Riders. He also organized a talent hunt show and picked cheer leaders through that show. SRK has been known for coming up with unique marketing ideas be it in films or for his IPL team. Yes, he was grilled with questions about the controversies but he tackled all the problems with his chin up. The second season of IPL was shifted from India to South Africa due to security concerns. In the first quarter of 2009, the actor had only one release, Billu.

In spite of nursing a shoulder injury, he didn’t leave the team alone. He travelled with the team to South Africa and cheered them all the way. This time, it was a different Shah Rukh Khan in the stadium. Unlike dancing in the stadium in India when the team did well, this time he was calm. He clapped when the team put up big runs on the score board and did the same when they lost.

Shah Rukh Khan is someone who follows his heart and is not scared to take risk. That is clearly visible from the kind of roles he chooses to setting up a production house with VFX technology. Chandan Roy Sanyal, Kaminey fame says, “I have always been his fan for being the entrepreneur he is. He took a risk by acting in Baazigar opting for a negative role unlike other hero's who would have gone for a positive one. So it comes as no surprise for his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders. He is a risk taker and he also gains benefit from it, something to take a leaf from his life”.

It is not a cake walk to keep the fans happy and also maintain consistency in doing well all the time. But he makes it so easy inspiring millions of people. It is the humor that he has in himself which helps him sail through troubled waters.

A nation where cricket is considered as a religion had reason to cheer for. IPL grew bigger year after year and the big news was that the third season was going to be in India and not in some foreign land. After the 26/11 attacks Pakistan players were kept away from the IPL action. Not that any rule was passed, but none of teams bought any Pakistani player during the auction. It was only Shah Rukh Khan who voiced his interest to include players from the neighboring country.

Shah Rukh Khan starrer, My Name is Khan, one of the most anticipated movie of the year was dragged into problems by a political party in Mumbai. They demanded an apology from the actor but he did not bow down. Even though he couldn’t include any Pakistani player in the team, he had his way by hiring Wasim Akram as a bowling coach for Kolkata Knight Riders. He held his ground and gave a loud message stating sports is above all religion.

IPL 3 came in with a lot of changes. Firstly, Saurav Ganguly was made the captain again and secondly, the team jersey changed from color black to purple. So far the team is doing decent winning 50 percent of the matches played so far. “The weight of huge expectations is off KKR’s shoulders and the good thing for the team is that Dada is back with a bang. As for SRK, he is just better than the rest at everything he does”, says Vaibhav, one of the young actors in Teen Patti.

The league matches are going to end soon and now it is at the business end of the tournament, each team eying the semis berth. Saurav Ganguly and his team are on a winning streak and he himself is back in form. In a week’s time, it will be clear which four teams will be in the semis.

Shah Rukh Khan attended most of the matches until lately where he is Goa shooting for his next action thriller. But he is not out of action. His tweets are more than enough to generate breaking news. He wrote on his twitter that he will dance naked if his team enters the finals. It was all said in humor, but the big question is, will KKR make it to the finals? For now, we can only wait and watch.

Coming back to the big question, is SRK a better investor or a better actor, have your say...

Shahrukh Khan Bollywood’s top taxpayer!

Shahrukh Khan is again the highest Bollywood’s tax payer. Though last year it was Akshay Kumar securing the first position, according to reports, this year it’s SRK who is on top for the financial year 2009-2010.

Among actresses the top taxpayer is Kareena Kapoor, with her brand Kareena going strong and with the success of her last film 3 Idiots. No doubt, the lady is among the top earners of Bollywood.

And as she tells a tabloid, “It’s been a great year for cinema and a great year for me in every way. I am happy to have pleased my fans and the public.”

Last year, Kareena paid Rs 3.7 crore while SRK gave Rs 30.99 crore. This year’s numbers are yet to come.

Dishtv to pump in Rs 40 million to promote SRK's My Name Is Khan

Dishtv has entered into a strategic marketing alliance with Fox Star Studios for the co-promotion of My Name is Khan. The company will spend approximately Rs 40 million (Rs 4 crore) in the marketing campaign.

The movie stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol and is directed by Karan Johar. Dishtv, which has Khan as its brand ambassador, will showcase exclusive interviews with Karan Johar and Khan as well as exclusive videos of Behind-The-Scenes of the film.

As part of the deal, Dishtv will have rights to telecast exclusive interviews with Johar, Khan and Kajol on its DTH platform. Through this tie-up, millions of Dishtv subscribers would get exclusive content including videos of behind the scenes of My Name is Khan.

As part of the tie-up, Dishtv has created a new TVC with Khan. Dishtv will also run a contest, wherein the participants will get a chance to meet Khan at his home - Mannat. The TVC has captured all the warm and affectionate moments in the movie and is in line with the new brand identity of Dishtv - Ghar Aayi Zindagi. The 30-second TVC went on air across TV channels from 1 February. Dishtv will also run a month-long 360 degree integrated marketing campaign across all India to co-promote the brand and the movie.

Dishtv COO Salil Kapoor said, "It's extremely exciting to be associated with Fox Star Studios for My Name is Khan - the most talked about and eagerly awaited magnum opus of the year. Shah Rukh Khan is Dishtv's brand ambassador and we are delighted to promote the movie My Name is Khan as it has a beautiful synergy with our brand positioning Ghar Aayi Zindagi. Dishtv will run a pan-India marketing campaign for which the company will spend around Rs 4 crore."

Fox Star Studios India head marketing distribution and syndication Vivek Krishnani said, "My Name is Khan is a film that will appeal to people of all age groups. Our promotional partnership with Dishtv will help us widen the reach of the film to a pan-Indian audience. My Name Is Khan has an incredible buzz on-ground and we are going all out to give it the best possible release, we are glad to be associated with like-minded partners like Dishtv and are thrilled with their support to co-promote the film."

Shah Rukh tracking Knight Riders progress

Undaunted by the Kolkata Knight Riders' poor show in the first two editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), franchise owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is in constant touch with the team as it strives to force a comeback in the coming season of the cash-rich league under a new coach.

"We have been in constant touch with Shah Rukh Khan. There have been regular inputs from Shah Rukh," the side's new Australian coach Dav Whatmore told mediapersons after a two-day camp at the Eden Gardens here.

With Whatmore keeping a close watch, most of the outstation Indian players of the Knight Riders went through their paces at the conditioning camp.

"The camp has been fruitful. I am trying to change the fortunes of the team this season," Whatmore said.

Asked about his interaction with skipper Sourav Ganguly, Whatmore said: "Sourav is a great player. He has made a good contribution to the game."

The next camp will start on January 9.

Whatmore, a former coach of the Sri Lanka and Bangladesh national teams, has replaced John Buchanan as the Knight Riders coach.

ShahRukh Khan to Build Sports Complex, theme parks, Stadiums and Luxury hotels In Debt Trapped Dubai!

Heard of the recent trap in the real Estate scene of Dubai? Well, there are several film stars and high profile men and women who have their money invested in the property of the up market arena which is real money playground for the rich and famous. However, even though the Dubai based company ‘Dubai World’ which is a government company, has asked for time to repay it’s debt of an astounding sum of $59 million which has all speculating on the fact that Emirates itself is going through rough times, ShahRukh has turned out to be the most sought after star there.

It has been reported from very reliable sources that ShahRukh has come into a joint venture with many high end emirates property developers to get a stadium built as part of one big entertainment complex in Dubai. As Dubai is going through very tough times due to recession which has resulted in the crash of the real estate market and a huge debt on the economy of the glamorous city, ShahRukh has come up with this concept along with other developers so that the economy might roll over to a high again.

ShahRukh is the unofficial brand Ambassador of the Dubai Tourism Development Company.

He is also reported to have a hand in developing a $2.2 billion beach front residential complex at Ras Al Khaimas -an adjoining emirate called The ShahRukh Khan Boulevard.

Even though this particular residential project has been stalled for the time being, the Stadium is going to be built in a very fast and steady pace.

The project is called the Dubai Holding which is a state owned company. There are almost 45 projects to be included in it. There are theme parks, Stadiums and Luxury hotels. Even state of the art sports training facilities will be given to the weaker sections of society there.

There are plans to host international cricket matches at this venue and sources reveal that all his bollywood shows in Dubai will be staged there too.

If all goes well then there are plans by the actor to get a residential villa built in Ras Al Khaimah also. This he plans to get built just like his home in Mumbai.

According to sources this is going to be a mega budget project with an estimated expenditure of about 360 million Arab Emirates Dirham or Rs 455 crore.

So now we know why ShahRukh is called King Khan. Keep it up ShahRukh.

Shah Rukh Khan all set to build stadium in Dubai

Shah Rukh Khan is in no mood to let his cricket venture ‘Kolkata Knight Riders’ bite the dust. His fortunes in the game of cricket might be on a major decline but that hasn’t deterred him to any extent. The actor is all set to come up with a cricket stadium in Dubai.

According to reports, SRK apparently plans to open a cricketing stadium in Dubai. The actor is said to have some land in Dubai and he’s planning to develop that into a huge stadium soon. He is believed to be teaming up with some UAE based developers.

It is learnt that SRK`s decision to take on this project comes from the fact that he wants to provide free coaching and assistance to needy and underprivileged players who cannot bear the expenses. The stadium will apparently be equipped to the hilt.

“When operational, the ground will have all the facilities to host international cricket matches and even other global sporting events. SRK is a dearly loved Indian star in the country and this is his way of giving it back to them. He will frequent the place more often than what he used to. The place might also become a venue for his stage shows in that land”, says a source.

Emami renews contract with Shah Rukh

Kolkata-based FMCG company Emami has renewed its contract with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for its men’s grooming product, ‘Fair and Handsome’ as part of a strategy to make it a Rs 200-crore brand in the next two-three years.

“Our association with Shah Rukh Khan has been very rewarding. We have renewed the contract with him for the next two years,’’ the Emami Director, Mr Aditya Agarwal, told PTI.

Mr Khan was signed up as the brand ambassador of the product in 2007.

Mr Agarwal claimed that ‘Fair and Handsome’ brand has been one of the largest selling men’s grooming products in the country and has crossed over Rs 100-crore sales over the last three years.

“With the changing trend, men’s outlook on grooming has also changed. Our product has been doing very well and we expect that in the next two-three years, it will be a Rs 200-crore brand,’’ he said.

Hyundai, SRK rewrite brand-celebrity script

There is nothing new about Bollywood ambassadors endorsing car and bikes. Everyone from Aamir Khan to Abhishek Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan to Hrithik Roshan feature in some automobile endorsement or the other. But car maker Hyundai is rewriting the usual brand-celeb script with Shah Rukh Khan.

Khan is actually involved in the scripting, advertising and storyboard brainstorming for the i10 brand which he represents. His company Red Chillies is also making the new i10 commercial which will debut for the Diwali season starting October 8.

Speaking to ET Now , Shah Rukh Khan said: “Many of the companies I represent take feedback from me. I use these products...like the Hyundai cars...so I can give a creative suggestion. In most of the scripting and advertising I do take a very active call.”

The latest commercial for the i10 also included substantial inputs from the King Khan. “Normally for a commercial, the story and script is developed and decided by Hyundai and its advertising agency – Innocean ,” said the Hyundai spokesperson . “Once the story board is decided it is shared with SRK and at times he gives his inputs and suggestions about the production or dialogues so that it adds value to the entire script or story. For this particular ad also the same procedure was followed.”

The new i10 spot featuring SRK will highlight a fresh positioning twist for the car as a chic, urbane, stylish, reliable and desirable product . That positioning has also necessitated a tweak in the branding for Hyundai’s flagship Santro. “We are now positioning the Santro as a more family-oriented mass car which has its advantages like mileage, cost of ownership and trust of over 15 lakh customers,” says the Hyundai executive. Also, it is targeted towards tier 2 and tier 3 towns while the i10 is positioned as the most desirable compact car with primary target being young working couples; small nuclear families and more for urban use.

TAG Heuer renews its contract with Shah Rukh Khan

TAG Heuer, the world leader in luxury sports watches and chronographs, announced the renewal of its contract with Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai on Thursday with the launch of its Grand Carrera Calibre 36 RS2 Caliper Chronograph Ti2.

The Bollywood superstar, who began his association with the brand in 2003, is one of its longest-standing brand ambassadors worldwide.

“Shah Rukh Khan’s personality almost mirrors the brand’s values. His undying passion and eternal search for perfection and precision make him the perfect brand ambassador,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, President & CEO of the leading Swiss watch maker. He added, “Over the years, we have developed a deep affection for each other and it is with great pleasure that we announce an extension of this relationship. The soul of TAG Heuer is innovation, prestige, performance, precision, but above all there is passion. Passion is what inspires them and is what beats at the heart of every timepiece.”

Proud of the honour, Shah Rukh Khan said, “TAG Heuer was the first luxury watch that I ever bought with my own money. I remember the sense of achievement that I felt. I feel truly honoured to be associated with a brand that has such an unique and rich heritage and is one of the most prestigious brands in the world today.”

King Khan likes to hit it straight and simple

He says he hates wearing suits and ties, maths kills him and business is just too much work. But actor-entrepreneur Shah Rukh Khan has not done too badly for himself as an entertainer-businessman either. His business, Red Chillies, has grown from a small seven-heads mom-and-pop show to a production house that has diversified into every aspect of the entertainment business, from films to TV commercials, telly serials to special effects studio. And with the Kolkata Knight Riders, he has forayed into what he says will be the next big thing for India. “Typically, developing countries move from roti, kapda, makaan to entertainment and finally, sports... India is no longer developing and we are on the threshold of moving from entertainment to sports,” he says. “And I want to be there and be a part of it.”

In business as in entertainment, King Khan’s mantra is pretty much the same: Keep it basic and simple. That’s part of the reason why brand SRK has been so successful for so long. “I stand for entertainment,” he says. “Brand building stands for the basic truth your grandma told you... work hard, be simple, keep it simple, have fun and make the organisation feel it was value for money.”

That mantra extends to his business as well. For Khan, the business bottomline is simple: You can’t lose money with the king. “My first rule of business is I have to make sure you gain from the business,” he says. “When people say big star, King Khan etc, it’s a big burden... and I am like God. Now if they work with me and lose, it really sucks... you can’t lose with the king, can you?”

That positioning is backed by some smart marketing and even smarter PR. Tongue firmly in cheek, Khan says he’s not really as smart as people think he is. ”You become smart when you’re in trouble.” That’s what made him rope in some of the brands he endorses into films he makes like Om Shanti Om and the IPL team he owns. “I believed in IPL. It’s a great idea,” he says. “I explained the big picture to friends like Nokia and they came on board. I said no matter how well or badly my team plays, this is a winning idea.”

Of course, he’s very clear that it doesn’t pay to be a stand-up comedian for two people. “The first rule of entertainment is mass communication. You just have to get enough people in the room,” he says. That’s where marketing comes in — something that he has mastered with hits like Om Shanti Om. “You gotta market the film according to its nature to make it work,” he says. So, retro OSO was over the top and Chak De more subdued.

That marketer mantra helped sell KKR even though for both seasons it ended up at the bottom of the pile. The Knight Riders did not win too many games, but the team did not lose any money, breaking even and making profits from day one. “Yes, I read in The Economic Times that KKR is making money,” he says. “It’s like you make a flop film and you make money. It doesn’t make me happy. We made some bad decisions.... sports decisions. But I am gonna win this on the field. I won’t sell the team. This is the last year when we have a chance and we have to win. My children get depressed when we lose. If I hadn’t hurt myself, I’d start playing. I’d be a better coach, maybe. I’d give my Chak De speech. It would have worked... it worked with the girls.”

As a sportsman, he may be hurting that his team isn’t top of the IPL heap, but Khan is smart enough to realise that his business is all about Brand SRK. That’s the way of the entertainment world. “The entertainment business is all about personalities. You call it brand, I call it personality. In that way, it’s different from other products. Whether it’s Walt Disney, James Cameron, Quintin Tarantino... they have a personality and their films are an extension of that and that’s enter-tainment for people like me.” That’s probably why the old Red Chillies corner room also has King Khan written on the door. “It’s the king’s company, after all,” he jokes.

Building that brand in Bollywood may be his forte, but Khan isn’t a hands-on CEO. “I don’t need to run this company,” he says. “I don’t like cracking deals, power lunches, flying jetliners. I don’t sit on contracts... I am just the ideas guy.”

As Red Chillies grows from a 100-member team to 1,000 with a new office, “doing much better”, SRK sees himself more as the ideas per-son. “Red Chillies will have CEOs, COOs, CFOs, UFOs, FOs,” he jokes. “I hope they’ll give me a small room and say you’re the ideas guy... just do the ideas thing.”

For all his ideas spiel, what makes Khan, the CEO, tick is his paranoia. “It’s nice to travel first class, but I should be able to afford the tickets first,” he says. “So I work, work, work. I don’t count chickens or eggs. Maybe that’s why I am successful.” At Red Chillies too is work-round-the-clock. “Most of the businesses aren’t hugely profitable, but we break even. We keep things cheap and fast. But beyond breaking even and making profits, we have great fun doing it,” he says.

Shah Rukh opts to exit Jet board; shareholders give nod

Jet Airways on Monday said Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has not been re-appointed as a member on its board, after the actor expressed his unwillingness for a new term.

"Shah Rukh Khan, who retired by rotation at the meeting, had expressed his desire not to be re-appointed and he has not been appointed," Jet Airways said in statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The vacancy caused by the star's exit has not yet been filled, Jet said after its annual general meeting (AGM) held today.

Meanwhile, shareholders of the airline have approved the appointment of film producer and director Yash Raj Chopra and Victoriano P Dungca as directors of the company.

Other decisions taken during AGM included increasing the company's borrowing limit to up to Rs 17,500 crore and re-appointment of two chartered accountants-- Deloitte Haskins & Sells and Charturvedi & Shah as joint statutory auditors of the company.

High court admits income tax appeal against Shah Rukh

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday admitted an appeal filed by the Income Tax (IT) department against actor Shah Rukh Khan for the tax deductions allowed on his income earned as the brand ambassador for Swiss luxury watch company Omega.

The IT department had challenged an order of the Income Tax Apellete Tribunal (ITAT) passed in December 2008 allowing a tax exemption to Khan under section 80RR of the IT Act.

The section 80RR, refers to Indian authors, playwrights, artists, musicians, sportsmen and actors who receive income from foreign parties for their work. In such cases, under section 80RR 75% of the total income obtained from the foreign government is exempted from tax.

The Bollywood superstar had declared an income of close to Rs20 crore in the assessment year of 2002-03. This included the Rs29 lakh that he stated he had earned as Omega's brand ambassador. The tax liability on that income, according to the IT department, was Rs4.05 lakh.

The IT department had contested the decision of the ITAT stating that the tribunal did not examine whether Khan's income from Omega qualifies as "professional income," and instead of allowing the appeal filed by the actor against the IT department, the assessing officer should have been allowed to probe whether the Rs29 lakh that Omega paid Khan qualified for an exemption under section 80RR.

The actor had contended that modelling for various brands was a part of his profession as an actor and the income received thereby was his professional income.

In June, HC had admitted another appeal filed by the department against Khan where he had sought deductions under section 80RR on Rs19.43 lakh earned in 1998-99 from Jeanne Arthes Perfume for fragrances named after him.

The appeal will come before the court for final hearing in due course.

Exempt or not
The IT department had challenged an order of the Income Tax Apellete Tribunal (ITAT) passed in December 2008 allowing a tax exemption to Khan under section 80RR of the IT Act. The section 80RR, refers to Indian authors, playwrights, artists, musicians, sportsmen and actors who receive income from foreign parties for their work. In such cases, under section 80RR, 75% of the total income obtained from the foreign government is exempted from tax.

Shahrukh Khan set to launch Bipasha Basu as host in a show

"King Khan's" Red Chillies Entertainment production house is producing an American based reality show in India. The production house has signed Bipasha Basu for this as the host of the show.

The show will hit the floors from the next month. It is based on the concept of America's Next Top Model. A source reveals that the show will have a lot of women to participate who will compete for the title of the Best Model to get a chance to start their career in the modeling industry. Some minor changes will be made in the show as it is to the Indian audiences and the show will be called "The Female Model Hunt".

The source continued to say that this show in America has gained a lot of popularity and has one of the highest TRPs among the audiences. The American show was hosted by the former supermodel Tyra Banks.

In India, one will see model-turned-actress Bipasha Basu as the show host.

According to the sources, the show will have around nine to thirteen episodes and will start with 10-14 contestants. In each episode, one contestant will be eliminated. There will also be a bench of judges which is still under the process and they will be chosen from the modeling industry.

Khan to get off Jet

Shah Rukh Khan has decided to bail out of Jet Airways after a three-year stint as a non-executive director on the board of the loss-laden private airline.

Khan, who signed a multi-crore deal here today with FoxStar Studios for the distribution of his forthcoming movie My Name is Khan, has informed the airline that he won’t be able to stay on as a director on the board of the airline because of “other business commitments”.

The busy actor-producer has not attended a single board meeting in the past three years.

King Khan will not be seeking re-appointment as a director when shareholders meet to vote on resolutions at the annual general meeting in Mumbai on August 17.

The airline, which suffered a loss of Rs 402 crore last year, said it would not fill Khan’s vacancy on the 10-member board. The superstar had joined Jet Airways as an additional director on August 16, 2006, when the airline had the largest market share in the country.

At that time, Jet was going through a rough patch with its image battered after a Rs 2,200-crore deal to acquire Sahara Airlines had gone sour. The buzz was that Shah Rukh Khan’s presence on the board would add some glamour quotient to the Naresh Goyal-owned airlines’ battle-scarred image. Later, Jet acquired Sahara Airlines and renamed it JetLite.

Two other celebrities – film producer Yash Raj Chopra and writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar – are on the airlines’ board. Chopra had joined the board in April 2006 and will be seeking reappointment.

Under the regulations, directors have to seek their reappointment every three years. Akhtar has been a Jet director since 1993 and was re-appointed last year. Chopra and Akhtar have a better record as directors having attended seven and six board meetings respectively in 2008-09.

When Khan was elected as a director of the airline at the AGM in September 2006, he had told shareholders: “While it is true that I do not have the expertise in the airline business as other members of the board, I believe I can add value to the company and the shareholders with certain creative inputs.”

But Khan has been expanding his own business interests: he floated Red Chillies Entertainment with wife Gauri in 2002, became a part-owner of the IPL franchisee Kolkata Knight Riders, and established a film production company with Juhi Chawla and Aziz Mirza.

Although Khan hasn’t received any sitting fees from Jet Airways while missing board meetings, the airline has been reasonably generous with other payments.

A quick glance through annual reports reveal that in 2008-09, Jet paid Rs 1.70 crore as production cost for television advertisements to a company in which Khan was a director.

In 2007-08, the airline paid Rs 1.63 crore as an advance against production of television ads to a company in which Khan was a director. In 2006-07, Khan earned a commission of Rs 3.3 lakh.

Prithvi Haldea, chairman and managing director of Prime Database, says celebrities as independent directors bring glamour to a company’s board, but their knowledge of balancesheets and Sebi regulations is very limited.

Prime maintains a database of every director on the board of listed companies, which is hosted on the website of the Bombay Stock Exchange.

“They may add value to the company by bringing in more business. However, a director’s primary role is to improve the interests of a minority shareholder and this is beyond their realm,” Haldea added.

Shahrukh Khan defaults Income Tax

The Income Tax department has dragged Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan to the Bombay High Court. The case relates to King Khan's foreign earnings as the brand ambassador for Swiss luxury giant Omega. The department appealed against the December 2008 order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) which had allowed Shahrukh’s appeal over a tax deduction dispute.

Shahrukh had declared an income of almost Rs 20 Crores, including Rs 29 lakh as foreign income as the brand ambassador of Omega brand for the financial year 2002-03. The IT however says that the foreign expenses related to this income have to be calculated and under no circumstance is Shahrukh eligible for tax deduction as claimed by him under Section 80RR of Income Tax Act.


This is not the first time that the IT Department has dragged the superstar to the court. A few moths back the department claimed that Shahrukh owed a sum of Rs 19.43 lakh for the return he filed in 1998-99. Interestingly on that occasion too the case related to his foreign income from Jeanne Arthes Perfume which had named a perfume after him.

SRK with Chow - Mouw

What’s SRK doing with two green creatures who look as though they’ve come from a sci-fi movie?

Well, the two green ‘creatures’ are Chouw and Mouw. And they are part of the revamp of the logo of Videocon, one of India’s foremost electronics brands.

The trademark V of the logo has undergone a ‘green’ change. Those of you who watch TV would have already seen the commercial — that of two green characters intermingling to ultimately form the V of Videocon. But though the animated clip looks kinda cute, creating it was not so simple, if the brain behind the clip, adman Prasoon Joshi, is to be believed.

“What we have done is divide the logo into two units, and make characters out of them — called Chouw and Mouw. Chouw is the kind-hearted one and Mouw the more mischievous one. And together, they send out the message that if you put your heart and mind together, anything can be achieved,” says Prasoon.
But why did the brand feel the need for the change? Was Prasoon clued in to that? Says Prasoon, “The logo needed more energy. So we energised it by giving it a more modern look. Green is the colour of the future. The logo also has a liquefied, fluid-like feel to it. It gives the feeling that the company is on the move and can take any shape and form.”

And the unveiling of the new logo was also done in style — though not with much fanfare. Chouw and Mouw were flown all the way to San Francisco, because the Videocon brand ambassador, Shah Rukh Khan, was there — shooting for Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan. And there, on an abandoned petrol pump, a little removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, King Khan unveiled the new logo with just the crew members on the sets, and Chouw and Mouw watching him. Khan, who was pretty touched by the whole effort, said, “My best wishes to Chouw and Mouw. As an actor, I continuously try and reinvent myself to stay connected with my audience. I am delighted to be associated with Videocon, a thinking company that is taking this step to underline and further strengthen its relationship with the consumers.”

But was SRK involved in the creative process? “He is the brand ambassador and he will be seen in the new campaigns very soon. But for now, the new V is the star,” says Prasoon. SRK signs off with, “I am sure Chouw and Mouw will capture millions of hearts and create smiles across the world.”