SRK mends bridges with Manoj Kumar

Signaling the end of the bitter war that ensued between Shah Rukh Khan and yesteryear actor Manoj Kumar with the release of Om Shanti Om in 2007, Shah Rukh visited Manoj recently and spent nearly four hours with him.

He shared some light moments with Manoj’s grandchildren too. Shah Rukh also went to enquire after the health of Manoj’s ailing mother-in-law, Savita Devi, who is SRK’s late mother’s good friend.

Says Manoj, “Look, there wasn’t ever an epic war between us that we wouldn’t meet again. He made a mistake and apologised for it. My 94-year-old mother-in-law had to be recently operated upon, and Shah Rukh wanted to meet her. My mother-in-law used to make khakras for Gandhiji. She is a former MP from Congress and Shah Rukh’s mother was a social worker, that’s how they met.”

Ask him more about the visit and Manoj continues, “Shah Rukh asked me why I was not making films anymore. I asked him what his problem was if I don’t make any and just rest at home. We joked about it. It was nice to meet him, I hardly interact with present day stars. I’ve just spoken to Aamir Khan over phone. And imagine, I haven’t met Salman since the last 19 years, despite his father, Salim Khan, being one of my closest friends.”

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.

Manoj Kumar’s congratulatory message to SRK!

When Shah Rukh’s last film Om Shanti Om released, yesteryear actor Manoj Kumar was furious with him, and threatened to sue him for spoofing him in the film.

But on Friday when SRK starrer releases, the senior actor was the first one to call him and congratulate him on his performance in Rab Ne Bana De Jodi.

SRK was pleasantly surprised with Manoj Kumar called on him on the morning of his film’s release. The actor told King Khan that his wife Shashi had seen the film at a 9 am show and now they were going to watch the film again.

Kumar has not seen the film yet but he plans to do so this week. Manoj made it a point to tell SRK that the film will be a bigger success than Om Shanti Om.

Manoj Kumar confirms, “My wife saw the movie and completely loved it. Due to some issues, I couldn’t go with her. The moment my wife entered home, she couldn’t stop praising the movie. We called up SRK and congratulated him on the movie. My wife blessed him. I saw it on television and saw the huge profit it has made, even after the recession and depression the country is going through, the cinema houses are going house-full.”

He reveals that he would go watch the film later today and adds, “SRK and I share good relations and I am extremely happy for him. My wife loved his Suri character and complimented him on his sweet look.”

Shah Rukh Khan’s RNBDJ has done a smashing business worldwide of around 63 crores gross in the first three days of its release. The film’s stupendous success can be easily attributed to the overseas market alone. The film is said to touch the $200 million mark overseas. According to trade analyst, “It will be a bigger hit than Shah Rukh’s earlier Om Shanti Om and even bigger than this year’s biggest hit Singh Is Kinng.”

Manoj Kumar continues his demented drive against SRK

Veteran actor Manoj Kumar wants his pound of flesh.

On Tuesday, Kumar filed two more cases, one for defamation and the other for cheating, against actor Shah Rukh Khan, his production house director and wife Gauri Khan and film director Farah Khan for ridiculing him in Om Shanti Om, which released last year.

On August 8, the veteran actor won his first battle when a sessions court imposed a conditional stay on telecast of the film saying it would not be shown on television unless the scene that Kumar had objected to is deleted.

Kumar’s advocate Ashok Sarogi said they have demanded Re 1 as damages in the defamation suit as “the reputation of Kumar is invaluable and priceless”.

In the application, Kumar had stated that he objected to the manner in which he was portrayed in Om Shanti Om. He had contented that a scene in which a character allegedly modeled on him — shown trying to enter a theatre but thrashed and driven away by the security personnel — had undermined his public image.

The defamation suit will come up for hearing before the Dindoshi sessions court on August 18, while the cheating case will be heard on August 22.

Kumar had filed the suit against Shah Rukh-owned Red Chillies Productions and Gauri for not keeping their promise of deleting the scene, despite assurances at the time of its release that the said scene would be deleted.

Kumar’s application had stated that after its release, when he had raised objections, filmmaker Yash Chopra — who was mediating between Farah and Kumar — had tendered an apology on their behalf and assured that the scene would be deleted.

Kumar, in his application, said the telecast of the movie would harm his reputation greatly as more people watched films at home then in cinema halls.

Besides, Kumar had also sought the court’s intervention to remove the ‘offensive’ scenes from the VCDs and DVDs.

Vignesh Iyer, Hindustan Times

'OSO' on the chopping block

Court asks 'OSO' maker to delete scene on Manoj Kumar.

A sessions court today directed 'Om Shanti Om' producer Shah Rukh Khan and director Farah Khan to delete the scene ridiculing veteran actor Manoj Kumar before telecasting the film on Sony Entertainment Television on August 10.

Court upheld Kumar's application seeking either a stay to the telecast or deletion of the scene in which Shah Rukh had played a spoof on him.

Sahara Samay

Manoj Kumar drags SRK to court

Yesteryear actor Manoj Kumar on Tuesday filed a case against actor Shah Rukh Khan, Producer and Director Farah Khan and Sony Entertainment Television seeking to delete a scene from the movie Om Shanti Om .

Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan had earlier assured Kumar that the scene, which makes fun of him, would be deleted from the movie.

However, this did not happen and the movie was screened in all theatres without the deletion of the scene.

Kumar has now approached the Sessions Court seeking a stay on the telecast of the movie, which is to be aired on August 10 on Sony Entertainment Television.

The matter will come up for hearing on Wednesday.

SRK, Farah have not 'honoured' their promise: Manoj Kumar

The controversy over spoof on veteran actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar in Bollywood hit movie "Om Shanti Om" could return to haunt its actor Shah Rukh Khan as Kumar has accused him of "betrayal of trust" by not honouring his 'promise' of deleting the sequence from the movie.

"Shah Rukh had promised to delete the scene from the film when I objected. So many months have passed and he has not honoured his promise. This is nothing but betrayal of trust," Manoj Kumar told PTI here today.

The veteran actor said he complained to filmmaker Yash Chopra about it because it was Chopra who had brought Shah Rukh and director Farah Khan to his house.

SRK and Farah had aplogised to Manoj Kumar and assured him that the scene would be deleted, the noted actor pointed out.

"I have told Yash Chopra about it. This is the only thing I can do," he said while denying reports in a section of the media that he plans to file a defamation suit against the Bollywood superstar.

In a spoof in 'Om Shanti Om', Om, a junior artiste played by SRK, gains entry to a movie premier imitating Manoj Kumar.

When the real Manoj Kumar (a body double of the actor) comes, he is beaten up by security guards.

Moreover, the photograph on his driving license shown by the 'real' Manoj Kumar to the guards is in the actor's trade mark style of covering the face with his hand.

Press Trust Of India

I'm not bothered about Manoj Kumar: Farah Khan

Director-choreographer Farah Khan has sought to bring the curtain down on a raging controversy over the depiction of Bollywood veteran Manoj Kumar in her film Om Shanti Om, saying she isn't "bothered" about him any more.

"I am not bothered about him anymore," said Farah over the phone when asked for her reaction to Manoj Kumar's decision to file a case against her over his portrayal in the 2007 blockbuster.

Manoj Kumar had told a media outlet he would be filing a case against the makers of Om Shanti Om as they have not kept the promise of deleting the scenes that mock him.

He had said that he gave the nod to the film because of the intervention of the legendary director Yash Chopra who had mediated talks between him, Farah and Shah Rukh Khan, who starred in the movie.

Manoj said all of them had mutually agreed that the objectionable scenes would be deleted but this was not done.

On being asked if the scene was shot keeping in mind the artistic liberty of the film industry, the offended actor had said: "I had studied in school that liberty is the undying passion of the mind and one cannot use it to humiliate others. This is an insult to Indian nationalism and patriotism."

Manoj Kumar had taken objection to the scene in which his younger double was shown being beaten up by the police outside a movie theatre since they could not recognize him.

He had also objected to another scene in which Shah Rukh delivered a mock "Thank you" speech in a drunken state and concluding by saying he was Manoj Kumar.

NDTV

Manoj Kumar's childish act once again

After raising a storm last November for the clownish way he was projected in Shah Rukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om, Kumar is now considering legal action. This despite Yash Chopra having brokered peace with the aggrieved Kumar by taking a repentant SRK and director Farah Khan to his residence last year for a patch-up.

Kumar’s peeve now is that he was assured that the objectionable portion in the film would be deleted, but that hasn’t happened. So he’s left with no choice but to think of approaching lawyers for legal recourse.

“Yash Chopra did come to my place with Shah Rukh and others. I made them feel comfortable and didn’t even give them a chance to apologise. It was a delightful atmosphere. They said that portion would be deleted, but they haven’t kept their word. It was Yash’s responsibility since he brought them over. I called him yesterday and he said he was in London,” Kumar told BT.

The actor and filmmaker said he’s okay with the scene where they’ve shown the man playing him hiding his face. “But when he’s seated at the premiere how can the police not recognise him and beat him up? Today if Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan enter a premiere will they be beaten up by the police,” complained Kumar.

But considering Om Shanti Om is a fun film, shouldn’t he be more liberal and take the comic scene in his stride? “I’m a good actor, I’m a bad actor, a good filmmaker or a bad filmmaker, you can voice your opinion. But you can’t do this. You can’t hit below the belt. As per our constitution, a film can’t have something like this. Kisi zinda aadmi ka mazaak nahin uda sakte hain. First they make fun and second they don’t even keep their word. That’s upsetting,” he grumbled, adding, “I’m not Mahatma Gandhi!”


Roshni Olivera, Times Of India

SRK, Farah visit Manoj Kumar

By now its general knowledge that Manoj Kumar aka Mr. Bharat raised an objection stating that he was very deeply hurt with his portrayal in the latest blockbuster Om Shanti Om. And rumors had it that he had demanded the said scene to be deleted from the film.

Needless to say that one cannot expect anything but the unexpected from the King Khan. The current status is that SRK and Farah Khan had called press conference to publicly apologize to Manoj Kumar. Meanwhile Mr. Bharat, it seems that, wanted SRK to call on him personally and lend his apology, which was not happening, all thanks to the King Khan’s choc-a-bloc schedules.

That’s when Yash ‘Mr Romance’ Chopra, himself decided to play the mediator between the two by calling Manoj Kumar on Tuesday night amidst his dinner and said that he wanted to drop by, without divulging any further details. Manoj Kumar’s joys knew no bounds when he saw SRK along with his better half, Gauri and Farah accompanying Yash Chopra! SRK soon played the ‘real-life’ Raj of DDLJ and in no time all of them were happy with the outcome of the family re-union!

In the meanwhile, Farah has gone on record to say that Manoj Kumar’s scenes won't be chopped off from Om Shanti Om.

As the dialogue from the film goes “Aakhir mein sab kuch thik hi ho jata hai…”

IndiaFM

It’s home, shanti, home!

All’s well that ends well. And there is no more hurt in veteran actor Manoj Kumar’s heart for the spoof on him in Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om.

Kumar, who had objected to these scenes, was unrelenting when Farah and Shah Rukh Khan himself apologised to him publicly in a press conference.

He reportedly wanted SRK to call on him and bury the hatchet. This was not happening because of Shah Rukh’s hectic schedule and string of commitments. And a bitter Kumar expressed his disappointment over the entire issue in the press once again. But, peace was made.

Kumar tells the story: “Yash Chopra played the mediator. I got a call from Yash on Tuesday night at dinner time asking for my address. He said he was in the neighbourhood and wanted to drop by. He didn’t say who was with him. So when my wife opened the door, we were pleasantly surprised to to see Gauri and Shah Rukh Khan, and Farah Khan, with Yash. It felt like a family reunion. We didn’t discuss anything that was bygone. Everybody makes mistakes, but when you realise them, more than half your mistake is pardoned. I don’t hold any grudges against anyone.”

According to the actor who has waved the Indian tricolour more than any politician in the country, the conversation revolved around Shah Rukh’s parents and Kumar’s mother-in-law who were all freedom fighters.

“His father worked closely with my mother-in-law. Even Shah Rukh’s mother was known to us,” said Kumar. The Bollywood Badshah then reminded Mr Bharat (as Manoj Kumar was known) that years ago he wanted to take some pictures with him. “It never happened, though,” said Kumar. “But in the hour they spent with us, Shah Rukh and Gauri clicked pictures with us. It was nice meeting him. He touched my feet. He may be my son’s age but I have a brotherly feeling towards him.”

Some sections of the press have unkindly said that the ageing actor used the Om Shanti Om issue to gain unnecessary publicity for himself.

An aggrieved Kumar retorted, “At this age, publicity this doesn’t matter. What matters is respect from people. We have earned it. And I am glad Shah Rukh belongs to that generation which respects elders. God bless him.” He had one regret, however. “Gauri and Farah, who is pregnant, came to our house and we couldn’t give them any shagun. Never mind, just as our doors are open for Shah Rukh and Gauri, the doors of Mannat will be open to us. My wife and I can go there anytime. And we will not forget to carry the shagun .”

Afsana Ahmed, TNN

Manoj Kumar might sue SRK

In spite of a public apology, Manoj Kumar says he has been humiliated enough to still consider a legal action against Shah Rukh Khan.

Despite the fact that SRK along with Farah Khan had publicly apologised to Manoj Kumar for having spoofed him in ‘Om Shanti Om’, the veteran actor is still seething with anger.

Kumar was upset with the production team for having shown him in a bad light and not even having been informed about it. However, SRK quickly threw a press conference to apologise and also promised to visit the actor, but according to Manoj Kumar he has not kept his promise.

“Shah Rukh announced that he will be visiting my place. But over the weekend, no one has come home, except some police
personnel, who had stationed themselves outside my house in case he comes.”

Manoj Kumar says he is not demanding a personal apology, “I am not here to beg for anything. If he has committed a crime, he should realise that he has to personally apologise to me. In my 50 years of work, I have never held a press conference or hired a PR person. I have been extremely tolerant, but if someone hits me below the belt, it is unpardonable.” “They have shown in the movie that I have been lathi charged at my premiere. Could Bombay police hit a known star in such a public place? It is like saying that anybody can be Shah Rukh Khan’s imposter and the real SRK can be lathi charged for trying to enter the premiere of his own movie. How can I accept such humiliation?” he says.

“I am not a man of litigation. But if there is no response from that side, I might take some action according to my solicitor’s advice,” Kumar adds.

Shah Rukh Khan was unavailable for comment.

DNAindia.com

Protests Outside SRK's Home

Shiv Sena activists on Sunday raised slogans against film actor Shahrukh Khan for insulting yesteryear's actor Manoj Kumar in his film "Om Shanti Om".

They raised slogans outside Khan's house in Bandra and demanded that the offensive sequence in the film be deleted.

Earlier, Kumar's lawyer had said the veteran actor was contemplating legal action against the makers of "Om Shanti Om", as he was angry over a sequence in the film in which he has been shown being thrashed by policemen outside a theatre.

However, later Khan, who is the co-producer of the film, apologised to the actor and movie director Farah Khan offered to delete the offending scene.

DNAindia.com

"I'll go tomorrow with Farah and personally apologise to him" - SRK

Shah Rukh Khan's Diwali blockbuster Om Shanti Om not only created fireworks at the box office but also managed to spark the anger of a veteran actor Manoj Kumar.

Manoj Kumar is one of the many stars from the 70s era who have been spoofed in the film. After the actor threatened legal action for the spoof he believes to be done in bad taste, both Shah Rukh Khan and director Farah Khan have come out with an instantaneous apology

Although the film maker maintains that the comic scene in the movie was meant as a tribute, Manoj Kumar is not happy. He is angry because of the way he has been spoofed in the film.

In Om Shanti Om, a Manoj Kumar lookalike doesn’t get to enter the premiere of a film and even gets beaten up by the police.

He says, “Manoj Kumar who is a citizen of India has been shot in the heart. Someone who was made an icon by the Indian masses has been insulted and mocked at. I think more than legal action, moral action has more importance”.

Interestingly, Manoj Kumar hasn’t seen the film yet. Director Farah Khan is sure that once he watches the film he will enjoy it. She also says that it was never the intention to disrespect the veteran actor.

Speaking to CNN-IBN, the director justified, “I really wasn’t expecting this kind of a reaction because I thought that it was very sweet and done with a lot of love rather than any kind of malice so I was a bit taken aback in the morning.

Shah Rukh added, “I quickly called him up. I apologised to him. I’ll go tomorrow with Farah and personally apologise to him, show him the film and in case he does not like it, we’ll remove the scene, I’ll stop the film.

I would never like the wonderfulness that we’ve got with Om Shanti Om this week to be at the cost of anybody being hurt”.

The film also has a comic take on many other actors and filmmakers from 70s, current generation of Bollywood and even a hilarious spoof on South Indian films.

Watch the video


IBNlive.com