I think CHAK DE! is SRK's best performance till date: Sunil Shetty

An Interview with Sunil Shetty

The mood of the nation is hockey and not cricket, courtesy CHAK DE! INDIA. Even Sunil Shetty, who is a cricket buff, feels so. Sunil, who was recently appointed official brand ambassador for hockey in the country, talks all about it and more.

When did u first learn that you were appointed the brand ambassador for hockey?
I learnt about it about two months back. I had okayed the papers. I have some friends in Bombay Customs who came to me and asked if I wanted to do something for hockey. They said that they had spoken to K P S Gill and he had mentioned that it would be great if I, being a sportsman and an active athlete, would be able to do it.

How do you feel about it?
I am very proud to be associated with hockey which has brought us more national glory than cricket. Except for the World Cup in ’83 and a few heroes like Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, can we talk about anything else in cricket?

You had okayed the papers before CHAK DE! released?
Yes… but I say that the actual brand ambassador of hockey should be Shah Rukh Khan and nobody else. See CHAK DE! And you will know what I am talking.

Did you like CHAK DE!?
I loved it. I messaged Shah Rukh about it. Then I saw it once more. And I liked it even more. I think CHAK DE! is SRK’s best performance till date.

Did SRK reply back?
Yes. He always does. He and I are pretty close.

There is a school of thought that if LAGAAN can go to the Oscars, why not CHAK DE!?
I endorse on that. What a patriotic film, and that without shouting any slogans! I think that the film is also a slap on the cricket selectors that they should start looking beyond their respective states.

Being the hockey brand ambassador, what will you be required to do?
I will certainly have to give time and I am willing to do that. It will require me to travel and be present at the major hockey matches which India plays, shoot a national feel song for them and talk about the game wherever possible. Also, I would invite some of my Bollywood colleagues to come over and be a part of it as and when they can.

Are you aware about the technicalities of hockey?
Look, I have not been appointed as the coach. My job is something else. Like today, my friend Akash Gupta of Air Hostess Academy has agreed to sponsor the forthcoming Glorious Cup between India and Pakistan which begins on September 11.

Source: GlamSham

Shah Rukh should be the Hockey Ambassador, not me: Suniel Shetty

Suniel is currently confused about being appointed the brand ambassador for hockey. "It was an awesome experience to be given the responsibility to revive the game. I may be a right choice. But after seeing Chak De I think Shah Rukh Khan is a much better choice for representing hockey for the country. I saw the film twice. And I'm completely bowled over by Shah Rukh's performance. He could play anything. But he chooses to play this serious troubled hockey coach. I think Shah Rukh has his stardom for a good 50 years more. Chak De proves it."

Suniel feels he's the wrong choice to endorse hockey. "I seriously want them to reconsider my appointment. I mean, there I was being appointed brand ambassador for the game while Shah Rukh is bringing hockey back into favour like nobody's business."

Source: IndiaFM

An encounter between teams of Shah Rukh Khan and Sunil Shetty

Come September 11, Chandigarh will witness an absorbing feast of hockey featuring an encounter between teams of Shah Rukh Khan and Sunil Shetty.

Shah Rukh’s team India will take on a team of Bollywood and TV stars in an exhibition game after Asian hockey giants India and Pakistan play a friendly game at the Sector 42 hockey stadium the same evening.

This unusual hockey gala event featuring top stars and the entire cast of “Chak De India” is the brainchild of Sunil Shetty, the game ambassador of the Indian Hockey Federation.

India and Pakistan will field their full strength teams here.

The sports department of the Chandigarh administration has agreed to make available the flood-lit stadium for the night-long event.

The event has been planned to coincide with the holding of the Asia Cup Hockey Championship for men in Chennai. The Asia Cup concludes on September 9. Both India and Pakistan teams will then travel to Chandigarh for the friendly game, to be followed by the exhibition match.

To make the event more colourful and entertaining, some prominent singers, including Punjabi folk singers, will also perform.

“It will be an evening dedicated to hockey, fun and entertainment,” says Hardeep Singh Sandhu, a Mumbai-based hockey player and a member of the organising team.

There will be no entry fee for the event, which will continue late at night.

The proceeds from the event, which will only come through sponsorship and TV coverage, will go toward promoting hockey at the grassroots.

Sources reveal that movie stars, who have no shooting on the day such promotional hockey events are organised, will participate without charging any fee.

Source: TheTribuneChandigarh

Shah rukh Khan and Suniel Shetty are set to lead a nationwide movement professing their support for Sanjay Dutt

Mumbai, Aug 3: While the news of a Sanjay Dutt fan having sacrificed his fingers for the actor comes trailing in, friends Shah Rukh Khan and Suniel Shetty are set to lead a nationwide movement professing their support for him.

It is not surprising how every person in the industry, who knows Sanjay Dutt, has been personally affected by the verdict against the actor. A lot of them feel that the affable and child-like actor didn’t deserve this harsh a punishment However, while a lot of them are happy with just going tut-tut, close friends like Shah Rukh Khan and Suniel Shetty have apparently decided to gear up and take some action.

According to sources, the two actors have decided to mobilise not only people from the industry but also those from all walks of life. According to a source, “Everyone who knows Sanju is upset with the verdict. It is too harsh. Shah Rukh and Suniel are in constant talks as to how they can help the cause. They have decided to launch a huge movement throughout the country, taking help from different unions, associations and people. A lot of the common people are also feeling that Sanjay should have been shown a little more leniency.”

Apparently, Suniel has already spoken to the hotel association and rickshaw unions, soliciting their support for Sanjay and they have agreed. The buzz is that the actors will also draft a petition, which will be signed by many prominent people in the city. When contacted, Suniel refused to divulge any details. However, he said, “We have to do something for Sanju. Just wait and watch!”

Source: DNA