Shah Rukh Khan MNIK cut 35 minutes for US, releasing May 7!

Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol starrer Karan Johar’s blockbuster flick ‘My Name Is Khan’, which is due for a US release on May 7, has become 35 minutes shorter after Hollywood editor Alan Edward Bell of ‘500 Days of Summer’ fame edited it of hurricane sequence for the US audience.

The reputed editor of Hollywood considered the hurricane sequence unnecessary addition but kept the Hindi song and dance numbers in the film intact. In fact, he took the view that these song and dance numbers should be kept in the film as they highlighted the uniqueness of bollywood flicks.

Sources close to production house say that Alan Bell felt that the hurricane sequences of Wilhelmina town in the US would only irritate the American audience who were fully aware of the reality and would instantly recognize that it was not their town. In fact, Karan Johar had shot that particular sequence not in the US but in the Film City studio in Mumbai, and he knew from the very beginning that it was not up to the mark

Karan Johar roped in Allan Beal to edit the American version of ‘My Name Is Khan,’ as he wanted it to be finalized from the US audience’s point of view without any interference from any quarters.

‘My Name Is Khan’ in its new US avatar will have subtitles and voiceover in English for the benefit of audiences there. However, the flick will continue to be in Hindi language, as the original was, to keep its magic intact.

Shah Rukh Khan plays the character of Rizwan Khan, who is suffering from the Asperger’s syndrome. The US authorities mistook his condition and arrest him for being a Khan. The movie shows the trauma of being a Muslim in the US after the bombing of New York by suspected terrorists.

My Name Is Khan sets new all-time record for SRK

'My Name Is Khan' has set A new all-time career record for Shah Rukh Khan becoming the Bollywood actor's top-grossing film in North America with total sales of USD 3,635,000 after 17 days of release.

The film surpassed Khan's old record of USD 3,597,372 for 'Om Shanti Om' and continues to play in 119 theaters across the US and Canada in its third week of play, said a statement issued by the film's promoters in North America.

On February 22, after only 11 days of release, 'My Name Is Khan' also became the highest grossing film ever for director Karan Johar beating the USD 3,275,444 of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna which starred Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta, and Abhishek Bachchan.

In North America, My Name Is Khan was distributed by Fox Searchlight and marketed by Box Office Guru.

Shortened version of 'MNIK' to release in US

This summer, My Name Is Khan (MNIK) will be playing for a non-NRI audience in theatres across the US. The version of MNIK that American audiences will get to see will be different from the one released so far in India and overseas for NRI audiences.

Confirms Shah Rukh Khan, “Yes, we are cutting down the length of the film for the American audience. Their requirements are different from the traditional audience for Hindi cinema. We’re in this way extending the life span of a Hindi film with first a worldwide release for Indian audiences and then phased out releases for non-Indian audiences.”

Says the film director Karan Johar, “Yes, the version for Americans will be shorter though not radically different. We’ve left the American version’s editing to the film’s editor Deepa Bhatia. She understands what would be palatable to American audiences. She has edited films for everyone, from me to Govind Nihalani.”

Karan admits it’s not the songs nor the length that will determine the shape and size of the American version of MNIK. “The first thing we heard from the American market is that they love the songs. So the songs stay. Deepa Bhatia is looking at what to remove.”

My Name Is Khan receives positive reviews from US media

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'My Name Is Khan', which hit as many as 119 theaters in the US and Canada has received some great reviews from American mainstream media.

"At its best 'My Name Is Khan,' set mainly in America, is an affecting fairy tale about the perils of goodness," said The New York Times in its review of the movie.

"Khan' is one of a handful of Hindi films ('New York,' 'Kurbaan') about Indians living in a paranoid, post-9/11 America, and there's something fascinating about looking at this country through a Bollywood lens, even when the story is a kind of fairy tale," the daily said.

"Skillfully directed by Karan Johar and with an evocative score by Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy, 'Khan' jerks tears with ease, while teaching lessons about Islam and tolerance," The New York Times added.

One of the most noted film magazines in US, Variety, in its review, said, "This riotously overstuffed and enormously enjoyable drama races forward with incredible drive."

Terming MNIK as "a sweeping epic in the melodramatic Bollywood manner", The Los Angeles Times said the movie emerges as a potent, engaging and timely entertainment.

'My Name Is Khan' is a potent, energetic heart-tugger and Khan and Kajol, major Bollywood stars, are highly appealing and equal to the demand of their emotion-charged roles," the daily said in its review of the movie.

Shahrukh Khan to shoot superhero film in Miami

Actor Shahrukh Khan is reportedly set to arrive in Miami the first week of January for two months of shooting for his next film, RA-1, an action flick in which Khan will play a superhero.

The choice of location comes as a surprise since Khan said last August that he wasn’t eager to return to the U.S. after he was detained and questioned by immigration officials at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey while he was en route to an Indian independence celebration in Chicago. Khan, who is Muslim, was also visiting the U.S. to promote his upcoming film, My Name is Khan, which is about racial profiling of Muslims in the U.S. The incident made headlines worldwide and outraged many Indians.

My Name is Khan is expected to release in February, when the actor will presumably be in the U.S.

Time for America to ban racial profiling

Editor's note: Chandra Bhatnagar is a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's Human Rights Program and principal author of "The Persistence of Racial and Ethnic Profiling in the United States," recently submitted to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Earlier this month, one of the biggest movie stars in the world was flying from Newark, New Jersey, to Chicago, Illinois, when he was allegedly pulled out of a security line and questioned and detained for over 1½ hours, apparently because of his Muslim name.

Bollywood megastar Shahrukh Khan is adored around the world, with an estimated fan base of 3.5 billion people. His fame merited a wax figure at Madam Tussauds in London, England.

Khan had come to the United States to participate in Indian Independence Day events in Chicago.

What is significant about Khan's experience is not simply that it happened. Indeed, prominent Indian travelers including former Indian president Abdul Kalam and Indian Nobel laureate Amartya Sen have also been victims of racial profiling at airports, and countless other Indian and other South Asian travelers (be they Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, or Christian) have been subjected to similar forms of profiling and scrutiny.

What makes Khan's case particularly stinging, however, is that he had just completed filming "My Name is Khan," a movie that deals with discrimination against Muslims in the United States in the post-9/11 environment. Yet, there he was, a famous movie star, experiencing a poignant example of life imitating art imitating life.

Internationally, and particularly in India, the Shahrukh Khan incident has generated a lot of attention and anger. Khan is a symbol of Indian national pride. The indignity he suffered is emblematic of the insults faced by countless other Indian and South Asian travelers, and has led to demonstrations and burnings of U.S. flags in protest.

However, the Khan case provides a chance for American society to re-examine the breadth and depth of racial profiling, its impact on minority communities in the United States, and its harm to America's reputation around the world.

-- CNN

Can Shah Rukh Khan Wake Up America

The Shah Rukh Khan controversy about his mistreatment at a US airport rages on, it has opened up new perspectives. One of them is of PR guru Dale Bhagwagar who has handled the media relations for some of the biggest names in Bollywood, including controversy queens like Priyanka Chopra, Shilpa Shetty and Sherlyn Chopra.

The public relations expert recalls, "When Shilpa Shetty faced racial discrimination, the whole of UK rallied behind her. I was her publicist then and was overwhelmed with UK journalists calling me in Mumbai just to ascertain facts, while Shilpa faced Jade Goody's onslaughts in the Celebrity Big Brother house."

But when Shah Rukh Khan has alleged community discrimination at a US airport, even many Indians are calling it a 'publicity stunt' for the promotion of Karan Johar's 'My Name Is Khan'. "Not fair," says the PR man. Would King Khan need a publicist like Dale to get things moving in his favour and make people understand that this is not a stunt?

Though the PR specialist feels it's doubtful this controversy is a stunt, he points out, "at least, the incident exposes the continuous discrimination towards Muslims in America and gives hope to so many people around the world, seeking a life of respect. If you still want to call it a stunt; then call it a stunt with a cause!"

Indeed, Shah Rukh Khan has raised a voice which so many throughout the world are identifying with. It's only a matter of time (or maybe, with the right kind of PR) when it will be heard in the right 'perspective'.

Pak-American group criticizes USA for King Khan detention

A Pakistani-American group has criticized US authorities for detaining famous Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan at Newark International airport last week.

A statement issued by the Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC) said that after the 9/11 terror attacks 'lawful' Muslim travelers were being unnecessarily subjected to 'unfair' inspections and interrogations.

"Since the terrorist attacks, lawful Muslim travelers have extensively been subjected to unfair inspections, intrusive secondary searches, excessive questioning based on their names and ethnicity," The Nation quoted the statement, as saying.

"The PAKPAC believes that profiling people based on their race, religion, and origin is wrong and not the appropriate use of resources," the statement added.

It said that the PAKPAC has already brought to attention the futility of interrogation procedures at US airports during various meetings with the Transport Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security officials.

Heat on SRK was because of scanner on Bollywood shows

WASHINGTON: The US Customs and Border Protection's extra scrutiny of megastar Shah Rukh Khan was triggered by Bollywood's showbiz having come
under the scanner of law enforcement authorities and intelligence agencies for dodgy financial transactions and alleged underworld links.

Khan was questioned closely by CBP agents on his arrival at Newark's Liberty International Airport last week with emphasis on ascertaining his local US contacts and engagements, an episode that caused an uproar in India, mainly in elite circles. It transpires that Khan was visiting the US primarily for Bollywood shows in Chicago and Houston promoted by brothers Farhath Hussain and Altaf Hussain, with few other local promoters, some of whom are on the radar of authorities in UK, US and India.

Although there was no red flag against Shah Rukh Khan's name itself, it was his local contacts which triggered off the alert, accorded to sources who asked not to be identified. The situation was compounded by the non-arrival of his baggage from London, a particularly sensitive station in American eyes.

US intelligence agencies have long been leery of a possible terrorist attack by Islamist extremists from a city dubbed Londonistan, particularly since British passport holders do not need a visa to enter the United States.

Farhath Hussain is a London-based businessman who modestly describes himself as the "world's Number One promoter of Bollywood shows, a showbiz impresario extraordinaire." His brother Altaf Hussain is a Chicago-based businessman in the gas station industry who founded the Lake County South Asian Entertainment Inc. to tap into the Bollywood showbiz market in US after the eclipse of Vijay Taneja, a former Indian partner whose founded a company called Elite Entertainment.

According to an industry insider, Farhath Hussain and Vijay Taneja had divvied up Bollywood shows in Europe and the US between then for many years. Both had promoted shows featuring Shah Rukh Khan and a number of other Bollywood stars. But Taneja was convicted in a massive mortgage fraud in the Washington DC area last year and sentence to seven years in the clink, allowing brothers Hussain to capture US territory.

Incidentally, the Chicago-based Altaf Hussain bears the same name as the London-based leader of Pakistan's Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) party, another possible trigger for the CBP red flag. That Altaf Hussain, a key player in Pakistani politics who is frequently accused of sectarian violence (most notably by Imran Khan) was a cab-driver in Chicago before he eventually returned to Pakistan to found MQM to represent Mohajir interests.

Taneja invested some of his ill-gotten wealth in Bollywood extravaganzas, including producing a movie starring Himmesh Reshammiya titled "Aap ka Suroor." He was $ 77 million in debt when he declared bankruptcy, a step which led to an investigation into his financial shenanigans which destroyed the lives of many home-owners in suburban Washington.

Taneja is currently in prison outside Philadelphia, serving out his sentence even as the Hussain brothers are taking over Bollywood tours in US. Farhath Hussain was till recently managed Shilpa Shetty's engagements in UK but they are now said to have fallen out, but showbiz insiders credit him with widespread connections in the industry, including with many financiers, which enable him to attract top stars for his US road shows. They said Shah Rukh Khan himself was above board, being a mere pawn in the game, even though he was an acknowledged top draw commanding high fees.

US officials declined to go into the specifics of the Shah Rukh Khan episode citing law enforcement sensitivities. "A lot of stuff we discuss with passenger we can't reveal because of privacy rules," CBP spokesman Elmer Camacho told ToI, while maintaining that the actor was treated with due professional courtesy and the process had not taken two hours as claimed.

Comacho also pointed out the actor himself had reeled back from some of the initial comments and acknowledged that the CBP was following a laid-down procedure. Phone numbers listed for brothers Hussain and other promoters of the "South Asia Carnival" went to mailboxes which were full. Messages left to their associate Monty Syed were not returned.

Meanwhile, sources who spoke to ToI described a complex web of financial transactions around Bollywood shows in the west, involving layers of players. At the top of the rung are promoters in Mumbai, who sold shows to overseas players such as Farhath Hussain and Vijay Taneja. These guys in turn sold the shows to local promoters in European and US cities, who banked on ticket sales and retail advertisers to recoup the money they spent to bid for the shows.

Bollywood-starved NRIs pony up anywhere from $ 25 to $ 500 (for the priciest tickets) to see their favorite stars. Top stars, especially a crowd puller like SRK, could command as much as $ 50,000 per show. One source spoke of an actor who was paid $ 900,000 for an 18-city tour that went from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Los Angeles, California couple of years back.

"Many of these transactions are unreported...you can understand why the business is on the scanner of authorities especially because of the shadow of the underworld on the Bollywood showbiz," he said.

I don't believe in VIP culture, says SRK

In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan spoke about his detention at the US airport and denied that it was a publicity stunt for his upcoming movie My Name Is Khan.

Shah Rukh said it was an unpleasant experience and he would never do something like this for publicity.

Here is an excerpt of the interview -

Rajdeep Sardesai: Critics are saying that Shah Rukh Khan’s detention in America has been hyped by Shah Rukh himself and it is a publicity stunt for the upcoming film My Name Is Khan. How do you react to that?

Shah Rukh Khan: As a matter of fact my film is coming much later, there are still some eight to nine months to go and we normally don’t start promotion of the movie this early. Moreover, it is not very positive when someone asks you for vouching for you to enter someone’s country. Though I don’t want to say this word, I would say it is a bit disrespectful.

Rajdeep Sardesai: People are detained and questioned in American airports post 9/11, this is a regular practice there. Then why should suddenly Shah Rukh Khan take it as a personal upfront? Was it that how can you detain me, I am Shah Rukh Khan?

Shah Rukh Khan: No, I am very humble about what I am. I may talk about myself when I talk about my films otherwise I am very humble. I am very scared of rules and therefore always abide by them. Like everyone even I had those instances when I have been subjected to very thorough special security checking.

Rajdeep Sardesai: The problem perhaps in India is that our security system is not tough enough. We still work on VIP system where a Shah Rukh Khan or a big politician can easily walk through an airport without being checked.

Shah Rukh Khan: Whenever I am flying I always stand in queues and make my children do the same.

Rajdeep Sardesai: You don’t believe in VIP culture?

Shah Rukh Khan: No, I never called anyone asking please get me inside faster. I have not done that even in a night club. Even in India I don’t believe in saying ‘don’t you know who I am’ when I am asked for my identification.

Rajdeep Sardesai: When you were detained at the US airport you never said to the officers there that ‘don’t you know who I am’?

Shah Rukh Khan: If you have to say that then I think you are not known enough. I’ll die before saying that.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

No more USA for SRK

Guess what a producer has done after the entire Newark airport episode

Shah Rukh Khan was frisked at the Newark airport and we have been hearing about it ever since. The media has spoken about it. SRK's friends and ex-friends have spoken about it. Cricketers have given their opinion. And even the Governor of California, Mr Arnold Schwarzenegger has invited Khan for dinner at Washington DC. So I was really not surprised when I heard this one.

Apparently, producer Viveck Vaswani has taken the entire episode to heart and cancelled the premiere of his SRK starrer film Dulha Mil Gaya in the US.

What however shocked me was when I heard about the new destination chosen by Vaswani for the King Khan. A little birdie tells me, the producer has now decided to hold the premiere of his film in Trinidad. The film is set for a November 13 release.

But then there's a reason behind choosing that particular destination. In the film, Shah Rukh Khan plays the role of a businessman based out of... TRINIDAD! He has been paired with his Main Hoon Na co-star Sushmita Sen in the film. The film is about the SRK-Sush and another couple played by Fardeen Khan and Tara Sharma. It has been directed by Mudassar Aziz.

Muslim groups protest outside Salman Khan's house

Bollywood actor Salman Khan's comment about Shahrukh Khan's detention did not go well with some Muslim groups and they protested outside Salman Khan's house demanding an apology from the actor. Salman commented that Shahrukh's detention is not a big deal and many people flying to America have to go through such questioning and security process and so there need not to make any hue and cry about the matter.

A few Muslim groups felt Salman's comment about King Khan was insulting. In protest, the Muslim gathered outside Salman's house and demanded apology from the actor. They felt that at this crucial juncture when majority of Muslims are being treated as terrorists in US, Salman should have stand behind Shahrukh forgetting his personal bitterness. They even added that it is a matter of great concern for the entire Muslim community and the two stars need to forget their personal rivalry and come together.

Ironically, they were the same Muslim groups that accused Shahrukh Khan of making an unparliamentary comment against the Prophet in the Time N Style magazine and issue a fatwa.

Arnold Schwarzenegger invites SRK

Only in America, as the old and famous saying goes.

In a new twist to the Shah Rukh Khan-Newark Airport controversy, California Governor and Hollywood superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office has invited him to dinner tonight at Washington DC.

This, after knowing of SRK’s humiliation at the airport and he being made to go through secondary interrogation because he has a common name. An upset SRK had said while leaving the US, “They wanted to know if I know anyone in America.”

Meanwhile, the Bollywood superstar is back in Mumbai. And he is aware of the invitation but he is yet to decide whether he wants to go back to the US so quickly, especially in lieu of the recent treatment meted out to him at Newark Airport. So, the dinner with Arnold stands postponed to September 20. It is not known whether SRK will accept it or not.

Shah Rukh Khan says does not want apology

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, at the centre of a row over his detention and questioning at a U.S. airport, said on Tuesday he wasn't looking for any apology.

Khan, 43, one of India's best known actors, was en route to Chicago for a parade to mark the Indian Independence Day when he was pulled aside and questioned at Newark airport on Friday.

"I respect that my name pops up on the computer and I also agree that I don’t need to be treated specially, I am nobody," Khan told a news conference at his residence a few hours after returning to Mumbai.

"They asked me some questions which I thought was a little embarrassing. But if a procedure has to be followed, it should be done properly," he said.

Khan's detention caused uproar among fans in India. Newspapers and TV channels termed it an instance of racial profiling and the controversy sparked debate in the media.

"I was really hassled, perhaps because of my name being Khan. These guys just wouldn't let me through," the actor had said in a text message to reporters on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Khan sought to play down the controversy and said he wanted to "move on".

When asked if he would go back to the United States, the actor said he would cut back on trips to the country.

"When work calls me I will go again, I will stand in line again, and I hope that the system which made my name pop up on the computer is not there," Khan said.

The actor also denied media reports that the incident was a publicity stunt for his upcoming film "My Name is Khan", which is about a Muslim man's experience with racial profiling.

"It is not a matter of pride for me that I was questioned at the airport," the actor told reporters.

"I don't want to sound pompous but Shah Rukh Khan doesn't need publicity stunts to be in the public eye."

SRK’s interrogation in US was a waste of time: Farah Khan

Well-known choreographer-director Farah Khan feels the authorities at the Newark airport in the US wasted precious time interrogating Bollywood super star and her close friend Shah Rukh Khan, so much so that “three-four terrorists must have entered the US within that time”.

“The officer who was on duty wasted so much time, energy and resources interrogating Shah Rukh that three-four terrorists must have entered the US within that time, Farah told reporters here.

“That officers wasted the time. They should have just gone and searched his name online and they would have known within five minutes who he is. Shah Rukh also ended up wasting time and the American government also wasted so much time, she added.

Farah, who was in the capital for the launch of her celebrity chat show Tere Mere Beach Mein to be aired on STAR Plus, said that even though it was a mere security check, it shouldn’t have taken so long.

“What wrong was Shah Rukh going to do there? What were they doing for so long? I agree that there should be strict security, but when he had his passport, work permit, it didn’t make sense. Just because his name is Muslim, how can they take so long?” she said.

However, unlike many other celebrities with a Muslim name, Farah says she has never experienced such racial bias during her visits to the US or any other country.

Farah and Shah Rukh teamed up in hits like “Main Hoon Na” and “Om Shanti Om”.

Exclusive Watch: It was not a big deal, says Shah Rukh

Back in India after his detention in the US, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said it was no drama, and the US authorities asked him embarrassing questions.

SRK says he's hurt, not cribbing for publicity

Mumbai: Actor Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday said his experience at the Newark airport's immigration counter in the US was "embarrassing" and he was not complaining to gain publicity.

"I am scared of the authorities and rules, so I try to follow the rules of the country I travel to. Whenever I am in America, I have to report at least two hours in advance while travelling within the country for security reasons -- they ask me to take off my clothes and shoes, and I do that. But I never experienced this kind of treatment," Khan told reporters in Mumbai on his arrival here four days after he was detained for two hours at the Newark airport.

"There are some routine security measures--they check your finger prints and scan your retina. But the routine security process was not followed. Instead, the authorities asked me bizzare and irrelevant questions. I am not trying to make a point here, but why were security measures not followed?" he asked.

"The security of any country is important but caste, religion or race shouldn't come in the way of security measures. You may call me a mega star, a celebrity, but basically I'm just a normal guy. But I'm lucky that I have access to friends in the (Indian) consulate whom I could call up. But there are hundreds of others who don't have this facility."

Khan denied that the detention drama was a publicity stunt for his forthcoming movie My Name Is Khan. "I don't think that I need publicity," he said.

Govt must take up Shahrukh detention with US, says Lalu

RJD chief Lalu Prasad today said government should take up with the US the detention of Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan at Newark airport.

Describing Khan as his younger brother, Prasad said he is a good artiste.

"On one hand, there is an impression that our government is getting closer to America and on the other, such incidents are taking place. Earlier, former president A P J Abdul Kalam was frisked by US airlines staff," he told reporters.

To a question whether he agreed with Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh criticising Khan over the issue, he replied in the negative.

US authorities asked me 'strange' questions: SRK

Back from a rocky visit to America where he went through two hours of questioning at Newark Airport on Friday, Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan held a press conference
at his Mumbai home, Mannat, on Tuesday.

The actor said the US authorities "asked me a lot of strange questions". He said he felt "they were asking embarrassing, irrelevant questions".

Insisting that he did not "think it was a big deal", Shah Rukh said he did not believe he needed to be treated specially. And also that he did not throw his weight around. The actor said he respected the fact that rules needed to be followed, but also asked "if the US has a procedure, then why wasn't it followed?

He said he was lucky that he knew people in the embassy. He also said in the course of the press conference that the US needed to upgrade its security systems.

The Shah Rukh Khan incident came just days after former President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was frisked by personnel of a US airline. Both incidents caused much anger among Indians the world over.

Shah Rukh, who has recently finished shooting in the US for his film My Name is Khan, was detained and questioned for almost two hours at the airport as part of what the US calls "racial profiling" to weed out terror suspects.

On Tuesday, he arrived at the Mumbai airport to a welcome from crowds of people. A big media contingent had also gathered. As he got into his car at the airport, Shah Rukh waved, smiled and gave his trademark salaam to the crowd

After his two-hour ordeal in the US sparked a furore in India, Shahrukh had on Monday asked his fans not to take the issue further, even as he said that America needed to offer "a little more warmth and speed in its processes".

Earlier, in Houston, where he arrived from Chicago to attend a 'Meet and Greet' carnival, the actor said he respected the procedures the US required people to follow, but maintained his experience was "not pleasant". Immediately after being detained at the airport Shah Rukh had told his fans that he did not feel like stepping on US soil again.

Excluisve Video: SRK returns from US

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is back in India from his rocky visit to America where he was held up for questioning for two hours by the US immigration officials at the airport.