Shah Rukh and Farah Make a Great Team

All right so we've all heard the taunts about women drivers, and wanted to run over every man who made them. To be honest, some of us would have run them over anyway as we struggled with tongue curled over upper lip to stay in our own lane!

But here we are, about to say something about women directors. You see, this is where our double X chromosomes comes into play. We're women so we couldn't possibly blanket insult of every beautiful creature of our sex, now could we? We're pointing our finger at one woman, one woman director alone…Farah Khan.

Okay, so Main Hoon Na, her directorial debut was a super duper hit. The film wasn't a fluke, some innovative scenes, camera frames, the lighting patterns, colors, brilliance yada yada…and now with Om Shanti Om near about ready for release, it's hardly expected that the film will be a disaster. What a great year for the woman, to have two hit films and three babies all under one belt. Yes, she's expecting triplets.

Why? Well, because Bend it like Beckhams' Gurinder Chadha, yet another woman director, had twins. This is Bollywood baby, we have to do it bigger and better!

We happened across a very interesting rendition of a sequence of events during some OSO patch work scenes of Shah Rukh Khan's to be shot by director Farah Khan. Well, that's how it will read in the credits anyways…and if it's to be believed this is how her film is shot, every shot…

So this day, there's the cameraman very busy setting up the lights, getting the frame just right, SRK rehearsing his lines and Farah… well, she was off in the corner grumbling about being hungry. Can't blame the woman she has four mouths to feed! So the cameraman approaches her and asks how he should set up the next scene.

Response from Farah is more grumble, grumble and a shout for where's-the-food-yaar! So cameraman suggests something else, he puts across three options and dare we say it…. suggests in so many words how to direct the scene. Gasp!

To which, Farah-- now remember people, hormones are an issue here-- she could blow up and scream at him for attempting to call her shots, quite literally, in fact. But nope, she waved him off with a 'whatever' and then went pouting to SRK to find out if he was finished with the scene so they could have lunch. SRK irritably told her to munch on air.

While he and the cameraman figured out the camera angles, FK pouted in a corner, alternately whining and grumbling about how long it was taking….

End deal, the shot was canned no thanks to Farah, she ate and yet another glorious moment of celluloid was created. Lady, take a bow…hang on, here have a seat instead. Somebody get some more food!

SAWF News

Shah Rukh Khan launches Filmfare's New Issue

King Khan is an old term. Now Shahrukh Khan is better known as the six-pack Khan. And if he is at an event, the Media cannot resist but ask him about his six-pack abs.

And thats what you get to see not only in Om Shanti Om but also on the cover of the latest edition of Filmfare.

"I am very embarrassed, people come to see my abs and not my acting. Actually I am very shy of photo shoots,” says Shah Rukh.

When asked if was there just to flaunt his six-pack abs cover, or to promote Om Shanti Om, he said, “Well it’s just not a promotional event for Om Shanti Om, its my relation with Filmfare as well."

So will he steal the show in Om Shanti Om?

“I think this film is completely ruled by the two leading ladies and that is Farah khan and Deepika,” said SRK.

Be it the ladies or his six-pack abs. or just him, Mr producer is doing whatever it takes to get movie buffs to the theatres when it hits the screen on November 9.

Manisha Mahaldar, IBNlive

Distributors, cineplex owners fail to chant Om Shanti Om

After a meeting on Monday most of the prominent multiplex chains, including PVR Cinemas and Inox Leisure, are learnt to have removed promotions of Om Shanti Om and Saawariyan and have refused to agree to the term and conditions of the distributors.

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"Internationally, if you have a Muslim surname you might be considered a terrorist." - SRK

Top Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan says his Muslim surname gets him put through extra security checks outside India, particularly at London's Heathrow airport, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

Khan said in the Mumbai-based DNA newspaper that in the past his name was recognized overseas, and he easily cleared his own and his movie crew's baggage.

However, due to tighter security his Hindu assistant is now able to clear his bags faster the Khan could, the newspaper said.

"These days I am the one who is stopped so ... he carries my bags," the actor was quoted as saying. "Internationally, if you have a Muslim surname you might be considered a terrorist."

Khan will soon be acting in well-known Indian filmmaker Karan Johar's film, "My name is Khan" — about how people with Muslim names are viewed with suspicion internationally after the terror attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

Khan has acted in more than 50 movies. He played the coach of an Indian women's hockey team in his recent blockbuster "Chak De!India" or "Go for it,India."

International Herald Tribune

"I am not doing Dhoom 3," - SRK

Shahrukh Khan is currently promoting his home production Om Shanti Om which is all set for a Diwali release.

Apart from that it seems that several projects have fallen through for this big star.

There was a lot of talk about south director Shankar’s film Robot starring SRK. However due to creative differences between the director and Shahrukh, the two have decided to part ways amicably and are not doing the film together anymore.
Robot was supposed to be a hi-fi, sci-fi flick.

Shahrukh admits that he will not be doing Robot; he says “Yes, we have called it off. We were not happy with a few things; his take on the film was completely different from mine. We had worked very hard on the film and it is sad that we had to call it off. Both Shanker and I decided that we won’t make it together.” But SRK maintains that it was a mutual and amicable parting between director Shanker and him.

Apart from that Shahrukh was also supposed to do Rajkumar Hirani’s film but will not be doing it due to various problems . So now Shahrukh has a few months free, in his witty humour he says “I am pretty jobless for the time being. However I am sure that I will manage to get some work.”

There have also been rumours that Shahrukh will be doing Dhoom 3, but he says “I am not doing Dhoom 3.”

Shahrukh’s next project will be Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2 which will begin at the end of 2008.

Recently Shahrukh had supposedly also asked Shirish Kunder to make some changes in his film script, but this did not go down well with the director and he and SRK supposedly had a huge showdown. SRK then opted out of the film and Shirish approached Akshay Kumar who agreed to do the film. So it seems that lately SRK has been having a lot of creative differences with his directors.

So is Shahrukh going the Aamir Khan way of getting involved in every aspect of the film and meddling too much with the script?

Well, being SRK, he definitely has every right to!

Bollywood Mantra

SRK decided to opt out of Shankar's sci-fi thriller 'Robot'

Shah Rukh Khan has pulled the plug on South director Shanker's sci-fi thriller Robot. Shah Rukh was to produce the film through his Red Chillies Entertainment and also play the lead in it as a super hero.

After having worked hard on the film for four months, Shah Rukh decided to opt out of it due to creative differences with Shankar who recently directed the blockbuster hit Sivaji starring Rajnikanth.

"We were not happy with few things, among them being the fact that his take on the film was completely different from mine. It was amicably done and there is no bad blood," Shah Rukh says

Shah Rukh who had set aside 7 months for the production of Robot, which was to start filming in November, now has a lot of time on his hands.

He will next star in Farhan Akhtar's Don 2 which will go on the floors in 2008.

Shah Rukh appears to be making good use of the time he has on hand. He recently played host to one of the world's richest men, steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal. The two met at a party in Mumbai over the weekend during which Shah Rukh invited him over to his residence Mannat.

"I met Mr Mittal at a party and just invited him home, so on the way to the airport he just dropped in for a cup of tea," Shah Rukh says.

SAWFnews

World's richest man visits SRK's home

He isn't called the King Khan for nothing, and it's this status which enables him to makes stand and interact with top political leaders and industrialist alike.

And guess who paid him a visit at his bungalow Mannat recently? None other than , one of world's richest men, steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

"Over the weekend Mr Mittal was in Mumbai and he met with Shah Rukh Khan at a party and SRK invited him to his house so before flying out to London on his private plane, Lakshmi just dropped in to pay a courtesy visit," says a source.

When Shah Rukh Khan was asked about it he confirms the news and says "I met Mr Mittal at a party and just invited him home, so on the way to the airport he just dropped in for a cup of tea.

Earlier,the launch of international magazine FHM turned out to be one sensational event with media and celebrities attending the event.

The surprise for the evening turned out to be Shah Rukh Khan who unexpectedly turned up at the event along with industrialist Lakshmi Mittal . Other celebrities present at the event were Gauri Khan, Karan Johar, Vivek Oberoi, Farha and Aqeel Khan, Upen Patel, Jackie Shroff, Chunkey Pandey and Farhan Akhtar.

Gautam Buragohain, IndiaTimes Movies

Shahrukh has learnt his lessons in media relations well

The weekend was a somber one - Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Bhool Bhulaiyaa are no comic capers, so entertainment came from unexpected quarters - Shah Rukh Khan's witticism at HT's leadership summit.

There was no dearth of quotable quotes, politically correct or otherwise, from SRK. Ruling out a move to politics, he said, “I'm too materialistic, too selfish, and too capitalistic. Besides, I'm too good looking.”

He also enlisted for the media's support by playing patriotic “I use the media when I have a film coming up-like now. Om Shanti Om will be competing against a Sony Columbia - Tri-star film, so I have told the media that I don't have 30 or 40 crores to spend on the publicity like Sony and I have asked them, “Will you help me?”

The timing is significant-the two films Om Shanti Om and Saawariya are slated for Diwali release and SRK, always ahead of the pack, has learnt his lessons in media relations well. It could be that playing Kabir Khan in Chak De! India reiterated the advantage of playing the underdog or it could be that he learnt from the outrage that follows a skirmish with the media. Either ways, the actor / producer is not taking a chance.

Becoming accessible to friends and favorites in the media around the time of a film's release is de rigueur- even the most elusive, reluctant star, to borrow a phrase from Dickens, “is willing,” Nothing new about that except the clever bit making appear as though requesting their support. And then pitching himself - a passionate actor / film maker - against the invaders. It works like a charm.

True to his word, Khan has gone to town using every available platform to wax eloquent about his six - pack, why and how he acquired them, the brand new heroine of his film Deepika Padukone and all else related to his forthcoming film. Reality show round have been done by both the OSO and Saawariya teams and there was recently even a fashion show devoted to the former.

Whether it is the war of words between Bhansali and Farah Khan and Deepaika Padukone's liaison with Ranbir Kapoor, all news related to these two films has been chronicled in great detail. So far, the media footage for both the films has almost been equal but as the release date draws close, the blitzkrieg is likely to get even more intense.

At present the scales certainly tilt in favor of OSO, what with SRK's witty rejoinders and director Farah Khan's humorous asides and behind-the-scenes anecdotes. And of course, the six-pack abs. Unfortunately, the how-Sanjay sir-tutored-and-trained-me lines don't appear to be working quite as well, Neither do Sonam's drastic weight- loss saga (though she could well turn out to be the scene-stealer) or that bit about Ranbir dropping the towel. Maybe they need to give their publicity campaign a new spin-the suggestion of a romance between the actors is ruled out since they have already declared themselves childhood friends. Perhaps a story about a fictitious rivalry or some such would help? Or they could take a cue from the keep-them-guessing couples John-Bipasha and Kareena-Shahid.

As till the time the films are released, my vote for the most entertaining publicity campaign could certainly go to OSO.

Screen India

Shah Rukh Khan : The One Man Revolution

Can you be hot at 40?

Definitely, and Shah Rukh Khan has just proved it.

The actor who until now was famous for his Raj and Rahul roles, has done a U-turn and now flaunts a fabulous lean physique and an enviable six-pack. And this has not just increased his fan following, but has also motivated people slipping into mid-life to pump iron and acquire hot bods of their own.

After Shah Rukh's six-pack, I've enrolled 30 clients who're in their 40s and want to look like SRK. And because of the demand, I've developed a new fitness regimen for people in this age bracket called the lean mean machine workout, says fitness expert Naren K. The workout is aimed at developing a lean, well-toned body without much strain.

At 40, you need to follow a stricter diet and exercise. So without causing much stress or strain to the body, I put my clients on a high protein and low carb diet. The workouts are structured in a way that you don't build muscles, but sport a lean look,” it's very in right now, says Naren.

Fitness and aerobics trainer Santosh Kumar has also seen an increase in his client base following SRK's latest avatar. Theres always been a demand for flat abs, but a six-pack has always been a dream for most men. But after King Khan developed a six-pack, many of them have become confident and have ventured out to get a six-pack,says Santosh.

So can anyone acquire a six-pack?
Of course, but there are certain criteria. Firstly, some people are genetically pre-disposed for one, while others are not. So these people need to take in additional sports supplements to build their core muscle mass, he says. And secondly, always consult a physician before going in for vigorous training . ” Its preferable because at 40, your body isn't as receptive as 20, says Santosh.

And what about the side effects? There will be no side effects as long as you've consulted the doctor, work under a trained instructor, workout regularly and stay away from stimulants,cautions Santosh.

But, according to fitness programmer Wanitha Ashok. SRK adopted a fast-track approach. I'd advise people to be realistic, set practical goals and follow the instructions of their trainer. You also need to balance your diet and workout according to your body type. If there's sincerity and hard work, you could have a six-pack in a year,? she says.

TimesofIndia

Om Shanti Om ties up with Lycra MTV style awards

Lycra MTV style awards announced a tie up with the most eagerly awaited movie of the year- Om Shanti Om. King Khan, director Farah Khan, gorgeous Deepika Padukone, versatile Shreyas Talpade and the debonair Arjun Rampal will show their distinctive style statements on the October 25 at LYCRA, MTV Style Awards 2007. Designer Manish Malhotra will be showcasing his retro theme, inspired by his Om Shanti Om.

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