SRK, Karan are confused: 'My Name is Khan' or 'Khan' ?

King Khan gets everything that he wishes for. But there's one thing that he couldn't manage. The title of E Nivas's film My Name is Anthony Gonsolves. It is believed that Shah Rukh was so impressed by the title that he wanted to have a similar title for one of his films. Thus his next film has been titled as My Name is Khan.

At the music launch of My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves, Shah Rukh quipped "My Name is Anthony Gonsolves is a beautiful title. It sounds lyrical and has a little naughtiness to it. I like this title so much that when Nikhil and E Nivas told me about this title, I thought that they should not make this film so that I can take this title. But they worked so hard and made this film."

It is also believed that Karan is having a second thought on the title of My Name Is Khan. Earlier in his interviews filmmaker Karan Johar explained that his film will be called either My Name is Khan or just Khan. If sources are to be believed Shah Rukh Khan has liked My Name is Khan, while Karan who's believes much in the 'K' factor is keen to title his films Khan .

It can be recalled that all of Karan's films - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna – start with 'K'. In fact, he is currently working on an animation film titled Kuchie Kuchie Hota Hai.

According to an industry insider Karan is superstitious and wants to follow his K factor as it has always turned out well for him. But Shah Rukh who doesn't believe in any fallacy feels the title My name Is Khan is apt for the movie.

As per reports the film is not on terrorism, except for one 9/11 scene. Shah Rukh plays the title role while an actress still has to be finalized. As per the latest Karan is in talks with his current favorite Kareena Kapoor for the female lead, while earlier he had expressed interest to cast his favorite pair Shah Rukh and Kajol once again after Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

Reshma Kelkar, Indiatimes Movies

Shah Rukh fails to make it to summit

New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan failed to make it to the 'Focus 2007: Global Summit on Entertainment and Media' here Wednesday, disappointing many invitees.

He was among the special guests and was to address the inaugural session.

Actress Sonali Kulkarni, who anchored the summit proceedings Wednesday, said Shah Rukh could not make it because of the dense fog, due to which he missed his flight, whereas sources at the summit said it was due to his shooting schedule.

The panellists, guests and mediapersons who were waiting for the star were disappointed.

IANS

Year of the King Khan

Shah Rukh Khan’s international and domestic hold on the box-office was further enhanced in 2007. With Chak De! India and Om Shanti Om, the ‘King Khan’ proved that he is firmly entrenched on his throne. In addition to his movies, other events ensured that Khan was always in the spotlight. He was accused of building an illegal extension to his lavish sea-front facing house, smoking in public, partying with the Indian cricket team in order to promote his films and faced a possible lawsuit from a senior filmmaker for making fun of him in OSO. His personal highlight: his own waxwork at London’s Madame Tussaud’s. Khan's insistence on shameless brand endorsements continued with, inter alia, ‘Fair and Handsome’, a skin lightening cream for men.

(Edited)
Times Online, UK

The Night SRK and Abhishek Bonded!

Riteish Deshmukh’s birthday bash on December 16 saw most of his Bollywood friends turn up.

The seniors were not invited so it was basically a gathering of the young and restless. “The oldest in the group, I think, was Shah Rukh Khan. Riteish’s dad was also missing,” our source said.

However, the highlight of the party was the fact that Shah Rukh and wife Gauri were seen bonding with Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. So much so, that the two couples almost spent the whole evening chatting with each other. Just why this comes as a surprise is that SRK and Ash have not really been on great terms and moreover, the entire Bachchan family seemed miffed with King Khan. However, this was a night when all the alleged animosity seemed to have melted away.

Later the same night, Abhishek and Ash burned the dance floor when ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’ songs were played and then SRK joined wife Gauri on the dance floor when ‘Om Shanti Om’ songs were being played.

Gauri, however, did not restrict herself to one or two songs — she danced through the night along with designer Sabina Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Neelam Kothari, Bobby Deol and his wife, Tanya. DJ Suketu was spinning at the party. The only couple who stayed away from the dance floor and seemed entirely caught up with each other were Arjun Rampal and Meher Jessia.

DNA India

Gauri Khan, Vogue's cover girl

Shah Rukh Khan has every reason to preen. No, it doesn't have anything to do with his six packs. Rather, it's his wife Gauri Khan who is the center of attention.

The mother of two has been chosen as the cover girl of Vogue India for its January edition.

The pictures were shot against the eight-floor extension of the Khans' sprawling home, Mannat.

'This is not my profession,' Gauri said. 'It has to be something really new and unusual to make me want to do something like this. I did enjoy the shoot but to be honest, I wouldn't do it very often."

"This collaboration between Gauri and Vogue India is a natural fit," says Priya Tanna, Editor Vogue India. "It is her first solo cover and a coup of sorts for Vogue. That she is stylish, enigmatic, and poised is known, but at the shoot we saw another side of her, that of a cover girl. Even in the frames she shares with Shah Rukh, she holds her own impressively. She offers delightful peeks into her life, her wardrobe and her man. Gauri is a true Voguette."

The issue will hit newsstands on December 20.

Rediff News

SRK to do an item song in Krazzy 4

The last we heard, Hrithik would be doing an item number in dad Rakesh Roshan's Krazzy 4. But now it's SRK teaming up with the Roshans for the film. Buzz is that SRK will make a guest appearance in Krazzy 4 and also do an item number. Seems the King Khan is on a roll after his Dard-E-Disco stint in Om Shanti Om.

Although Rakesh Roshan was not available for comment, Shammi from Film Kraft Productions, said, "Yes, talks ore on with Shah Rukh. We will come to know the final details by this weekend. If everything falls into place, this will be a homecoming of sorts for SRK who had also done Rakesh Roshan's Koyla and Karan Arjun.

Krazzy 4 is produced by Film Kraft Productions and directed by Jaideep Sen. The film is apparently a comedy with a social message. A complete family entertainer, it will appeal to young and old alike. The film revolves around four characters played by Arshad Warsi, Irrfan Khan, Suresh Menon and Rajpal Yadav. Juhi Chawla and Dia Mirza too play significant roles in the film.

Buzz18

SRK, Bachchan better role models than historical figures

London: Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai serve as more influential role models for youngsters than any of the famous figures from history, a new study from the University of Leicester suggests.

The research in the University of Leicester Department of Media and Communication examines interest in celebrities and gossip about them. It was carried out by Charlotte De Backer who sought in her study to explain interest in celebrity culture.

She said: 'Life is about learning, gaining experience and in that process we have a tendency to observe and mimic the actions of others. Ideally we mimic what makes others successful and avoid unsuccessful actions others have trialed (and paid for).

'In reality, humans seem to have the tendency to mimic the overall behaviour pattern of higher status or more successful others.

'This explains why celebrities act as role models for broad ranges of behaviour they display - good or bad.'
De Backer also examined another theory for interest in celebrity, known as the Parasocial Hypothesis.

In this case, the bonds are parasocial or one-way because the celebrity reveals private information (often involuntary), and the audience members respond emotionally to this, but there is no feedback of the private life of the audience going to the celebrity (or hardly ever), and nor do celebrities display emotions towards their audience.

Her study of 800 respondents and over 100 interviews confirmed that younger participants showed greater interest in celebrity gossip, even if it was about celebrities who were a lot older than them and even when they did not know the celebrities. They showed greatest interest in internationally known celebrities, because they considered those as more prestigious.

De Backer study also found that older people were interested in celebrity gossip not because they wanted to learn about the celebrities, but because it helped them to form social networks with other people.

'We did find in the interviews that older people do not gossip about celebrities as much because they want to learn from them or feel befriended with them, but they use celebrity gossip to bond with real life friends and acquaintances.

'Living in scattered societies, we often don't know who to talk about with the many people we know, and celebrities can act as our mutual friends and acquaintances.'

Her research was published in the journal Human Nature.

IANS

Shah Rukh Khan is too handsome to be a politician

Just the other day, SRK walked up to Amitabh Bachchan to congratulate him for getting away with the Barabanki land deal controversy. Many saw this as hardly complimentary to Big B, SRK’s only contender in superstardom. But Bachchan was seemingly much impressed. For SRK, the calculations are simple. Apparently, the need to break ice with the Big B has become essential for the project he has been planning with friend Farhan Akhtar, the director of the remade Don. The two hope to make a sequel to Don, whose cast would include Amitabh as well. Big B, who appears to be moved by SRK’s gesture, is reported to be considering a truce with King Khan.

Telegraph India

Karan Johar's Media Mantra's

One of the nicest — and mutually profitable — friendships here is that of Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar. K Jo may be right up there in the marquee as a film-maker but he is still sporting enough to take care of Shah Rukh’s clothes, without ever feeling that he’s too big to be doing this now.

“I do clothes only for Shah Rukh, nobody else,” Karan is clear about that. “I connect with what Shah Rukh wants. I’ve done his clothes in Main Hoon Na (remember the simple but distinct sweater and scarf look?) and in Om Shanti Om. I always say Yash Uncle and Farah are two makers for whom, whenever they work with Shah Rukh, I will always do the clothes. I do Shah Rukh’s clothes in any case. I’m always shopping for him. I love doing it as a hobby.

“I loved doing the clothes of Om Shanti Om. Farah was so well-researched, she knew just what she wanted. Every time I fought with her — like I’d say, Farah, you want to give him this gold jacket for God’s sake — her answer would be, just shut up and give it, I know what my tones are. And when I saw it on screen the gold jacket looked great. Shah Rukh looked fantastic in the film. In the first half there wasn’t one wrong note. I had great fun doing it. I hope I get another job!”

One might say that today it is a privilege for anybody to do Shah Rukh’s clothes. But Karan is not ‘anybody’; he is a huge celebrity himself. One might think Karan benefits from his association with such a big star but if you really look at their friendship, I for one would say that Shah Rukh has equally gained from having Karan for a friend.

Today, especially after the blockbuster win of Om Shanti Om, a dreary charge against SRK is that he is media-savvy, like it is a gaali. Anybody who can’t get a good press (currently, Rishi Kapoor and most of the Saawariya satellites) sneer over the two words, ‘media savvy’ like it is a flaw in your personality. But the truth is, Shah Rukh was not always media-savvy. When he made his first film, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, and flopped on his face, he had got the kind of furious backlash that Sanjay Leela Bhansali got this year. Shah Rukh had no friends in the media, he had an issue with most of them (yours truly included) over laughingly trivial items, and right up to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, it was close friend Karan Johar who spoke warmly to the media on his friend’s behalf.

If Shah Rukh Khan has changed for the better you have to credit buddy Karan for the subtle influence he has had over the actor. Hear Karan’s refreshing views on the media and you’ll get an idea of where Shah Rukh has picked up some important lessons.

Says Karan, “Handling the media is really an art, that too requires a certain course.

“You cannot deny the power of the media, you cannot deny that they are a huge platform you need to be on when you have to promote your film or speak about yourself, you cannot deny that they make you the brand you are and you reap the benefits of that. I work in tandem with the media, I like to be there for them just as they have always been there for me. Yes, there are some bad apples but there are those bad apples in any industry, any profession, why just the media?

“When critics praise you, you’re happy. When they criticise you, you say they’re biased. Why can’t we accept that perhaps they just didn’t like your film? I can, even if it does hurt. If tomorrow you write against my film, I’m not going to be loving you for that second, but the next day I’ll wake up and say, ok, I must respect her opinion, I have so many of my own.

“Yes, the electronic media is in your face, the paparazzi is emerging, it’s annoying when you go to an event and you have a hundred cameras on you. But would you not want those hundred people around you? Would you like it if they ignored you and ran after someone else? No, I wouldn’t. I’m sorry to report, I’d be shattered, upset and want to break my head against the nearest wall! I like the shutterbugs when I walk the red carpet and I like the fact that they’re screaming my name for sound bytes. If they didn’t, I’d wonder what went wrong!

“We need the media,” concludes Karan. And you know just how much Shah Rukh has got from Karan when the film-maker says, “Let’s not pretend that we’re going to go out there and bash them because we sound cool at a party. We don’t.

“Media bashing is really passé!”

Thanks, pal.

CelebrityCircus

Truly King Khan style!

SRK's recent lunch party, where he handed out bonus cheques to all his employees, was a big hit.

While the reason behind the party was no secret, what was not known was the total amount that SRK gave out to his employees who work at his production house and his Mumbai residence, Mannat.

Apparently, SRK gave out over Rs 1.5 crore to his staff that day. Says a source from his production house, “It was nice to see SRK's housemaid, who gets paid Rs 18,000 per year, dressed in her best sari for the do. She couldn't believe her eyes when SRK and Gauri handed over a cheque worth Rs 1 lakh to her. The same happened with his cook, drivers and others who work at his office.”

Bobby Chawla from SRK’s production house says, “Well, it was a get together where Shahrukh personally thanked all his employees.”

When questioned about the total amount distributed and the maid receiving Rs 1 lakh, he laughs and says, “The staff members got a bonus according to their nature of work. It was one of the nicest days of our lives not because of the money that we received but because of the thought behind that party.”

Ashwini Deshmukh, TNN