King Khan set for clash with Khiladi Kumar!

In his last release Shahrukh Khan faced competition from two newcomers. But King Khan’s next release would have him facing competition from none other than Akshay Kumar .

SRK’s home production Billoo Barber is on a collision course with the Akshay-starrer Chandni Chowk To China . If there is no change in the release dates, it would mark the clash of the two Bollywood titans in the last quarter of this year.

Akshay is considered the most reliable actor when it comes to drawing crowds to the theatres. And ‘Chandni Chowk to China’ is partly based on his own life. This USP of the film is expected to get house-fulls at theatres.

On the other hand, SRK is known to promote his movies aggressively. He outshone Saawariya last year with the publicity blitz of his Om Shanti Om . And he is expected to do the same with ‘Billoo Barber’.

However, one thing that goes against SRK’s film is that it has the superstar in a brief role. It is Irrfan Khan who plays the protagonist. But there are added attractions like item numbers from Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in the film.

The duel is evenly poised. And it would be interesting to watch who annihilates whom. Or may be they both will survive.

Apunka Choice

"Shah Rukh is a huge craze"

Amsterdam: Amsterdam loves Shah Rukh Khan. The fact was driven across by a full house at the Ahoy in Rotterdam on Saturday night where he performed for his Temptations Reloaded show. The show, organised by the Moranis, ran to a full house despite the fact that most people in Holland were in mourning over their defeat to Russia in the Euro 2008 quarter finals.

The Moranis were so thrilled by their successful show that they are now planning another Temptations Reloaded with King Khan in October in Germany.

Says Ali Morani, "Shah Rukh is a huge craze, not just in India but also abroad. The Rotterdam show on June 21 with SRK, Kareena, and Katrina was a huge hit." He confirms that they are planning a similar show in Germany in October, "We are working out the modalities with Shah Rukh and the rest of the team.

Going by the success of the Rotterdam show, the emails we get every day and the feedback across the Dutch border for Shah Rukh, we decided to have another show in October in the four main cities of Germany as of now Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Munich.

We have had enquiries for a SRK's Temptation Reloaded show even from Paris but we will have to go along with a piecemeal tour as we don't have Shah Rukh's dates for a month-long one."

Mid-Day

SRK arrive for Temptations Reloaded

An evening in London, with SRK

The King entertained the British lords as well as old mates like Vijay Mallaya and Nikki Bedi.

From dancing, to answering questions, to pulling up fans on the stage, King Khan had his audience eating out of his palm.

When contacted, Nikki Bedi, a presenter in the UK, talks about her evening out with Khan.

She says, "The evening was just brilliant. SRK danced, performed, played Paanchvi Pass and answered questions from the audience. Kunal Ganjawalla and Ganesh Hegde also performed, but Shah Rukh took the cake."

Nikki particularly goes ga-ga over SRK's stunts in the event. She reveals, "The act where he topples off the chair drew in much cheer. I am amazed at his fitness level. At one point, he invited me on stage and made me play Paanchvi Pass. And it was not just me, even Vijay Mallaya was quizzed. It was so much fun," recalls Nikki.

Khan was in the UK as a part of his annual break with his family. After wrapping up his holiday, he got back to work - initially with his bank event and followed by his Temptations Reloaded performance in Amsterdam on Saturday night.

Mumbai Mirror

"SRK is a charmer I couldn't keep my eyes off him," - Yuvika

Models, we often hear, are eager to make it in Bollywood. But Yuvika Chaudhary, who follows up her cameo in Om Shanti Om with a lead role in Summer 2007, is a selfproclaimed exception. It took a lot of chasing on the part of the producers to get her to do this film, says Yuvika.

"Every time they came and said 'Do it, do it, do it', I refused," says the actress, who has been paired in the film with Sikandar Kher She is, however, not immune to fame. "Though I was hardly there (in OSO), people still call me Dolly, after the character What more can I say?" she asks, not a little proud.

The film's director Farah Khan and star Shah Rukh Khan, she says, were impressed by her work. According to Yuvika, Farah had to do a bit of wooing, too. "I was the first one to be approached for the role in OSO," she says. "Farah left the choice to me, saying, 'If you refuse the role, only then will I approach somebody else." It was the thought of working with Shah Rukh that clinched the deal. "He is a charmer I couldn't keep my eyes off him," she says.

Her most prized possession is a message from Farah, saying, "Shah Rukh is really impressed with you and so am I," It took her a long time to accept Summer 2007, Yuvika continues. Modelling assignments, including a cola ad with Kunal Kapoor where Farah spotted her, were a more attractive proposition.

Here, too, her idol influenced her decision. "I was turning down film offers, but then Kirron aunty Anupam uncle, Farah and even SRK told me to take up Summer 2007 SRK said, 'In the initial stages of my career; even I did films that I thought wouldn't do the magic."

Her initial reluctance gave way to interested involvement as the shooting progressed: "I realised that Summer 2007 is destiny's gift to me. It taught me that acting is a lot of hard work." As she sets out on the road to stardom, Yuvika still retains the young fan's gushing enthusiasm for King Khan. "When I looked into his eyes, it was hard to believe that he is in his forties," says the actress. It was a bit of magic, that overwhelming star quality. It's magic ghat Yuvika hopes will a one day be hers, too.

Minakshi Saini, Hindustan Times

Shah Rukh Set to Return with KBC 4

Star Plus and Siddharth Basu's Synergy Communications met to discuss about the show's fourth season. Shahrukh Khan is all set to host the show, though Amitabh Bachchan's name was also discussed.

It is believed that the show will be shot early next year as Shahrukh's dates during that period are available. Star Plus officials were also concerned over Paanchvi Pass' poorer TRPs when compared to Salman Khan hosted 10 Ka Dum on Sony. Incidentally Siddharth Basu is also the producer of 10 Ka Dum.

Hope KBC 4 revives the fortune of SRK on television.

Subhadeep Bhattacharjee, One India

Today I am competing with myself, says Shah Rukh

“People should learn how important studies are through this show,” Shah Rukh Khan states. His Indian television general knowledge quiz show, ‘Paanchvi Pass’ based on the US programme ‘Are you smarter than a Ten Year Old?’, was launched in London last Tuesday. The series kicks off on June 13 on the Star Plus Channel in the UK and Europe.

After taking over from Amitabh Bachchan in the Indian TV equivalent of ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’, this is the second time the ‘King Khan’ is the quizmaster or ‘Head Boy’ as he is called in the show. Why is he doing it? “I love the show; it gives me pleasure to see kids studying in a fun way. My own children Suhana and Aryan like it a lot.” Does he know the answers himself? The honest Khan comes clean: “I don’t know most of the answers; it’s fun to learn through a quiz.” Was SRK a good student? “I used to come top in class as I was naughty and the teacher made me stand on top of the desk!” Khan jokes.

Following Shah Rukh onto the small screen will be Salman Khan with his reality show ‘10 Ka Dum’ and Akshay Kumar with the Indian version of ‘Fear Factor’. Has SRK started a trend for Bollywood A listers moving into television? “I don’t think I set a trend. It was Amitabh Bachchan who really set the trend. I wish Salman and Akki all the best!”

Shah Rukh Khan’s hockey film ‘Chak De! India’ won the Best Film, Best Director, Best Story and Best Actor awards at last weekend’s International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFAs) in Bangkok. The ‘King’ is in heaven: “I proved I could do a significant role without songs or heroines. The film consolidates my reputation as a good actor. Today I am competing with myself, not with any newcomer or other heroes.”

Anil Sinanan, Times Online UK

Shah Rukh brings ’sunshine’ and Bollywood dreams to Rotterdam

Rotterdam, June 22 (IANS) Screaming fans from across Europe showered flowers, notes and trinkets as Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan performed at Ahoy, Rotterdam’s large cultural and sports complex, to launch the world premiere of Temptations Reloaded, a live song and dance show that saw a number of Indian stars descend on the city Saturday night. Shah Rukh performed on stage with Bollywood favourites like Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor in an auditorium with a capacity of 25,000 before a mixed audience of Asians and Europeans.

In between the two-and-half-hour long show, Shah Rukh and Arjun Rampal drove through the aisles of the auditorium in light vehicles and the venue echoed with the adoring screams of fans, some of whom showered them with trinkets, flowers and notes.

Some European fans were dressed in Indian clothes and referred to the Bollywood superstar as the ‘Saudagar of Sunshine’. And Dutch fans preferred to watch Shah Rukh instead of the Euro 2008 football champion semi-finals between Holland and Russia played around the same time.

In a continent starved of warmth for most parts of the year, King Khan is called ’sunshine’ by his fans here.

Ignoring weather forecasts that had predicted clouds and rainfall, fans travelled from all over Europe to witness the live performance.

With stars in their eyes, cine buffs arrived here under clear blue skies to watch the midsummer night performance and to sigh that the mere presence of Shah Rukh Khan makes clouds part.

“Shah Rukh Khan is our sunshine! When he is close to us, the worst day becomes bright. He fills my life with light and warmth,” an Indian female fan said rubbishing weather forecasts.

“Bollywood makes you happy” is the slogan for marketing popular Indian cinema in Europe, suggestive of the fact that Hindi movies create a state of emotional well-being that goes far beyond mere entertainment.

This is the reason for a dramatic increase in Bollywood fan communities on this continent whose activities revolve mostly around Shah Rukh Khan and his work.

“Bollywood makes European audiences happy because the films are like life seen in dreams,” Ségoléne Roudot, a French fan who is researching fans of Indian cinema in France, told IANS.

Colours, costumes, music, dance and Shah Rukh’s charismatic screen presence have brought much joy into many lives here.

An online Swiss fan forum has a special web page filled with thank you notes to Shah Rukh for coming to Europe. The notes thank the superstar for the colour that he brings into lives and for being the light for fans in the dark.

“Such feelings become stronger at the possibility of a meeting with Shah Rukh Khan. The desire is to touch him in an attempt to experience some more of the joy and happiness that he radiates,” Elke Mader, a professor of Vienna University who monitors the behaviour of non-South Asian fans of Shah Rukh Khan for Bollyglobal, a research project, told IANS.

Mader gives the example of Christina Zück, a Berlin-based artist who has publicly confessed that her life was magically transformed after she touched Shah Rukh at the Berlin Film Fesival of “Om Shanti Om” earlier this year.

“The experience of fans like Christina goes beyond admiring Shah Rukh Khan as a movie star. Shah Rukh is seen much more than just an entertainer here. He is happiness and love personified. Fans want to touch him and to talk to him because he is able to transfer a lot of joy to those who are lucky enough to cross his path,” Mader said

Hosted by Netherland’s Sekier Entertainment Service, the next European stop of Temptations Reloaded, a sequel to the ‘Temptations’ tour Shah Rukh started in 2004, is Berlin.

Founded in 1999 by Ishaq Sekier, a Dutchman originally from an Indian family from Surinam, with an evening of songs by Manna Dey, the entertainment service has since sponsored Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shaan, Shreya Ghosal, Kavita Krishnamurti, KK and Jagjit Singh here.

“We would like to see Bollywood activities increase around continental Europe,” Monique Dabloe, a Sekier staff member, told IANS.

SRK cuts short his family holiday

Shah Rukh Khan visits London very frequentlyand usually for 40 days with his family, but had to squeeze his summer break down to just a week in London this year. He loves London and once he has been quoted as saying: I love London as I feel at home there. People say English people are very cold and not friendly but I find them amazingly warm.

But Khan like always is making sure it’s only about friends and family this year too. Catching up for dinners and spending the day with kids is what’s keeping Bollywood’s busiest actor occupied at the moment.

“Gauri and the kids had left for London before SRK joined them. The first two days went for some business he had pending. A couple of business meetings but now its all about Aryan and Suhana… SRK has been taking them around London and places close by.”

“Aryan is very fond of sports and so they have been tuning into the Euro Championship. In fact they might head for the finals in Vienna if possible. He has also been meeting up with some of his close friends who live in and around London,” says a source close to the actress, “But more than seeing the city its more of an opportunity for Khan to spend uninterrupted quality time with the family which is very difficult for him to do when in Mumbai.”

While it is impossible for SRK to step out in broad daylight in the UK thanks to his popularity but he still takes the children around to sight see. “For security reasons it needs to be done very discreetly. He has taken them shopping for some gadgets that Aryan wanted. Suhana has been shopping for clothes with Gauri,” says a source.

Last year Khan spent a month in London where he took his kids to see his wax statue at Madame Tussauds. “The two kids were so proud to see their daddy there. And Khan’s life lies in Aryan and Suhana… in fact I think he actually enjoyed his statue once he saw that look in their eyes,” says a friend who accompanied them last year.

When Khan was invited to Warwick Castle to open its latest attraction he took his family along. So from landing on the castle grounds in a helicopter to a sword slashing red carpet ribbon cutting ceremony, flanked by fully armoured medieval bodyguard the kids were in for a real treat. But that was just the start of the fun for SRK. After the inauguration Khan went for a private visit of the Castle with his family.

My News

Professor Shah Rukh becomes Quick-Gun-Murugan

Shah Rukh Khan is leaving no stone unturned to boost the viewer ship of his game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? While he managed to rope in celebs like Kareena Kapoor with beau Saif Ali Khan, Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra and even good friends Karan Johar and Rani Mukherjee in some of the special episodes, this weekend, Khan himself takes on the mantle of doing something out of the ordinary.

Professor Shah Rukh Khan would be seen at his naughtiest best doing his famous 'Quick- Gun -Murugan' take from Om Shanti Om on this Sunday's episode of Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? He would be seen in his complete get up a-la South superstar Rajinikanth sporting bright red clothes, an atrocious moustache and a raucous accent.

Needless to say the contestants on this show didn't 'Mind It' and had a blast with 'Quick-Gun-Murugan' oops… SRK. To catch all the fun and action of this special episode, don't miss Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on this Sunday 22nd June at 8 pm IST