"It was great working with Shahrukh Khan" - Shriya Sharma

"It was very good working with my favourite actress Rani didi," says bubbly Shriya Sharma who recently charmed one and all with her heartwarming performance in Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. "I enjoyed working with Saif and the other kids too," says the 11 year old who's the prominent face of such commercials as HDFC, Asian Paints, Colgate, Clinic Plus and has also acted in several big films in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada besides Hindi. And yes, she is one of the bright kids on Shahrukh Khan's TV show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain.

I always wanted to work with Shahrukh Khan. It was great working with him in Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? We were studying and having fun at the same time. We shot for 20-25 days in totality in two schedules.

SRK in a rare mood

ICICI Group Global Private Clients' (GPC's) new television commercial (TVC) features Bollywood star and ICICI Group's global brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) in a rare introspective mood wherein he touches upon the successful Indian's desire and drive to excel. This TVC encapsulates the way in which ICICI Group GPC positions itself as a trusted advisor demystifying an elite client's stated/ unstated needs and constantly striving to fulfill them.

The key insight behind the ICICI GPC advertising campaign is that a successful individual is not driven by wealth or power. S/He is propelled by an urge that is so powerful and unique that it can not be defined, it can only be experienced. The upmarket look treatment of the film is indicative of the many layers and facets of the client that ICICI Group GPC endeavours to demystify and serve. SRK is a true representation of its clients, who are extremely successful and leaders in their stream of work.

Speaking at the launch of the TVC, Mr. V. Vaidyanathan, Executive Director, ICICI Bank, said, "Our objective is to be our clients' most trusted advisor. Our experience with this client base has helped us understand that these individuals are not just financially very evolved but also 'driven' in nature and their needs may or may not be overtly stated. We understand this and hence are best equipped to work with their agenda in mind and design solutions for their specific needs. The TVC aims to establish this."

The target group for GPC is male, age 30+, SEC A++, having upwards of $1 million net investments with ICICI Bank. He is 'successful', not 'on the path to success'. He is a global citizen, who is aware of global trends in the areas of finance, general information and lifestyle. He is an expert in his field, be it textiles, diamonds, manufacturing or a corporate profile. He is in a leadership position, be it in an organisation or in his own business. And he has experienced the luxuries of the world and is comfortable in most global settings.

The energy and innovation, which Khan represents coupled with his popularity both in India and abroad, made him the ideal choice for ICICI's brand ambassador, particularly as the Bank makes its global forays.

The TVC opens with Khan seated in his study, wondering what exactly it is that drives him. His musings evolve into a passionate monologue, which he concludes by declaring that the human drive cannot be understood, it has to be felt. He says, "Is it the obsession to be unique, the desire to be second to none? I don't know what drives me. I can't explain it, but I can feel it. When I walk under the lights, when the camera comes on, I can feel it. Every moment I live." The ad ends with the message and tagline, 'ICICI Group Global Private Clients: Life on Your Terms'.
The campaign has been created by DraftFCB Ulka. Haresh Moorjani and RMV Simha have worked on the creative side of the campaign.

MindShare Mumbai has created a meticulously planned media plan targeting this top-end audience. It is using niche TV channels in a mix of genres like business, news, movie and infotainment channels including NDTV, CNBC, STAR Movies and The History Channel. Though it's a TV driven campaign, print is being used sparingly – only business, sports and general news publications like The Economist, Golf Digest and Newsweek. The Economic Times is the only newspaper being used. The print campaign, too, features Khan in his study, with each ad carrying a different phrase, like 'Things happen when you listen to your inner voice', 'Leaders are led by their instincts', 'For men who dream with their eyes wide open'.

This is a marketing initiative of the ICICI Group Global Private Clients (GPC), a division of ICICI Bank, which offers investment solutions to high net worth individuals (HNIs) in India and abroad. GPC was earlier known as ICICI Bank Private Banking. However, in April, the brand was aligned globally and a single global brand, ICICI Group Global Private Clients, was launched to ensure uniform client experience.

GPC is the ICICI Group's premium offering with an entry threshold of $1 million. The service is different from retail banking because it offers personalized service, a relationship manager, new advanced products and customised investment solutions.

Within a short span of four years, ICICI Bank has established its presence in 12 countries including UK, Canada, US and the Middle East. The Dubai representative office was launched in October 2003. ICICI Bank enhanced its presence in Dubai by setting up a wealth management branch in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in December 2005.

HP ropes in Shah Rukh Khan

HP, the IT major Hewlett Packard, has roped in Shah Rukh Khan as the Brand Ambassador to promote their newly launched ‘Go-To-Market’ strategy for small and medium businesses (SMBs).

SRK will also be a part of HP’s new marketing campaign 'Dream Bigger' as a part of its ‘Go-To-Market’ strategy, under which SRK will be endorsing HP's newly launched products. The ‘Dream Bigger’ campaign is a part of the company's worldwide $300 million global marketing campaign called 'What do you have to say?’.

SRK to miss his Don 2

Shah Rukh Khan’s date-book is so packed that he is scrambling for dates to shoot for Farhan Akhtar’s sequel to Don, the shooting of which was supposed to start in January next year. The film, as of now, has been delayed.

Shah Rukh, who is currently on vacation in London, has a packed schedule when he returns to India. He will start shooting for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi as soon as he lands in Mumbai and then he will be busy with Priyadarshan’s Billoo Barber.

After the above two films are over, Karan Johar has booked Shah Rukh’s dates for My Name is Khan and then he will be busy with his own production Happy New Year which is to be directed by Farah Khan.

He will also be busy promoting his other venture that is an animation film titled Ravan. Insiders close to the project reveal that Shah Rukh really wants to do the film but to date, he has not found dates for Farhan. Farhan, on the other hand, really wants to have him in the sequel and so he is directing Voice from the Sky first and will then move over to the sequel.

Sources add that if the there is a major schedule crunch, then Shah Rukh will opt out of Don 2.

When contacted, Farhan was defensive while talking about the fate of Don 2. “Things are looking good for Don 2 and we hope to start in the beginning of 2009,” he says.
But the interesting bit came when we asked him whether Shah Rukh and Priyanka are a part of the sequel. “We plan to have some of the cast from Don in the sequel,” he adds.

We pressed him harder on the issue and he tells us, “I’m beginning with Voice from the Sky first. It is too premature to talk about all this now.”

Prithwish Ganguly, DNA India

Legal hassles threathen Shah Rukh

The BMC on Thursday served a showcause notice on Shah Rukh Khan’s production house in Khar for allegedly running an office from a residential building.

The production house, Red Chillies, is located on Chitrakar Dhurandar Marg in Khar and was founded in 2004. The notice was issued for "change of user" under the Maharashtra Region and Town Planning Act by the local ward office.

Put simply, "change of user" means that the reservation of a property is changed or altered from what was originally reserved with the BMC. For example, for changing the use of a property originally registered as residential to that of commercial requires permission from the civic body.

"The company changed the use of property without prior permission from the BMC. So, we served the notice," said a senior civic official.

The civic body has also asked Red Chillies to show relevant documents related to the alteration or face action.

"If the company cannot show relevant documents, then we will have to either restore the property back to what it was in the first place or face prosecution," said the official. Under the act, the BMC can prosecute the company or slap a penalty.

Shah Rukh could not be reached despite several attempts.

India Times Movies

'Dulha' Mil Gaya is finally Happening

Confirms our source, "Finally, Dulha Mil Gaya is happening. The shooting will begin on July 7th at Filmcity.

It was not stopped completely as Fardeen Khan was shooting for it when Shah Rukh was busy with his previous projects. But now he and Sushmita will shoot for the film.

The filming will take place at least for 3 months as the film is scheduled to release by the end of December. Some crucial scenes are to be shot between Shah Rukh and Sushmita. SRK will start shooting in September. The film needs more attention now."

Adds the source, "He wants to complete the film by the end of August and after that he will be busy with the post production work."

When contacted all Vivek Vaswani said was, "I don't want to talk about Dulha right now. It would be premature."

Dulha Mil Gaya is a romantic comedy. The film has four main characters – Shah Rukh Khan as Raj Oberoi, Sushmita Sen as Lisa DD, Fardeen Khan as Shashank and Tara Sharma as Jessica DD. The film has been shot in the Caribbeans, Trinidad and Tobago.

Earlier the film was supposed to release in May. Vivek Vaswani and SRK go a long way back. The two have been friends since SRK's struggling days in the industry.

Star Box Office

King at work, work and more work...

Shah Rukh Khan is holidaying with wife Gauri and kids Aryan and Suhana in London right now. However, once he returns, he will be shooting non-stop through this year and next.

Our source says, "SRK will be back on the sets of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi on July 7 since they have two more months of shooting left. Some parts of the film will be shot in Yashraj Studios while some will be shot in Punjab. In case the schedule in Punjab is delayed, Shah Rukh will head south for his home production Billoo Barber directed by Priyadarshan. Otherwise, he will shoot for Billoo… for a week after finishing Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi around August."

And that's not all. Adds the source, "After Billoo Barber, he will shoot for Karan Johar's Khan in September, mainly in the US. After finishing Khan, he will start work on the sequel of Don in January next year. The shooting will take place both in India and abroad."

And it's not only films. The few free days that he will have in between wrapping up Billoo Barber and starting with Khan, he will spend shooting for all his ads. Also, he will look at scripts of films that Red Chillies will be producing, including Farah Khan's next, tentatively titled Happy New Year. Obviously, it goes without saying that SRK will star in Farah's film.

Shah Rukh will shoot for Karan Johar's Khan in September, mainly in the US. After finishing Khan, he will start work on the sequel of Don in January next year. The shooting will take place both in India and abroad.

Mumbai Mirror - Hill Road Media

SRK, Farah have not 'honoured' their promise: Manoj Kumar

The controversy over spoof on veteran actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar in Bollywood hit movie "Om Shanti Om" could return to haunt its actor Shah Rukh Khan as Kumar has accused him of "betrayal of trust" by not honouring his 'promise' of deleting the sequence from the movie.

"Shah Rukh had promised to delete the scene from the film when I objected. So many months have passed and he has not honoured his promise. This is nothing but betrayal of trust," Manoj Kumar told PTI here today.

The veteran actor said he complained to filmmaker Yash Chopra about it because it was Chopra who had brought Shah Rukh and director Farah Khan to his house.

SRK and Farah had aplogised to Manoj Kumar and assured him that the scene would be deleted, the noted actor pointed out.

"I have told Yash Chopra about it. This is the only thing I can do," he said while denying reports in a section of the media that he plans to file a defamation suit against the Bollywood superstar.

In a spoof in 'Om Shanti Om', Om, a junior artiste played by SRK, gains entry to a movie premier imitating Manoj Kumar.

When the real Manoj Kumar (a body double of the actor) comes, he is beaten up by security guards.

Moreover, the photograph on his driving license shown by the 'real' Manoj Kumar to the guards is in the actor's trade mark style of covering the face with his hand.

Press Trust Of India

Shah Rukh on Salman’s ‘10 Ka Dum’

After ‘Mr Perfectionist’ Aamir Khan graced the sets of Salman Khan’s ‘10 Ka Dum’ with nephew and debutante Imran Khan, the King Khan is all set to make an appearance on the same.

According to reports, Shah Rukh has given his consent to appear on the show for the sake of good friend Sallu. Apparently, Salman Khan is trying hard to persuade his good friends like Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta and others besides SRK to make a single show appearance on Salman’s hit show ’10 Ka Dum’.

It is believed that the shows starring Bollywood biggies including- SRK, Rani and Preity will be shot sometime in August if things work out well.

Incidentally, according to the industry insiders and TV trade pundits it is all thanks to Salman’s heavy duty show ’10 Ka Dum’ that SRK’s ‘Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se TezHain’ has run into rough whether.

Though SRK’s second coming on TV ‘Paanchvi…’ was never well received at the first place, but it seems that it was the beginning of Sallu’s show that is proving to be the last straw. It is believed that ‘Paanchvi…’ producer Siddharth Basu is already contemplating KBC 4 with SRK to replace the ‘Paanchvi…’ debacle.

With such tough competition on the idiot box amongst the Bollywood biggies, it will be interesting to watch who wins the race, but as of now just sit back and get set to catch the two ace Khans’ setting your TV sets on fire!

Well, if not on the big screen, it will be quite an experience to check out the 'Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega' team on the small screen!

I'm not bothered about Manoj Kumar: Farah Khan

Director-choreographer Farah Khan has sought to bring the curtain down on a raging controversy over the depiction of Bollywood veteran Manoj Kumar in her film Om Shanti Om, saying she isn't "bothered" about him any more.

"I am not bothered about him anymore," said Farah over the phone when asked for her reaction to Manoj Kumar's decision to file a case against her over his portrayal in the 2007 blockbuster.

Manoj Kumar had told a media outlet he would be filing a case against the makers of Om Shanti Om as they have not kept the promise of deleting the scenes that mock him.

He had said that he gave the nod to the film because of the intervention of the legendary director Yash Chopra who had mediated talks between him, Farah and Shah Rukh Khan, who starred in the movie.

Manoj said all of them had mutually agreed that the objectionable scenes would be deleted but this was not done.

On being asked if the scene was shot keeping in mind the artistic liberty of the film industry, the offended actor had said: "I had studied in school that liberty is the undying passion of the mind and one cannot use it to humiliate others. This is an insult to Indian nationalism and patriotism."

Manoj Kumar had taken objection to the scene in which his younger double was shown being beaten up by the police outside a movie theatre since they could not recognize him.

He had also objected to another scene in which Shah Rukh delivered a mock "Thank you" speech in a drunken state and concluding by saying he was Manoj Kumar.

NDTV