Kolkata Knight Riders have registered their first win in IPL season 2 and team owner Shah Rukh Khan now wants to put all the controversies behind and concentrate on cricket. He spoke to Vimal Kumar after the victory celebrations.
SRK: It's going to be difficult at times. People are not going to understand from outside. All I can tell you is: "You can love us, you can hate us, but you can't ignore us. We will try our best as humbly as possible. We will try and entertain everyone. We are open to be talking about the team the way we wish to. We love you and we are going to try our best. Whichever the part of the country you are in, make sure you are proud of Kolkata Knight Riders."
Q: IPL is shifted to South Africa. Rain is playing spoilsport. Your take on that
SRK: Weather is not something that even I can control or, you can control. It's unfortunate. But apparently, it is not seasonal rain here, either. So things happen like this. When the moment is big, the occasion is really important, small things can spoil it. But the idea was the IPL2 should be held. So forget the rain. Whenever it rains we just sing a good rain song. But beyond that, yes it's unfortunate. I feel sad that some of the matches are getting curtailed because of rain.
Q: You must be feeling happy that your team has started winning.
SRK: I don't think we have started winning. We have twelve more matches to go. I can't be happy so soon. But I am very happy that the team has started playing together. And inshe allah... as we go along the next twelve matches we will play together. As long as we play together, winning or losing is not important. I think if we are able to bring the spirit of the Kolkata Knight Riders into this, that is more important. So I am happy for the kids. I think they were very depressed after losing the first match. I am happy that they are happy now. But a long way to go.
As we put on our TV sets to watch the Indian Premiere League season 2’s matches of Shah Rukh Khan owned Kolkata Knight Riders we can also see Khan’s two kids Aryan (11) and Suhana (8) cheering for their team in South Africa. But it is learnt that they have been given special exemption to attend these matches and bunk the special classes of their school - Dhirubhai Ambani School.
Our source reveals, "Last IPL, the King Khan’s children, especially son Aryan was a regular feature in most of the KKR matches. But since the matches were held in India it was easily possible for their superstar dad to take them to the match venues. This year as the venue has shifted to South Africa, it seemed difficult that SRK would manage to take them along. Also since their school was holding special classes delaying their summer vacation. But Shah Rukh apparently applied for a special permission and the school gave his kids five days of holiday as a special case.”
Even though they are in regular war of words and have no plans of doing films together Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan could soon be seen together endorsing Coca Cola. Pepsi had recently dumped Shahrukh after a decade long association as it thought SRK being at the wrong side of 40 did not appeal to the youth. In its last 'Youngistan' campaign SRK was given a small role as compared to that of love birds Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.
Shahrukh however isn't the star to sit home and look for an endorsement deal. Pepsi's biggest rival Coca Cola saw this as a huge opportunity and pounced on King Khan. Shahrukh even roped in Kolkata Knight Riders's star Saurav Ganguly and his team to endorse Sprite which is a Coke product. Aamir on has been associated with Coke for quite some time. Now the Cola giant has plans to cast both Aamir and Shahrukh in the same commercial.
Mushtaq Shiekh needs no introduction, the journalist turned author has already penned books like Still Reading Khan, The Making of Ashoka and The Making of Om Shanti Om. He has also written the screenplay for movies like Om Shanti Om and Billu and television scripts for soaps like Kahin Toh Hoga, K Street Pali Hill, Kya Haadsa Kya Haqeeqat. In an exclusive interview with Oneindia's Subhadeep Bhattacharjee, Mushtaq talks about his latest book Shah Rukh Can and his future plans.
You have earlier worked on Shahruk's life in 'Still Reading Khan', 'The Making of Ashoka' and 'The Making of Om Shanti Om'. Why Shahrukh Khan again? Why not Shahrukh Khan again? That is a more important question. He is the biggest star we have on planet earth…the there is an unquenchable appetite to know more about him. With every passing day the number of his fans is increasing. Not to mention the other important fact that my proximity or access to the man makes things much easier and possible to do. So when all these factors come to together you get the magic formula of writing books and books on Shahrukh Khan and doing it successfully.
What is the main theme behind this book. Is it a sequel to Still Reading Khan? Shah Rukh Can is a revised updated version of Still Reading Khan. There are a thousand things plus one that he has managed to do between after the first edition was published which have been added to this particular edition.
Besides the earlier one was a huge coffee table book, that weighed heavily on one's bookshelves (4 kgs) and purse too. Therefore, the decision to bring out the book in a paperback format, so that every fan of his would be able to buy one. This version is my offering to the youth of this country who complained to me after my first book was released that I was being unfair to them and they could not afford to read my earlier book and that it was way past their pocket money. This would reach them all and more at a affordable price of Rs 399. Certainly a throw away price to take Shahrukh Khan home.
What do you think is one part of Shahrukh's life this book focuses which none of your earlier books did? The other books were about the movies Asoka, OSO, they were movie-specific and not necessarily just about Shahrukh. In our movie industry we never had anyone recording history so that the coming generations know what happened to the making of these movies. Like today when I want to know how Kagaz Ke Phool was made I find it next to impossible to get the details. We have scant respect for our movie history. I began the whole culture of catching contemporary cinema in pages so that we have the information stored forever. The response from readers has been over whelming and I intend to keep doing it. Shah Rukh Can is a biography which covers every part of Shahrukh's life, personal and professional with lesser known facts about the man, that everyone seems to have missed over the years.
You have known Shahrukh for a long time. What is the difference you find between the Shahrukh you met for the first time and today's King Khan? I have always maintained that stardom and super stardom has an unsaid factor of corrupting people. But when it fails to do so, the person who passes the litmus test becomes extraordinary. Shahrukh Khan is one such person. In fact the super success has gone the other way to his head. He has become far more mellow and responsible with the super success. He is no longer audacious and irresponsible. He is far more in control and saner I must add. Why do you think he is my muse for almost all my books?
A tabloid carried a story on that you and Shahrukh had fallen apart. How did you react to that? I do not react to tabloids. I however did write on my blog http://www.shiekhspear.blogspot.com/ so that readers and friends who were concerned got to know the truth. Tabloids are better left doing their job...they are great as toilet paper but when the whole fourth estate gets a bad name because of some inept people I get disturbed because after all even I started my career as a journalist …Anyway peace be on all who write such tripe…after all they will have to pop pills to sleep at nights to…for as mischief mongers burn in hell.
Do you think there runs a conspiracy in Bollywood to defame successful stars like Shahrukh Khan? There is no conspiracy in Bollywood. Like in any other profession there are minor differences in thought and attitude which is played up the media because quite frankly, that is how they reel in their readers and viewers. It’s all part of the Circus. After all is there is a price of fame that this is it. This is it. This is it.
You had penned the screenplay of Om Shanti Om and Billu. What is happing with your career as a screenplay writer? Right now I working on Shahrukh Khan’s next film Ra.One with director Anubhav Sinha. It’s a film on a very huge canvas. Cinema as big as it can get. I am very thrilled about. With the television serials, the biggest film of the next year, and two fiction novels, I can’t be asking for more work. Totally tied up till 2013…ha ha.
Do you plan to write on any other Bollywood star? At this moment I am more interested in fiction and not on any particular film star. But yes if there is anyone who I could try to visit in pages after Shahrukh Khan then it would be Hrithik Roshan. He is the only one who really fascinates me, there lies a life tale that needs to be told. His journey has been quite incredible.
Lastly do you again plan to write a book on Shahrukh? I could write hundreds in spite of having written exhaustively on the man, I still feel that there are reams left, words still waiting to be printed, ideas will to be expressed. But am I planning anything right now...no. I can't promise the same about the future. Till then one can wait for my next fiction offering…
Shah Rukh Khan's cheerleaders, who were found after a nationwide contest - Knights & Angels on NDTV Imagine, may have not been seen at the Kolkata Knight Riders match against the Deccan Chargers in Cape Town on Sunday, but they were very much present at all the important functions of the Indian Premier League in South Africa.
King Khan flew out his Angels irrespective of the fact that they could not participate in this edition of the IPL as the cheerleaders of all the teams are being centrally provided by the organizers. They witnessed the grand spectacle of the opening ceremony after being a part of the two kilometer carnival, two days prior to the start of the IPL.
And now news is that the girls are going to be part of the advertising campaign to promote Kolkata Knight Riders. An appliance company will be using photographs of the girls as part of the co-branded promotion.
And as for the Angels, they may have missed out on the big occasion this year, but with promises of the IPL returning to India next year, these girls will still get their opportunity to swing and dance in front of KKR fans.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owner Shah Rukh Khan said he has been receiving 'hate' mails since the multiple-captaincy controversy brewed up a storm.
'I am getting strange hate mails from people for taking decision for the team's sake. But is is okay, I'm saving them all so that I can go to each house and say 'Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo,' Shah Rukh said after KKR beat Kings XI Punjab by 11 runs in an Indian Premier League match.
KKR coach John Buchanan's multiple-captaincy theory has raised a debate, specially in former captain Sourav Ganguly's city Kolkata.
Ganguly's removal from the captaincy has left his fan indignant.
The Bollywood star asked Ganguly's fans to send positive responses.
'Along the way if we go wrong, please feel for us and send us positive energies.'
Shah Rukh also admitted the team is under a lot of pressure after the multiple captaincy theory.
'I know the team is under a lot of pressure after the multiple captains, the choice of captain and all that. At the moment the team is under a bit of a disarray, but we will stick together. We have started doing it,' Shah Rukh said.
'My team is under more pressure because it is owned by a film star and then you have such fan following, the backing of a city that supports you one night and gets angry the next night.'
The duo won’t be face to face here again but they sure do know how to irk each other!
Sallu will be backing Preity Zinta and her IPL team, Kings XI Punjab. If the grapevine is to be believed, his entire family will be there to show their support.
Shah Rukh is not going to take this lying down. He has roped in the biggies in Bollywood to support his team, Kolkatta Knight Riders.
We just hope there is no war of words at the cricket field between the Khans. More so, there shouldn’t be rivalry between SRK and Preity!
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Kolkata Knight Riders have registered their first win in IPL season 2 and team owner Shah Rukh Khan now wants to put all the controversies behind and concentrate on cricket. He spoke to Vimal Kumar after the victory celebrations.
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