In Pics: Shahrukh Khan hosting the IIPM Quiz

Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan may reunite soon

The memories always left their marks whatever if the friendship is no more. This is all about one of the biggest grudges of Bollywood between the macho man Salman Khan and the "King Khan" Shahrukh Khan.

Both the Khan's have been seen together in a lot of parties of Bollywood. Now-a-days, both the Bollywood Khan's are missing each other, remembering the old marks of memories in their friendship. Both the Khan's are gong to reunite again and forget their grudges of past.

Last year, in the birthday bash of Katrina Kaif, a fight between the two big Khans of Bollywood broke out and the cold war started between them. Later, Shahrukh Khan was in news for clashes with the Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood Aamir Khan.

According to the sources, when the gorgeous actress Deepika Padukone and director Farah Khan were on the show of Salman Khan "Das ka Dum", Salman introduced Deepika as the actress of Shahrukh Khan's movie "Om Shanti Om". He was very emotional when he was telling about the movie of Shahrukh Khan where the director Farah Khan stated that the friendship of Salman and Shahrukh is very special in the film industry. Such conversation on the live show of Salman Khan witnessed that both the actors want to patch up as friends.

According to the sources, SRK has planned to come on the show of Salman Khan "Das ka Dum". Salman and SRK were together during the protest in Multiplexes and want to patch up soon.

Salman is my friend: Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan are no longer enemies if the former's words are anything to go by. The two Khans are said to be bitter enemies and have got into brawl a few times but Shahrukh has surprised many by referring to Salman as his friend.

Speaking at the start of the quiz DARE ’09 at the IIPM campus, he revealed that he equated poverty to failure at one point of his life, as he didn’t want to be poor. So, he ended up doing films that his counterparts rejected. He said that he did Deewana, a film that Armaan Kohli turned down, did Baazigar that his friend Salman had refused, acted in Darr that Aamir Khan turned it down and did Dil Aashna Hai after Saif Ali Khan rejected it.

It maybe recalled that Shahrukh and Salman had a public fight on Katrina Kaif's birthday last year. So much has been written about them since the incident happened but they have chosen to keep their silence.

It looks like the Khans are now ready to forgive and forget the past!

My friend Salman...: SRK

This was Shah Rukh Khan’s hattrick as a quizmaster, courtesy management guru Arindam Chaudhuri.

After hosting a successful season II of KBC and Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain?, SRK was in Delhi to host the 4Ps business and marketing quiz DARE ’09 at the IIPM campus.

And he played an honest quizmaster, as he admitted that the speech he delivered before starting the quiz was the one he’d used at a Young President’s Organisation event some time ago. “I’m sorry, but I’m recycling it,” he said, before telling the management students that they should become “CEOs, COOs, CFOs, UFOs and as many FOs as they could in their lives. My friends tell me my kids will become great corporate people because they finish lunch in two-and-a-half hours. More power to power lunches!”

And, do we read this as a change of heart or simply a Freudian slip? While talking about his films and the other two Khans — Aamir and Salman — in the same breath, the superstar referred to the latter as a friend. It may be recalled that the two Khans have not been on speaking terms ever since they sparred over allegedly a remark made by SRK at Salman's girlfriend Katrina Kaif's birthday party.

King Khan said, while spouting gyan to the students,’’’I’m the most successful failure. My mother didn’t live long enough to see me become a superstar. Ab pata nahin Delhi mein yeh word use karte hain ya nahin, but there were times jab meri kudki ho gayi thi. Kudki is when you lose everything and you’re on the road. I equated poverty to failure at one point in my life. I didn’t want to be poor. So I did Deewana, a film that Armaan Kohli had refused. I did Baazigar that my friend Salman didn’t want to do. I acted in Darr because Aamir turned it down and I worked in Dil Aashna Hai because Saif refused it. These films paid well and I was working to avoid unemployment. When Dilip saab (Dilip Kumar) and I were watching my Devdas, I asked him, ‘Why did you do Devdas?’ And he said, ‘Pata nahin. Tab ek lakh rupaiya mila tha’. Then success happened... My speech ends. Normally, people clap now.”

With SRK, the quiz was a lesson in speaking into the microphone too. “Go towards the mike like you’d eat a banana and then speak. But remember not to squeeze it. And don’t get any cheap thoughts when I say banana!” he told the participants.

And while SRK’s quizzing had the participants and the audience in stitches, Arindam said, “SRK’s not just the most intelligent star, but one of most intellectual and witty people I know. I guess that comes from his extensive reading and Eco Hons background. And he’s the biggest brand in India. Our association with him sets a forever unbeatable benchmark in B-school events!” SRK added, “I like coming to Delhi – it’s my city, my mom-in-law is here and Arindam, the one man who has better hair than mine, is here too!”

Saif wanted to kiss SRK

He wouldn’t mind kissing Shah Rukh if the two would have been cast in Dostana.

Saif Ali Khan was offered Dostana by Karan Johar at the time Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan were being considered. Saifu however declined the offer, ‘I didn't really chicken out - I mean I just thought, I think there was Abhishek and Aishwarya in the movie at the time I was being offered it and I was just wondering if I needed to do that and how I would fit in really and I told Karan that’, he told Rajeev Masand on his talk show, To Catch A Star.

Aish and Abhi hogging the limelight could have been the only reason for his Saifu’s refusal. For everyone knows Saif and Shah Rukh were the ones who bought being gay out of the Bollywood closet. Their camaraderie in Kal Ho Na Ho is legendary and Karan owes the success of Dostana to the two of them literally. He went on to say, ‘The gay thing didn't scare me off. In fact I don't think they (Abhishek and John) actually kiss. I would have.’

Incidentally, SRK too didn’t have a problem snogging in the film if he was offered Dostana, to which Saif added, ‘Yeah I would have kissed Shah Rukh.’SRK has even gone to speak about it earlier, saying he was disappointed how the kiss was shot in the film.

Truthfully, we can’t imagine Saif do a John in Dostana and thank heavens Priyanka replaced Aishwarya. But if Karan wants to recreate the magic of Dostana, Saif and Shah Rukh going at it with each other surely is the hit formula for Dostana 2, what say? Just make sure Bebo is cast in Priyanka's role.

I don’t want to be brand ambassador for causes: Shah Rukh

New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan is back in his hometown of yore, and is feeling quite at ease in the crisp, drier environment of Delhi. While contemporary stars are struggling to have their voices heard or to find a balance between stardom and lawfulness, SRK has no difficulty balancing the various facets of his life, and that also with quite a high rate of success – thanks to his diplomacy and political correctness. So, when the topic of causes for stars and people in general was raised, he did not shy away from the issue.

With the number of social cases are at a rise in the glamorous world (Emraan Hashmi and Shiney Ahuja), it gets beguilingly easy to slip into the role of a representative for a cause, especially for a popular star as articulate as Shah Rukh.

However, Shah Rukh side-stepped the issue with admirable diplomacy. Talking to a news daily recently, he said, “No no, I’m just a capitalist, happy-go-lucky, dumb star! I’m happier playing that role because otherwise what I say can be misused, misconstrued, unless the platforms decide to take a side.”

Making his position very clear, he added, “When I talk about things like this, and then I am misconstrued, I am disturbed about it. I say, chhodo yaar, yeh side nahin le rahe hain, and then I realise I am in some way becoming a brand ambassador for these causes and debates. I don’t want to be a brand ambassador for this! Unless I choose to sell a car, I don’t need to be its brand ambassador, do I?”

Not at all King Khan, you are a brand just being yourself!

SRK is just a 'dumb' star!

Shah Rukh Khan was in Delhi to host a quiz show for IIPM, but TOI decided to quiz him instead.

Excerpts...

When Emraan Hashmi raises the issue of his not getting a flat because of his religion, does it make for pointing out concerns, or does it encourage further divisiveness?

See, because of the greater accessibility of everyone to platforms that can make more people hear your voice, by which I largely mean the media, we have reached a stage in our society where everybody is concerned about putting as many planes in the air as possible, in a day, rather than being bothered about whether we can have them land back safely. The same holds true for stories – yeh kahani likh toh do, yaar. We’ll see the next day if it was okay or not. And if not, uska rejoinder toh aayega hi.

As to whether it will add to the divisive nature of things or it’s bringing an issue to the fore – unfortunately, all of us have become people who just want to offer platforms for debates. None of us are bothered if it’s the right thing to do or the wrong thing. So, to me, it’s not pertinent if it’s divisive or crucial – I’m finding myself taking more recourse on issues like this, to understand the value of a “no comment” – which is very unfortunate. Because I think I am a good thinking mind and I should put my points forward. But because all we’re trying to do these days is fill in space on a platform for debates without saying, this is right, I’d rather not speak.

I don’t agree with the view that the media takes – that they’re not concerned with what is right, they’re just providing a platform for a debate. I am therefore finding myself, unfortunately, in this last one year, taking myself away from discussions like this. Because the problem is not whether it is the right issue – the problem is that we are only trying to send more planes in the air. So I won’t comment on this because it will become a platform for what Shah Rukh said about faith and religion. So God bless the platform, and God bless Emraan.
I’ve realised that I don’t need to take a side – you, the media – need to take a side. You should also give people who don’t agree with your stand, a chance to express themselves, but you need to take a stand. And it’s not my job to take a stand – I’m just a vulgar star!

But you, for good or bad, are an extremely popular and an articulate star, too...
No no, I’m just a capitalist, happy-go-lucky, dumb star! I’m happier playing that role because otherwise what I say can be misused, misconstrued, unless the platforms decide to take a side. When I talk about things like this, and then I am misconstrued, I am disturbed about it. I say, chhodo yaar, yeh side nahin le rahe hain, and then I realise I am in some way becoming a brand ambassador for these causes and debates. I don’t want to be a brand ambassador for this! Unless I choose to sell a car, I don’t need to be its brand ambassador, do I?

But even when it comes to cinematic branding, with Chak De! India being a definitive statement for a lot of things beyond coaching a hockey team, with My Name Is Khan clearly saying a lot in its title itself, with you standing for a lot apart from uber glam – won’t those questions come your way?
Yes, they will. But then I am also the guy who pushes girls off buildings in the movies I’ve done! In the movies, I’m just enacting what I’m asked to. Like I said, I’m just a dumb star. I don’t think it’s any more possible to be otherwise. I feel very sad that at this age I have to take recourse to this approach – but I think for a couple of years, we will have to do this.

In that case, won’t you just be giving a platform to others to be the definitive voices of the industry? The press conference stars, if one may say, who pick up controversial issues and use them to pronounce judgement from the rooftops?
Maybe that is what the world deserves! That is the world we live in. But see, in a way, each opinion is right. And as far as I’m concerned, when I say something, and then I have to end up explaining why I said that – I hate justifying it later, because I think that what I say is, more or less, well thought out and is not biased or anti, or wrong.

That’s precisely the reason you need to speak out!
Yeah... that’s what I thought. But now I’ve decided that it’s okay, I just talk about stuff that I do as an actor – yaar, meri picture aayi hai, gaana achcha hai, dekh lo. You like the six packs, watch it. How I got the six packs is not important. How you do stuff, and what you believe in – I think that’s not important any more at this point in my life. I think I should just do the work.

For people like you to go silent will mean that effectively, the likes of Mahesh Bhatt will remain the definitive voices of the film industry.
He’s an intelligent guy. He has a lot to say.

Yeah, he has a lot to say. Just the point.
No no, I learn a lot from him, he’s an amazing guy. He’s a great speaker and very knowledgeable too. My problem is that maybe I find myself getting more and more vulnerable about these things. If you attack me about my acting, I can defend it. But now I’m talking about issues which at my age I think I should be talking about – but then I think, being a movie star, I should not. I should just say, you know, I’m doing this character, I’m playing this young bubbly thin guy!

Yeah... you can’t go wrong with that.
No, I go wrong with that as well, but only monetarily, so it doesn’t really matter. Emotionally, a lot of things matter to us beyond our job. I don’t like justifying things. I may not be very knowledgeable about everything, but I have good sensibilities. I’m a family kind of guy, I just believe that I’m trying to think rightly and not trying to undermine anyone’s position with the things I say – and yet a lot of people tend to see it that way. That’s when I say I don’t need to get there. It’s too much time spent, yaar, explaining things. So I prefer explaining things which are easier – like how did you shoot for MNIK? Oh, we got up at this time, started shooting at 9 in the morning, had a lunch break, etc, etc...

I don’t know all the details of what Emraan said, and I don’t want to say anything on it, except that that’s why I didn’t try to buy an apartment – I bought a house !

You keep saying ‘at this age’. When you got the doctorate, you said you feel old. At 43, is the age bit playing up mentally?
If it were, I wouldn’t be saying it so often. Then I would say I don’t like it. When I say it, I’m sending a message to filmmakers to not ask me to dance around with girls who’re my daughter’s age and make me tell them, ‘I love you!’ If I can do a little more than that... I think my craft is a little better than where it was 15 years ago. I think I have more control over what I can do today. It’d be sad if I keep making the same sort of choice. I hope people begin to make things with me in mind where I’m able to show that my craft has improved, that I can do all that I have done for 20 years, amalgamate it, take it together, and give something new.

The spoofing on yourself in OSO reflected a comfort level with having done that, been there..?
Yes. And I want to try everything for myself as an actor now. I want to be able to say to my directors or producers or writers, would you like me to do this, because I really love doing this? Otherwise it’s never been much of a choice, actually. We have the impression that when you’re doing well, the world is at your feet. It’s really not true. The opening weekend needs to be bigger than the previous weekend each time. Gaana toh hona hi padega yaar, yeh gaana to karna padega, Shah Rukhbhai – so I’m too scared yet to move away from that. When I’m 80, I’ll still like to do Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeh Jaana Sanam and when I’m 80, I’ll still have a six-pack.
But I truly believe that if someone believes in me and turns around and says, you know what, I don’t want this anymore, dude, let’s do this differently – I’ll go for it. Like, MNIK doesn’t have a song or a dance routine. And one of the best filmmakers in the country who has only made nice, happy-go-lucky films with me is willing to take a chance with me. That is very confidence-inspiring. Actors are insecure. So you need to be told, you can pull this off. Like Adi said for Chak De – Adi, who had made Dilwale with me, saying, ‘Shah Rukh, I don’t want you to look good. This is a film about a basic looking guy. I’ve sold Rahul long enough. Let’s deconstruct him now.’

You’ve described yourself as an emotional jester above all. Does that apply to this genre of films as well, or only to the feel-good melodrama variety?
It applies to me as an actor more than to the films that I do. I have a bagful of tricks, and the tricks are mostly emotion-oriented. If you’re a child, I will try and show you magic. If you’re an intellectual, I’ll try and be boring for you. My job is to carry the bag, come to the court in the morning and make sure the king – my audience – is happy. You want me to be happy? No, you want me to cry? Ok, I’ll cry. You’re a jester, and if you start taking yourself more seriously than that, it becomes difficult to do what you’re doing. If I think I’m the king, it would be an issue. I’m not being humble, I know I’am called King Khan and all that. You want me to do something, I’ll try to do it. So if Arindam (Arindam Chaudhuri, of IIPM) feels I can host a quiz show (SRK was in Delhi to host IIPM’s annual business and marketing quiz)... But I’m not Siddhartha Basu who’s hosted great shows, or Amin Sayani who has a wonderful voice, or Derek O’Brien whose knowledge is amazing, or Joy who works with me and is amazing at all this – yet, if someone feels I can do this, I will pick up my bag of tricks and try to do what I can.

You’ve never been afraid to be politically incorrect, have you?
I’ve always been politically correct, yaar. I’ve never said anything that’s meant to be hurtful or controversial – it’s just that it tends to be utilised that way now. But I don’t get too disturbed about it either. I mean, yeah, I’m not going to start blogging because of this, to put my point across, for sure! I don’t need to do that.

Taking of blogging, how tough was the post-IPL flak?
It was post and pre, both.

And it got extremely personal.
Yeah, it did. And I don’t like it, I don’t like it at all. But success has this beauty that it eradicates all personal and impersonal attacks. So instead of saying, explaining, justifying – all I need to do is succeed at IPL. Which I will do. Unless I do that, there’s no point me explaining anything. I am hearing so much about what I am doing – which I am not doing. But I don’t explain. I’ll just go and win IPL – and then all my decisions will sound right. The crux is not what people are saying. The crux is that my team is losing. And I need to rectify that. And once I win, it’ll be like, ‘Shah Rukh theek keh raha tha’.

A house in Mumbai, a house in Dubai, a house in London, supposedly – you becoming a building magnate or what?
Like I said, I get to know about my life and my houses from the media. Five years ago, I had supposedly bought an island! No, I don’t own any house in London. I do rent apartments and perhaps when I say to someone, come to my place there, it gives the impression that it’s my own house. I’d love to buy a house there, though. But that’s after I win IPL, and after MNIK is a big hit!

Shah Rukh Khan has high hopes with Hollywood's Fox Studios

New Delhi: Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan on Saturday said that he has high hopes with his upcoming film 'My Name is Khan' and anticipate it to do well internationally thanks to Hollywood's Fox Studios, which would be distributing the film.

The film is set to create a record ahead of its release early next year with Fox Star Studios reportedly buying marketing and distribution rights for around Rs 100 crore.

"I think association with Fox (Fox Star Studios) is going to be wonderful because I think it's the first Indian film of Indian origin being produced here and trying to release it the way they are doing so hopefully it will do well," Shah Rukh Khan.

The film, co-produced by Karan Johar and Khan, is set against the 9/11 terror attacks and its impact on an Indian Muslim living in the United States.

'My Name is Khan' is directed by Karan Johar and stars Kajol in the female lead.

KKR captain, coach still to be decided: Shah Rukh

New Delhi: Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders' owner Shah Rukh Khan today dismissed reports that Sourav Ganguly has been re-appointed skipper for next season, saying that captaincy of the side would be decided in a series of meetings from August 4 to 15.

"We will be meeting on August 4 and that's when all decisions on coach, captaincy and hopefully a formula for winning at least some of the matches next year would be worked out," Shah Rukh told a press conference here.

"Nothing has been decided, neither the coach nor the other things I read about in papers. The whole team would be meeting for the first time post IPL on August 4 and it's a series of meetings will August 15," the Bollywood star added.

IIPM plays KBC with Shahrukh Khan

New Delhi: Bollywood ace star King Khan aka Shahrukh Khan was invited by Arindam Chowdhary at IIPM New Delhi.

SRK was here to visit his home town where he was also invited at one of the biggest B-events in the country at IIPM where Shahrukh was asked several questions related to the business studies.

Arindam also organized a press conference with Shahrukh Khan post the program which outcame as a light hearted hour where the actor gave the crazy fans some.

He told that he was fired up with some 70 questions out of which at least he would a=be able to take the answers of at least 20 to home and giggled.

In the hall before a female fan put him up a question, she pasted him a comment saying that he looked smart, to that SRK replied, "You are no less a charm darling."

Aridam Chowdhary was overwhelmed by Shahrukh's presence and he said that he and the IIPM are really blessed and honored that Shahrukh was able to divide and give some time to them.