ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR Shah Rukh Khan

The man of the millennium has finally finished second best in a poll, but only just. Shah Rukh Khan won the voting for entertainer of the year with 29%, just one percentage point ahead of the Big B's 28%. Akshay Kumar, who has had a string of hits in 2007, was a distant third with 14%.

Shah Rukh led in Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata and Amitabh in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune. Rajinikanth not surprisingly was the clear favourite in Chennai with 40% of the votes.

What clinched the race for the top slot in favour of Shah Rukh was the fact that he had impressive leads in big cities Delhi and Bangalore, while Amitabh led very narrowly in Mumbai and the other cities where he topped were relatively small.

Vidya Balan, who like Akshay has had more than one hit this year, was the top female entertainer and fifth in the overall list behind Rajinikanth. Her 6% was just a touch more than Katrina Kaif's 5%.

TNN

Anthony Gonsalves - Shahrukh Khan's story ?

By now film followers are aware that MY NAME IS ANTHONY GONSALVES has Shahrukh Khan's 'Red Chillies Entertainment' as the Line Producers of the film.

However, by looking at the promos, one senses a special reason for Shahrukh to be a part of this project. That's because if one looks closely, the character of the film's lead protagonist Anthony Gonsalves (played by Nikhil Dwivedi) appears to be modeled on Shahrukh Khan from his early days.

Not just this, even the look, mannerisms and profile of Dwivedi have an uncanny resemblance to that of Shahrukh Khan. In the film, Nikhil plays the role of a young man who has dreams of becoming a superstar but is ridiculed by everyone due to his average looks, medium height and built. His dancing skills are questioned too and there are doubts if he was good enough to even play a hero's friend, let alone a hero.

Now if one gets into a comparison mode, even Shahrukh had similar traits in early stages of his career and it was only after a considerable stint in theater, TV serials and small roles in a couple of offbeat films that he got noticed.

Presented by Sahara One Motion Pictures, the film stars Amrita Rao as the leading lady along with Mithun Chakraborty, Mukesh Tiwari, Anupam Kher, Pawan Malhotra and Saurabh Shukla. Directed by E Niwas, the film would be releasing on 11th January.

Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network

Dance with SRK

They say the sky is the limit for everything...and Bindass, a UTV venture, which is India's first local 360-degree entertainment youth brand, brings you a Two hour live and entertaining Airtel Bindass India Concert with Shahrukh Khan and other Bollywood stars. The Airtel Bindass India Concert will take place live on 13 January 2008 at the MMRDA grounds, Mumbai and will be telecasted on 26 Jan in a most super, Bindass manner only on BINDASS.

Joining the Badshah of Bollywood will be other top artistes like Boman Irani, Priyanka Chopra, Dia Mirza, Dino Morea, Rakhi Sawant, Kunal Ganjawala, Ganesh Hegde, Niti Mohan and Mauli Dave. Bindass very own comical Hass Ley India duo Mantra & Anirudh will also be performing at the concert.

'All Indian's are huge fans of Shahrukh Khan, so we are delighted to have him and other Bollywood stars performing at Bindass India Concert' Says Sita Laxmi Narayan Swami - Senior VP Marketing Bindass.

An event by Cineyug, Bindass gives five Indians once in a lifetime opportunity to dance with King Khan. So all you SRK fans across the country who ever dreamt of sharing the stage with the Badshah of Bollywood this is the chance to make your dreams come true.

Mohomed Morani from Cineyug says, "Cineyug is delighted to be working with UTV on Bindass India Concert which is a complete fun filled event with lots of masti, am sure all the people watching it live and on television shall enjoy the concert"

Bindass brings for its viewers - Dance with SRK contest beginning December 28, 2007. For all further information on SRK contest do is keep-watching BINDASS... Moreover, win a chance to dance live with the superstar. So put on your dancing shoes and get ready....

Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz

Om Shanti Om complete 50 days

While OM SHANTI OM has already achieved the BLOCKBUSTER status at the box office, it would also be completing a super successful 50 days run at theaters across the country today.

The film has already crossed 85 crores mark at the box office and looks set to add on some more moolah to it's overall collections in weeks to follow. In the meantime, work is already on in full swing to get the DVDs of the film out on stands in international and national market.

If initial indications are anything to go by, the film's DVDs too are supposed to be extraordinary with ton loads of special features being added to give that extra edge into home entertainment media.

Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network

SRK for Force India

With Shah Rukh Khan lending his presence to their multimedia campaign, Force India is all set to announce its arrival in India, part-owner of the Formula One team Vijay Mallya said on Tuesday.

Force India, the first ever Formula One outfit owned by an Indian, will soon unleash a massive multimedia campaign in the country and Mallya said Shah Rukh was enthused by the idea of associating himself with the team.

"The whole idea was to spread the word that an Indian team has arrived on the Formula One grid and we wanted to evoke a sense of pride among the Indians," Mallya told PTI from Malaysia.

"I went to Shah Rukh seeking a goodwill message and he was at once ready for it. He said 'I'm a proud Indian and I would love to do it for an Indian F1 team.'"

Thanking the actor for agreeing to lend his name to the campaign, Mallya said, "It was very spontaneous on his part and that shows how much excited he is about it. And he did it for free."

Mallya, a motorsport enthusiast for long, became the first Indian owner of an F1 team when he joined hands with the Mol family and bought Spyker for euro 88 million in October.

Mallya insisted on rechristening the team with the country's name in it and International Motorsports Association (FIA) approved the changing the name of the outfit to Force India.

The Hindu

Gear up for CHAK DE YAARA

On this New Year’s Eve STAR Plus is all set to entertain and enthrall its audience with a very special evening. For the first time on India television, STAR has brought together the awesome threesome – ‘master blaster’ of cricket – Sachin Tendulkar, Pakistani ‘tufan express’ – Sohaib Akhtar and ‘Bollywood badshah’ – Shah Rukh Khan on CHAK DE YAARA. Further, the show will bring together cricketers of India and Pakistan, who will dance and sing together all through the evening. The starry night will not only showcase Bollywood glamour queens like Kareena Kapoor, Koena Mitra and Diya Mirza but it will be a union of sorts between the two nations.

The king of fun & laughter, Sajid Khan along with Vidya Malvade, the captain of India’s women hockey team in ‘Chak De India’ will host the spectacular evening. Both the skippers MS Dhoni and Sohaib Mallik along with their teams comprising of Saurav, Sreesanth, Yuvraj, Gambhir, Shewag, Irfan and others will perform a unique Bollywood act on stage. Sreesanth will challenge SRK with his impeccable moves, Bhajji will be forced to mimic Shahrukh and even propose Dia Mirza. The ‘King Khan’ will make Yuvi repeat hit dialogues of ‘Devdas’ in Punjabi while Dhoni will perform the ‘Don’ number with SRK. The star studded show will set the temperatures rising in the cold winter evening as Bollywood’s sizzling sirens Kareena, Dia and Koena shake a leg with Shahrukh Khan on numerous foot-tapping numbers. In addition to that, there will be sweltering performances by the popular choreographers Ganesh Hegde and Neeti Mohan.

This New Year’s Eve, will turn out to be one of the most cherished moments of the year with CHAK DE YAARA, which is not only an effort to entertain the viewers but it is an initiative to bring the two nations together on a platform where fun, laughter & love prevails.

So don’t miss ‘CHAK DE YAARA’ on Sunday, Dec 30th, 10 p.m. only on STAR PLUS!!

Shah Rukh Khan is Nokia Corporate Brand Ambassador

'Nokia mera humsafar, dus saal se mera saathi,' says SRK.

Nokia India has appointed Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) as its corporate brand ambassador. As part of this association, Nokia has launched a TVC created by Bates David Enterprise and is directed by ad filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar.

The TV commercial focuses on the seamless weaving of Nokia in people's lives today and highlights how the brand has become a trusted friend by being with them in the most important moments of their life. The target audience for the commercial is SEC A, B and C segments in the age group of 14-45 years.

Alok Agarwal, Executive Vice-president, Bates David Enterprise, says, "Considering that every three of four owners of mobile phones in India are Nokia owners, there is a need to make them feel comfortable and reassured about the brand of their choice. Shah Rukh, with his mass appeal, cuts across metros, small towns and the interiors of the country."

Devinder Kishore, Marketing director, Nokia India, said, "There is a complete synergy between Nokia and the personification of the Shah Rukh Khan as a brand – both have a youth connect, are trendy, technology savvy and most importantly, symbolise trust. We believe this is the perfect coming together of the two leading brands in entertainment and mobility."

SRK added, "Nokia's very human technology has made it simpler for people to stay connected – with each other and to their passions. I have been a Nokia user for more than a decade and have used various handsets over the years. I am absolutely delighted to work with a brand that I admire."

The TVC begins with SRK talking on his cell phone and walking in his house. As he does so, he says, 'Kuchh khaas baatein sabse pehle kuchh khaas hi jaantein hain'. He opens the door and enters a nursery with a cradle in it. He calls out to his son and says, 'Jaise zindagi mein nayi zindagi ka aana.'

He opens another door and enters a bedroom with photos of his wife and him on the walls. He dusts a photo on a table affectionately and says, 'Har taqraar aur pyaar ka afsana.' Then he opens yet another door and enters a room that looks as if it's ready for a movie launch event. There is a banner of Om Shanti Om in the background and a group of people congratulate him saying, 'Well done, Shah Rukh bhai, mubarak ho.' And SRK says 'Har khushkhabri jo paas laata hain'.

The commercial shows a host of such events that bring out how people use the elements of mobility, voice, imaging, SMS and music in their everyday life. The TVC ends with SRK saying, 'Ek aisa dost jo hain har dil main shaamil. Nokia mera humsafar, dus saal se mera saathi, mera vishwas. Hamara Nokia.'

Televisionpoint.com

SRK is Star Gold's Sabsey Favourite Hero

Star Gold's Idea Sabsey Favourite Kaun 2008 reached its pinnacle as nearly 1.5 million fans voted for their favourite stars across seven categories.

Om Shanti Om has been given the Sabsey Favourite Film award. Shah Rukh Khan has been chosen as the Sabsey Favourite Hero, while Rani Mukherjee and Katrina Kaif shared the Sabsey Favourite Heroine award. Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor have bagged the Sabsey Favourite Nayi Heroine and Sabsey Favourite Nayi Hero, respectively.

Prem Kamath, Vice-president, Marketing and Communications, Star India said, "Idea Sabsey Favourite Kaun has emerged as a true reflection and the only barometer of an actor's popularity as the winners are chosen solely by their fans. Indian Cinema has such an immense impact on the lives of people and that is evident by the overwhelming response that we have received year after year."

The event saw dazzling performances by Katrina Kaif as she performed to the tune of songs from her recent films Partner and Welcome. Shahid Kapoor engrossed the audience with his superb performance which included a medley from his latest hit, Jab We Met and Fool and Final.

Hosted by Shilpa Shukla, Tanya Abrol and Chitrashi Rawat, the finale evening also presented the viewers with their dynamic act from their blockbuster movie, Chak De India.

Televisionpoint.com

Shah Rukh Clears the Air on Aamir

All's well between the two big Khans of Bollywood - atleast according to King Khan Shahrukh who on Sunday (December 23) rested all rumours of tiff between him and Aamir Khan and praised Aamir's directorial debut in film 'Taare Zameen Par'.

Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan are different from each other for more reasons than one; while Aamir is the reclusive actor, SRK is considered a more 'media savvy' entertainer - Aamir's directorial debut got every critic raving about him, while SRK's film 'Om Shanti Om' is the biggest commercial hit of the year.

And just when the rumours of an apparent clash between the two was buzzing in the industry with the news of both Aamir and Shahrukh replacing each other in their respective upcoming films, it looks like the smoke did not exactly arise out of any real fire.

The industry was abuzz with the news of King Khan replacing Aamir in Mani Ratnam's 'Lajjo' and likewise, Aamir's interest in Shankar's 'Robot' ever since Shahrukh walked out of it got the rumour mills running about their alleged clash. But the King Khan himself has made the clarifications.

"No I am not doing Lajjo - I would not know about Aamir - when he SMSed me I did not ask him, "are you doing Robot?" laughed Shahrukh, adding "But whoever does a film that I am not doing, I am happy because I am not doing it so it doesn't make a difference to me, and I wish them the best. And Aamir is a friend - I always believe Aamir will do it better - I just earn a little bit more money at the box office."

And the Badshah doesn't just end there - he went on raving about Aamir's directorial debut - though ironically he hadn't been able to make it to the premiere of 'Taare' due to ill health.

"I felt very bad because I was very bedridden and Aamir kept on sending me SMSes and wanted the kids to come. I have heard it's really, really, really nice. So I am really wanting to see it - as an actor when one becomes a director, it's very important for other actors to see his film."

Now, that should put the rumours to rest for some time!

TimesNow

SRK and Hrithik in third part of Koi Mil Gaya ?

It began a few years ago when Rakesh Roshan decided to bring science fiction to Bollywood and created Koi Mil Gaya, a story of an extraterrestrial character named Jaadoo woven around a love story starring Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta.

The magic continued with Krrish in 2005 as India's first superhero was born. While Krrish was a step up from Koi Mil Gaya, the Roshan's have already begun planning a final part to the trilogy.

Interestingly enough, Rakesh won't direct this third part himself and has given the job to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra who has directed Rang De Basanti and is currently working on Dilli 6.

Wait, the best part of it all is that Shahrukh Khan is in talks for the negative role opposite Hrithik Roshan. The two were last seen on-screen together in Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham. Apparently SRK is set to 'don' the menacing role of a villain in this third installment which promises to be bigger and better than the last.

Though Rakesh Roshan doesn't confirm the developements, he doesn't deny them either and that's a very good sign. He tells Mumbai Mirror, "We are still working on it and we will make an official announcement as soon as we work out the details."

What a casting coup that would be!

BollySpice