Shah Rukh Duped & Loses Passport

Bollywood superstar, Shahrukh Khan is in the news yet again though this time for an off-screen mystery that has left the Mulund (Mumbai) police baffled.

It involves his credit card which came into the possession of three people who took a big chance to splurge away merrily but were nabbed by an alert department store executive.

On February 10, Vinay Vijay Tambe (22), James Paul Peremal (28), and Shekar Jadhav (44), went to Shopper’s Stop at Nirmal Lifestyle in Mulund (W) and bought trousers and t-shirts worth Rs.25000.

So far, so good till it was time to pay up and out came an ICICI credit card. The sales executive was stunned when he saw that the name on the transaction slip was none other than SRK. He knew something was terribly wrong especially when the credit card holder signed it as Vinay Vijay Tambe.

The executive made a call to ICICI Bank to verify the card’s authenticity and also informed the police about the transaction. They wasted little time in reaching the spot and arrested the trio under Indian Penal Code sections 34 (common intention) and 420 (cheating). They have been remanded to police custody till February 18.

Shahrukh confirmed the story through an SMS to this newspaper.

The Mulund police says the card was not forged. “ICICI Bank has confirmed that the card belonged to Khan. We are trying to find out whether it was stolen or if he lost it. And, of course, the big question is how did it come into Tambe’s hands,” senior police inspector Prakash Landge, Mulund police station, told DNA.

The trio’s version, according to him, was that they found the card lying on a road in SantaCruz a few days prior to their arrest.

The Mulund police got in touch with their counterparts at Bandra to check if SRK had registered any complaint on a lost credit card. “They told us that he had lodged a complaint on his passport being lost. We are now investigating the exact source of the credit card,” Landge said.

The police might soon contact SRK on the matter.

V.Narayan, DNA India

Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Grader ?

Not that King Khan had gone anywhere, but he’s making a comeback on the telly with another show, which comes after the super successful Kaun Banega Crorepati. This time, Shah Rukh Khan will be the host for Star Plus’ new game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain, which will be on air later this year. An Indian adaptation of a hit Fox TV quiz show, that’s doing well in over 50 countries, Khan explained the concept with some witty repertoire at the launch in Delhi. “Main dil say khud baccha hi hoon (At heart, I am a also a child),” said Khan, who rode a bicycle to the podium for the press conference.

The movie icon will be seen in Aditya Chopra’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan, apart from three home productions from Red Chillies Entertainment. “Since I’m not shooting at the moment, I can devote my time to this show. Finally, I have work,” joked Khan. “At Red Chillies we are also planning an animation film. Barry John taught me that if I can hold a child’s attention, I can be an actor,” said Khan.

Khan watched the original show , Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, with his kids and their friends before deciding on whether he wanted to be part of this venture. “My kids found it fascinating,” he said, and that eventually convinced him to don the quizmaster’s hat yet again. With a self-imposed break from films, Khan has his plate full with cricket and television. “I think I never left television. I began my career with TV and I owe my life to this medium,” he said. He’ll host this show in a classroom environment.

Regarding his recent exploits with cricket, he is smitten with cricketer Sourav Ganguly and has set his heart at getting him on board his most recent purchase — the Kolkata Cricket League. “Sourav will captain my team. Since our team is Kolkata, we must have a signature player and who better than Sourav? Had he not been from Kolkata, even then I would have bid for him just because he is a great player,” he insisted.

Prone to self-congratulation, Khan is disarmingly modest at the same time. “With all humility, I think I am the ambassador of the Indian film industry. Those international awards might have been conferred on me, but they are a reflection of the fact that the world has woken up to Indian cinema,” said a triumphant Khan. Here we go again!

Express India

SRK and Kajol Voted Jodi No 1

It's valentine season and romance is in the air. And romance has been the staple for Bollywood for many years.

So which onscreen couple charmed the hearts of the audience? Which lead pair is the jodi no 1? We here at CNN-IBN decided to find out.

Bollywood has had some memorable onscreen couples who lit up the silver screen with their sparkling chemistry.

While the spotlight has shifted from reel life to real life couples off late, the magic that the male and female leads created on celluloid is definitely a source of inspiration for many.

So this Valetine's week we decided to check out who's the best of them all...the couple that has reigned in the hearts of the audience as the hero and heroine who made their ticket money worth every penny.

On a poll conducted on www.ibnlive.com CNN-IBN asked respondents to vote the jodi no1 in Bollywood. And the nominees are:

Guru Dutt and Waheed Rehman

Dharmendra and Hema Malini

Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol

Shahid Kapur and Kareena Kapoor

From the swarm of responses, it was evident that if there's one jodi that has melted hearts across the board, it's Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol who sizzled on screen in such films as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kabhie Khushie Kabhie Gham and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

They're the couple we have most enjoyed seeing on screen, they're the couple that has most often made our eyes moist, they're the couple who have immortalized romance on 70mm.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, CNN-IBN's Jodi No. 1 is Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

Watch the video : Click Here

IBN Live

"I'm directing for Shah Rukh" - Anubav Sinha

Shah Rukh Khan has entrusted Anubhav Sinha (of Dus and Tum Bin fame) with the responsibility of directing a Red Chillies production. Though earlier there were speculations around the authenticity of the news piece, the man at the helm of affairs comes out in open.

"Yes, this is true. I am indeed going to direct this film which would be heavy on CGI and VFX. At this moment no decision has been taken on whether Shah Rukh Khan would be acting in the film or not as the script is still being finalized", says Anubhav Sinha whose last release was Cash.

Budget of this yet untitled film has been pegged at $25 million (Rs. 100 crores) which automatically makes it India's most expensive film ever. What does Anubhav feel about this transition to the super league? "With big power comes bigger responsibilities", chuckles Anubhav while obviously quoting superhero Spiderman.

He continues, "The film is obviously huge and there would be extensive pre-production required for it. Shah Rukh is getting some of the best technicians from the world to work on the project. When he makes a statement that the film has to match the standards set by Spiderman, I have to be continuously on my toes."

Since the film is CGI and VFX laden, is it mainly an animation/special effects film, as reported in some sections of media. "What rubbish", says an amused Anubhav, "You don't spend 100 crores on a core animation film. This is very much going to be a live action film with real people. But yes, it would have high dose of VFX."

It was two years back that Anubhav Sinha had got into a first round discussion with Shah Rukh Khan around the project. Khan went on to do Om Shanti Om in the interim and recently gave a nod to his dream project. Was he overtly bothered about the Cash imbroglio?

"He hasn't spoken to me about it", replies Anubhav, "I don't know whether he has seen Cash or not. In any case, he has been in the entertainment business for long and fully understands what goes behind the scenes for the success or failure of a project."

While work is still on for the production and financing of the film, Shah Rukh Khan is already said to be in talks with Eros Entertainment and visual effects guru Charles Darby who has worked on films like The Matrix and Minority Report. Most of the year 2008 would go into getting the base ready for the film to come on floors.

As per Khan, the film is going to be over the top and a madcap with a feel that would be as beautiful as Spider Man when it comes to special effects. Though Anubhav Sinha refuses to divulge much about the plot of the film, there are indications that the film with a feel of videogame would be centered on a bunch of children who wish for bad things but get a reality check when they come true.

"Let the suspense stay on about what the film is all about. In any case, I don't wish to reveal much about the film since it is at least a year away. Let me get my act in place till then", signs off Anubhav.

Screen India

Shah Rukh to host 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?'

English is the official language of India. True or False?

Do all adult kangaroos have pouches? Yes or No?
Which of the following - ligaments, tendons, or marrow, attach muscles to bones?.

After reading the above questions, most of you will feign dyslexia, some of you will promptly want to take help from 10-years olds in the neighborhood and still, many will refuse to say, "I'm not smarter than the Fifth grader."

If you have trouble remembering the formula for the area of a triangle or figures of speech that you learnt in primary school, its definitely time to go back to school with none other than Bollywood Ka Badshah - Shah Rukh Khan.

Shah Rukh Khan is back on TV to host television's biggest entertainer ever, 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?' It is a show, which has adult contestants testing their wits with a group of sprightly 10-year-olds.

Excited about hosting 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?', Shah Rukh Khan says, "I was very keen to do this show because of the educational aspect attached to it, which has been an integral part our culture. Once the decision was made, Star Plus was the only television platform I could think, that could take me to every single television home in this country."

Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? is a television game show based on the international Mark Burnett format 'Are you smarter than a 5th grader?' where grade school level questions are put to adults from all walks of life, who are well heeled and confident and who attempt to relive school with success. The format originated in the United States, has launched successfully in 50 countries, and will now hit Indian television, courtesy Bulldog Media & Entertainment.

The essence of the show is the test that adults will be put to answer primary school questions, the pressure of going back to school and keeping their reputations intact. Even the likes of 2008 presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Rudy Guiliani have turned down the offer to be the on show as contestants. Such is the pressure!
First time on Indian television, viewers will witness contestants win this whopping sum - Five Crores to answer up to Fifth Standard questions, just imagine…

Speaking on the launch of 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass se Tez Hain?', Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India Pvt Ltd., said, "We are fortunate that the country has always given us the mandate of taking television to the next level. We have done it time and again by launching a show like 'Kaun Banega Crorepati', by introducing a whole new time band in the afternoon and by bringing people back to television on the weekends. With a show like 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?', its time to redefine Indian television yet again."

The show promises quality entertainment and high production value to its viewers; and a production of such magnitude warrants only the best in the industry to make it happen. Star Plus once again collaborates with one of the country's leading production houses- Synergy Adlabs. Their expertise in producing successful, top quality format shows including the super-hit Kaun Banega Crorepati ( series 1,2,&3), Heartbeat, Kamzor Kadi Kaun will ensure that Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? becomes yet another hit on Indian television.

Bollywood Hungama

SRK absent at Paanchvi Paas

King Khan Shahrukh who just returned from his spell at the Berlin film festival and his quick media interaction at Delhi , was to attend the press conference of Star Plus’ “Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain?” at ITC, Parel last afternoon. But, unfortunately was absent at the launch of the much hyped show.

Shahrukh who has always shared a great rapport with the media failed to appear at the conference due to the rising political situation within the state of Maharashtra. The arrest of MNS leader Raj Thackeray last noon put the state on high alert as activists blocked roads to protest against the arrest.

The team at Star Plus didn’t want to put their guest at any sort of danger and thus decided not to have Shahrukh at the conference. The conference did see the unveiling of the logo and Siddhart Basu director of the show, did interact with the media and spoke on Shahrukh’s behalf.

But Shahrukh’s persona was deeply missed at the conference. The Star team was heavily apologetic and thus promised greater moments of interaction with Shahrukh in the days to come. So till then, just hang-in.

IndiaGlitz

V-Day is beyond me:SRK

He is the eternal Rahul of Indian cinema, the lover who always gets the heroine in the end.
But call him that and Shah Rukh Khan just throws up his hands and says resignedly, “People call me a lot of names; I don’t mind being called any!

Then on a serious note, the King of Romance adds, “I have reached the giving stage of my Bollywood love affair. I want to give more and more love to my audience through my work. If you want to call it love... please go ahead!”

But SRK is not the kind to straitjacket love in the confines of Valentine’s Day. “I have never really understood this day. According to me, love has so many facets. For instance, if you asked Don Juan, he would have said that loving 1700 women was the nicest thing in his life.

And I think I would respect that also.

The beauty of love is that it has no boundaries. For me, love means my children. I am in love with the undiplomatic and innocent stage of life that they are in,” he says.

And isn’t it a little kid, Darsheel Safary, who is competing with Mr Khan for the Filmfare best actor award too? “Every year the competition keeps getting younger. Very soon, I will be nominated with an unborn baby,” he smiles.

Times Of India

SRK game for investing in hockey, football

NEW DELHI: It’s not just cricket. Shah Rukh Khan is keen on investing in other sports as well. SRK, who is coming back as a television host with a game show on Star Plus, has created a separate segment in his production company Red Chillies Entertainment called Red Entertainment Sports.

“I invested in cricket because there was an opportunity available. I think investment in sports should come through a sensible business plan. I think a lot needs to be done for propagating sports among youth. IPL is a new concept, let’s see how it works. In due course of time, I will invest in hockey and football and other sports,” said Shah Rukh Khan.

In a bid to create awareness about IPL, the actor is in the process of lining up plans about the concept. “I think ICL (Zee’s Indian Cricket League) couldn’t reach out to people and got lost. I have been talking to Vijay (Mallya), Mukesh bhai and Preity (Zinta) that we should all invest to create a buzz around IPL so that people are aware of it,” he added.

Mr Khan also plans to actively participate in marketing IPL’s Kolkata team—which he won in auction along with Juhi Chawla and Jai Mehta—and launch a full scale campaign. He said that he would take his team to Delhi, Mumbai and other cities to promote it. As far as signing players for his team was concerned, Mr Khan said he would take the decision with his team coach.

Besides cricket, SRK also plans to expand his production company Red Chillies Entertainment. Talking about the company’s future plans, he said, “Our company will make three movies, including one animation film. I may also act in some of them.” SRK’s company would also get into television production and is looking at increasing the head count of his company to 150 employees.

“We make movies and also plan to do creative programming for television. We also have an ad-sales division which creates 40-60 advertising films.” Asked whether he would rope in an international investor, SRK said, “We don’t need any funds as of now. I have no immediate plans for an IPO either.’’

Besides hosting a game show which will involve extensive interactions with kids, Mr Khan is also looking at making a movie for children. “I was trained by Barry John. He taught me that if I can’t sustain the interest level of kids, I can never become a good actor,” he said.

Star Plus will partner with Synergy Adlabs and Bulldog Media & Entertainment to bring the international format game show “Are you smarter than a fifth grader?” to India. The Indian version of the show — Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain? — will show SRK as a school teacher interviewing adults who would have kids of fifth grade and below as classmates. The prize money offered to the winner would be Rs 5 crore.

Talking about his decision to keep coming back to television, Mr Khan said that he is an entertainer and would like to perform on all platforms. He believes that television has started grabbing larger number of eyeballs and has an interactive element.

TNN

“Shah Rukh Khan is the biggest movie star in the world”: CNN International

LONDON, England (CNN) — Some movie actors are lauded for their performances on the silver screen, earning themselves respect and stardom. But few, if any, Western stars are worshipped in quite the way that Shah Rukh Khan is. In a film career spanning 16 years he has risen to become the most recognizable face of Indian cinema and the most watched movie star in the world.

Shah Rukh Khan is the biggest movie star in the world. Since his debut in the 1992 feature film ‘Deewana’, he has dominated Indian cinema.

Shah Rukh Khan’s life story is one which Bollywood scriptwriters would have been proud to have penned themselves.

His journey into Indian cinema took in tragedy, romance, determination and luck. It was also highly unconventional for an outsider like Khan to break into the inherently dynastic world of Bollywood.

Khan was born in Delhi in 1965. As a boy growing up, Khan never really dreamed of being an actor, his head and heart were consumed by sport — notably cricket and hockey — but injuries put an end to any dreams of becoming a professional sportsman.

But he had also dabbled in drama as a teenager and enrolled at Delhi’s Theatre Action Group which had been run by the renowned theatre director Barry John since 1968.

The experience served Khan well, and with TV production starting to boom in India, Khan was soon called upon to appear on the small screen — his first appearance was in the series “Fauji” in 1988.

Sadly both his parents died before seeing their son achieve success in Bollywood. His father Meer Taj Mohammed — a lawyer and freedom activist who had campaigned for Indian independence — died in 1981. His mother Latif Fatima, a magistrate, died 10 years later.

But it was the death of his mother that proved to be the catalyst for Khan switching from the small to big screen. Beset by sadness and depression at the loss of his mother, Khan decided to give the movies a shot and made a permanent move to Mumbai — the center of filmmaking in India.

It wasn’t long before he caught the eye of casting directors and soon a film role was offered to him. But Khan wasn’t sure whether he should accept.

“I wasn’t very keen,” he told CNN. “But there were some friends in TV who convinced me to do it. I was more intellectually inclined. I wanted to do a more serious kind of cinema.”

Nevertheless, in 1992 Khan made his film debut in “Deewana,” winning him the Filmfare Best Male Debut award.

His continuing reluctance to take his new status and film roles too seriously meant Khan took on parts that some of the more established Bollywood stars would have rejected out of hand.

Khan believed he had nothing to lose, and he happily took on a variety of roles. In 1993 he played a murdering adulterer in “Baazigar.” Khan’s character (Ajay Sharma) pushes a young Shilpa Shetty off a roof and thus launched her career. The performance earned him his first Filmfare Best Actor award. Unafraid of being typecast, Khan reprised the ‘bad guy” role in “Darr” (1993) and “Anjaam” (1994).

Playing the character of Raj Malhotra in the 1995 feature “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” (DDLJ) propelled him to new heights, confirming his versatility and popularity as a Bollywood actor. The film was a huge critical and commercial success, becoming the longest running film ever in Indian cinema — it continues to run to this day in cinemas in Mumbai.

Khan had become, and remains, the hottest property in Bollywood. Despite his inability to sing — all his songs are dubbed — and, at best, an average talent for dancing, he oozes charisma. “His screen presence is still incredible,” says his biographer Anu Chopra. “You can’t take your eyes off him. He is just completely magnetic.”

Box office records continue to be broken, awards continue to stack up — so far he has won 13 Filmfare awards — and throughout all of it his personal life has remained settled and happy. Married to Gauri since 1991, the couple had their first son Aryan in 1997. A daughter, Suhana followed in 2000.

The same year Khan, along with his friend and actress Juhi Chawla, set up the production company Dreamz Unlimited. In 2004, he founded Red Chillies Entertainment, which produced the highly successful ‘Main Hoon Na’ — the directorial debut of the multi-talented choreographer Farah Khan.

Outside of filmmaking Khan can be seen presenting “Kaun Banega Crorepati” — India’s version of the successful ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” format. And recently, he was part of a consortium which successfully bid for one of the eight new franchises of cricket’s Indian Premier League.

But his lifelong love for cricket still takes second place to his job as a continuing Bollywood phenomenon. Having already racked up over 60 films, Khan isn’t about to shy away from the spotlight that he so openly adores.

“All my life I’ve worked towards being recognized,” he says. “I love it. I am proud that I am a movie star and have no privacy. What is the point if I am a star and no one knows me?”

CNN International

Shah Rukh Khan - Kajol starrer 'Khan' based on true story

The first half of producer / director Karan Johar's next film starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, tentatively titled Khan!, is based on a true story says Johar, who has bought the rights for the story from the couple that was victimized.

In the film Shah Rukh plays a Muslim who gets wrongly detained on a flight because his last name is Khan and the authorities believe that makes him a terrorist.

The film, currently being scripted by Shivani Bhatija, is expected to go on the floors in mid 2008

Currently only the lead pair for the film has been finalized since scripting is not yet complete.

Johar calls the Khan - Kajol pairing a 'dream pairing' because it has never failed to produce a hit.

Their past films together are Baazigar (1993), Karan Arjun (1995), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001).

Khan, Johar and Kajol also happen to be very good friends who consult each other professionally.

If Johar had his way, Kajol would be in all his films. He had wanted the 32-year-old to act in his last film Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) but Kajol opted out because the film involved a long spell of shooting in the US and she was not comfortable leaving her daughter Nysa behind for so long.

"This time around I told her, 'I need you. You just have to do my film.' That was it.," a delighted Johar told Mid Day after having signed her up.

Johar, who has in the past focused exclusively on romantic dramas, is excited about the film because of its intense story line but a little tentative about directing it.

"…I am petrified, mortified and absolutely hysterical about directing this film. I even asked Shibani after reading the first draft, 'Do you think I am the right person to direct this?' The tone of the film is such. All I can say is that in my entire career this is possibly the biggest risk I am taking," he says.

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