SRK plays a simpleton and a casanova in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Shah Rukh Khan will be seen in not one but two different avatars in Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Sources reveal that SRK has two different looks throughout the film.

One role has him play a casanova while the other has him play a simpleton. The role is very similar to that of Amol Palekar in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Golmaal.

A source reveals, "The film is a romantic comedy and very light hearted. The first half has Shah Rukh as the casanova who's very stylish. He falls in love with the girl played by newbie Anushka Sharma.

However, after realising that she's a simple girl who likes basic things in life, Shah Rukh takes on the role of a simpleton. He tries to convince Anushka that he's a simple guy and cons her into believing that. She falls for him, and later he has to struggle to reveal his true identity to her."

However, this isn't the first time Shah Rukh will essay two different roles in a film. He's done double roles in Duplicate and even in Om Shanti Om.

The film marks the return of Aditya Chopra to direction after a hiatus. Recently, Shah Rukh had injured himself while shooting a scene where he was fighting a wrestler. It is learnt that Yash Chopra is also taking an active interesting the making of the film and is often spotted on the sets during various schedules.

'Still Reading Khan' becomes 'Shah Rukh Can'!

He is probably one of the most written about actor of the Hindi film industry. Yes, we are talking about Shah Rukh Khan, whose biography, 'Still Reading Khan', by good friend Mushtaq Shiekh, hit the stores in 2006 and generated phenomenal sales. In fact, the online orders were one of the highest ever for any category.

Well, for the fans of Bollywood's global superstar, who are craving for more, we have some good news. An updated version of 'Still Reading Khan', titled 'Shah Rukh Can', once again by Mushtaq Shiekh, is all set to hit the stands next month. As per Shiekh himself, there are going to be exclusive never before details about King Khan's personality, fears and dislikes.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and book a copy in advance!

SRK goes Saif's way...

B-Town's biggest stars are determined to let the cold war rage on.

So while Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan, Karan Johar and Kajal Anand went to Saif Ali Khan's birthday bash (with girlfriend Kareena Kapoor playing hostess) at Four Seasons in Worli, Salman Khan and his family headed in the opposite direction towards Subhash Ghai's party (celebrating his wife Rehana's birthday) at the Marriott, Juhu.

Says a guest present at the party, "The war between Salman and Shah Rukh is definitely on and so are the camps (check guest lists for Saif's and Ghai's parties). While Shah Rukh drove in with Sussanne Roshan (Hrithik's wife), Gauri and Farah Aqueel Ali (Zayed Khan's sister); Salman's brother Arbaaz Khan, who had initially gone for Subhashji's party, came to Saif and Kareena's party too, but much later.

When Arbaaz and Malaika walked in they sat in separate groups along with Amrita Arora and her boyfriend Shakeel Ladak, Atul and Alvira Agnihotri, Dino Morea and Lara Dutta while SRK, Karan, Gauri, Sussanne, Farah, SRK's sister, Shenaz sat in another with Kareena and Saif dividing their time between both."

The source adds, "It was a small, intimate get-together for friends and family with Saif and Kareena calling up people personally. It was a drinks-and-dinner party and everybody who attended had a rocking time! Kareena wanted to make it a special evening for Saif. It was definitely more organised and better than Katrina's birthday party, marred by the infamous SRK-Salman fight."

Adds the source, "Though Salman was invited by both Kareena (she's acting in his home production Main Aur Mrs Khanna) and Saif, he chose to stay away as did his sister Arpita and brother Sohail Khan and his wife Seema.

They attended Ghai's party instead. Kareena's best friend Amrita Arora went public for the first time with her new boyfriend, Shakeel Ladak as did Dino and Lara who came together. Kareena had also invited her Kambakht Ishq producer Sajid Nadiadwala but he was down with viral fever and couldn't come."

Here's who trooped in...
Imtiaz Ali, Karan Johar, Karisma and Sanjay Kapur, Sanjay and Maheep Kapur, Konkona and Ranvir Shorey, Kunal Kohli, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Soha Ali Khan Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raju Hirani, Shabina Khan, Kajal Anand, Malaika and Arbaaz Khan, Sunny Dewan, Tanishaa.

UpalaKBR, Mid-Day

Shah Rukh Rocks Pollachi!

The sleepy small town of Pollachi, 40 kilometres from Coimbatore, has become one of the biggest tourist spots in Tamil Nadu.

Reason: The Baadshah of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan is shooting for his home production Billoo Barber in the picture postcard village, which has now become Kollywood's favourite location.

The Priyadarshan-directed film is a remake of Katha Parayumbol, which was recently made as Kuselan in Tamil. The buzz created by Shah Rukh, who plays the role of a superstar in the film, is unbelievable.

It's fan frenzy never seen before in Pollachi, where most of Tamil cinema's village scenes and Koothu songs are regularly picturised. People in fancy cars and mini- buses from Kochi, Trichur, Bangalore and Coimbatore have been coming to catch a glimpse of King Khan. “SRK has been overwhelmed by the kind of reception he has been getting from fans in Pollachi. In Billoo Barber, Irfan Khan is the hero while Shah Rukh makes an appearance only towards the climax and his scenes with Irfan are going to be the highlight of the film,” says a visibly excited Priyadarshan.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the entire area of Pollachi. SRK is at the top on the hit lists of terrorists and has been getting death threats. Nearly 100 policemen and a dozen of his personal security men are providing him security. The entire top floor of Sakthi hotel, where he is staying, has been converted into his personal suite, with special state-of-the-art security gadgets being used. Twenty bullet proof vehicles have been flown in from Mumbai for the star and his personal entourage.

And the introduction scene of King Khan in Billoo Barber is equally spectacular. As per the storyline, the superstar he plays in the film comes down to a small village for a shoot and subsequently meets his childhood buddy. To show grandeur and richness, Priyadarshan has flown in one of the most expensive limousines, an oak white Maybach, which only a handful of people in India have as it costs around Rs 5 crore! SRK will be shown moving around in the Maybach, which itself is drawing crowds.

Times Of India

It's SRK vs Khans again, as they skip Rani's party

The line of distinction between the Khans has further broadened after Salman, Saif and Aamir decided to skip Rani Mukerji's house-warming party recently as it was to be attended by Shah Rukh Khan.

Rani had recently thrown a party at her newly renovated bungalow but the Khan gang chose to stay away from the bash and only the King Khan was seen making an appearance. Speculations are rife that this has more to do with the Shah Rukh-Salman Khan spat, since Rani is known to be at good terms with all the Khans, namely - Aamir, Salman and Saif.

The bubbly actress has recently moved into a spacious new home which has been beautified by Sussanne Khan Roshan and Twinkle Khanna in the upscale Juhu neighbourhood and had been planning a house-warming party since long but had a tough time fixing it up all thanks to the busy schedules of all the stars Rani wanted at the party. But guess all that planning has gone into the drain with most of them snubbing her do.

Those who made it to the party were- SRK, Gauri, Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar and Twinkle, Farah Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Anil and Sunita Kapoor, and Sussanne Roshan.

Zee News

Akshay v/s Shah Rukh - The war has just begun

Those who thought that SINGH IS KINNG taking over an all time opening record set by OM SHANTI OM was THE war in the happening need to sit tight for some more time. And that's because this is just a beginning. Just a tip of the iceberg which could well be termed as a battle, the months to come would be a witness to a full blow war. And that's because between Akshay and Shah Rukh Khan, there are as many as four films lined up for release in next 6 months.
First to come is BILLO BARBER where Irrfan Khan is the central protagonist. In a role where his screen duration is believed to be lower than that of Irrfan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan could well call BILLO BARBER as a film where he is seen in a special appearance. However, Akshay wouldn't be letting off any steam in months to come since his CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA is all set to arrive on full throttle before 2008 comes to an end.

Shah Rukh too would see some exciting months ahead since his much-in-news film RAB NE BANA DE JODI would bring him back with Aditya Chopra, who is handling directorial reins once more after DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE and MOHABBATEIN. Of course, the project becomes a major biggie just with these two names involved which would ensure that Khan and Kumar would have a 'kaante ki takkar' with the release of their respective films.

However, Akshay is expected to continue his winning streak with KAMBAKTH ISHQ, a project which brings Bollywood closer to Hollywood. A lavish affair by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film's shooting is currently on in full swing with the release timeline being the first quarter of 2009. Again, that won't be an end to the war since Khan's DULHA MIL GAYA is all set to release in the same period as well.

No wonder, it is going to be one intensely fought war over the next 6 months.

Billoo Barber's Assured Victory!

The race between superstars Rajnikant and Shah Rukh Khan to reach the theatres first has been won by the Tamil veteran. And now, there are fears that the makers of Kuselan will dub it in Hindi and release it before SRK's Billoo Barber, the Hindi remake of the same story.

But Priyadarshan, who is busy finishing the Hindi version with Shah Rukh, is unperturbed.

Kuselan, the Tamil version of the Malayalam super hit Katha Parayumpol about the relationship between a superstar and a barber, has made it to the top of the box office charts.

According to Priyadarshan, the original Malayalam film, written by Sreenivasan, is very different from both Kuselan and Billoo Barbar.

"Sreenivasan gave the Tamil rights to the producers after consulting me. Since they were very keen to make it with Rajnikant, we relented. But the contract clearly says that Kuselan cannot be dubbed into any other language. Likewise, my Hindi version cannot be dubbed in any other language," Priyadarshan told IANS.

"We have clearly put all this in the contract to avoid the kind of overlapping that was attempted when I remade the Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu as Bhool Bhulaiyaa in Hindi, and Rajni's Tamil film Chandramukhi from the same source was also attempted to be released in a dubbed Hindi version. I'll avoid this kind of clash of interests at any cost," the director maintained.

But the question is: Would the contract prevent the makers of Kuselan from finding loopholes in it to release the film in a dubbed Hindi version? If they do, would it affect Billoo Barbar?

According to a source, a dubbed Hindi version of Kuselan is being released around the same time as Billoo Barber.

"Not at all," asserted Priyadarshan confidently. "Only the climax of Kuselan and Billoo Barber are the same. Otherwise, they are two different films.

"See, like all Rajnikant starrers, Kuselan has been made to spotlight Rajni as a larger-than-life icon. I believe he enters the film riding a winged horse. Though my film also stars a superstar (Shah Rukh) as a superstar, I've nowhere tried to increase his role or heighten the impact of his presence. I'm not that kind of filmmaker.

"In Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Akshay Kumar made his entry at interval point. I'm making it very clear that Irrfan Khan and not Shah Rukh has the main role in Billoo Barber. My film isn't a platform to glorify the mega-star.

"We'd have wrapped up Billoo Barber much earlier. But Shah Rukh got busy with the IPL (Indian Premier League). Never mind. It makes no difference to our film."

Billoo Barber is scheduled for a Diwali release.

"If I wanted I could've rushed the release. But we're not in competition with anyone. And, like I said, the Kuselan makers are bound by the contract. They can't dub the film into Hindi or any other language," said Priyadarshan confidently.

Hindustan Times

Ministry dumps SRK, ropes in Aamir to promote tourism

The tourism ministry has dumped actor Shah Rukh Khan in favour of Aamir Khan for their advertising campaign to discourage vandalization of monuments. SRK was part of the campaign film but the ministry — which recently signed Aamir as a brand ambassador — will shoot new films with the latter.

Tourism joint secretary Leena Nandan said: "The film with SRK is two years old. We will be creating two new films directed by Rakeysh Mehra that will have Aamir Khan promoting our logo of Atithi Devo Bhava."

While one film will focus on the anti-graffiti campaign on the country's monuments, the other will be a behavioural guide for tourists.

Nandan added that the aim was to create mass awareness and the ministry will conduct out-reach programmes in schools, colleges, institutions and amongst citizens groups. The formal launch is likely to be in November and Aamir will be an integral part of the promotional drive.

SRK: The Politician

Two categories of people who dominate the newspapers and news channels happen to be politicians and film celebrities. Though there is no correlation between the two, on the eve of Independence Day we try to draw parallels between the two. What would happen if film celebrities enter politics? Who would qualify for which ministerial position? We give you a rundown.

Shah Rukh Khan – Finance Minister
Everyone knows how good Shah Rukh is at managing finances and minting money. Whether it is producing a film or getting the best from his movies and brand endorsements, SRK is the best. Even as all the teams at IPL lost money, SRK’s Kolkata Knight Riders rode awar with a profit of 80 crores in spite of not reaching the finals. He could best qualify to manage the finances of the country and change its fortunes overnight.

John Abraham – Sports Minister
One of the most athletic actors of present times, John has a penchant for outdoor games and will make it his ‘goal’ to encourage sports in the country. Rest assured we can expect India to be sporty enough at the Olympics in John’s guidance.

Aamir Khan – Education Minister
From being a considerate teacher in Taare Zameen Par to taking up the noble cause of ‘Teach India’, Aamir qualifies the best to handle the post of the Education Minister.

Sunny Deol – Defense Minister
The most convincing punches on Indian screen come from him. He has been saving the nation from external attacks in most of his films. Sunny can defend our country while fighting with the enemy single-handedly.

Riteish Deshmukh – Infrastructure Minister
Now there is no such post as a Humour Minister else Riteish would have been the unanimous choice. But not many might be aware that he is also a qualified architect. Jr Deshmukh could handle the Infrastructure of our country.

Shilpa Shetty – External Affairs Minister
Mrs Raj Kundra would vote for her first.

Mallika Sherawat – Information & Broadcasting Minister
We are not very sure about the information aspect but when it comes to broadcasting anything from her assets to her sexual appeal to her publicity gimmicks, Mallika Sherawat is a pro. Dressed in a burkha or not promoting her films, the actress grabs headlines without uttering a word.

Salman Khan – Health Minister
The man will make sure that every male has a well-toned physique. We just hope the country doesn’t go topless.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – Home Minister
Ever since she has entered the Bachchan parivaar, she has been managing the homely affairs with complete responsibility. She has also been making up for the absence of Amitabh or Abhishek at several social gatherings. Home Ministry is where she can show her political prowess.

Amitabh Bachchan – Prime Minister
The man ruling supreme above all ministers, Big B is the natural choice.

Amar Singh – President
In India, the President is not as much popular as the Prime Minister but is closely associated to him. Amar Singh is doing the same.

Gaurav Malani, India times Movies

Manoj Kumar continues his demented drive against SRK

Veteran actor Manoj Kumar wants his pound of flesh.

On Tuesday, Kumar filed two more cases, one for defamation and the other for cheating, against actor Shah Rukh Khan, his production house director and wife Gauri Khan and film director Farah Khan for ridiculing him in Om Shanti Om, which released last year.

On August 8, the veteran actor won his first battle when a sessions court imposed a conditional stay on telecast of the film saying it would not be shown on television unless the scene that Kumar had objected to is deleted.

Kumar’s advocate Ashok Sarogi said they have demanded Re 1 as damages in the defamation suit as “the reputation of Kumar is invaluable and priceless”.

In the application, Kumar had stated that he objected to the manner in which he was portrayed in Om Shanti Om. He had contented that a scene in which a character allegedly modeled on him — shown trying to enter a theatre but thrashed and driven away by the security personnel — had undermined his public image.

The defamation suit will come up for hearing before the Dindoshi sessions court on August 18, while the cheating case will be heard on August 22.

Kumar had filed the suit against Shah Rukh-owned Red Chillies Productions and Gauri for not keeping their promise of deleting the scene, despite assurances at the time of its release that the said scene would be deleted.

Kumar’s application had stated that after its release, when he had raised objections, filmmaker Yash Chopra — who was mediating between Farah and Kumar — had tendered an apology on their behalf and assured that the scene would be deleted.

Kumar, in his application, said the telecast of the movie would harm his reputation greatly as more people watched films at home then in cinema halls.

Besides, Kumar had also sought the court’s intervention to remove the ‘offensive’ scenes from the VCDs and DVDs.

Vignesh Iyer, Hindustan Times