Salman's family bonds with Shahrukh's gang

Anu and Sunny Dewan held a party on Tuesday night, after their HDIL Couture launch at the Fashion Week. While everyone knows that the couple is close to both Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan, Wednesday's party served as an eye-opener. Salman's family was seen openly bonding with Shahrukh and gang. Reveals a source, "Earlier, before the fight took place, Malaika (Arora-Khan), Seema (Khan), Gauri (Khan), Bhavna (Chunky Pandey's wife) and Maheep (Sanjay Kapoor's wife) would be seen partying together. All that stopped since the Salman-SRK fight.

Apparently, Salman had told his family to stop socialising with SRK and gang. He had told them it was his way or the highway! That's why at Saif's birthday party while Shahrukh, Gauri Khan, Karan Johar, Sussanne Roshan, and Kaajal Anand partied with Arbaaz Khan; Amrita Arora, Atul and Alvira Agnihotri stuck to their group."

Says a source present at the party, "Malaika, Sohail, his wife Seema and sister Arpita, came together and stood near the bar chatting. SRK was given private cubicles; one for Gauri and him and another for his security guards. Initially, the two groups kept apart but Malaika soon broke the ice by striking up a conversation with Shahrukh's best buddy Farah Khan who had come with husband Shirish Kunder. It was a long conversation with Anil Kapoor (a Salman campwala) joining them."

This time the groups couldn't stay away from each other. The source says, "Salman left to shoot for Vipul Shah's London Dreams in Paris on Tuesday. This came as a chance for old friends to catch up. Though Salman's family was at Sunny's party for only 45 minutes, Malaika, Seema, Gauri and Arpita were seen merrily chatting away in SRK's cubicle and outside.

Sohail remained aloof though. After greeting SRK and his friends, he kept his distance and bonded with Abhishek 'Gattu' Kapoor (the director of Rock On!!). SRK's friends Karan Johar and Riteish Deshmukh were also in the cubicle but left early."

Shah Rukh turns property developer in UAE

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is now trying a new role as a property developer, conceptualising a series of buildings in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an entertainment website reported here.

Khan's first project is called Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard and is located on the island of Al Dana in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE-based website reported.

Covering an area of 1,700 sq km, Ras Al Khaimah is among the five emirates that form the northern emirates of the UAE and lies along the border of Oman.

"Our inquiries have revealed that the superstar, who has been lying low since that July 17 tiff with Salman Khan, will be in Dubai to announce the project at the real estate expo City Scape (in Dubai), to be held from Oct 6 to 9," the report said.

The cluster of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments are being designed by well-known architect Toni Ashai and Shah Rukh has associated himself with the project through TSA International Investments, a leading real estate financial consultancy in the UAE.

According to the report, buyers have been invited to offer refundable 'expression of interest' cheques for the apartments, but sales will begin only after the official launch by the King Khan Oct 20, before his 'Temptation Reloaded' show in Dubai.

Khan already is associated with the UAE'e leading real estate developer Nakheel and owns a house on the posh Palm Jumeirah manmade island off the coast of the Dubai.

Though Bollywood actors have earlier endorsed real estate projects in the UAE, this is the first time that a celebrity would actually be developing a property himself.

Tempatations Reloaded - Dubai chapter, Venue and Ticket prices announced

Come October 24, and the wait will be over for all the Bollywood enthusiasts in Dubai. After the curtain raiser in Rotterdam in June, Shah Rukh Khan’s much publicised live concert tour, Temptation Reloaded, will be held at the Dubai Festival City arena.

Besides Shah Rukh, the show will feature Katrina Kaif, Rani Mukerji, Arjun Rampal, Anushka Dandekar, Ganesh Hegde and Hard Kaur.

According to the show organisers Hanover Advertising and Orbit Events, an audience of 25,000 is expected at the extravaganza.

The Country Club Hotel, which is a part of The Country Club Group, is the main sponsor of Temptation Reloaded 2008 – Dubai. The event and is supported by Star Events and promoted by Oasis Promotions.

The event is produced by Red Chilies International and scripted and directed by Moranis and Soormas.

Tickets are priced at Dh100, Dh 250, Dh500 and Dh1000.

Billoo Barber postponed to next year

Rattled by the bombing of Rajnikant starrer Kuselan, which has the same storyline, Shah Rukh has decided to tweak his film to ensure its success.

Both Billoo Barber and Kuselan are remakes of Malayalam superhit Katha Parayumbol.

Though a date had not been officially announced, Priyadarshan directed Billoo Barber was widely believed to be slotted for a Diwali week release; October 24 or 29.

Sources close to the project tell Sawf News that the film will now release either during the republic day weekend in January or in mid-February 2008.

An official from Red Chillies Entertainment, Shah Rukh’s production company that is producing Billoo Barber, told us, “The film is not complete yet, there are two more songs remaining to be canned and a big marketing drive is being planned. With all this remaining how can the film release in just over a month’s time from now? We are looking forward to early 2009 release.”

While the official denied Kuselan’s bombing had anything to do with the postponement, our sources tell us both Shah Rukh and Priyadarshan mutually decided to re-shoot certain portions of their film after watching reactions to Kuselan.

“Even the running time of the film would be kept in check, not going over 150 minutes. Kuselan and Katha Paraayumbol both had running times close to three hours and dragged at places. SRK and Priyadarshan want to leave no stone unturned in making the film compact and effective in carry across its emotions. One of the two songs that are remaining to be shot will be shot in a very huge scale with costs running into crores.” the source added.

A different source told us, “Following Kuselan’s bombing, a Diwali release for Billoo Barber was immediately ruled out. Shah Rukh then looked at a mid-November release but that would have pitted his film against good friend Karan Johar’s Dostana.

“His Yash Raj film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, directed by another good friend, Aditya Chopra, was slated for a December 12 release. Shah Rukh Khan is wary of releasing two of his most ambitious projects in close succession. Besides, he always goes into over drive when marketing his films; with two films he would have risked over exposure.”

Billoo Barber headlines Shah Rukh Khan, Irfan Khan and Lara Dutta. Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukonemake cameo appearances.

No six-packs in RAB NE BANA DI JODI!

All those who were waiting to have another glimpse of King Khan's envious six-packs, are in for a disappointment of sorts! Well, not exactly once we hear out what SRK has to say about his upcoming RAB NE BANA DI JODI.

Speaking about his role and get up in the Aditya Chopra directed venture, RAB NE BANA DI JODI, opposite debutante Anushka Sharma, SRK reveals that he has not worked out for four months. And this was intentional as he did not want to show off his muscles, rather those famous six-pack 'Dard-E-Disco' abs of OM SHANTI OM. The actor discloses the reason behind the same and it is a very logical and an interesting one.

He explains that the muscles were coming in the way of the character that he is playing in RAB NE BANA DI JODI. He essays the role of a very normal, regular person, quite unlike the flamboyant Om from his blockbuster hit of last year, the 87 crore OM SHANTI OM.

As of today, the next offering from the DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE and MOHABBATEIN team, RAB NE BANA DI JODI, is all set to release globally on December 12.

Shah Rukh Khan NOT doing a film with Santosh Sivan!

Tahaan director Santosh Sivan has trashed recent press reports that he approached Shah Rukh Khan to work in a big budget action adventure to be directed by him.

A story has been doing the rounds for several weeks that Sivan will be directing Shah Rukh Khan in a film based on the Indiana Jones series, set in India with John Abraham as his sidekick.

Sivan, who last directed Shah Rukh in Asoka (2001), was initially not categorical with his denial.

"To be very honest I have been too busy promoting Tahaan for me to approach anyone for my films," he told Sawf News.

When we persisted, asking him categorically if he was directing a movie starring Shah Rukh Khan he was forthright, but still not very forthcoming.

"Well! I am not directing any films wherein Shah Rukh is in the film," he said in a hurry to keep the phone down. He probably did not see the point in talking further.

But then our journalists are the pesky kind. So why is the story that he is directing Shah Rukh doing the rounds? Surely, there can be no smoke without fire?

Realizing we wouldn't let him get on with his business until he gave us more details Sivan opened up somewhat, "I am not going to direct Shah Rukh Khan for any movie at all at this juncture. All I am going to do with him is shoot some commercials for him."

However, he didn't go any further and refused to reveal details about these commercials.

So there goes one more tabloid rumor down the drain!

SRK effects in other Hindi movies too

Redchillies.vfx, the visual-effects arm of Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, is injecting cutting-edge computer graphics imaging (CGI) into Bollywood films.

The company, which took shape around two-and-a-half years ago, is now working on films like Dostana, Tasveer, Ashaye and Yuvraj. It is also managing effects work for an in-house production titled Billoo Barber.

“While Dostana is being produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, Tasveer and Ashaaye are Percept Pictures productions and Yuvraj is a Subhas Ghai film. We are also handling the visual effects for a Shooting Star product, Kaun Bole. Billoo Barber is a Red Chillies property,” Redchillies.vfx creative director Arjun Mitra revealed.

Mr Mitra said the company spreads its assignments equally between Shah Rukh Khan and non-SRK films. Among the relatively recent SRK films to which Redchillies.vfx has lent its touch are Paheli, Om Shanti Om and Chak De.

Shah Rukh’s smoking: All smoke, no fire

Chandigarh/Amritsar: Denying reports that Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was found smoking on the campus of a Sikh institution in Amritsar, the Punjab government Thursday said it knew nothing about the matter and had not complained about it to the union health ministry.

‘No report had been sent by the Punjab government to the union health ministry,’ Punjab’s Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla told IANS.

‘I don’t know where these reports are coming from. We have not filed any complaint (against Khan). I have again just checked up with the health director. I cannot even say anything about whether he smoked there or not,’ Chawla said.

Reports in a section of the media Thursday said the union health ministry, following a Punjab government complaint against the actor’s smoking in the Khalsa College, had issued notice to him.

College functionaries, who did not want to be identified, said they were shown a picture of the superstar smoking but were not sure if the campus in the background was of their college.

‘We pointed out that the photograph did not look like that of the college. We have nothing more to say on this,’ a functionary said.

Despite the reports, no Sikh organization in Amritsar or elsewhere in Punjab has protested against Khan’s alelged act. Smoking is prohibited in the Sikh religion and also in all Sikh institutions.

Khan has been shooting in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar for the Hindi film ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’.

Rani upset over Salman-SRK fight

Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan may still be at war with each other but Rani Mukherjee is someone who is very upset with the entire event. Rani who appeared on 10 Ka Dum said she was disappointed with the fight between the stars on Katrina Kaif's birthday bash. Rani was invited to be a part of the penultimate episode which also featured Lara Dutt and Rakhi Sawant.

The aftershock of the incident has been catastrophic as the industry has been divided into two camps. Industry stars including directors and producers are having to sever ties with one Khan to woo the other. Aamir Khan tried to play the role of a peacemaker but failed. It will be interesting to see whether Rani tries to climb a mountain where Aamir failed.

"Mumbai made Khan a baadshah (king)"

Raj Thackeray's uncle Bal Thackeray has targeted Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan through the party mouthpiece. But why? For calling himself a Dilliwala.

The editorial in Saamna, the Sena mouthpiece, has questioned Shahrukh for calling himself a Dilliwala. "Mumbai made Khan a baadshah (king), but he still calls himself a Dilliwala. If that is the case, why did you come to Mumbai?" questioned the editorial.

Raj Thackeray, the Chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), had attacked Jaya Bachchan a couple of days ago for commenting that she would speak in Hindi, as she belonged to Uttar Pradesh. Jaya has reportedly apologised for the comments as demanded by Raj Thackeray.

it looks like Bollywood has become a soft target of the political bigwigs!