Shah Rukh Khan lashes back at Gavaskar

Shah Rukh Khan, owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, has hit back at Sunil Gavaskar's comments about franchise coach John Buchanan, and asked Gavaskar to stay away from issues concerning his IPL team.

In his column for the Hindustan Times, Gavaskar termed Buchanan a "failed former cricketer making a living telling international players to do what he couldn't do". It has not gone down well with the IPL franchise, which last week tried to put a lid on the controversy generated by Buchanan's theory of multiple captains by releasing a statement that during a game the team would resort to a group of "strategists" who would report to one on-field captain while making decisions.

Khan has come to Buchanan's defence, saying there was a marked difference in the time Gavaskar played and now. "I respect Mr Gavaskar - his knowledge about cricket is a billion times better than me," Khan told reporters in Mumbai. "But this is an era where Mr Gavaskar has not indulged in; nevertheless his knowledge about the game does allow him to make comments.

"This is a new format that's being tried out. Please give it some breathing space. I am the owner of the team, I bought it. If he wants to implement something, let him buy a team."

Gavaskar was scathing of Buchanan in his column, saying the former Australian coach had a way with words in India, a country Gavaskar said had few people capable of defusing opinion makers. "To comment on his multiple skipper theory is to give it the importance it doesn't deserve but what does require comment is how he has got his Queensland pals lucrative jobs with KKR," wrote Gavaskar. "They have a very big support staff which includes his son and most of them are from Queensland. The owners - poor souls - have little idea that they are being milked."

Gavaskar also said the Indian media granted unwarranted importance to Buchanan. "In India, where the media lives by the sound bite, Buchanan is a regular. If the Indian media had not made him out to be a 'super coach', he would have been just another failed former cricketer making a living telling international players to do what he couldn't at the first-class level," he wrote.

Buchanan's radical theory had stirred a controversy on the eve of the team's departure to South Africa, forcing a nearly four-hour long meeting between Buchanan, Sourav Ganguly, Khan and Jai Mehta, who owns a stake in the team, in Mumbai. A subsequent statement released by Kolkata stressed that there would be only one captain, who would be fed with suggestions from this core group of strategists.

SRK eager to join IPL festivities

Bollywood’s big-screen king, Shahrukh Khan, has taken a month-long break from his busy shooting schedule for the forth coming Indian Premier League cricket feast in South Africa.

Khan, who owns the Kolkata Knight Riders, one of the IPL teams in the tournament, which begins in Cape Town on April 18, will arrive in the country in the next two weeks accompanied by his wife, Gauri, their children, Aryan and Suhana, and his “beautiful mother-in-law”.

The IPL, a franchise-based Twenty20 competition organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, will run until May 24.

It was moved from India to South Africa because of concern that players’ safety could not be guaranteed since it coincided with the country’s general election.

In an interview with the Sunday Times Extra this week, Khan, 43, said he had a shoulder injury that was aggravated during the shooting of Billu Barber and had delayed his trip, or else he would have “come today”.

“I will be there throughout, celebrating the spirit of South Africa. The Asians and locals were so warm to me and my son when I came for the Twenty20 World Cup. It’s my duty, love and absolute allegiance to your beautiful land that make me want to be there.

“Also, with the Kolkata Knight Riders, the African wildlife will get even wilder, so be ready for Korbo — Lorbo — Jeetbo (the KKR theme song) to become the new call of the wild,” he said.

Khan said it was a chance “for me to say thanks to all my beautiful fans in South Africa”.

Last week, Bollywood beauty Shilpa Shetty, co-owner of reigning IPL champions Rajasthan Royals, arrived in the country for the planning of the IPL.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said apart from the player parade, “the people of South Africa will witness a whole level of different activities, including a host of Bollywood celebrities and some community initiatives that we have planned to make the event memorable for South Africa”.

SRK: Cheerleading is not vulgar

If cricket is a no-nonsense sport for Badshah Khan, so is cheerleading.

For all those people who think cheerleading is a vulgar act, Knights and Angels was SRK’s answer to them. Supporting the sport, SRK says, “Knights and Angels is not a part of the marketing strategy for my cricket team. It is an extension of my belief in spreading the awareness of sports in India. Cheerleading is a big sport in America and cheerleaders have their own fan following.

As the controversy hit our nation last year regarding this new sport, I decided to add respectability to a profession which can create great opportunities for the youth brigade.” When somebody asked King Khan how he was managing to shoot for the finale despite being in pain because of the shoulder injury, pat came the witty reply from the Baadshah, “Iss saal sabko haraane ke liye meri team ka ek hi haat kaafi hai.” King Khan, all we can say is hats off for promoting and glamourising sports in our country. Tune in to Knights and Angels tonight at 9 pm only on NDTV Imagine.

Shahrukh & Ritesh: The Knight Riders

Same, Same: Riteish Deshmukh wears the same tee to the Manish Malhotra party at LFW that Shah Rukh wore at the finale of the ‘Knights and Angels’ reality show.

Terminator SRK is back in action

Mr Bionic Man is at it again.

With even more ‘titanium’ (and various metallic parts) inside his body, Shah Rukh Khan actually laughed aloud when we called him ‘Terminator’. “Yes. I’m a Terminator. I terminate my rivals. I terminate obstacles and I’m now even more ‘bionic’ than before,” he told us.

And all the ‘metal’ is probably putting more steel in his spine too, when it comes to dealing with ‘shouldering’ all his roles and responsibilities. In fact, he’s hit the floor running — from walking the ramp, to shooting for Karan’s film, to planning his cricket strategies to shooting videos... Phew! Now isn’t that too much bojh on his brand new shoulder? Well, it’s only because his recently operated shoulder is still healing. Otherwise our King Khan can stalwartly carry the cross of Bollywood on his big, broad shoulders, hai na? And while his whirlwind activity is on, we heard that Gauri and buddy Karan Johar have been tut-tutting and are becoming overly protective about that still ‘sore’ part of him. He’s shooting for

My Name Is Khan, and Karan’s been overtly careful to shoot only some easy portions with SRK, no heavy-duty stuff for him for sometime. Hmnnnn. Does this also mean that he won’t be jumping on some cricketer and wrapping himself around him...a la Shoaib Akhtar last year? Hmnnn and double hmnnnn!

I wear black so no one knows if i’ve repeated an outfit

Shweta Shiware and photographer Shadab Khan catch Shahrukh Khan backstage for an exclusive chat before he takes the ramp at Lakmé Fashion Week.

Whoever thinks fashion is frivolous, surviving on air kisses and pink bubbly, should have dropped in at the rehearsal for Bollywood designer Manish Malhotra’s Knight Riders show at Lakmé Fashion Week, where anxiety and tempers ran amok.

Just then actress Preity Zinta steps in with NY hotelier Vikram Chatwal, the first celeb attendees to arrive followed by Kareena, Amisha Patel, Celina Jaitley, Genelia, D’Souza, Isha Koppikar and Kajol. “It’s only at my shows that front row celebs arrive before anyone else,” quips Manish, before springing towards Kareena to give her a hug.

“Shahrukh came up with the idea of a Knight Riders show. It made sense since black and gold were big last year. You can’t escape glam; a sport like cricket too has acquired a glam status. It’s nice to take fashion to the masses, don’t you think?” Manish asks before disappearing backstage.

In those dark recesses, glamour and politeness go for a toss in a mad rush to change outfits. “Your laces are mismatched,” Manish screams to his assistant, wiping off the frown in time to greet actor Arjun Rampal and wife Mehr, who’ve made a last minute decision to attend.

A sharp contrast to the storm brewing backstage, Shahrukh Khan arrives looking eerily composed, a cigarette keeping him company while he scans LCD screens to soak in the madness outside. The crew whispers he’s here, before he heads to a plush lounge.

“Boys, believe in yourself,” the crew-in-charge peps the rest when the Knight Riders anthem thunders and models take a last look in the mirror.

At the fag end of the show, Manish is a less anxious man. He takes a deep breath, adjusts his hair, waiting to be called to take a bow with SRK. The crew has their eyes glued on the LCD, pretty much like they would if India played a rival on a cricket pitch. And when the designer and his muse stand before the photographers’ pit, the cheering backstage takes a deafening turn. It’s over. Phew!

SRK talks fashion

Who is your favourite designer?
Karan (Johar), Anaita (Adajania)… (We interrupt to tell him they are stylists, not designers). What’s the difference, Manish (he turns to Manish Malhotra)? But then Manish only designs for pretty actresses.

How long did you take to dress up for the Golden Globes?
Two minutes. I always wear black. It’s easier since no one can tell if I am repeating a garment.

Being a favourite with fashion designers, has any designer hit on you?
Naresh from Masculine is my oldest friend, who I have worked with when no one did. There’s Shabina (Khan), Manish (Malhotra), but (takes a long pause) nobody has ever hit on me. Neither men or women. I don’t get hit on, I just dish out hits.

Through your films you’ve set fashion trends that are emulated by fans. How do you feel about that?
I wear clothes to cover my body. Comfort is important, that’s why you will always find me in jeans and tees. My children don’t like me wearing shirt and trousers (smiles).

Off late you have been sporting a Kaffeyah, a favourite with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Do you consider the religious connotations of a garment?
Karan (Johar) picked a couple of them for me from Belgian designer Martin Margiela and said, “Bhai, you should wear it.” That’s when I began sporting them. Before it became a fashion statement, I used it as a sling after my surgery. I have asked Manish to design some along the Knight Riders theme.

For me, there are no political or religious sentiments. It’s the Shahrukh Khan sentiment. It’s about love. I wear trousers. Tonight I am wearing a Bengali-style dhoti for the show. Fashion should never be a creation of religion or politics.

Good models look like fish deprived of sex

“We love you!” shrieks were heard from some of the last rows when Shahrukh Khan walked the ramp for Manish Malhotra’s Knight Riders show. The star walked the ramp in black dhoti pyjamas worn under a black vest, his arm safe in specially designed gold sling. “He (Manish) has designed a lot of things, but this is the first time the man’s made an arm sling!” he said, and the crowd guffawed at his wit, and possibly his ability to turn everything about him, SRK.

As the line of black-and-gold sporty-cum-party garments (in sync with Kolkotta Knight Riders’ uniforms) terminated, SRK decided to be a rather “honest” showstopper — and expressed how he doesn’t look good, can’t walk but still had the privilege of walking the ramp. “Lubna (Adams) told me to suck my cheeks in, pucker my lips and then look really angry; that’s what all good models do — they all look like fish deprived of sex.”

The sweatpants/shorts and hoodies may not have stolen the show, but SRK managed to up the ante on the glam radar by “felicitating” models-turned-actors (like good friend Arjun) among others. By the end of it, we weren’t sure what we were laughing at — the plight of the fashion industry, that Bollywood rules everywhere, or both.

Arjun Mathur’s hat-trick with Shah Rukh Khan

Arjun Mathur who made a mark with his recent releases Luck By Chance and Barah Aana is working with Shah Rukh Khan in My Name is Khan. But this is not the first time the newcomer has got in the same frame with the superstar. In fact Arjun’s managed a hat-trick working with the King Khan so early in his career.

Arjun states, “I have worked with Shah Rukh Khan before as well as I have done a TV commercial with him and there was also that important scene during the pre-climax of Luck By Chance. I think SRK is just amazing. He oozes energy and ease. He is so polite and a lovely human being to be with. It feels great to work with him as I have grown up admiring him. I remember watching the combination and magic of SRK, Kajol and Karan Johar in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. This combination fuelled my desire to make it big. You know when I first went on sets of My Name Is Khan in which I play a student activist, I behaved like an 18-year old between them, as I was 18 when KKHH released. I must admit it has been a dream come true working with them, especially SRK.”

I am a Big Fan of SRK: Imran Khan

He finds inspiration in his uncle Aamir Khan, but Imran Khan says he is a big Shah Rukh Khan fan.

"I am a big Shah Rukh Khan fan. In fact, 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' is one of my favourite films. It's one of the very quintessential Bollywood films - I just love it," Imran told IANS.

Shahrukh and Juhi charmed the grand finale of Knight and Angels!

The six week hunt for cheerleaders for IPL Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is reaching its climax with the grand finale with none other than Superstar Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla appearing as judges.

The enthusiasm of the finalists was quite high and SRK fulfilled the dream of angels to dance with him and he even made Sourav Ganguly dance with him on Korbo Lorbo Jetbo the song for KKR.

The surprise element in the episode is interesting trivia round which was designed by Juhi Chawla for Shahrukh wherein she asks questions to the Angel girls about Shahrukh the owner of IPL.

Shahrukh Khan was at his best as always and Juhi was equally cheerful. The dance guru Shaimak Davar was also present. Shantrunjay Gaikwad son of cricketer Anshuman Gaikwad had danced with angel contestant Sanna in one of the previous episode so when he returned in the finals everyone started teasing him to get paired with him.

The previous episodes had Anushka Sharma, Minnisha Lamba, Malaika Arora Khan, Lara Dutta and Deepika Padukone as judges. SRK and Juhi added the spunk to the grand finale and all the contestants present were too happy to be the part of the Knight and Angels. Pranjal Khandhdiya creative head-non-fiction of Red Chillies Idiot Box, says, “Knight and Angels the reality show to hunt for cheerleaders has reached its climax. Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla charmed everyone and all the contestants were extremely happy to perform in their presence."

The grand finale episode would be telecast on Saturday at 9 p.m.