SRK loses to SRK

In times of recession, Eros International is hedging its bets on a money making director — Farah Khan, rather than bank on Anubhav Sinha.

Farah’s successful track record has put the brakes on Anubhav’s Ra 1 temporarily. She will begin shooting her film Happy New Year ahead of schedule, while Ra 1 has been pushed from September to next year.

A few days ago, we told you how Farah Khan had to rush with the script of the first half of Happy New Year to San Francisco where Shah Rukh is shooting currently. It was a known fact that Farah was supposed to start her film only early next year. We hear, Eros International insisted that Farah’s film should start this year, by the end of November.

Ra 1 is being presented by Eros International and produced by Red Chillies. It was slated to go on the floors before Farah’s film, “That’s true,” says the source, “But when Eros studied the project Ra 1, they felt that this film may not derive sufficient returns in today’s economy. They felt that it would be better if the commercial director Farah Khan put her project on the floors first. They wanted to back that first and wait for things to improve on the economy front. They will go with Ra 1 but only at a later date.”

Mumbai Mirror had also reported on June 27 that Shah Rukh has been advised not to indulge in heavy-duty action. This, combined with Farah’s track record, has come in the way of Anubhav Sinha’s film.

Despite repeated calls and text messages, Eros International CEO Sunil Lulla remained unavailable for comment.

Happy New Year stars Shah Rukh Khan in the lead. The remaining cast is yet to be finalised. Farah also has to complete the script of the second half of the film.

Shell out 250$ for a pic with SRK at an US hotel

Be ready to fork out $250 to be seen in same pic with SRK at a US hotel
PS: Think we haven't heard of Photoshop, guys?

When Indian movie stars shoot aboard, fans travel from far and wide to catch a glimpse of the homegrown actors.

The management of Hotel Fairmount in San Francisco, USA got a whiff of SRK's superstardom when fans from literally all over the States started pouring in to catch a glimpse of the actor. They came up with a master plan to cash in on their guest Shah Rukh Khan's star power.

A source from the US reveals, "Shah Rukh is currently in San Francisco shooting for the last leg of Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan. And he has agreed to use his spare time for a good cause. SRK fans can book a table at the restaurant for one night when the actor will mingle with the patrons."

The source further adds, "If they wish to take a picture with their favourite star, they will have to shell out $250 (approximately Rs 12,000) and if they wish to have dinner on the same table as the superstar, there is a bigger price tag. The dinner is scheduled for some time next week when SRK will get a night early off work."

Shah Rukh Khan in Rishta.com!!

Shah Rukh Khan, the undisputed Badshah of bollywood, is all set to make his appearance in a television show Rishta.com being made by big daddy of tinsel town Yash Chopra of Yashraj Films.

The show is about a matrimonial office through which the couples meet and make their decisions about future relationships. Shah Rukh Khan, who has an excellent relationship with Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra, comes for a special appearance in the show. Besides King Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukerji, Tabu, Riteish Deshmukh, Uday Chopra and Jugal Hansraj will also be making special appearances on the show. The show is being directed by Rishabh Seth and is likely to go on air by October this year.

The buzz doing the rounds in the industry is that Yash Chopra wants to make a grand entry in the world of television, and for this purpose he has roped in his trump card Shah Rukh Khan to do a special appearance for him. While King Khan and above named biggies have agreed to be part of the show, some others are still being approached to make an appearance for Yashji.

In fact, Yashraj Films is approaching all the actors who have worked with them in their films so far. Besides bollywood biggies, some new faces will also be cast in the show to make it interesting for the viewers.

London calling Dr Shah Rukh!

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been nominated to receive an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from Britain's University of Bedfordshire.

Shah Rukh, the first foreign actor to be conferred the Malaysian title of Datuk - akin to a British knighthood - last year, will receive his first doctorate July 10.

The actor was chosen for the doctorate by NGO Routes to Roots, a member of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organization (WANGO) that works closely with universities and educational trusts in various countries, said a press release.

"I am delighted that Routes to Roots nominated me for the honorary doctorate in arts and culture from the Bedfordshire University, Britain, and it will be my pleasure to receive it personally July 10 in London," said Shah Rukh.

Routes to Roots is a non-profit charitable organisation and endeavours to bring people and cultures together across the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) countries in general and India and Pakistan in particular. Actor Juhi Chawla and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt are among its patrons.

"Shah Rukh Khan was selected by us after careful study since he has his head and heart at the right place in spite of being crowned the king of Bollywood. The superstar has done immense work for the underprivileged and downtrodden and has always come forward for charities in case of natural disasters," said Tina Vachani, co-founder, Routes to Roots.

According to Rakesh Gupta, who is also with the NGO: "Indian students at the university would love to have the youth icon Shah Rukh to be a fellow alumni once he receives his doctorate."

Shahrukh Khan Hits the Bay

He's a handsome movie star with more global influence than the Dalai Lama. His name is Shahrukh Khan, and for the past month he's been filming his next blockbuster -- right here in the Bay Area.

In the family drama "My Name Is Khan," the Bollywood actor plays a man living with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism that impacts social interaction. He and his wife, played by Kajol, one of Indian's most famous actresses, portray an average Indian family living in San Francisco.

At its core, "My Name Is Khan" is a love story about a husband and wife, but, producer Prashant Shah says, it also seeks to redefine what it means to be a Muslim in America today.

The Bay Area was chosen because of its people, landscape and weather, Shah explains. Furthermore, Karan Johar, arguably India's hottest young director, wanted to shoot here because the three other movies he made in the United States were all filmed on the East Coast.

The production, shot at various locations in Livermore, San Jose and San Francisco, has been tight-lipped and closed to media. There are several reasons for this secrecy, the producer says.

For starters, the highly anticipated film is the first project in eight years to unite Kajol, Khan and Johar. Their last picture, 2001's "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham," earned seven international film awards.

In addition, Khan and the film's other stars, including Tanay Chheda of "Slumdog Millionaire" (he played Jamal,

the lead character, as a teenager) have had hundreds of fans lingering outside their San Francisco hotel, hoping to catch a glimpse. No one wants that to get out of hand.

Lastly, Indian cinema typically sets fashion trends, and the styles in high-profile films such as "My Name Is Khan" wind up on runways across Asia and Europe, Shah says. So the filmmakers can't risk any images getting out before the picture's release, slated for February 2010, implicitly so its unique costumes remain credited to the people who designed them.

Their audience keeps growing. In recent years, Bollywood's popularity has spread far beyond India.

"Spanish is the second official language of the United States, and French is the same in Canada, yet every Friday there are two Bollywood films, not Spanish or French films, released in at least 100 theaters in major cities across North America," Shah says. "Our films don't have typical Hollywood massacre, violence and nudity. So they are appropriate for a 5-year-old and a 92-year-old. That is the appeal."

While "My Name Is Khan" won't have the lively dance numbers Bollywood fans have come to expect, it will have a Bollywood soundtrack.

And Khan, known for his theatricality, will tone it down for this tear-jerker. But that won't change his mass appeal. In January, Newsweek magazine listed him at No. 41 on its list of the "50 Most Powerful People" in the world. According to the magazine, his influence tops Oprah Winfrey's and the Dalai Lama's.

"He is more popular than Will Smith and Brad Pitt combined," Shah says. "If Tom Hanks walked through Piccadilly Circus in London, a few people would ask for his autograph and let him walk on by. If Shahrukh was there, you would need at least 20 bobbies (British police) to have him escorted across the street. In less than an hour, there are usually 15,000 people gathered."

Details are spare, but Shah confirms that Khan will perform and sign autographs for fans at 8 p.m. Friday at the Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason St., San Francisco. Shah anticipates a crowd of at least 5,000.

Shah Rukh Khan's 'Ra 1' postponed

Shah Rukh Khan has postponed his ambitious Sci-fi action thriller Ra 1 to next year.

The delay will give him enough time to fully recover from his shoulder injury sustained on the sets of Dulha Mil Gaya, and be fully fit for the intense action sequences planned in Ra 1.

The postponement follows a medical checkup that Shah Rukh underwent in the US where he is currently shooting for Karan Johar’s, My Name is Khan, with co-star Kajol.

The Anubhav Sinha helmed Ra 1 was to go on floors in September 2009 after having been earlier pushed back from February 2009 due to SRK's injury.

SRK will play a superhero in the film which will be replete with SFX and state of the art gizmos.

“SRK has been suffering because of his shoulder injury. He had injured himself on the sets of Dulha Mil Gaya a few months ago. After his surgery, SRK started shooting for Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan, which he will soon complete. However, he decided to temporarily put Ra 1 on hold as he is required to do some serious action sequences in the film," a source told Mumbai Mirror.

On completing My Name is Khan, Shah Rukh will start filming for Farah Khan’s Happy New Year.

Shahrukh to star with Barack Obama

Bollywood Baadshah Shahrukh Khan is all set to star with US President Barack Obama. Not quite really but Shahrukh will be seen starring with a lookalike of the US President in his upcoming movie My Name is Khan. The casting crew is in search for an African American who can resemble Obama. The exact nature of the character is not known but sources claim Obama's character play a significant part in the story.

My Name Is Khan is directed by Karan Johar and based on the life of minorities in the United States post 9/11. The movie is currently being shot in San Fransisco and also stars Jimmy Shergill and Sonya Jehan. Interestingly another movie New York which releases this weekend also has a similar plot. My Name is Khan is one of the most anticipated movies of the year as it will have the hit pair of Shahrukh Khan and Kajol in the lead after a gap of 8 years.

SRK says no to Raj Thackeray!

Shah Rukh Khan has clearly had enough of controversies. He turned down an offer to play Raj Thackeray in Raju Kokate’s Mumbai Tiger.

Before approaching SRK, Kokate had worked on the actor’s look in the film . Marathi film and stage actor Ashok Shinde, who has now been signed on for the role, bears an uncanny resemblance to the politician.

Shah Rukh recently reportedly also turned down an offer from Ashutosh Gowariker, his Swades director. After the 2004 film, which flopped at the box-office, Shah Rukh has flatly refused to work with the director for his next venture.
Ashutosh offered SRK a role in a period film with Rani Mukerji as his screen partner, but after Swades, Shah Rukh isn't taking any chances.

Apparently, working with Gowariker on Swades wasn't one of the highlights of Shah Rukh's life, but Ashutosh asked him to forget the past and start afresh. Ashutosh also offered him incentives to make up for the experience. Our source said, “Ashutosh even told Shah Rukh that they could co-produce the film and he had no issues with Shah Rukh's style of working on commission basis. But even this did not evoke a favourable response.”

Shahrukh Khan and Kajol on the Sets of My Name Is Khan in Californa

Shahrukh Khan and Kajol on the Sets of 'My Name Is Khan' in San Francisco