Fox to distribute My Name is Khan

FOX STAR Studios, a joint venture between 20th Century Fox and STAR today announced its tie-up with superstar Shahrukh Khan and filmmaker Karan Johar to finance and distribute their upcoming film My Name is Khan.

FOXSTAR would market and distribute the film in India while Fox Searchlight Pictures, which marketed and distributed the Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire in the US, will release the film in United States.

20th Century Fox International will distribute the film outside India and US. Filmmaker Johar said "for us, this tie-up was important to find a partner who is like-minded, has a similar vision and the capability to take Indian cinema to the international market."

"This movie is about human emotions that are relevant to people across the world and I am happy that the audience which is unfamiliar with these films will get a chance to see what Indian cinema has to offer to the world," Johar said.

The film, which has been co-produced by Khan and Johar, examines how a life of a Muslim man from India, living in San Francisco, embarks on a remarkable journey across the United States and inspires people, inviting debate, creating an accidental revolution.

Salman-Shahrukh war bothers Karan Johar

Filmmaker Karan Johar is certainly one of the coolest guys in the Indian film industry. He is unstoppable when he opens his mouth and faces camera even better than the actors. But there is one thing that bothers this cool guy – the Khan War.

Karan said that the stories on the fight between Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan might be right but a lot of it is not. He feels that the media makes a mountain out of a mole hill. He revealed that he is bothered when the media exaggerates stories, as people tend to believe everything that is written.

Well, Karan should speak to the Khans over coffee and end the war!

Shahrukh Khan defaults Income Tax

The Income Tax department has dragged Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan to the Bombay High Court. The case relates to King Khan's foreign earnings as the brand ambassador for Swiss luxury giant Omega. The department appealed against the December 2008 order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) which had allowed Shahrukh’s appeal over a tax deduction dispute.

Shahrukh had declared an income of almost Rs 20 Crores, including Rs 29 lakh as foreign income as the brand ambassador of Omega brand for the financial year 2002-03. The IT however says that the foreign expenses related to this income have to be calculated and under no circumstance is Shahrukh eligible for tax deduction as claimed by him under Section 80RR of Income Tax Act.


This is not the first time that the IT Department has dragged the superstar to the court. A few moths back the department claimed that Shahrukh owed a sum of Rs 19.43 lakh for the return he filed in 1998-99. Interestingly on that occasion too the case related to his foreign income from Jeanne Arthes Perfume which had named a perfume after him.

Shahrukh hosts management quiz competition

If you are one of those who suffer from the 'bites' of the quizzing bug, and SRK happens to be your silver screen matinee idol, then, thank your stars as you have just hit the jackpot! Something what the students of IIPM also did, when they experienced a whirlwind called Shahrukh Khan, who, also happened to be their Quiz Master for their prestigious event called Dare'09. This event was jointly organized by IIPM, the largest B-School on the planet along with '4Ps Business and Marketing', one of the most widely read Business and Marketing magazines in the country.

When SRK is at the helm of things, it totally becomes needless to say that, a lot of razzmatazz and glamour must have been the vital elements of the event. So much so that, one of the rounds that was based on Shahrukh Khan himself! The quiz saw the clash of the top 6 teams (out of the 150 plus which participated), viz., IIFT Delhi, Judge Business School- Cambridge University, ITM- Mumbai, NITIE - Mumbai, UNC--Kenan Flagler and IIFT-Kolkata.

Not just that, amidst the event, SRK added yet another fan in his ever-increasing fan base, in the form of Prof. Arindam Chowdhary, who went on to say that "Shahrukh's presence in the event will obviously add the kind of glamour and brand value that such a world-class event so dearly deserves, as no brand in this country is as big as him".

On his part, Shahrukh Khan said, "I would like to thank IIPM, '4Ps Business and Marketing' and Arindam for giving me this opportunity of hosting the Dare '09. I have always enjoyed quizzing - be it onscreen or with my kids, and I believe quizzing helps in expanding one's knowledge ,so would like to thank IIPM for all good things they have been doing in various fields." Shahrukh also added that he has known Prof. Chaudhuri since a long time and has been a great fan of his book "Count your chickens before they hatch" as he just loved the title. Some SRK gyaan this!

The juice on Shahrukh's My Name is Khan!

Bollywood badshah Shahrukh Khan's latest flick My name is Khan is all set to take over the box office when it releases in 2010 - the gargantuan film has already made Rs 100 crore!

Fox Star studios have snapped up the film's distribution rights for the humongous amount and the film has now attained the status of being the hottest, most widely released Bollywood flick ever. No other movie in the history of Bollywood has been purchased at this high an amount. My name is Khan more or less obliterates last year's hurricane that was Ghajini.

Aamir Khan's Ghajini was purchased for Rs 90 crore, and while many thought those numbers would be unbroken for years to come, King Khan went the whole Rs 100 crore hog with My name is Khan. The film is produced by SRK's Red Chillies Films, but here's the juice - My name is Khan's minuscule budget was an estimated Rs 38 crore; so SRK and the rest of the cast and crew have made more than twice the money already!

Shahrukh Khan is a bonafide crowd puller - any movie producer is more than safe to have SRK as the film's lead as the film is bound to make at least twice the production budget. Just look at what happened to 'Don', 'Om Shanti Om' and last years 'Rab ne bana di jodi' - they were all box office Godzillas. Even the poorly reviewed 'Rab ne' made three times it's budget just because it starred the mega showman SRK.

Fox Star's Rs 100 crore buyout of My name is Khan proves that Hollywood is gathering more and more interest in Bollywood flicks, and studios are not afraid for a quick cash-in. And who better to set the transition in motion than King Khan? According to a certain film critic, "SRK is a colossal global entity who inspires confidence in buyers and excitement among the audience". I do not dare disagree.

My name is Khan's director Karan Johar was hunting for potential distributors at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. He will bring the finished product to Cannes next year, quite like he did with his last directorial venture 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna'. In case you didn't already know My name is Khan reunites one of the most famous Bollywood screen couples after a gap of almost a decade - Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. The buzz is huge, the money is monstrous, the stars are the absolute A-list; unless it turns out to be like KANK, My name is Khan should certainly beat Ghajini for the all-time Box office top spot.

In Pics: Shahrukh Khan hosting the IIPM Quiz

Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan may reunite soon

The memories always left their marks whatever if the friendship is no more. This is all about one of the biggest grudges of Bollywood between the macho man Salman Khan and the "King Khan" Shahrukh Khan.

Both the Khan's have been seen together in a lot of parties of Bollywood. Now-a-days, both the Bollywood Khan's are missing each other, remembering the old marks of memories in their friendship. Both the Khan's are gong to reunite again and forget their grudges of past.

Last year, in the birthday bash of Katrina Kaif, a fight between the two big Khans of Bollywood broke out and the cold war started between them. Later, Shahrukh Khan was in news for clashes with the Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood Aamir Khan.

According to the sources, when the gorgeous actress Deepika Padukone and director Farah Khan were on the show of Salman Khan "Das ka Dum", Salman introduced Deepika as the actress of Shahrukh Khan's movie "Om Shanti Om". He was very emotional when he was telling about the movie of Shahrukh Khan where the director Farah Khan stated that the friendship of Salman and Shahrukh is very special in the film industry. Such conversation on the live show of Salman Khan witnessed that both the actors want to patch up as friends.

According to the sources, SRK has planned to come on the show of Salman Khan "Das ka Dum". Salman and SRK were together during the protest in Multiplexes and want to patch up soon.

Salman is my friend: Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan are no longer enemies if the former's words are anything to go by. The two Khans are said to be bitter enemies and have got into brawl a few times but Shahrukh has surprised many by referring to Salman as his friend.

Speaking at the start of the quiz DARE ’09 at the IIPM campus, he revealed that he equated poverty to failure at one point of his life, as he didn’t want to be poor. So, he ended up doing films that his counterparts rejected. He said that he did Deewana, a film that Armaan Kohli turned down, did Baazigar that his friend Salman had refused, acted in Darr that Aamir Khan turned it down and did Dil Aashna Hai after Saif Ali Khan rejected it.

It maybe recalled that Shahrukh and Salman had a public fight on Katrina Kaif's birthday last year. So much has been written about them since the incident happened but they have chosen to keep their silence.

It looks like the Khans are now ready to forgive and forget the past!

My friend Salman...: SRK

This was Shah Rukh Khan’s hattrick as a quizmaster, courtesy management guru Arindam Chaudhuri.

After hosting a successful season II of KBC and Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain?, SRK was in Delhi to host the 4Ps business and marketing quiz DARE ’09 at the IIPM campus.

And he played an honest quizmaster, as he admitted that the speech he delivered before starting the quiz was the one he’d used at a Young President’s Organisation event some time ago. “I’m sorry, but I’m recycling it,” he said, before telling the management students that they should become “CEOs, COOs, CFOs, UFOs and as many FOs as they could in their lives. My friends tell me my kids will become great corporate people because they finish lunch in two-and-a-half hours. More power to power lunches!”

And, do we read this as a change of heart or simply a Freudian slip? While talking about his films and the other two Khans — Aamir and Salman — in the same breath, the superstar referred to the latter as a friend. It may be recalled that the two Khans have not been on speaking terms ever since they sparred over allegedly a remark made by SRK at Salman's girlfriend Katrina Kaif's birthday party.

King Khan said, while spouting gyan to the students,’’’I’m the most successful failure. My mother didn’t live long enough to see me become a superstar. Ab pata nahin Delhi mein yeh word use karte hain ya nahin, but there were times jab meri kudki ho gayi thi. Kudki is when you lose everything and you’re on the road. I equated poverty to failure at one point in my life. I didn’t want to be poor. So I did Deewana, a film that Armaan Kohli had refused. I did Baazigar that my friend Salman didn’t want to do. I acted in Darr because Aamir turned it down and I worked in Dil Aashna Hai because Saif refused it. These films paid well and I was working to avoid unemployment. When Dilip saab (Dilip Kumar) and I were watching my Devdas, I asked him, ‘Why did you do Devdas?’ And he said, ‘Pata nahin. Tab ek lakh rupaiya mila tha’. Then success happened... My speech ends. Normally, people clap now.”

With SRK, the quiz was a lesson in speaking into the microphone too. “Go towards the mike like you’d eat a banana and then speak. But remember not to squeeze it. And don’t get any cheap thoughts when I say banana!” he told the participants.

And while SRK’s quizzing had the participants and the audience in stitches, Arindam said, “SRK’s not just the most intelligent star, but one of most intellectual and witty people I know. I guess that comes from his extensive reading and Eco Hons background. And he’s the biggest brand in India. Our association with him sets a forever unbeatable benchmark in B-school events!” SRK added, “I like coming to Delhi – it’s my city, my mom-in-law is here and Arindam, the one man who has better hair than mine, is here too!”

Saif wanted to kiss SRK

He wouldn’t mind kissing Shah Rukh if the two would have been cast in Dostana.

Saif Ali Khan was offered Dostana by Karan Johar at the time Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan were being considered. Saifu however declined the offer, ‘I didn't really chicken out - I mean I just thought, I think there was Abhishek and Aishwarya in the movie at the time I was being offered it and I was just wondering if I needed to do that and how I would fit in really and I told Karan that’, he told Rajeev Masand on his talk show, To Catch A Star.

Aish and Abhi hogging the limelight could have been the only reason for his Saifu’s refusal. For everyone knows Saif and Shah Rukh were the ones who bought being gay out of the Bollywood closet. Their camaraderie in Kal Ho Na Ho is legendary and Karan owes the success of Dostana to the two of them literally. He went on to say, ‘The gay thing didn't scare me off. In fact I don't think they (Abhishek and John) actually kiss. I would have.’

Incidentally, SRK too didn’t have a problem snogging in the film if he was offered Dostana, to which Saif added, ‘Yeah I would have kissed Shah Rukh.’SRK has even gone to speak about it earlier, saying he was disappointed how the kiss was shot in the film.

Truthfully, we can’t imagine Saif do a John in Dostana and thank heavens Priyanka replaced Aishwarya. But if Karan wants to recreate the magic of Dostana, Saif and Shah Rukh going at it with each other surely is the hit formula for Dostana 2, what say? Just make sure Bebo is cast in Priyanka's role.