~~FAN~ updates & articles Thread 2 (1st song out)~~~ - Page 108

The Udupi-based gaming studio, 99Games Online Pvt. Ltd., has released a mobile game for Yash Raj Film's venture, "Fan", for both Android and iOS platforms.

In a press release here, Anila Andrade, Associate Vice-President (Operations), 99Games Online Pvt. Ltd., said that 99Games had recently signed a multi-year deal with Yash Raj Films to design and develop a game around the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Fan".

Post the collaboration on "Dhoom 3: The Game", which was among the most downloaded film-based game in Bollywood, this is the second collaboration between Yash Raj Films and 99Games, with other announcements to follow soon. The film, "Fan", is about a fan's journey to meet his idol where Shah Rukh Khan plays a double role of both the fan and the superstar. Gaurav is the fan and Aryan the superstar. The film is about Gaurav's journey to meet Aryan, his fandom motivating him along the way, allowing him to overcome obstacles. Similar is the plot in the game. It is also a game about connections.

75 levels

In the "Fan: The Game," Gaurav helps the player meet the superstar by playing a variety of levels. The game has been launched with 75 levels. An additional 45 levels will be released along with the release of the film on April 16. "In the history of Bollywood gaming, there has never been a game built with such depth of game play," Ms. Andrade said. 99Games is taking a big bet on this game and building a game that will last beyond the film's release as the theme of a fan and his love for Shah Rukh Khan is an evergreen one.

"We expect the engagement time in playing this game to be more than that of the film-goers watching the film in the cinemas and its satellite launch. We have predicted over 3 billion minutes of engagement time with the game with over 20 million downloads, (surpassing the 20 million record set by Dhoom 3: The Game'), she said.

99Games has planned a series of marketing activities around this game. There will be a contest planned around the game where 10 fans will get a chance to meet their superstar in real life. The motivating hash tag for the game is #KheloFansKhelo!

"We expect this game to break a few records and are confident that we have a super-hit game on hand," Ms. Andrade said.

In Fan: The Game', Gaurav helps the player meet the superstar after a variety of levels

4,863,940 views and 97K likes on the #FANTrailer. 'Kkkrazy' !! ;-)

Directed by Maneesh Sharma, Fan explores the bond between a superstar and a die-hard fan who looks like him.

SHAH RUKH KHAN says enacting the double role of a superstar and his young admirer in his upcoming film Fan was physically quite challenging for him. In the film, to be released in April this year, Shah Rukh plays Aryan Khanna and his lookalike fan Gaurav Chanana. "It was a very physically challenging film. It was physically challenging to do a double role. It was more challenging as at this age I had to play a 24-year-old boy, have his energy, and then I had another part to play of a superstar," the 50-year-old actor said at the trailer launch of Fan on Monday. "It was a difficult character to play. But the team helped me and made it easy for me. We have tried to keep it normal and simple," he said. Shah Rukh revealed that he had to work hard on his look while getting into the skin of Gaurav's character. "We had to put make-up and initially it used to take six hours. Later, after some practise, it took two-and-half to three hours," he said. In real life, the Swades star says he has never put up an image in front of people and has always been normal. "I am never bothered about how I am. I wear stardom like a T-shirt, not like a tuxedo (suit)," he said.

Directed by Maneesh Sharma, Fan explores the bond between a superstar and a die-hard fan who looks like him. The film is not just a story of a fan's undying love and adulation, it's about how Gaurav's admiration towards a superstar slowly turns into a dangerous obsession.

"People keep saying that I do the same acting for the past 25 years, even the critics say that. But I have tried to be different with this film," he said. "It's an unusual story. Some people may like it, some may not. I can't please everyone. We have tired our best to give something different and interesting. We hope people enjoy both the characters," Shah Rukh said. Fan will be a song-less film, except for the promotional track - Jabra fan. "I was injured and still did Jabra song. There are no songs in the film, except one. I told Maneesh to put an item song, but he refused. It's a pure experience of story telling... It's a new way," he said. Though Maneesh made his directorial debut with Band Baaja Baaraat (2010), he was toying with the idea of Fan with Shah Rukh for quite sometime."I felt it's the most difficult film as it's not a double role... He is a lookalike. I was working on Chennai Express, that time Maneesh and I met at YRF (studios) and thought of working on this film (Fan)," Shah Rukh said.

"Initially we did not have the technology, but today we have... We have visual effects and all. First time when he (Maneesh) narrated the story, I felt we can't make it as that time we did not have that much technology," he said.

He also revealed that before he joined films, he felt he looked like actor Kumar Gaurav but at a later stage thought his looks matched that of Al Pacino's. "Initially I used to feel I look like Kumar Gaurav (son of Rajendra Kumar)...He was the first star I wanted to meet. I was happy that I looked like someone good like him (Kumar Gaurav). Then after some point, I felt I looked like Al Pacino (American actor)," Khan said. "Now at the age of 50, I feel I look like my father. I am hopeful a time will come when I would feel I look like myself," he said.

When asked about playing a psychotic obsessive role like Darr again in Fan, SRK said, "No not really... The role (of Gaurav) is different from what one saw me doing in Darr, Baazigar. These are anti-hero roles."

"In this film, he is not a psychotic lover. It's the story of a young boy and his love for a superstar," he said.

"I am a fan of films. I enjoy being in this space. I remember my first fans were two ladies... I was in Delhi and they looked at me and yelled 'Abhimanyu Rai'. I am thankful to them for making me feel like that," he added.

In real life, if Khan comes across a fan like Gaurav, he said he would sit him down and make him understand. Fan releases on April 15.