Mumbai blasts 'dastardly' act - Shah Rukh

Bollywood director Karan Johar and superstar Shah Rukh Khan have
condemned Tuesday's terrorist attacks on Mumbai. At a joint news
conference on the sidelines of a three-day long Bollywood
extravaganza that concluded at the British Academy of Film and
Television Arts in central London on Sunday, Shah Rukh described the
attacks as a "dastardly act."Terrorism has become an international
phenomenon, Shah Rukh pointed out: "It happened in New York, Madrid,
London and now in Mumbai. It is a very sad situation. It is necessary
to educate people, to take away the thoughts of violence from
society."

Johar said attacks in Mumbai were a clear case of terrorism and
people should face the challenges united.Both Karan Johar and Yash
Chopra noted that Bollywood was completely secular.To a question on
the non-resident Indians' importance for the industry, SRK said NRIs
have been responsible in helping Bollywood make a breakthrough in the
West.

Asked whether they would consider reducing the duration of Hindi
films, Yash Chopra and Johar felt it would be difficult; Shah Rukh
said it was worth considering.Yash Chopra said it was not the length
that mattered but the intensity of the film. "Music is part of Indian
life and culture. We are not ashamed of our music," Chopra said. "It
was quite an awakening when Veer-Zaara was screened in Paris. When we
went there, the entire area was jam-packed and we could not even
enter the theatre where the film was being screened," the veteran
filmmaker said.

Asked whether they produced films keeping the NRIs in view, Johar
said: "We produce films which are emotional and attractive to
Indians. Being an NRI is a status. They are Indians, whether they
live in New York or Bihar. NRIs are more Indians in their heart than
most of us."

Shah Rukh said, "Our films not only entertain, but they are for
eternity. It is the only mode of entertainment for masses and length
of the film is value for money."

Called BAFTA Goes Bollywood, the London programme included
presentation and interactive sessions with Johar, SRK, Chopra, Aamir
Khan and Preity Zinta.

A new book on Bollywood, called Lights, Camera, Masala -- Making
Movies in Mumbai by Sheena Sippy was also showcased on the occasion.
The 246-page book -- by daughter of producer Ramesh Sippy with text
from scriptwriter Naman Ramachandran -- gives an insider's look at
the glitz, grit and grandeur of the world's largest film industry.

Ramachandran called the book a celebration of contemporary Hindi
cinema. The book documents the process of making a typical commercial
Hindi film through the adventures of a pair of fictitious characters
called Vijay and Ravi, who try to make a Bollywood film of their
own.Famous film personalities -- from seasoned scriptwriters like the
Salim-Javed duo to megastars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan
and Aishwarya Rai and successful directors like Ramesh Sippy and
Johar -- have shared their experiences and provided insights into
filmmaking.

Lights Camera Masala also records the stories of the behind-the-
scenes people who are such an intrinsic part of the Bollywood
machinery -- a light boy, a make-up artist and a choreographer, among
others.

thx for the info, what happened in Mumbai was really sad 😭 i hope everything goes back to normal really soon, also the book looks interesting and they should not remove the song/dance sequence in hindi films because its fun and i really like it 😳