Articles: Shahrukh Khan - Page 96

Hard luck!

Chak De India's fully-edited copy is lost in a hard disk crash at Yashraj Studios. And there's only a month to go before the film's release

Posted On Thursday, June 28, 2007
Ashwini Deshmukh

Shimit Amin

Technology ditches you when you need it the most. The Chopras discovered this the hard way recently when Yashraj Film (YRF) studios faced a crisis. The hard disk in which the finally-edited copy of YRF's next release Chak De India was saved, crashed recently. What's more, the film is scheduled to release on August 10.

This obviously had the Chopras think frantically about what they'd do to retrieve the saved material. According to our source, "People at YRF tried their best to retrieve the disk.

But when they couldn't get it back, they decided to call Shah Rukh Khan to get additional help from his studio, Red Chillies. They possibly couldn't trust anyone else but Shah Rukh with their film."

Now selective technicians are working at breakneck speed 24/7 at YRF studios as well as Red Chillies studios so that the final product can be processed faster.

Adds the source, "Yashraj's team of editors and technicians are working day and night to set things right. They are working very fast as the film is scheduled to release very soon and there's a lot of reworking that still needs to be done."

Glimpses from Chak De India

"What's unusual about this situation is that YRF has never sent any film out of their studio for processing. In fact they are also very particular about the team of editors who work on their project and hardly do they get outsiders to work on their films. They have their in-house team of editors," adds the source.

In fact the emergency is such that Shah Rukh has given complete priority to rework on Chak De by putting aside Om Shanti Om's editing for some time.

Naturally, the disaster is being kept under wraps. When contacted, Yashraj's spokesperson Monika Bhatacharyya said, "There is no such problem as far as I know."

• People at YRF tried their best to retrieve the disk. But when they couldn't get it back, they decided to call SRK to get help from his studio – A source

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&se ctid=30&contentid=200706280319298902ef10bf5&pageno=1

Khan Bonding!!

[27 Jun 2007>

Salman Khan, the macho man of bollywood, and the perfectionist Aamir Khan are soon going to feature in a film together after a gap of thirteen years( Rajkumar Santoshi's Andaaz Apna Apna was in 1994), thus taking the famous Khan bonding a step further. The script for this film is likely to be written by the famous script writer Salim Khan, who had earlier written (along with Javed Akhtar) the script for Big B's classic ' Deewar', making him a super star overnight.

The idea of working together came from Salman Khan's father during the Sunday dinner party hosted at Sallubhai's Galaxy Apartments. This impromptu party was attended by about twenty five people but Aamir Khan was a special guest. He did not involve himself with the crowd and after exchanging pleasantries with others settled down for a conversation with the veteran writer Salim Khan in a corner.

As a source present on the occasion reveals, ' We did not expect Aamir to be there. He was the special guest for the evening. He exchanged greetings with everyone and then settled down for a chat with Salimsaab. Shah Rukh, Salman and Saif are definitely fond of each other. That is why they jumped at the offer when Farah Khan proposed them to be part of a song in her upcoming Om Shanti Om. Aamir Khan is very slowly and steadily coming out of his shell and carefully testing the waters now.'

According to well-informed sources of bollywood, Shah Rukh, Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan are trying to form their own camp in the industry and are getting together as much as possible through parties and other occasions. Recently, it was evident when these three agreed to feature in Farah Khan's film for a song. But Aamir Khan is yet to join this camp and that is why he politely refused to be part of that song along with other Khans. But now, after he has given his consent to be part of a film with Sallubhai, he seems to be moving in the direction of joining the Khan Camp.

Sources aver that Salim Khan is instrumental in bringing the Khans together and even intends to write the super scripts for this group of talented Khans. Salim Khan has a proven track record in the field of script writing and vision for the bollywood films and if he would pen down something for this camp that is bound to be a super duper hit masala.

One wonders if this entire Khan bonding is the result of being ignored by Bachchans in their mega wedding or something else, what say??

http://magnamags.com/magna_stardust/node/1317

Shah Rukh Khan may change the release date of 'Om Shanti Om'

29th June 2007 09.01 IST
By Agencies

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is reportedly considering changing the release date of his next home production Om Shanti Om .

Earlier, SRK's 'Om Shanti Om' and Sanjay Leela Bhansali 's Saanvariya were being planned for release in the auspicious, and more importantly, bountiful Diwali week.

'Saanvariya' is the launch vehicle of Rishi Kapoor 's son, Ranbir Kapoor , and Anil Kapoor 's daughter, Sonam .

Reports are that Bhansali met SRK to discuss the release strategy of his prestigious film, which is being co-produced by Sony.

Since the budget of 'Saanvariya' is very high, estimated to be in the region of 40 crore plus, and also because it would introduce two promising newcomers amidst a lot of fanfare, Bhansali is said to have asked SRK if he could consider not releasing his 'Om Shanti Om' on the same day as 'Saanvariya'.

Since Bhansali has already decided on the Diwali day (November 9) release, he said, he would be obliged if the King Khan came either before or after that date.

Although the week beginning November 9 is one of the best weeks of 2007 for releasing a film, King Khan is believed to have assured his Devdaas director that he would consider not getting his 'Om Shanti Om' on the same day, so that the launch pad of the two newcomers would get an open week.

The director of 'Om Shanti Om', Farah Khan admitted that Bhansali did visit SRK on the sets of her film when he (Bhansali) was shooting in the same studio as her.

"I cannot comment on the exact release date of our film," she said, adding, "Shah Rukh will have to decide on it. He is in London currently and will take a call once he is back from his London holiday. But I can say one thing - we are looking at a release between Eid and Diwali."

http://apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20070629-0.html

Chak De India's fully edited copy lost!

By MovieTalkies.com, 28 June 2007

There's just about a month left for the release of Chak De India and according to reports, its fully edited copy is lost in a hard disk crash at the Yashraj Studios. The film is scheduled for a release on August 10. People at Yashraj tried desperately to retrieve the lost material, but could not do so. That's when they are believed to have sought the help of Shah Rukh Khan and his Red Chillies Studio.

It is believed that a team of editors and technicians are working against time to set things right. In fact, seeing the urgency of the situation, Shah Rukh is believed to have set aside the editing of Om Shanti Om and has given top priority to Chak De India. This is the first time that Yashraj have sent a film out of their studios for processing. They are known to be very particular about their editors and very rarely does an outsider get a chance to work on their films. But it's not everyday that technology ditches you like this!

http://www.movietalkies.com/bollywoodnews/news.asp?NewsId=10 47

Bollywood movie still hot after 12 years

By TIM SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer Thu Jun 28, 6:57 PM ET

MUMBAI - If you want to understand the hold that Bollywood has over India, go to Manoj Desai's old movie palace, in the crowded neighborhood known simply as Mumbai Central. Go to the early show, at 11:30 a.m., when the line for tickets occasionally spills off the sidewalk and into the parking lot.

The cheap seats then are just 35 cents, and the audience is mostly from the city's vast slums. Everyone seems to know the dialogue by heart.

They've been lining up, every day, for 12 years.

For the same movie.

"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge," which translates from Hindi as "The One with a Heart Will Take the Bride," but known across India simply as "DDLJ," has been a daily fixture at the Maratha Mandir theater since October 1995.

"Every year or so, we think sales will go down," said Desai, the theater owner, a massive, fleshy man in a shiny polyester shirt, sitting behind a marble-topped desk the size of a small car. "But it never does."

His explanation is simple: "We are crazy about movies."

He's right about that. Movies are so big here that riots break out after the deaths of major stars; so big that when the country's most famous actor, Amitabh Bachchan, fell badly ill, two fans killed themselves hoping it would help his recovery.

But Bollywood, the Mumbai-based Hindi-language movie industry that churns out 200 films a year — most of them musicals following a strict happily ever-after formula — is about more than cinematic madness.

Bollywood is about poverty and aspirations. It's about middle-class dreams for the poor, and upper-class dreams for the middle class. Particularly in Mumbai, one of the most crowded cities on Earth, the movies are an escape, and a solace.

Their influence is everywhere. Bollywood has helped foster the hyper-extravagent weddings that have become a hallmark of India's new rich, and helped turn Hindi into the country's true national language. Movies have spawned generations of actors-turned-politician.

In a country with more than 2,000 ethnic groups, all the world's major religions and hundreds of languages (more than a dozen have their own, smaller movie industries), Bollywood is one of the few threads that actually knits India together.

"Here is our national language," the Indian-American writer Suketu Mehta once wrote of Bollywood. "Here is our common song."

Standing by the snack counter during DDLJ's brief intermission, Prakash Prasad put it far less poetically: "The story is good. The songs are very good," said the stringy 24-year-old with greasy hair and worn blue jeans.

Prasad came to Mumbai six years ago, leaving his family's poverty-battered central Indian village. Outwardly he found little: life in a slum, a factory job that barely paid and, eventually, unemployment. But he also has a circle of close friends, and a city that he now considers his home.

Since losing his job a month ago, he's come to DDLJ every day. It's one of the few things he can still afford.

"I love Bombay," he said, using the city's former name. "I love this city."

Mumbai is full of such people, desperately poor villagers who arrive looking for a little money, a little excitement, a little hope.

The have filled the city almost beyond belief.

New York City has 8,159 people per square mile. Dharavi, the biggest of Mumbai's many slums, has an estimated 7,200 people per acre.

For many of these people, a cheap seat at the Maratha Mandir, a gracefully aging palace with curving wooden walls, elaborate chandeliers and 1,102 red leather seats, is one of the few places where they can carve out their own place.

There's the Parsi housewife who has come every day for a decade, and the guy who runs the milk stall at the city's nearby central train station and who — at last count — was on his 32nd showing. There are thousands of people like Prasad who come from crowded shantytowns.

During the summer, when the heat climbs well past 100 and the city is awash in a soul-sucking humidity, the theater's frigid air conditioning is enough to draw them.

On most days, at least a few hundred people show up for DDLJ. On weekends, the theater occasionally sells out.

But why this movie? There are plenty of theories.

Some possible explanations: It features Shah Rukh Khan, today one of India's biggest stars, and a miraculously beautiful woman known by one name, Kajol; Its music is very catchy; The plot is heavy on traditional family values (obey your parents, don't have premarital sex) but misses few chances to fill the screen with lush shots of cleavage.

But for the most part, it's your basic Bollywood boy-meets-girl songfest, with 3 hours of stilted dialogue, five song-and-dance numbers, and a happy ending that's obvious from the start.

In India, that's cinematic comfort food.

And it's cheap comfort food. Desai charges half what he does for first-run movies, and still turns a profit.

For the crowds that flock for DDLJ, that counts for a lot.

Tyeb Bhai, 52, has been manning the theater's snack bar for 28 years, dispensing 10-cent cups of tea and homemade potato chips.

He can tell what movie is playing by what is purchased. At DDLJ, the audience is mostly poor, and mostly they buy nothing.

"If they have a day off, or they're skipping work, or whatever, they can come here for a show," he said. "You can't find something like this anywhere else in the city, not that people like this can afford."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070628/ap_en_ot/letter_from_bol lywood

SRK and Zayed's similar love story!

28 Jun, 2007 07:01 pm IST

There is lots of similarity between Shah Rukh Khan and Zayed Khan. Both have the same illustrious surname and besides that, they have a similar love story. Like SRK, Zayed too fell in love with his wife Malaika when in school. He reveals this on Zoon TV this Friday. The story goes that he was around 15 years old, and one day while listening to music at this social area called Green Flag, he saw this beautiful girl. It turned out to be Malaika and he was instantly smitten by her. He then asked his friend to give an introduction. And the rest as they say is history. It certainly reminds us of SRK's love story!

http://movies.indiatimes.com/SRK_and_Zayeds_similar_love_sto ry/articleshow/2158277.cms

SRK keeps his promise to his kids!

Shah Rukh Khan gave his kids the holiday he promised - with little or no interference from work. The superstar is in Paris on the last leg of his vacation with wife Gauri and kids Aryan and Suhana, "Hes not been taking calls or replying to SMSes," a close friend of his said, "In the 40-day vacation, he did only two or three appearances that he had been requested to put in.

Even during his charity auction in London with MF Husain, SR was not particulary happy to be spending time away from his kids, the source added: "When the event came up, he was unsure till he was told it was for charity. And then he explained to Aryan and Suhana that he needed to be away for a while."

The holiday began with SRK rounding up his gang - Karan Johar, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Kapoor and Chunky Pandey - and their families, spending time together in London before the IIFA awards.

All the kids - Arjun Rampals daughter Mahilka and Myra, Sanjay Kapoors daughter Shania and Chunkys children Anarnya and Rysa - are close friends with SRKs kids and some of them go to school together. King Khan is also extremely fond of kids and it was no different during these holidays. He made sure that he took the kids to see his wax statue at Madame Tussauds. "The two kids were so proud to see their daddy there. And Khans life lies in Aryan and Suhana... in fact I think he actually enjoyed his statue once he saw that look in their eyes," says a source.

After IIFA was over, Karan Johar, threw a launch party in central London for LOfficiel India. Everyone from Shilpa Shetty to Upen Patel made an appearance. But Gauri walked in sans her hubby who was spending time once again with his children. And like Karan there were many other close associated that were looking to host SR in London but a source from the party says that"Khan had time only for his bachas."

But it wasnt all indoors for SRK. People spolted SRK shopping on Bond Street and Piccadilly Circus. A fan who saw SR with his daughter says that she almost didnt recognize the superstar. "He kept such a low profile.

None of that noise that comes with Bollywood stars. He had security with him but thats about it. I almost crossed him and didnt realized. I saw him buying things for his daughter and all his attention was on her... it was like it was their store and nobody else was there," says yet another woman who has been bowled over by King Khan.

Recently Khan was invited to Warwick Castle to open its latest attraction which included Khan landing on the castle grounds in a helicopter and start with a sword slashing red carpet ribbon cutting ceremony, flanked by fully armoured mediavel bodyguards. But that was just the start of the fun for SRK. After the inauguration Khan went for a private visit of the Castle with family.

And if you think this sounds a like a packed holiday theres still more.

Khan is capping off his holiday at Disneyland in Paris and this time he has invited co-actress Juhi Chawla and her son to join them. Spolted having a gala time with Mickey and Minnie, Suhana looked ready to convince her dad to set up another Mannat in the Disney grounds and knowing Khan to be the doting dad that is none of us would be surprised if it did hapen.

After such an action packed holiday wonder if Khan will need another hoiday to get over this one.

SRK is my buddy : Farah Khan

by VaraMohini on Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:50 pm

Pal, pal, dil ke paas
by Farah Khan

Buddy bunch Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan, Karan Johar and my childhood friends who live in the same building Rajesh Sathe and his sister Rachna.

Buddy bond I meet SRK regularly because I work with him. But otherwise, we meet four to five times a month. We play board games like Trivial Pursuit or just sit and chat. SRK has been wanting me to work out with him which I've never done till now. We all enjoy films. When we are on outdoor locations, we sit in one room and watch DVDs. We talk mostly about work.

Nowadays we also talk about spiritualism, marriage and children but earlier, we mostly talked about what's happening in the industry, childhood experiences, family experiences. SRK is a good talker but he's also a good listener. He remembers small things. We have these jokes — like Karan always uses phrases like "we of the fraternity" meaning the film industry and I say it's hardly a fraternity since everyone is trying to kill everyone else. With Gauri, it's mostly girl talk. I don't get to do that with the boys when I am shooting.

Buddy buys Shahrukh has given me a car. I buy him smaller gifts like a game or a DVD. Karan Johar too has given me very expensive things. I can't reciprocate in the same way. I feel they have everything that money can buy and they have such good taste, so I don't buy them stuff. I show my friendship in other ways like doing their songs without question.

Buddy backing If I ever have any problem, I know I can just call or land up at Shah Rukh's house and my problem will be solved in 5 minutes. I just have to confide in Shah Rukh. He gives me a different perspective on things and I instantly feel good.

We don't speak much on the phone. I've been on innumerable holidays with SRK, Gauri and the kids. I stay in their houses in London and Delhi. In fact they have a room for me there. I am also very close to Gauri's family in Delhi.

SRK's new address

Shah Rukh Khan has bought a swanky new studio in Andheri

Posted On Saturday, June 30, 2007
Ashwini Deshmukh

Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies VFX Studio now has a new address. After much property-hunting the actor and his team of graphic designers and technicians are set to move into a lavish office in the Lokhandwala area of Andheri (West). While the interiors of his new office are getting a facelift, new machines are being shipped in too.

Says Arjun Mitra, one of the head of the Red Chillies VFX team, says, "We are getting closer to Shah Rukh's vision of having a first-class graphic designing studio. We will move into our new office within a month. It's a huge space, that can support at least 300 professionals."

The property has been leased out to the actor for a period of a few years. The Red Chillies VFX team comprises 40 people, headed by Arjun Mitra, Ketan Yadav and Harry Hingorani. As for assignments, the VFX studio is presently concentrating on commercials and Farah Khan's film, Om Shanti Om. Adds Arjun, "We have the technology for providing the best visual graphics. Television commercials are keeping us busy these days."

Of late, Shah Rukh has been focussing on the expansion of his VFX studio. Before heading for a holiday in London the actor had several meetings to firm up the deal. After having worked on Main Hoon Na, Paheli and more recently, Don, the team has already started pitching in for Hollywood productions.

Adds Arjun, "We have got a bunch of expert visualisers and operators. The company intends to take up work for outside producers too, including Hollywood production companies. The special effects that we had seen in Krrish can be done in our studio too. We are also hiring more people and by the end of three years we should have at least 300 members working on various projects. We plan to add a hundred people to our team by the end of this years itself."

Besides his new office, sources indicate that SRK has bought another plot of land too, again in Andheri (W). "He has recently bought this land. But we are yet to determine the function of this space," says a source close to SRK.

• We will move into our new office within a month. It's a huge space, that can support at least 300 professionals – Arjun Mitra

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&se ctid=30&contentid=200706300339031545c27872

Sushmita Sen rubbishes rumours about her supposed war with SRK

Non-Sen-sense!

By: Subhash K Jha
July 6, 2007, mid-day.com

No Bichoo Business Here: Sushmita Sen
Sushmita Sen is tickled pink by stories in a glossy that Shah Rukh Khan and she are at war.

"So that's what the tattlers have been talking about while I was out of the country? Shah Rukh and I at war? Interesting copy, but absolutely untrue.

I've never had a problem with Shah Rukh. We had great fun shooting Main Hoon Na with (director) Farah Khan."

If Sushmita had a kind of extended cameo in Main Hoon Naa, SRK has an extended guest appearance in Sen's new film, Dulha Mil Gaya.

"Shah Rukh doing Dulha Mil Gaya has nothing to do with me. He liked the role offered by producer Viveck Vaswani and director Mudassar Aziz.

When I signed Dulha Mil Gaya, I didn't even know Shah Rukh was part of it. Dulha Mil Gaya is not a heroine-centric film," she says.

She warms up to the SRK topic. "SRK and I are both Scorpios, but we don't sting each other. We take on the world instead."

Reverting to the kind of films she does, Sushmita says, "I don't do films just because they're women-centric. I like roles that are powerful.

I'm not very good at 'bachao' tactics. And yet, ironically, I was the object of adoration in Main Hoon Na. That role was all about the right presentation."

Interestingly, Sushmita is a Monsoon Miss. "I love the feel of rain. I loved doing the Laga laga re song in Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya and getting wet for Main Hoon Na," says the former Miss Universe.

However, playing props who just dance in the rain is not her scene. "My fans feel let down when I've nothing to do in a film.

At the same time, I'm aware they didn't like me in Chingari but I don't regret anything in life.

Every role is about creating something you believe in. I'm working very hard in both Sholay and Dulha Mil Gaya, although Sholay isn't quite my film alone."