Karan Johar is worried about Shah Rukh's health

By Subhash K Jha

If he had his way he'd have got his shoulder operated on Valentine's Day. But Shah Rukh proposes, the marketing law disposes.

Rather than go on the table to cure his acutely painful shoulder, Shah Rukh chose the Valentine week to promote his new film Billu (Barber) vigorously.

Says a friend of the actor, "After attending the special screening of Billu for barbers and hairdressers in Mumbai on Thursday Shah Rukh flew with Lara Dutta and Irrfan Khan to London for the film's premiere. He's expected back on Sunday and prepare for surgery on Monday (Feb 16)."

This time Shah Rukh has chosen Mumbai for the surgery.

Says the friend, "One wouldn't like to call it a politically correct move. But yes, in the past when he got his vital back surgery done in London there was criticism back home about his lack of faith in the desi doctors. Shah Rukh feels some of the finest doctors in the world are in Mumbai. He sees no need to go westward for treatment."

Full security bandobast is being undertaken for the surgery specially now since there has been some unrest regarding Billu.

It is understood that Shah Rukh will need a month-long healing period. A schedule of Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan is affected.

But Karan is not the least bothered. "Films will keep happening. Shah Rukh needs to be well, " he said.

The next schedule of My Name Is Khan will begin on March 14 when Shah Rukh recovers.

SRK has quick surgery after long delay

Put off since November, shoulder operation completed in 1½ hours
For months, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan had been putting off a surgery on his shoulder because of his shooting and promotional schedules. He needn’t have worried; the operation was over and done with in one-and-a-half hours at Breach Candy Hospital.

Once it had been completed successfully, he waved and exchanged smiles with his wife. He will wear a sling around his arm for four to six weeks.

SRK (43) had hurt himself on the sets of a film in November last year. He let the surgery wait for fear that it would upset his schedule, much of which involved promoting Billu.

Dr Sanjay Desai, an arthroscopic shoulder specialist, conducted the operation. “The surgery began at 4.30 pm and ended at 6. It went off as planned,” he said. Apart from Dr Desai, the team attending to SRK included Dr Rajiv Sharma, his personal medical adviser and physician, and Dr Ali Irani, physiotherapist at Breach Candy.

SRK had a supraspinatus tear, a condition where the rotator cuff tears and causes inflammation and pain. This restricts movement of the shoulder. He had suffered a supraspinatus partial tear in 2003; the tear became total after the accident.

“He chose to do physiotherapy to strengthen his muscle. However, when he injured himself again in November last year, the partial tear developed into a complete tear, leaving no option but surgery,” Irani said.

“Shah Rukh had done an MRI and a CT scan in Los Angeles and had the choice of having the surgery there. However, he chose to undergo surgery in Mumbai as he had faith in Indian doctors and also wanted to stay with his family,” said Dr Desai.

“He will require 4 to 6 weeks of physiotherapy. Till then his arm will have to be in a sling. It will take 5 to 6 months to completely recover,” said Dr Desai.

SRK returned from London, halted at his house, then went to the hospital with his wife Gauri and friend Karan Johar.

"They have thrown me out and I'm jobless:" Shahrukh

Shahrukh Khan is no longer the brand ambassador of Pepsi. Shahrukh when asked with regards to the same sarcastically stated, "I am no longer a part of their campaign. They have thrown me out and I am jobless now."

Just days back we had reported about Aamir Khan renewing his Coca Cola contract for a whopping Rs.10 crore deal. SRK's contract with Pepsi had got over in 2008 and he was looking forward to a renewed contract with a much higher price as well.

Sources revealed, "The new Youngistaan campaign focuses completely on targeting the younger generation and Shahrukh doesn't seem to fit in that. Ranbir Kapoor, who has already been on the Pepsi brigade shall be spearheading this upcoming campaign. The company however is still in negotiations for working out a deal for Khan's IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming season but it appears unlikely that he will go in for it."

Pepsi had earlier dropped their cricket star ambassadors Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly. They had very recently shot ads with new entrant Ishant Sharma along with Dhoni and Sehwag.

Dish TV renews contract with Shah Rukh Khan

Dish TV has extended its endorsement contract with Shah Rukh Khan for another 18 months. Dish TV, which leads the DTH category in the country, had signed up with Shah Rukh Khan in '07 to endorse its service. According to Dish TV officials, the service has a base of 4.85 million subscribers. Rival Tata Sky too uses Aamir Khan extensively in its advertising.

As reported by ET last week, Shah Rukh tops the list of celebrity endorsements on TV according to a new Tam AdEx report.

The economic slowdown seems to have had a positive rub-off on the DTH industry, as people have started restricting their entertainment bills and going out less. In the July-September '08 period, the DTH industry was adding six lakh subscribers per month, but the base jumped to one million in the October-December period.


"The DTH sector is witnessing explosive growth and Dish TV is fully equipped with key resources to maintain its leadership position in this growth phase. We have posted robust numbers in Q3 FY09 and are set to garner 8 million subscribers in next fiscal," Dish TV COO Salil Kapoor said.

Dish TV has added 7.89 lakh subscribers in the Q3 FY '09 compared to 5.29 lakh new subscribers in the previous quarter, registering an increase of 49%.

'It’s not great to be Shah Rukh Khan’

Shah Rukh Khan, inspite of nursing an injured shoulder lacked no energy as he answered every question shot at him by journalists about Aamir Khan with aplomb. We present you few of SRK’s most smashing quotes targeted towards Aamir.

Clad in a cool worn out jeans and tee was Shah Rukh Khan, the darling of millions of his fans who thronged his house Mannat in Bandra and even Taj Lands End where he was supposed to be present for this event. Once SRK entered, one couldn’t help but wonder how does a 43-year-old star who is suffering from an injured shoulder gather this humungous amount of energy! The silver shoes and silver stole he sported made for a sexy style statement and soon came the time for the Baadshah to break his prolonged silence on Aamir and the not so flattering comments he had made on SRK.

We present you SRK at his naughtiest best!

When asked about Aamir calling SRK manipulative and only good with PR but not marketing, the Baadshah retorted, “This statement doesn’t require any explanation of me. I do what I do and I don’t need to get anybody else’s suggestions on what I do. I don’t take it too seriously when people compliment me and same goes for criticism. People who work with me know who I am and what I do, people like me and that’s why you see me everywhere. I don’t make films to prove to anyone. I’ve been working for the past 22 years and never have I felt the need to answer to anyone. The comments that Aamir made were out of context and I will talk to him personally about it.”

Talking about blogs he again taunted Aamir by saying, “People anyways think I am a narcissist so if I start a blog or a website it will reinforce their opinion. Jokes apart, after my shoulder operation, I am thinking of starting a website where I will not promote my films or write what food I ate but write about zindagi (life). Also I don’t really feel the need to have a blog as the media conveys all my messages to my fans anyways. I was in fact the first to start a blog but since it was ahead of its time, it didn’t click with the readers.”

SRK’s final reaction to Aamir’s statement was the most entertaining. He said, “It’s not great to be SRK, anyone can be great provided they retain their identity. My films are also ordinary but people have made them extra-ordinary. I am not a good PR person, neither a good media person; I am just a fantastic person.”

Now that’s the SRK we love.

Shah Rukh Khan’s ladies!

The ‘Billu’ release is in many ways a landmark for Shah Rukh Khan, who plays a movie superstar in the movie. ‘Billu’ depends heavily on the famed SRK charisma and star appeal, to make it big at the box office.

SRK movie posters, costumes and other artifacts are reportedly been used extensively, to add to the sheen. And the content is all about reconnecting with your old friends! So, in more ways than one, ‘Billu’ reflects on SRK’s life and times as a superstar.

If a man’s greatness can be measured by his enemies, a movie star’s glory can definitely be gauged from the glint on the eyes of his leading ladies. Here is a parade of SRK’s heroines, right from the ‘Deewana’ days to ‘Billu’.





Divya Bharathi

With due respect to Manjula Avtar (‘Fauji’) and Renuka Shahane (‘Circus’), we crown Divya Bharathi as SRK’s first on-screen lover. The pair looked awesome together, in ‘Deewana’ (1992). Remember the song, “Aisi Deewangee…”!




Deepa Sahi

SRK fans remember Deepa Sahi for that steamy bed-room scene with Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Maya Memsaab’ (1992).




Urmila Matondkar

Urmila played Shah Rukh’s girl on screen for ‘Chamatkar’ (1992). The reunion happened in ‘Om Shanti Om’ (2007), in which Urmila did a guest appearance.




Kajol

Kajol is considered by most SRK fans as one who complimented the Khan’s ebullience with her bubbly charm. Together, they weaved magic in films such as ‘Baazigar’, ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ (1995), ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ (1998), and ‘Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham’ (2001).



Shilpa Shetty

Shilpa shared screen with the Khan in his first blockbuster, ‘Baazigar’ (1992). Though the pair looked electrifying on-screen, they were never seen together again, until Shilpa’s guest cameo in ‘Om Shanti Om’ (2007).




Juhi Chawla

One of Shah Rukh Khan’s personal favourites, Juhi Chawla shared screen space with SRK in ‘Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman’ (1992), ‘Kabhie Haan Kabhie Na’ (which also starred Suchitra Krishnamoorthy), ‘Darr’ (1993), ‘Ram Jaane’ (1995), ‘Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani’ (2000), ‘One 2 ka 4’ (2001), ‘Paheli’ (2005) and ‘Bhootnath’ (2007). She is also SRK’s partner in film production.




Raveena Tandon

Raveena and SRK did a Romeo-and-Juliet in Ramesh Sippy’s ‘Zamaana Deewana’ (1995). The pair never met again, on screen!




Sonali Bendre

‘Duplicate’ was the film that had Sonali Bendre opposite Shah Rukh. The song, ‘Mere Meh**** Mere Sanam’ became a super hit. Sonali also did a guest appearance in the SRK starrer, ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’.




Karishma Kapoor

Karishma had her day with SRK in ‘Dil To Paagal Hai’ (1997); she landed the Filmfare award for the Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the movie.




Madhuri Dixit

A superstar in her own right, Madhuri Dixit hit it off well with SRK, right from ‘Koyla’ (1996). They came together again for ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ (1997) and ‘Devdas’ (2002).




Manisha Koirala

Manisha was Shah Rukh’s leading lady in Mani Ratnam’s 1998 take on NE terrorism, ‘Dil Se’.




Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan shared some quality screen space with the King Khan in three super hits: Mansoor Khan’s ‘Josh’ (1999), Aditya Chopra’s ‘Mohabbatein’ (2000) and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Devdas’ (2002).



Kareena Kapoor

Kareena’s first on-screen date with SRK was in Santosh Sivan’s ‘Asoka’ (2001). She also did Karan Johar’s multi-starrer ‘Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham’, the same year. She reprised Helen’s item song in the ‘Don’ remake of 2007. Kareena will be seen dancing with SRK in ‘Billu’.



Sushmita Sen

Sushmita played ‘Chandni’, SRK’s love interest in Farah Khan’s ‘Main Hoon Na’ (2004).



Rani Mukherji

Rani began her “SRK run” with ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' (1998). She went on to star in super hits such as ‘Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham’, ‘Chalte Chalte’ (2002), ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ (2003), ‘Veer Zaara’ (2004, ‘Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna (2005), ‘Paheli (2005) and ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ (guest appearance).



Preity Zinta

Preity debuted with the SRK starrer, ‘Dil Se’ (1998), and went on to star in SRK super hits such as ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ (2003), ‘Veer-Zaara’ (2004), ‘Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna’ (2006), ‘Om Shanti Om’ (guest appearance) and ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ (guest appearance).



Priyanka Chopra

Another of SRK’s fav heroines, Priyanka reprised Zeenat Aman’s Roma act in Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Don’ remake of 2007. The performance was received well by fans and critics. Priyanka will also be seen doing an item number in ‘Billu’.




Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone made her debut with the SRK starrer, ‘Om Shanti Om’ (2007); she will be seen with SRK next in ‘Billu’.




Anushka Sharma

Anushka is the latest of SRK's girls. In 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi', the Punjabi lass romances a 40+ SRK, only to find out that he is younger than her. In heart, that is!

Barbers are creative people: SRK

When Shah Rukh Khan wants his hair cut, trimmed, styled, dyed, streaked or whatever, he does not go to a barber’s shop, hair-dresser’s salon or beauty parlour... he has the stylist come home!



And why not — he’s the Bollywood Badshah, after all. In this case it is Dilshad Pastakia, hair-stylist to celebrities, and God’s gift to Bollywood. At Mannat, in his dressing room on the third floor, Dishad cuts and styles SRK’s hair.

She’s being doing this for years. “Ever since Mohabbatein and Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani,” she revealed. Gauri Khan was her client. And one day Gauri brought Shah Rukh into Dilshad’s salon at Bandra. “I was damn nervous and dropped the scissors thrice,” said Dilshad. SRK was himself, and went, “Cut like this, cut like that.” Gauri interrupted and told Dilshad, “Don’t listen to him, do what you want.”

The hair-stylist and the actor have been friends ever since. Now she attends to him at home. On the eve of his new release Billu (the Salon & Beauty Parlours Association of Maharashtra got the Barber snipped from the title on the grounds that the word was casteist), BT sneaked into Mannat where Dilshad was working on King Khan’s hair. The conversation went like this...

SRK: I don’t understand how the word barber is casteist... but I understand the emotions of the association. Hair dressers and stylists, they are creative people...
Dilshad: Yes, we create hairstyles for you...

SRK: But the film is not about the barber’s profession, the profession is incidental, Billu is about love and friendship, it’s about environment, so much fun... it’s the least controversial film.
Dilshad: I have no problem being called a barber. We’re cutting hair, that’s what the profession is about. If you call a barber a hair-stylist, you’re just changing the term, not giving him a different profession.

SRK: The associations issue is that the Hindi word nai, when translated into English, becomes barber. And nai is a caste. Which makes barber a caste. But then so is hair-dresser!
Dilshad: Hajam would have been closer... I’ve been called a hajam for years. Actually, the profession ought to be happy to be acknowledged in a Shah Rukh Khan film...

SRK: Aren’t barbers only for men? And stylists for women?
Dilshad: Barbering is a male technique in which the barber works with clippers and employs the scissors over comb. All over England, you have barber shops... there is dignity in labour there.

SRK: But people do use words to demean professions. It’s like calling Manish Malhotra a tailor.
Dilshad: That mindset should be curtailed.
SRK: Maybe after the film, it would have been... because Billu (Barber) has such a simple message. Whichever world you belong to, as long as you’re true to your emotions and your goodness, you’re a better person already. Your profession does not make you a special person. Your ordinariness is special.
Dilshad: It’s a fab profession, and people are proud to be barbers.

SRK: Are you a real barber?
Dilshad: I am a real barber!
SRK: ... Unless you’ve been lying to me for 15 years and are really a choreographer and cutting my hair!

Shah Rukh's next is a super-hero film

By Taran Adarsh

The excruciating pain on his shoulder notwithstanding, Shah Rukh Khan is going all out to promote his new film BILLU (the word 'Barber' has been removed from all posters/billboards).

Tell him that he's the best marketing brain in the industry thanks to the kind of promotion he did for OM SHANTI OM, he just smiles, "Not OM SHANTI OM, but YES BOSS was the film that started it all," he recalls.

Although BILLU is an SRK production, with Irrfan Khan enacting the title role, SRK hasn't forced himself in the story. On the contrary, he has removed two of his scenes from the film.

Not many are aware that Priyadarshan had offered SRK two choices - a film on heist and the other, a story on friends. "I chose the second," SRK tells me. And the actor is extremely happy with the way BILLU has shaped up.

"We had a screening recently for family and friends. I wasn't expecting people to get emotional, but a lot of people did. The last 20 minutes did make me moist-eyed as well. I think the film will connect with the audiences," the Numero Uno star states.

Financially too, SRK will make a neat profit on the film. Reportedly, he has sold the film for a fantastic price (Rs. 50 cr.) to Eros. "The rumours just don't stop. Sometime back I was told I was charging Rs. 100 crores for a film.

I've never over-charged any of my producers. Now this one! The truth is, we've spent quite a bit on the making of the film. Coming to the point, the price is not Rs. 50 cr., but Rs. 35 cr.," he sets the record straight.

Next on the cards is a film with Anubhav Sinha. "It's a super-hero film. I want it to be the best super-hero film made in India. We're hiring technicians from abroad. Am really looking forward to this one," he reveals.

SRK invites 400 barbers for Billu`s Premiere

SRK is going the Aamir way in promoting his latest flick Billu Barber. Latest buzz is that SRK has invited over 400 barbers to attend the premiere of the flick. This comes amidst the rumors that Hairdressers Association are pestering SRK and gang to change the barber word from the flick’s title.

Priyadarshan, director of the flick says, “Instead of having celebs over for the premiere of Billu Barber, Shah Rukh has planned to invite 400 barbers and their families to the premiere. His idea is to welcome barbers for the premiere on February 12, as the film revolves around Irrfan Khan, who plays a barber. Things are just getting organized for the premiere and the office is also in talks with the barbers’ association to get everything sorted for the big day.”



However Uday Takke, president of Hair Dresser association says, We want Billu Barber to be called Billu Hairdresser as barber is a derogatory and insulting term. We choose hairdressing as a profession because it is an art. Also there are many women hairstylists if Billu Barber becomes a hit, women hairdressers will be called barbers too!”

However SRK on the issue says, “Oh wow! So much for freedom of expression. We have not made this film to disrespect anyone. As a matter of fact, when a title of the film is kept after the protagonist, it is only to honor that character.”

SRK’s going the reality show way

Idiot Box, the television division of Shah Rukh Khan’s production house Red Chilies, is to launch their first ever reality show titled Knight And Angles . Shah Rukh also promises to come up with many more new and innovative shows.



About the reality show, Samir Nair, the CEO of NDTV Imagine, says, “Knight and Angles will have various cheerleaders competing with each other. The winners will be selected on the basis of public voting and they will get a chance to perform at the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches which will commence soon.”


Talking about his small screen plans, SRK says, “I’d like to do comedy shows. Action and thrillers are also good options, but stand up comedy has become part and parcel of every show, even on news channels. I enjoy the genre a lot. Apart from fiction, we will be working on realities too - though these will be different from the usual kind. For instance, Knight and Angles is all about cheerleaders. I am interested in doing quiz shows that the youth can relate to. After all, young audiences are coming back to TV.”

As far as SRK’s contribution goes, Nair adds, “We are grateful to Shah Rukh for working with us. He has agreed to do, not just his first situational comedy, but also his first ever reality show with us.”

Promos for Knight and Angles are currently airing. Featured in them are SRK and Juhi Chawla, the co-owner of his IPL team, Knight Riders. The show is expected to start by end of this month on NDTV Imagine. It will air on weekends. The IPL’s second season will start in April.


Sonali Joshi, Hill Road Media

SRK drops 'Barber' from the title of his forthcoming film Billu Barber

These days it's become a trend of sorts for films to face some opposition or the other at the time of release. The latest to face such rough weather is the SRK - Irrfan Khan starrer Billu Barber.

The film's title was found derogatory by members of the Salon and Beauty Parlour Association. The President of the Association, Mr Uday Takke, had requested SRK to change the name of the film and remove the word 'Barber' from the title. His explanation was that the term 'Barber' not just denotes an occupation but is also a caste.

After much deliberation and talks between the parties involved at SRK's residence Mannat over the weekend, Shah Rukh Khan has decided to drop the word 'Barber' from the title of the film with immediate effect. The film is now called Billu and posters of the film have also made the necessary change.

Shah Rukh didn't want his film to run into any unnecessary trouble nor did her want to hurt the sentiments of a certain section of the society and hence the change.

Hope audiences are as excited to see Billu as they were to see Billu Barber.

SRK's bakbak

There are promotions and there are promotions dearies, but when it comes to promoting their own movies, no one does it better than the dosts

After Karan’s coffee-style grilling of his Dostana stars, now Shah Rukh has done the same for his forthcoming Billu. He has sat down Irrfan Khan, Lara Dutta and Priyadarshan and made them go Bak Bak Bak for a very special TV episode to be aired on Zoom.

The episode is so hilarious — in keeping with SRK’s razor sharp humour — that it had everyone in splits. So much so that when King Khan requested everyone to get up and dance, Lara and Irrfan burst into a jig but the only ‘spoil sport’ was Priyan who refused to get coaxed.

Don’t miss this exciting encounter on Zoom as an SRK special called ‘Billu Ke Bak Bak’. Wonder what hair dressers’ association will have to say about this one.

When Farhan landed in trouble because of SRK

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan had been out of India for a long time shooting in Los Angeles for Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan.

So when he came back home to his Bandra villa, Mannat, understandably there was a euphoria outside it.

On the first Sunday of his return, there was a huge crowd standing outside his house in Bandra's Bandstand area too catch that one glimpse of him.

Our source revealed, "SRK has specially erected a small podium like structure inside his bungalow, where climbs up and waves out to his fans.

So on 25 January, just hours after he had landed in Mumbai, SRK came out to wave out to his fans. The fans went into a tizzy seeing their superstar.

Word of mouth spread faster and more and more crowds began to swell up. Soon there was a traffic jam. And stuck in that jam, was the Luck By Chance star, Farhan Akhtar.

Farhan earlier thought that the jam would break in five minutes but soon the five minutes, turned to ten and then to fifteen minutes. As the fans got more and more excited, they began jumping on cars to get a better glimpse of SRK.

There came a stage when a few hysterical fans even began to jump up and down his car. It is the when Farhan called up the King Khan on his mobile and told him to turn to his right where his car was parked.

Shah Rukh then understood the situation and immediately waved to the crowd and got off his elevated position. And that's how Farhan was finally able to reach home."

I have no cash for top players: Shah Rukh Khan

By: Princy Jain , Hindustan Times

Politics and the recession have hit Shah Rukh Khan’s plans for his Kolkata team in IPL Season 2 — his Pakistani players, Shoaib Akhtar and Salman Butt, cannot play in India; and he does not have enough extra cash to buy other top-rated players.

However, SRK is always an optimist. “I hope Kolkata be the winner this time,” he said. “I also wish the Delhi team well,” he graciously added on Wednesday’s visit to the Capital to launch Tag Heuer’s Carrera Calibre 16.

That’s not cricket! Later in the evening, SRK had a meeting with teammates John Buchanan and Sourav Ganguly. “We have a good set-up,” he said. “We have Ricky Ponting, Chris Gayle, Ishant Sharma. It should be a good season — as long as all these guys play.” The absence of Akhtar and Butt will be keenly felt, though, especially as the embargo is a big financial burden. “I don’t know which board took this decision. They may have thought ‘Thodasa... achha nahi lagega’. But unfortunately, they [the IPL board] won’t allow the money meant for the Pakistani players to be utilised in buying new players. This is a little unfair.”

It has made things difficult. “We don’t have much money left,” he said. “We couldn’t bid for expensive players like Kevin Pietersen. Their starting salaries are, like, 1.3 million dollars. We’ve already spent that.” His cheerleader talent hunt will, however, be big, SRK tells us. It will show people that “it’s not just about dancing with pom-poms” and that the girls totally “deserve respect” for their hard work.

Shahrukh's special Valentine gift to Gauri

He is a talented actor, smart businessman and a complete family man. Shahrukh Khan is extremely versatile in real life too like in reel life. Well everybody knows that this romantic hero is equally romantic person in real life too. Thus when asked about his Valentine gift to Gauri Khan, he said, "I have gifted my entire life to Gauri,".

When asked whether his forthcoming film Billu Barber, which is releasing a day before Valentine's Day, will be his gift for his wife, he quipped, "She produces all my movies and only if the film does well, she accepts any gifts. If my movie flops, then she does not accept any gift. If the film works well, my wife will accept a gift otherwise she will throw me out of the house".

He further informed that Billu Barber is a beautiful film about relationships, love and friendship. Shahrukh plays a superstar in the film while Irrfan Khan will be seen in the title role.

Hope Gauri accepts Shahrukh's gift this time. Wish you all the best Shahrukh!

I'll join politics when I'm 127: Shah Rukh Khan

He may have loads of mass appeal, but Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan Wednesday ruled out the option of joining politics ...at least until he turns 127 years old.



"I might join politics at the age of 127 - when probably you guys are old and I am still young," Shah Rukh quipped at a press conference here.

Dressed in a crisp white shirt and a chic black suit with neatly cropped hair, the 43-year-old actor spread cheer among the 200-plus crowd, including many kids, at the Emporio Mall where he came as a brand ambassador for Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer.

Shah Rukh, who is nursing a shoulder injury, was at his jocular best when he took digs at journalists and gave witty answers.

Asked about his shoulder problem, Shah Rukh told a reporter: "I just can't hug you hard enough."

"I will be well. I'm going for surgery in the next few days. I was just hoping to delay it because of a few close commitments like this event and also for promoting my film 'Billu Barber'. As soon as that is released, I will enroll myself into a hospital and get my injury repaired."

Shah Rukh said he is upset about his injury as he cannot move as much as he would otherwise like to. He is also sad that he cannot exert his body much and, therefore, has to refrain from his daily dose of exercise too.

"I am feeling a little sad because for the next six months I won't be able to play football or do any exercise. I used to lift weights but with this injury I can't do anything of that sort," he said.

Despite the injury, Shah Rukh did not let his pain show through. He made a top official of the watch brand sing "Mar jaani, mar jaani" - a peppy Hindi number from "Billu Barber".

SRK back with KBC 4

Shah Rukh Khan will be back as the charming host of Kaun Banega Crorepati later this year. The actor is said to have one year left in his contract with the channel and is expected to start working on KBC 4 in the middle of this year.



About hosting a show SRK says, “I did one season of KBC and one of Paanchvi Pass, but I still have contract with Star for one year, so I cannot host any other show outside. I think they are working on things and I am sure soon they will come up with something new. Therefore till that contract gets over I cannot think about hosting anything else. Though my last show did not do that well, so let’s see how things work out this time…”

A source from the production house says, “This year our team has been working on KBC’s format. As it is already a hit format is no risk involved. Last year we came with a different format but it was not accepted well. However everything is still being worked out currently. We have just started working on it. SRK has a contract with channel and he did a great job in the third season. Further audiences are also familiar with this format so we are expecting a good response for it. The show will be for the weekend prime time slot like earlier seasons.”

So far KBC has had three seasons. The first two seasons of the show were hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. However, with his sudden illness the show was pulled off air mid way in the season and that’s when SRK stepped in to host the third season. Last year Khan came back with a new quiz show called Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hai. Failing to garner as much TRPs as their previous seasons, it now looks like the producers are going back to KBC.


Sonali Joshi, Hill Road Media

SRK remains King of endorsements, Big B bows out

The angry young man and the master blaster have bowed out of India’s Top 10 list of celebrities endorsing products on television in 2008 while telecom tycoons toppled softdrink companies to get the maximum shine out of the stars.



Shah Rukh Khan continued to be the King in the list that saw five new entrants, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Madhavan and Vidya Balan.

Along with Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar, Aishwarya Rai, Preity Zinta and Kajol found the exit route from the elite league, shows a new TAM AdEx report.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian cricket captain currently leading an eight consecutive ODI-winning rally, was the only sportsman in the list, that was absolutely monopolised by Bollywood.

SRK delays surgery for Billu Barber

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has put his surgery on hold for his soon to release home production Billu Barber. The actor will now go for his shoulder surgery after the film's release but before that King Khan will have to undergo intensive physiotherapy.

The injury happened while SRK was shooting a special appearance for the film Dulha Mil Gaya. He was advised surgery but hoped physiotherapy would do the trick but now it looks like there's no avoiding the scalpel.

Sources close to Shah Rukh say that while he would prefer to have the operation here but to duck the public and papparazzi, the superstar may have to opt for a surgery abroad.

"Surgeons in Los Angeles have suggested that he should go for a surgery now. It is better that he gets it done soon," says Dr Ali Irani, Physiotherapist.

"I'll go in after Billu releases if it does well I'll go in for surgery happy and if it is not nice then I'll have somewhere to hide but I think people will like the film," said Shah Rukh Khan.

It is during the schedule of Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan where his injury worsened but even here, the injury did not get in the way of his fans or his film commitments, proving yet again that nothing keeps the king down for long.



Vikram Thapa, NDTV Correspondent

Priyan turns down SRK's request

Director Priyadarshan has proved that even SRK can't fiddle with his creative choices.

According to reports, the director politely turned down Baadshah's request to appoint Farah Khan as the choreographer of Mar Jaani in Billu Barber.

The song that is filmed on Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor and has become a blockbuster is choreographed by Priyadarshan's favourite choreographer Prasanna Sujit.

However, Priyadarshan surely could not offend our King Khan, so he offered the other item song Love Mera Hit Hit to Farah Khan.

So no ego clashes here!

SRK gets dodgy with doggy

Well, we all know that Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan share a unique love-hate relationship.

And, Aamir even wrote on his blog about how he called his dog ‘Shah Rukh’. Though King Khan took it sportingly, it is also a known fact that SRK doesn’t forget things easily.

While talking about the Oscar-nominated film Slumdog Millionaire at a press conference recently, SRK smartly picked the word ‘dog’ and with a sarcastic smile said, “I have a very old relation with the word dog!” Now you know what he was taking a dig at Aamir.

I am always ready for a healthy competition: Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan is a well known name not only in India but also in abroad. He kick started his acting career with Fauzi in 1988 and now his production company Red Chillies Idiot Box is making a new show named ‘Ghar Ki Baat Hai’ to be aired on NDTV Imagine.

We get into a candid chat with the superstar of the entertainment hub.

Q. Why have you opted for the word ‘idiot box’ as the name of your production house as it is a slang?
A. No, I don't consider it as slang. Idiot is an American word which is quite often used for television I think Red Chillies Entertainment sounds a bit ok types, so to make it more interesting and eye catchy and to bring in curiosity amongst people we used the word ‘idiot box’.

Q. 'Ghar ki Baat Hai' show is how much related to 'your ghar ki baat'?
A. (jokes) Indian television is still not that fund sufficient that it can afford to make my ghar ki baat. Yes, there are many things which are related to my ghar ki baat too. The naughtiness of my children and stuffs have also been incorporated in the show because yeh to Ghar Ki Baat Hai."

Q. Will you be making any special appearance in the show?
A. Yes, if there is a need then definitely I'll be seen in the show. The directors believe that my appearance brings in high T.R.P. but unfortunately it did not happened in my last.

Q. Why have you chosen sitcom? What type of shows do you like watching on television?

A. I personally love watching comedy shows a lot like Sarabhai Vs. Sarabhai and Khichadi which are one of my favorites. Comedy has always been an entertaining zone and people really like them as such shows make their ribs tickle.

Q. Slumdog Millionaire has been nominated for the Oscars. What do you think about the film? Do you regret not doing the movie?
A. I think it's a brilliant movie and I am really happy that Indian cinema has attained new heights from this movie. It is not a question about regretting or not regretting but I think I would have been no match of what Anil Kapoor has performed in this film.

I am really happy for him. He has done a fabulous job and has done justice to the role which wasn't possible for me.

Q. Do you think this is the right time to enter the television Industry, as the competition is at its best these days?
A.I don't go on time; it’s simply that if you want to do something whole heartedly it should be done. I am always ready for a healthy competition as it helps you to reach new heights.

Q. You kick started with television and after ages you are back to square one. What do you have to say about that?

A. I started my career with Fauzi in 1988. Then I did Circus in 1989. That marked my television career. After sometime I jumped to movies and then my television career almost came to an end. Later in life I again got back to television to host a few shows.

'Ghar Ki Baat' is being produced by Red Chillies Idiot Box and I sincerely feel its back to square one.

Q. Aziz Mirza and Ananth Mahadevan have always been close associates to you. Now Aziz is the creative head of the show and Ananth is the director and you are the producer of the show.
A. It was always a pleasure to work with both these gentlemen. Ananth has always been referred as my 'on-screen papa', all thanks to Baazigar. Aziz is really 'aziz' to me. When I was new to the Industry, he held my hand and I sincerely thank him for whatever I am today.

I am very much relaxed because I know both of them and I know they will do great work for Red Chillies Idiot Box.

Making Of 'Khudaya Khair' (Billu Barber)

If SRK dances with me I will do it: Chitrangada

After making a comeback through Onir’s Sorry Bhai Chitrangada was in news recently. Apparently this talented actress refused to be part of Aamir Khan’s forthcoming film Delly Belly.

Calling it as a rumour Chitrangada said “No nothing like that has happened. It’s just a misunderstanding. I too heard about it but no one came to me personally about the film. It just got out blow out of proportion. There was nothing like that.”

Chitrangada informs that she would love to work with Aamir in future. The actress doesn’t stop talking about Aamir. “I think Aamir has high credibility. He is amazing. He is a perfectionist and whatever he touches becomes perfect.”

This two film old actress is so much talented and all two films were non commercial films. “If a film makes sense to me I will do it. If Shahrukh dances with me I will do it.” she quips.

SRK is not ashamed of Slumdog

Many critics and prominent industry people have been fuming about the fact that the Oscar nominated film 'Slumdog Millionaire' highlights the poverty in Mumbai.

But the baadshah of Bollywood SRK has no problems with it.

He thinks that the poverty seen in the film is a reality and thinks it's wrong for people to become cynical when the film is getting international acclaim.

Khan, who has read the original book as well as the script says, "Isn't that (poverty and slums) a reality? If you (critics) have a problem with the word slumdog, why don't you look positively and see that there is a word millionaire or 'crorepati' also."

Khan, has returned from Los Angeles after a month-long schedule of Karan Johar's 'My name is Khan' and testified, "I have just returned from the US and people there have become crazy about the film and its music. The film's sound is also good apart from a good story and screenplay. The film deserves all awards."

However he doesn't regret turning down Anil Kapoor's role in the film.

He says maybe he wouldn't have done justice to the role of a game show host like Anil Kapoor. He was already hosting 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' (KBC) and later 'Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hai' during the time Danny shot the film and will do the new season too.

He adds, "I love awards and I hope to feature in a film comprising Indian cast and crew some day which will go to win these awards. The success of 'Slumdog Millionaire' worldwide is an incentive to all Indian filmmakers."

And we always thought that the baadshah was totally in love with Bollywood only and didn't really care about anything else. It's nice to see him talk with an international perspective for a change!

Case filed against SRK's company

MUMBAI: Neha Joshi, daughter of Sharad Joshi, a scriptwriter of the 1984 comedy show on Doordarshan- Yeh Jo Hai Zindgai, has filed a petition against Shah Rukh Khan's company, Red Chillies Private Ltd, NDTV Imagine channel and the Oberois for copying their show without prior permission.

According to the petition, the same serial by the name Ghar Ki Baat is starting on the channel from Friday. Joshi's advocate said: "We came to know that the SRK show has copied our show after we saw one of his interviews. The script was written by Sharad Joshi and the show was then produced by Oberois. They have now sold it to the actor's company and are releasing the show without the family's permission. We have filed the case under the Copyright Act.''

The court has asked Red Chillies to file its reply by February 14. The matter will now be heard on February16.

SRK mends bridges with Manoj Kumar

Signaling the end of the bitter war that ensued between Shah Rukh Khan and yesteryear actor Manoj Kumar with the release of Om Shanti Om in

Shah Rukh Khan More Pics
2007, Shah Rukh visited Manoj recently and spent nearly four hours with him.

He shared some light moments with Manoj’s grandchildren too. Shah Rukh also went to enquire after the health of Manoj’s ailing mother-in-law, Savita Devi, who is SRK’s late mother’s good friend.

Says Manoj, “Look, there wasn’t ever an epic war between us that we wouldn’t meet again. He made a mistake and apologised for it. My 94-year-old mother-in-law had to be recently operated upon, and Shah Rukh wanted to meet her. My mother-in-law used to make khakras for Gandhiji. She is a former MP from Congress and Shah Rukh’s mother was a social worker, that’s how they met.”

Ask him more about the visit and Manoj continues, “Shah Rukh asked me why I was not making films anymore. I asked him what his problem was if I don’t make any and just rest at home. We joked about it. It was nice to meet him, I hardly interact with present day stars. I’ve just spoken to Aamir Khan over phone. And imagine, I haven’t met Salman since the last 19 years, despite his father, Salim Khan, being one of my closest friends.”

SRK says it's Ghar Ki Baat!

Shah Rukh Khan launched his first sitcom, Ghar Ki Baat Hai, last evening. Set for the weekend, the show stars Juhi Babbar, and Sumeet Raghavan. But it was surely Shah Rukh who stole the show with his answers.



"Samir(Nair) and I have worked together and they have given me chance to work with them again. Aziz (Mirza, creative head of the show) is like a father figure for us and it was he who convinced me to stay back in Mumbai during my initial days also. We want to walk a different path in this industry and give something innovative. Now we only hope that the audience will love it," said King Khan.



"I have learnt lots of things from Aziz; his experience will surely help us. On the other hand Samir is the person who got me back on television with KBC. I did my first film with Anant (Mahadevan – director of the show). He is a marvelous person to work with, adds Khan with a smile, "All in all I have got a good team which had good ideas with them to put in this show."

Is this show is inspired from famous comedy show Yeh Joh Hai Zindagi?

"If you look at the international format of sitcom shows, they all have a similar base like Friends, Three's Company and others. These all are great shows. Fortunately we still have original people like Aziz and Kundan Shah (Director of Yeh Joh...) with us to help. So the thought behind it is same but the presentation and the actors will be different. The quality of the production will be different. Therefore it is not a copy or even a remake of the show. Or like everyone says nowadays it is tribute to that show," he says with his signature smile.

SRK's Red Chillies' launched their TV department, Idiot Box, last year. Ghar Ki Baat comes under that wing. So will he look to further his kitty on television?

"We want to give cinematic value to television. Since we all are from films and all of these people have achieved expertise in their fields in the past 20 years, I think we can do it. Later on we will also attempt to give shows like 24, Heroes and Desperate Housewives and some reality shows too. We will try to present whatever is great."

Who decided this title and why?

"It was entirely creative team's decision. I personally like a comedy and this show will show the routine life of these families but with a comedy flavour and that is why we decided to have this title. It will have both comedy and family drama too! So this name comes naturally like arre yeh toh ghar ki hi baat hai. The other title was Devdas Ki Maut, lekin woh suit nahi hua," he says with a laugh.

So will this show have his ghar ki baatein?

"TV mein itna paisa nahi hai ke woh mere ghar ke jaisa set bana sake," laughs SRK, "It will have routine incidents like we forget anniversaries. The first episode will start with that. Though I never forget my marriage anniversary, I keep 6 reminders for that. But like what happens when neighbours come to our place or when we go to a salon…it has all these elements of life but with namak and mirch. There is this little boy in this show and I also have son like him so those naughty stories are surely there which my kid also does all the time."

What creative input will you give?

"We actors are already infamous for changing the scripts of the films. I will not interfere in that field but yes I am good at marketing so I will take care of that part of the show. Further Anant and Aziz know very well what to do. However now I will have 8 weeks free so I will surely participate in creative discussions because it is fun and it helps to flesh out stories."

The show premieres on Friday at 9.30 pm.


Sonali Joshi, Hill Road Media

SRK at his wittiest best!

Shah Rukh Khan left his filming of My Name Is Khan in Los Angeles and returned to India for his shoulder injury. But no one who met him last evening at the launch of his sit com Ghar Ki Baat Hai would believe that the superstar is in agony due to his shoulder injury.



Dressed casually in denims and a gray tee and a red and black scarf, SRK interacted with the entire star cast quite a lot. He was hugging all of them and most importantly did not forget anyone's name on stage! He was his usual self as he patiently answered the never ending questions of the media.



Here are some of his best answers from the event:

On introducing Anant Mahadevan who is director of the show: In my first film Baazigar, I worked with Anant. In that film as I was the bad guy and he was the good guy and then in Badshah he became worse than me!

On his father figure Aziz Mirza: I will call him last on stage as he takes a lot of time. He also advised Aziz to loose some weight so that he can move around quickly. When asked considering the economic situation, is it a good time to launch the show, SRK replied, "All the good jokes from the show are mine and all the bad ones are from creative team!"

On the title Ghar Ki Baat Hai: We also had title Devdas Ki Maut lekin woh suit nahi hua issiliye yeh rakh diya!
On the name of his TV production company Idiot Box: I kept it because it is a known term. Saying this he suddenly burst into a loud laugh and said, "I remembered this one joke about one actor but sorry I will not able to share that with you guys as I have become intelligent now!"

On him turning down Slumdog Millionaire: Mera aur kutton ka toh bada purana rishta hai, aapko toh pata hai. But I felt bad when people try seeing negative things about a film which is so good. You should also see the positive side of it like even if the title has a dog in it, it has the word millionaire too in the end. It is a nice movie and good story telling. I liked it.

Thank You Priyanka, with love from SRK

By Subhash K Jha

Shah Rukh has been taking more than a passing interest in the music for the films he produces. And Priyanka Chopra would vouch for that.

If she declares from rooftops that she is Shah Rukh Khan's biggest fan then it with reason. The man just floors his ladies, without trying to be be charming.

What he did for Priyanka Chopra in Billu Barbar would certify as pure magnanimity and generosity, both as a considerate co-star and producer.

Shah Rukh decided to give away a large portion of his duet in Billu Barbar to Priyanka.

Says the film's excited music composer Pritam Chakraborty, "Shah Rukh took very close interest in each one of the songs. He isn't a musician. But he has an instinctive ear for music. It takes him just a few seconds to approve or cut down a track."

With the songs meant for Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, Pritam faced no problems. "Shah Rukh loved his songs with Kareena Marjana and Deepika Love mera hit hit. They were straightforward dance songs with shared grooves between Shah Rukh and Kareena/Deepika."

The Priyanka song needed special treatment. And Shah Rukh made Pritam re-work and re-record the song.

Divulges Pritam, "Shah Rukh's song with Priyanka Khuda-ae-kher is not an item song. It's a love ballad that the pair playing Bollywood superstars, emote to in front of the camera.

Being a love song Shah Rukh felt there wasn't enough of the female presemce in the vocals. He made me re-record the song with more for the female vocalist (Dominique) to do since he wanted Priyanka to have an equal number of lines."

Irrfan Khan and Lara Dutta who play a rustic couple will later be seen enacting the same Shah Rukh-Priyanka ballad exactly the way the village couple had seen the stars do the song.

From sharing Akshay Kumar on screen in Andaaz to sharing the same love song, the Priyanka-Lara Dutta rivalry sure has come a long way.

Laughs Pritam, "It was entirely Shah Rukh's idea to give Priyanka more lines in the song. He's a very generous entertainer. If you see him on screen he never tries to steal the limelight from his heroines. Even Khai ke paan banaras wala had a lot of Priyanka in Don although it was entirely Shah Rukh's song."

When told about Shah Rukh's gesture, Priyanka stays silent for a while. She then sighs and says, "What do I say? Now do you know why he's my favourite?"

SRK to undergo surgery on his shoulder

By Bollywood Hungama News Network

'Baadshah of Bollywood' Shah Rukh Khan has finally returned to 'Aamchi Mumbai' after a hectic month long schedule of good friend Karan Johar's film My Name Is Khan in the US of A. However the Superstar, who many describe as a 'Bundle of Energy', is now in severe pain courtesy a shoulder injury which he sustained whilst shooting for an action scene for Dulha Mil Gaya in December last year.

SRK apparently hurt his shoulder badly then but since the pain was not severe, he decided to just go in for physiotherapy sessions and even went ahead with the shooting of My Name Is Khan. However now it seems, his shoulder can't seem to take any more strain and hence King Khan would have to go in for a surgery. The date and location of the surgery is yet to be decided.

It may be recalled that the actor had previously even been operated upon for his back and knee problem.

With his home production Billu Barber slated to release early next month (Feb 13) , we at srkdailynews.blogspot.com pray for SRK's speedy recovery.

SRK plans to bring cinematic value on television

Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has forayed into television by producing a weekly sitcom 'Ghar Ki Baat Hai' has said that he wants to bring "cinematic value" on the small screen.
"There is no specific cache of programmes which we are planning on television. I have been a film producer for the last eight to nine years and have experience of acting for the last 20 years. I think I can bring a difference to television in terms of presentation of content. I will try to bring cinematic value to television," Shah Rukh said.

"Sitcoms are situational comedies. If you see series like Friends','3 is company', you will realise that situations are same. But, there is newness in the characters. Besides, there is originality in the presentation," he said to a query on 'Ghar Ki Baat Hai' (GKBH) being inspired by popular television series of the 80s 'Yeh jo hai zindagi'.

"'GKBH' is not a copy of YJHZ but a tribute to it," he said adding he loved comedy shows and family dramas and GKBH was a good mix of both.

"Light content was commercially viable. I am strangely connected with television. I made my debut in acting with television working with Saeed Mirza, Kundan Shah and Aziz Mirza and now Aziz, Sameer Nair have persuaded me to be back on television," Shah Rukh said.

He said the actors in the show, which goes on air this weekend, have been chosen by his creative team. It features Sumeet Raghavan, Juhi Babbar, Swapnil Joshi, Jayati Bhatia and Ali Asghar.
The show's director Anant Mahadevan, who was part of TV series 'Circus' made by Aziz Mirza said life has come full circle for him with GKBH because he was working with Mirza and SRK, who played the lead in the serial.

"GKBH is a classic comedy which will capture the essence of television of the 80s where shows by Kundan Shah, Aziz and Saeed Mirza, Sai Paranjpye ruled the roost," he said.

Sameer Nair said the show has a stellar cast and a killer story coupled with King Khan as the producer.

Besides, a reality show 'Knights and Angels', to find cheer leaders for his IPL Kolkata knightriders team will go on air in March. A talk show on first ladies on Hindi cinema is already on air.

Both the shows are produced by SRK's television company 'Red Chillies Idiot Box'.

When asked why he ventured into television when the medium was considered fragmented and low TRPs for even the major shows, SRK said he has been discussing television with his friends for about two to three years.
"The risk is there. But, the channel felt confident that we were competitive enough," the actor said adding that he wanted the young people in his film production house Red Chillies to diversify into different arena.

"There is nothing like an opportune time. If your serial is good, its possibility of holding on and doing well is more at any given time," said film and television producer-director Aziz Mirza who is the creative director of the show.

To a question on why he named his company Idiot box which is considered as a slang for television, Khan said 'idiot box' is a terminology used for the small screen for many years.

"I don't consider the word a slang. Besides, it adds spice to the name Red Chillies and makes the company's name interesting," he said.

SRK goes under the knife

.. this time for a tear in the shoulder, aggravated by shooting for Karar Johar in the LA

Poor Shah Rukh Khan. The actor, who underwent a difficult and painful back surgery some years ago, is now destined to go under the scalpel again for a tear in the shoulder muscle. He suffered the injury in Mumbai when shooting a stunt scene for Mudassar Aziz’s Dulha Mil Gaya. But, as if keeping in mind the old adage ‘no pain, no gain’, SRK continued shooting with occasional physiotherapy from his old friend Dr Ali Irani. Then, instead of resting, he flew to LA where he had a month-long schedule slated for Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan. The LA winter did him in. He was taken to a hospital in pain where an MRI showed up the tear in his left shoulder. Now the actor is back and looking at undergoing a shoulder arthroscopy to repair the tear in his supraspinatus muscle.

Talking to this paper, SRK who dragged on in LA through the pain just so that Karan Johar’s shooting schedule might not get disrupted, admitted, “I was advised surgery, but pulled through on temporary medical assistance until I could not bear the pain any longer. I have to now go in for surgery in the next few days.”

He has no choice because the next schedule of My Name Is Khan requires the Bollywood Badshah to be fighting fit and performing all kinds of stunts. His doctors, of course, have advised him otherwise. “Inshallah, I’ll be fine,” smiled the hero.

Meanwhile, the Bollywood Badshah remains undaunted at the prospect of surgery. At the Asia West Pacific Regional Physiotherapy Conference organised by Dr Ali Irani of the Indian Association of Physiotherapy, he kept medicos, some 800 physiotherapists, delegates from 23 countries and students in splits by referring to all the injuries he has faced.

Said Shah Rukh, “Thanks to my injuries, I know every part of my body, all the muscles, the tendons. My body has pieces of metal in it.” His interaction with physios began from the age of 15. “I was playing soccer at Delhi’s Ambedkar Stadium and developed a lower back problem. That was the end of my professional sporting career. I would have preferred it to the one in showbiz,” he said. “Indias are used to medicines of hakims and vaids. Invasive therapy is not the order of the day. Physiotherapy for most means massage. I love massage though,” he said smiling.

(With inputs from Pradeep Vijaykar)

SRK and BILLU BARBER: making ordinary into extraordinary again!

By glamsham
After making the love story of an ordinary couple extraordinary, in his last all time blockbuster success, Yash Raj's Aditya Chopra directed RAB NE BANA DI JODI, the extraordinary superstar returns with his home banner venture, BILLU BARBER. The saga of the common man, a barber played by ace actor, Irrfan Khan, will see Shah Rukh Khan in the role of a superstar. Though it's an SRK production it is Irrfan Khan who plays the title/major role and enjoys a lot of prominence in the promos.
The tag line of the film, 'Its special to be ordinary', once again brings back into the limelight the common man, a cause propagated well with the stupendous success of RNDBJ, with billions of female fans falling in love with SRK's common man avatar - Surinder Sahni, I work for Punjab power! And so once again championing the cause of the commoner, we have BILLU BARBER, which like RNDBJ, will have the common man as the major focus and how he rises above the ordinary to become special, rather, extraordinary. Thus the interesting tagline, Its special to be ordinary becomes all the more meaningful. And is just not an attention grabbing one but in sync with the theme of BILLU BARBER.

No doubt the global superstar makes ordinary extraordinary, as he proved with RNBDJ, and here's hoping he does the same, this time with his home banner production!

SRK doesn't regret refusing Slumdog

Shah Rukh Khan has a knack of staying in the limelight. First it was the success of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi that broke the jinx for Yash Raj at the box office in 2008, then the Golden Globe presentation and now all the item numbers for his upcoming movie Billoo Barber.

But for once he seems to have missed out on a huge opportunity to soak in the glory of a critically acclaimed, international award winning project! Yes we are referring to the Golden Globe winner Slumdog Millionaire.

Danny Boyle had initially approached Shah Rukh for Slumdog Millionaire for the role of game-show host but King Khan refused. As luck would have it, the role went to the veteran actor Anil Kapoor.

Though Shah Rukh claims he isn't complaining at all. Talking to the media he said that he has no regrets about turning down the role, which has put Anil Kapoor into the global limelight.

Praising Anil Kapoor for his work, SRK said that Kapoor has done a fabulous job and deserves the adulation he has received. Some of the other famous rejects of Shah Rukh inlcude the Oscar nominates Lagaan, the hugely popular Munnabhai MBBS and more recently the Three Idiots.

There were rumours that the original choice for the role was Amitabh Bachchan, but the film's casting director Loveleen Tandon denied such reports.

© NDTV

Juhi and Shreyas in SRK show

When Shahrukh Khan does something it has to be larger than life. And so is his first ever fiction show 'Ghar Ki Baat Hai'. SRK has roped in good friends Juhi Chawla and Shreyas Talpade to act in his show 'Ghar Ki Baat Hai'.

When contacted, Bhavana Sresth, Creative Director of the show confirmed the news and said, “Yes, Juhi and Shreyas are going to play an important role in the show. They have been incorporated in the story not for the reason that they are popular celebrity faces but their characters are very important to the track of the show.”

Talking about their characters Bhavana said, “They are going to play themselves in the show. Juhi and Shreyas will be seen in two different episodes. The date of the airing of these two episodes has not been decided upon as yet.”

This will be Juhi’s second time on TV. She was seen playing a cameo in 'Baa Bahu aur Baby' while Shreyas will make his small screen debut in a fiction show.

'Ghar Ki Baat Hai' is all set to hit TV screens on 30th January at 9:30 pm on NDTV Imagine.

Source: Tellychakkar

SRK, the real hero!

Two child victims of a grenade attack in Srinagar [Images] are undergoing treatment at the Nanavati hospital with the help of superstar Shah Rukh Khan [Images] who is bearing the entire cost of treatment.

SRK [Images] first heard of the orphans -- Muddassar (5) and Amina (3) from Dr Ali Irani, head of the department of physiotherapy and sports medicine at the hospital. The actor has donated Rs 50 lakh for the children's ward at the hospital in memory of his mother.

Dr Ali, who is part of a team of doctors that treats children hit by disasters in Jammu and Kashmir [Images], met the kids during one of his visits to Srinagar. Dr Ali told People magazine [Images] that he knew he could ask the doctors to treat the children for free but there would be plenty of other expenses.

"So, I just spoke to Shah Rukh," he said. The superstar also visited the hospital and promised to introduce them to his kids as soon as they were out of the hospital. Zubair, the elder cousin of the children told the magazine, "Amina keeps asking me if I have spoken with Shah Rukh and when is he going to take her to meet his daughter. She also plans to invite SRK's children Aryan and Suhana to Srinagar so that they can all play on houseboats."

Text: PTI | Photograph: Pradeep Bandekar

SRK: I am going naked!

SRK at the Golden Globe Awards
Sarah Jacob

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan spoke to NDTV in Los Angeles just as he was stepping out for the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards where he was the first Indian film star to be invited as a presenter.

He spoke about the honour of being called on to present an award at the prestigious Golden Globe Awards, which are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

NDTV: Shah Rukh, you are usually at the receiving end at such events, today you are giving away the Golden Globe at Hollywood's biggest award night, and this is the first time for an Indian actor. What does this mean for SRK and for Indian cinema?

Shah Rukh Khan: You are making me nervous. I am not being humble, but I truly believe that the Western audience is now looking at Indian cinema. I am one of the faces of Indian cinema at this point of time, and they picked me and asked me to come and represent the country. It is a great honour. A lot of graciousness on the part of the Golden Globe. I am representing the country. I get to present Slumdog Millionaire. It's even more heartening because A R Rahman is there, it is shot in India. I would take it as a rehearsal for Indians to present awards here and inshallah in the future bring some films here and at the Oscars. I also want to win some of them during my time.

NDTV: What does this mean for SRK the brand? After all, the Golden Globe is watched in over 160 countries the world over.

Shah Rukh Khan: I have never understood this SRK brand. Everybody always asks me that. I am just an actor trying to get some emotions right. I have been working for over 20 years now. These big events always make me realise how long I have been working. It's a good thing. I believe that I can represent the country. I believe in hope, happiness, goodness, smiles, entertainment, and freedom. If somewhere along my line of work I have to represent my country then I believe my country stands for all that. And I hope I do not let it down. I do not know about my own brand. To be honest, I get embarrassed about wearing a suit and going on the red carpet. That is the simplicity that I have always maintained in life. I am just going to go there and do what they tell me to. Personally, I do not know what is happening to the SRK brand but the brand of India I think is going to make waves in creativity and the film fraternity as the years go by.

NDTV: And your thoughts on the contenders for best film? On one hand you have big names like Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button, and on the other the underdogs, the small budget Indie productions, featuring actors many may not have heard of like those in Slumdog Millionaire.

Shah Rukh Khan: It's nice to have a mix I think. I've seen Benjamin Button, I love Brad Pitt, for an actor of his calibre to start doing the kind of stuff he's doing now. Certainly, so different from what you know Brad Pitt for, also the film with the Coen brothers, I think that was really good. He acted fantastically in that, it's very heartening to see stars like him, and on the other hand I think Slumdog Millionaire is a brilliant film itself, it's set in India. So, I feel really closer to it, it's got Anil Kapoor, it's got A R Rahman, and I think if anyone deserves an award it's A R Rahman from our country, so I hope I'm not the only the first Indian on stage for Golden Globes. The second one joins me soon and wins an award inshallah. But yes, it's always nice to have this mix, and perhaps this is the kind of stuff, which should happen for the awards in India too. You have an interesting mix of cinema and films, and you don't know which one is going to take off that night. Because it keeps you on your toes and also it keeps the variety alive. So, it's really nice that you have big names, like you mentioned, and you have relatively unknown people who won't be unknown anymore. I think Dev Patel is really good in the film, Danny Boyle is not unknown, I'm a big fan of Danny Boyle, so all that put together is exciting because there's variety and you don't know who's going to win till the last minute. Something like this should happen in the Indian awards also. The Indian awards I feel run on one level become predictable. Though I win most of them, that is the only predictability I do not want to change.

NDTV: Over the last few months, the world has seen two images of Mumbai. One the terror attacks and the second at the Box Office with Slumdog Millionaire. What do you think of the portrayal of Mumbai in the film?

Shah Rukh Khan: We cannot isolate the attacks only on Mumbai. There are attacks taking place all over the world. Different cities get targeted unfortunately at different times. It has happened in Delhi and Gujarat, we have suffered everywhere. It is a reality we have to live with and fight. On the other hand, cinema gives you hope. Films like Slumdog Millionaire, within all the grime and hardships of India and Mumbai there is a lot of hope and love. It seems like a Hindi film to me when I see Slumdog Millionaire and that is what we stand for. The country stands for that, despite all the stress and hardship, the cash registers will flow because we are warm and loving people. Slumdog Millionaire stands for that. It leaves you with the thought that what ever happens in any part of the world, it is happening all over the world, and what we do not let go of is hope and happiness.

NDTV: A R Rahman has been called the Mozart of India but now he has been nominated for a Golden Globe. Is Rahman putting us on the map, finding global acceptance that was long overdue?

Shah Rukh Khan: I think Rahman is a true genius. He has been working hard for years and has been doing some really different kind of music. I have been working with him and am very fond of him. I think that it is time that some one like Rahman, if he is recognised internationally, it would be rightly so, deservingly so. If there is some one from India who should get a Golden Globe for the first time then there is no one better than Rahman. Even if he does not get I think he is the Mozart of the world, not just of India.

NDTV: Shah Rukh, you mentioned being nervous about going on to the red carpet. The last time Aishwarya Rai was on such an international stage she got a lot of flak for what she was wearing, is that the same with men?

Shah Rukh Khan: I am going naked, I have decided not to wear any clothes because no clothes means no criticism. I do not know what to wear. I have spoken to Karan. I have a black suit that I have been wearing for the past seven years. I take it out, get it dusted and ironed and I wear that. It is the safest. There are many wonderful people at the Golden Globe, who are telling me that I should wear Indian clothes but my son does not like me wearing Indian clothes. So I am just going to wear a black suit and a black tie and hope I do not look like a waiter there. I hope that they will recogonise me and I pass off normally.

When Shah Rukh Khan met Gauri

When Shah Rukh Khan met Gauri
By Joginder Tuteja

Two years after Don - The Chase Begins Again, Shah Rukh Khan and Farhan Akhtar have come together again and it seems like they were always together.

They went on to share an excellent camaraderie all over again and all of this happened on the sets of 'Oye! It's Friday' where they got into a playful zone all over again.

So happy was everyone with the way the shoot was going that it was mutually decided by one and all to make it a two-episode show instead of a single episode. Have a look at what to expect in the first of the two episodes that would be aired this Friday.

- Farhan Akhtar had an unusual gift for Shah Rukh Khan. And guess what, it was a solar powered torch! Further surprising is the fact that King Khan always wanted to own one and was indeed happy to lay his hands on it.

There is some fun in store when Farhan jokes with Shah Rukh Khan about the way to use the torch that would make him see his fans. And while he fiddles around with the torch, something exciting happens!

- Since Shah Rukh came on the show with a sling being wrapped around his left hand, Farhan was obviously alarmed. However, even this moment was turned comical by Shah Rukh Khan as he first declared that it was a fashion accessory.

If one would have thought that the joke ended here, there was more to come as Shah Rukh Khan confessed that it was shaking hands with Salman Khan that resulted in this bad state of his! He finally revealed the 'real' reason, something which only continued the laughs on the show!

- Legend is that when Shah Rukh Khan met Beckham, people mobbed (no prizes for guessing) Shah Rukh. However, a joke goes that Beckham is still confused that who really is THE Shah Rukh Khan!

- For the man who once directed Shah Rukh Khan, Farhan is up for some appreciation as the actor with close to two decades experience behind him appreciates him for his bravura performance in Rock On. A heart warming moment indeed!

- There is some mutual admiration at work here with Farhan asking Shah Rukh Khan to teach him the signature pose of chartbuster track 'Mitwa'. Well, Guru Khan explains three simple steps to achieve this 'extraordinary feat' - Keep some good distance between the feet, bend a leg and then raise the hands.

The music plays, Shah Rukh begins his gig only to explain later that this could be done with any kind of music, whether it is a number from Don, Sholay or even the evergreen track 'Saathi Haath Badhaana'!

- There are some nostalgic romantic moments from the growing up years of Hrithik and Shah Rukh that are shared on the show.

While Farhan makes a mention about Hrithik seeing his wife Susanne when he was a 12 year old, Shah Rukh says that he was 18 years old when he first saw his wife Gauri. There is an interesting episode about this first meet.

Apparently, she was dancing with someone and Shah Rukh was too shy to ask her to dance. This is where he asked his friend to ask her about this. However, his hopes went crashing down as she lied that she was waiting for her boyfriend.

Guess it turned out that there was no boyfriend but her brother that she was referring to. Till date Shah Rukh Khan jokes that how he and Gauri have had a brotherly-sisterly relationship!

Rab Ne becomes highest grosser ever for both SRK and Yash Raj

Rab Ne becomes highest grosser ever for both SRK and Yash Raj

January 17th, 2009

Rab NeYash Raj Films has claimed that their Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has become their and Shah Rukh Khan’s highest ever grosser till date. They state, Rab Ne which had released worldwide five weeks ago on December 12th 2008, has grossed a phenomenal Rs. 180 crores worldwide till date and has broken all previous box office records for Yash Raj Films, as well as become the highest-grossing Shahrukh Khan film till date. The film was released at an extremely precarious time, just after the terror attacks in Mumbai on 26th November 2008. Amidst uncertain consumer sentiments and apprehensions from the trade regarding market conditions at the time, the film has achieved an unparalleled box office run against all odds. Moreover, the film had to further contend with the record-breaking onslaught of Ghajini on December 26th 2008, despite which it has continued unabated and endured a hugely successful run in its third, fourth and fifth weeks, and promises to carry on in the same vein going forward.

The total collections of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi for the first five weeks in India are Rs. 83 crores net (i.e. gross collections of close to Rs. 140 crores). The film has thus surpassed Yash Raj Films’ previous highest grosser, Dhoom: 2, which collected Rs. 80.6 crores net across its entire run in India and is considered as one of the highest grossing films of all-time. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has also comfortably surpassed the collections of two of the biggest hits of the last 2 years, Singh is King and Om Shanti Om, and is now second only to Ghajini as regards all-time India net collections.

In the overseas as well?
The total gross collections for all overseas markets are $8 Million (i.e. around Rs. 40 crores), making Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi the highest grossing film of the year in the overseas, ahead of both Ghajini and Singh is King. In the UK, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has grossed close to £1.5 million till date, which makes it the biggest hit of the last 2 years in this market. In the Middle East, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has grossed a staggering $2.25 million till date, making it the highest grossing film of all-time in this region by a huge margin. The film has also achieved a fabulous box office gross of $2.1 million till date in the USA. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has also enjoyed a grand box office performance across all other overseas markets, such as Australia, Europe, Africa, and Asia, and ranks as the highest grosser of the year across these regions. -Sampurn Media