SRK Talks About the Current Buzz

 

“Pay attention to me, you will learn something,” said Shah Rukh Khan to a distracted journo in a rather heavy tone. The very next moment he started talking about how concerned he is about his son’s safety.

“Today, my son’s photograph has appeared in the paper and that concerns me about his security.” Trust the man to have enough words for all the controversies around him as well.

Smoking on screen:

Recently, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss urged Khan to desist from smoking in his films.

“I have been trying to quit smoking in personal life. But it’s different when it comes to films. In films, a rape scene, alcohol or guns are not shown to inspire anyone. It becomes the part of the creative process. I believe there should be a leeway instead of a blanket ban on smoking in films.”

“I feel blessed that Allah has given me such status and some money that I can felicitate a change in the life of some aspiring sportsmen”

Cricket fever:

Talk about IPL, and Khan gets visibly excited. Ask him if it is gamble, and he refuses bluntly.

“It is big enough money that I can loose my roti, kapda aur makan, but everything is not just business in life,” says Khan. Now the franchisee of the Kolkata team, Khan says he has left the details to the experts.

“I have followed my passion for sports. I couldn’t pursue my career in soccer because of a back problem. I feel blessed that Allah has given me such status and some money that I can felicitate a change in the life of some aspiring sportsmen. I would call it constructive aggression.”

Fresh appeal:

This year Khan will be seen in Aditya Chopra’s third directorial venture after Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Mohabattein. Tittled Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Khan will again be seen with a new comer. With last year’s Chak De India and Om Shanti Om, this will be Khan’s third film, opposite a new girl.

When asked where the Rani Mukerjis and Kajols have gone, he says, “Girls can’t handle me for long.” He adds, “Besides the director’s vision, it’s also about dates. It’s big enough for a director to have Shah Rukh Khan’s dates. With a newcomer around, the filmmaker doesn’t have to bother about the dates of any female superstar.”

Point taken Mr Khan.

Read Full Post »

They Don’t Call Him King Khan For Nothing

 

Last year, the Bollywood badshah made headlines when he hugged the Men in Blue under the full glare of TV cameras after India had won the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.

There were murmurs that he was doing it for some free publicity for his mega-budget movie Om Shanti Om. The superstar had vowed then that he would no longer watch a cricket match.

But Shah Rukh Khan need not be apologetic any longer to go to a cricket match. For, he has, what some say, paid an obscene sum to buy the Kolkata team franchisee rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL) — promoted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). His co-promoters in the $75.09-million deal were his long-time friends — actor Juhi Chawla and filmmaker Jay Mehta.

The BCCI’s first shot with the Twenty20 format in India is an uncharted territory for Shah Rukh, who has been dabbling with a few roles in the Bollywood space — from being a theatre artist to TV actor, filmstar to producer, TV host, and now the owner of an IPL cricket team.

King Khan started his career with theatre and made his first broadcast appearance through a television soap Fauji, and later with Circus, both aired on Doordarshan.

While he is often rated as the best actor in the Indian film industry, his stint as a producer has been disappointing with just three hits of the seven films he has produced.

In 2000, he produced his first Hindi movie Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani with Juhi Chawla under their production banner Dreamz Unlimited.

The film bombed at the box office, followed by another flop Asoka, a big-budget period film based on the emperor, in 2001. The only hit Dreamz Unlimited delivered was in 2003, Chalte Chalte, which featured Rani Mukherjee opposite Khan.

Shah Rukh formed yet another film production house — Red Chillies Entertainment —and the film company churned Main Hoon Na in 2004, which was an instant hit. However, the two films that followed — Kaal and Paheli — in 2005 weren’t crowd pullers.

Two years later, King Khan struck gold by being the first Bollywood producer to have recovered and made profit even before the release of his film Om Shanti Om.

The film, with a budget of Rs 35 crore, starred Khan and newcomer Deepika Padukone, and was sold to Eros International for a whopping Rs 74 crore, according to industry sources.

This apart, Shah Rukh earned another Rs 10 crore approximately from the sale of music rights to T-Series. If that wasn’t enough, Om Shanti Om was the first film to have released its entire music album digitally across platforms for full song downloads (mobile, online and digital media including i-Tunes) across 23 countries.

Read Full Post »

SRK # 1

 

It happened when Bollywood Superstar hugged the Indian Cricket Players under the glare of TV camera when they had won the Twenty20 World Cup under Dhoni’s captaincy.

Does this question still persist when he talks of cricket, perhaps not. SRK vowed that he would not watch nay cricket match, his vow proved otherwise.

SRK has so much love the cricket that he decided to play a big game of his prestige and status. He won the bid and bought the Kolkata team franchisee rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL) promoted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

It is believed that Juhi Chawla and filmmaker Jay Mehta, lent their close cooperation to achieve this goal.

The BCCI’s first shot with the Twenty20 format in India is an uncharted territory for Shah Rukh, who has been dabbling with a few roles in the Bollywood space — from being a theatre artist to TV actor, filmstar to producer, TV host, and now the owner of an IPL cricket team.

Shah Rukh started his career with theatre and made his first broadcast appearance through a television soap Fauji, and later with Circus, both aired on Doordarshan.

Today SRK is undoubedly the top bollywood star, irrespective of what Rajnikant told him. Amitabh Bachchan is no doubt the best star of his time, but now his popularity has declined from the young generation and shifted to SRK.

Read Full Post »

Shah Rukh Victorious!

 

The ‘Badshah’ says no one should have objections if he goes to watch a match now.

Vintage Shahrukh was at his best as he took a potshot at the Indian cricket board yesterday, when it became apparent that Khan was still smarting from his run-in with the BCCI a few months ago when the board had implied that Shahrukh’s attendance at cricket matches including the T20 final was a rather clever attempt to promote his film ‘Om Shanti Om’

A furious Shahrukh had at that time anounced that he knew where he wasn’t welcome.

“I would like all those who play cricket or football or hockey to not watch my films. I do not like it. This is a spectator sport – I think I was invited by the BCCI itself and I was very happy I went – but now I am a little sad,” SRK had reacted on November 21, 2007.

But now, the proud owner of the Kolkata IPL team seems to be getting his come uppance and is enjoying every second of it.

“The one thing I hope that does not happen is that people think I am watching a cricket match to promote my film. I will be supporting my team,” said SRK on Thursday evening to the press.

The Badshah of Bollywood certainly has a way with words, and if he has his way cricket, is all set to get a lot more entertaining whether the BCCI likes it or not.

Read Full Post »

SRK’s Nightmare!

 

Shah Rukh Khan is a troubled man. He’s haunted by a recurring nightmare. It begins at a cricket stadium where Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh seem to be frantically waving out at him. Then they start blowing kisses! The Pakistani cricketers frown as the game is held up and BCCI officials rush to evict the Bollywood Baadshah. “It’s not me they are blowing kisses at,” protests SRK and points to Deepika Padukone beside him. “It’s her!” Even as Dhoni and Yuvraj start doing somersaults across the ground, Khan is bundled into a waiting car and driven to the airport.

But Shah Rukh soon finds himself in a midair crisis as the flight to Mumbai wobbles violently and passengers reach for their oxygen masks. The reason is not bad weather but the pilot who’s left the cockpit and hangs around the star for tips on building a six-pack! As the aircraft continues to drop altitude dramatically, the passengers open the emergency exit and request him to jump out!

Khan lands safely on the lawn of his villa in Bandra. But his troubles are far from over. For, even before he could ask Gauri what’s for lunch, she sends him to buy a kilo each of beans and ladyfingers. Thus, Shah Rukh steps out of Mannat with a shopping bag. As he walks the street looking for beans and ladyfingers, there are many fingers pointing at him and people frowning at him for stooping down to walking the streets to promote his film!

A vegetable vendor shrugs his shoulders when Shah Rukh asks him the price of beans. “Why do you need beans?” asks the vendor. “You’re full of beans! I see you on TV, newspaper, advertisements – promoting your film!” Shah Rukh tries to ignore him and asks the price of ladyfingers. “It’s gone up,” says the vendor. “But it’s cheaper than what I paid to see your film at a multiplex! And why do you want to eat ladyfingers? Does that make one the sexiest man in Asia?”

Finally, Shah Rukh Khan is so fed up that he covers his face with his hand and walks back home. But that’s when his cell phone rings. It’s Manoj Kumar! “You’re imitating me again,” screams Mr Bharat. “Wasn’t it enough you made fun of me in your movie? Now you’re doing it in real life!”
That’s when Shah Rukh wakes up and heaves a sigh of relief.

Courtesy: ShubhaShettySaha-dnaindia.com

Read Full Post »

Cricket Countroversy

Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday found himself in the centre of a controversy after a senior Cricket Board official alluded that cricket matches were being used by stars to promote films but the superstar hit back saying he does not have to depend on other’s platforms to push his films.

Khan said he was sad and disappointed over the remarks by Ratnakar Shetty that use of the platform of cricket for promoting films by stars is “slightly debatable” in the wake of his latest film Om Shanti Om coming up for discussion during a chat with TV commentator Rameez Raja at the recent Jaipur ODI cricket match between India and Pakistan.

Shetty however said film stars were welcome to watch cricket matches. BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla said the Cricket Board has no objection to Khan or any other film personality coming to watch international cricket matches involving the national side.

A visibly hurt Khan said in Mumbai that “God has given me enough and I don’t crave publicity.”

“I went to watch the match for the love of sport, It is not in my nature to promote my films in others’ platforms,” he said.

“I don’t think it can be so strange that just because I am popular, I can’t take my children to watch a spectator sport without creating some kind of ill will or ill thought in the mind of people. I am very disappointed,” Khan said.

Khan wryly said, “Maybe I will just send the children next time and tell them not to say they are my children.”

Khan said he is not going to watch cricket matches in future if it has not gone well with the BCCI.

Khan said he had gone to watch the Jaipur watch for the love of the sport.

“My kids are fans of Sachin, Dhoni and Sourav,” he added.

Khan said his latest film came up during the Jaipur match proceedings when Rameez Raja said he and his family would like watch it.

So, it will be strange if film actors do not talk about films, he added.

Rajiv Shukla’s statement comes in the wake of a media report, which quoted a BCCI source saying the board officials are unhappy with King Khan as he is using cricket to promote his movies knowing that this is a “much bigger platform” than a private television station.

“The BCCI has no objection if any film star watches any of the matches involving the national team,” Shukla said.

“We do not think the players get distracted by the film stars or any other spectator,” he said.

Off-late Shah Rukh has been appearing in matches involving the Indian team. He was there to cheer the team in the final of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa and then again went to see the Twenty20 match against Australia in Mumbai, where Deepika Padukone –his co-star in his recent movie Om Shanti Om was also present. He was present in the last ODI against Pakistan in Jaipur as well and talked about his new movie in the commentary box.

He wanted to see the Kanpur ODI as well, but the local authorities vetoed the move saying it would be difficult for them to arrange for security and control the crowd.

Read Full Post »

Cricket Troubles

The presence of the reigning superstar of Hindi film industry, ShahRukh Khan at cricket matches in recent times has attracted a lot of attention, but the organisers of the games, BCCI has not taken too kindly to SRK’s constant presence. Shah Rukh was also present at the final of the T20 World Championship and even went onto the field to congratulate the Indian team.

He was also present at the one-off T20 match between India and Australia at the Cricket Club of India (CCI). Quite a few officials are unhappy, claiming the leading man of Hindi cinema is using the platform provided by the matches to promote his latest flick, Om Shanti Om.

“This is a much bigger platform than being on a private television station. A match is watched by the entire country, there is no better way to create recall value. We have to be understand that,” said an angry official.

In particular SRK’s interview to the host broadcaster during the fifth and final ODI in Jaipur has raised the heckles. Interestingly, during the interview SRK spoke about his latest film. Board secretary Niranjan Shah refused to comment on the matter when contacted by TOI.

There has also been talk of SRK possibly buying a franchise in the soon-to-be launched Indian Premier League (IPL). But the board officials dismiss this as mere speculation

Courtesy of India Times(Cricket)

Read Full Post »

SRK’s Bid for Cricket

 

Among the top names doing the rounds for responding to the BCCI’s offer of franchise for owning cricket teams in the IPL are Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and industrialist Lord Swaraj Paul. The media has already reported a list of interested bidders who include Anil Ambani and Vijay Mallya.

“Shah Rukh Khan has bid for a franchise,” a top BCCI official has told IANS.

The official has also stated Paul as one among the 90 bidders.

Mumbai, the game’s hub and home to the BCCI headquarters, and Delhi, where the board was formed in 1928, are amongst the big favourites with bidders.

Meanwhile, PTI has reported that the BCCI has ruled out any current player from having “a stake in a company owning any of the teams.” Incidently, a leading business daily had reported that Sachin Tendulkar was in talks for a joint bid with the Kishore Biyani-promoted Future Group.

A final decision on the teams, the league format and other related issues would be taken up at the IPL governing council meeting on 17 November in Jaipur.

IPL will comprise 56 matches in Twenty20 format. It has already pocketed many of the world’s top cricketers like Australia’s Shane Warne and Glenn McGarth, South Africa’s captain Graeme Smith, New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming and Pakistan’s Mohammed Yousuf.

IPL will feature eight teams, with each playing home and away games against the others. After the league matches, the top four teams will play in the semi-finals with the grand final scheduled towards April-end.

Each franchise/team will have a squad of 16 players registered with the BCCI and drawn from its central contract pool. Each team will also feature under-21 players and those from the BCCI’s annual contract.

Read Full Post »