I’m not aware of any rivalry between Salman and Shahrukh—Asin

When the tiff between Salman and Shahrukh is known to all in the tinsel ville, the ‘Ready’ heroine Asin Thottkumal surprisingly articulated that she is oblivious of the rivalry between the high- flying Khans.

Recently, in an exclusive conversation with the tabloid, when Asin was asked if Salman was miffed with her as she is going to do a film with SRK, the hottie said that it’s not true, and all is well between Salman and her.

Moreover, the bombshell wittily stated that she was not even aware of Salman and Shahrukh’s brawl.

While addressing the media, Asin said, “There is no tiff between Salman and I, and neither am I aware of any rivalry between him and Shah Rukh.”

“I don’t think he (Salman) will have issues with me working with any actor, even if it’s Shah Rukh. Salman’s been in the industry for so long, he is above all this. This media sensationalism doesn’t matter to him or me,” added the actress.

Asin: I love Salman’s straight-faced humor

Asin, who has earlier shared screen space with Salman in ‘London Dreams’, will now be again seen opposite Salman in the approaching flick ‘Ready’.

Just as the other girls across the globe, who are crazy about the B-town bachelor, it seems Asin too has been bowled over by Salman.

Going gaga over Sallu, Asin said, “He extends so much help to new talent. I’ve seen youngsters come to him for advice with their portfolios almost every day. He takes them under his wing if he believes in their talent.”

“He is chilled out and not insecure despite all the hype and euphoria surrounding him. I love his straight-faced humor,” added the ‘Ready’ heroine.

I was love-struck by SRK in school, says Asin

Asin, who has apparently been zeroed in to romance Shahrukh Khan in Vishal’s imminent movie that is an adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s‘2 States’, is all praises for the ‘Ra.One’ superhero.

The bombshell said that every actress in the industry desperately looks forward to work with Shahrukh, and whenever she gets the opportunity to work with him, it will be like a dream come true for her.

The actress also revealed that during her school days, she was smitten by the Baadshah of Bollywood.

Though Asin didn’t talk about her forthcoming venture with SRK, but speaking about working with the Khans, she said, “I have already worked with two of them so early in my career, I hope I get an exciting project with Shah Rukh to complete the dream… it is a dream for any actress!”

Expressing her liking for SRK, Asin said, “He is really charming and I admire his persona on and off screen. I was love-struck by him in school.”

Zoa and Giselli get a sneak peek at Shahrukh’s Ra.One

The cast members of Always Kabhi Kabhi were curious to know what it was like to shoot a big budget film like Ra.One and Shah Rukh Khan surprised them by showing them portions of the sci-fi thriller.

Shahrukh Khan did not interact with the young cast of Always Kabhi Kabhi while they were shooting the film as he did not want to overwhelm them with his presence. However, he did shoot for an item song Antenna with them. The song has turned out to be a treat for SRK fans!

Apparently, it was after the shoot for the song that the cast got to view the first rushes of Ra.One and that too in the most unexpected of places -- Shahrukh’s vanity van.

Always Kabhi Kabhi director Roshan Abbas who himself got a chance to see the first rushes and some songs of Ra.One along with young actors Zoa Morani, Giselli Monteiro, Ali Fazal, Satyajit Dubey, reveals the unexpected experience to a daily, saying "the kids were blown away after they saw the rushes. The sheer size and scale of Ra.One is overwhelming! Ali says it was like entering a space shuttle."

We must say, they are a lucky bunch! The rest of us have to make do with the Ra.One trailer.

Welcome to Shahrukh Khan the superhero. Yes, the actor will be seen doing some breathtaking stunts in his upcoming film Ra.One. He jumps from buildings, zooms on his bike through crowded alleys and dodges bullets. G.One (Shahrukh Khan) dices with death on every step of the way in this film directed by Anubhav Sinha. Besides Shahrukh, the movie stars Arjun Rampal (villain) and Kareena Kapoor (leading lady).

No sleaze for SRK, please

That Shah Rukh Khan wants to steer clear of controversies was evident when he met director Roshan Abbas and music director Pritam to discuss the music of SRK's production Always Kabhi Kabhi. Incidentally, Shah Rukh had a problem with the phrase Undie the condi, which is used in the song.

Shah Rukh told Abbas that he was not happy with the lyrics and the song sounded sleazy. Abbas explained that it is only a shortform of the phrase that the youth use for 'Understand the Condition'. Shah Rukh needed to be further convinced, and so Abbas showed Shah Rukh the research papers.

Roshan Abbas said, "I was telling him about the songs, when this discussion started. He asked me 'why are we doing this and what does it mean?' Shah Rukh was of the opinion that we should not use words like 'undie' and it sounded like kundi, which means bum in the South. I told him that this is actually a phrase which people use in North India.

They use the phrase 'Undie the condi of the situ', which means 'understand the condition of the situation'. I also pointed out that this was, in fact, a popular phrase in school in the North and it has been passed down many batches now."

Abbas added, "Since the film is about youngsters and targets youngsters, we have used many phrases like JFI which means 'just forget it' and PAW, which means 'parents are watching', etc, although I have not used PAW in my film. The kids do use these phrases and SRK was stunned and said, I know that today's generation says some weird things, but this is really different."

Abhishek upsets SRK after IPL loss?

Shah Rukh Khan's IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders was knocked out of IPL after they lost to Mumbai Indians and yet SRK, being the good friend that he is, ushered in Karan Johar's 39th birthday party. But Abhishek Bachchan walked in wearing a Mumbai Indian jersey to SRK's house!

AB Jr walked in an hour after Bhajji hit the winning six against Kolkata Knight Riders wearing the Mumbai Indian jersey. "Abhishek ne yeh kya pehna hai?" soon became the topic of discussion, reported Mumbai Mirror.

So, how did SRK react? Being a sportsman, SRK took it rather sportingly. A source told the tabloid, "He was the host of the party. Also, SRK is a very charming man. Toh uske chehre pe toh kuch nahi dikha," informed an eyewitness.

Not just that, Abhishek also met his alleged ex flame Rani Mukerji with a raised eye brow.

SRK connects with fans through video blog

The Baadshah of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan, as promised earlier, has posted a video on the micro-blogging site Twitter, to interact with his fans.

The actor jokingly revealed that his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders threatened him at gun point, and that’s why he had decided to have a video blog.

In his first video blog, the actor assured that he would start talking about the good things and the bad things that had happened in the past few days, and he would scale them.

The first event that the actor talked about was his daughter’s birthday, which was celebrated recently on 21st and on 22nd and the birthday bash that he had hosted.

Incidentally, rating his daughter Suhana's birthday celebrations on a scale of 1 to 10, SRK gave it an 11, stating it was totally awesome.

The actor further stated that he got a pink lipstick as a present for his daughter and one of his friends gifted his daughter a pink iPad and a white bikini, which apparently made his daughter happy.

SRK spoke about his team’s loss in the IPL

Speaking about his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, SRK expressed his distress about his team’s loss to Mumbai, at Kolkata’s Eden Garden. Scaling the match on 1 to 10, the actor gave it a minus eight.

However, Shahrukh didn’t loose hope but assured that hopefully his team will make up for it in the next match.

SRK openly promised in the video that he would soon release the official trailer of his sci-fi film ‘Ra.One’, by the end of the month.

SRK promises to release ‘Ra.One’ trailer soon

All the fans of SRK, who have been waiting to get a sneak peek into his much talked sci-film ‘Ra.One’, would be happy to hear that Shahrukh has assured in the video clip that he will be releasing its theatrical trailer at end of this month, or on the first or second of next month.

Waiting to present the trailer, the actor revealed that he’s hopeful that the audiences would like it.

And on a scale of 1 to 10, SRK rated 7 out of 10 for the trailer, and said that he would keep back three, as he lightheartedly revealed that he’s humble and he wants to win over with his humility.

Rating about being on the video, SRK gave it a 5 from his side and for the other 5 he would wait for audiences’ feedback and if they liked his video, the actor assures that he would do it more often.

SRK throws a b'day bash for KJo at Mannat

The king of parties

The party was attended by who's who of Bollywood...Shah Rukh Khan organised a big bash for close friend Karan Johar on the latter's birthday, yesterday. However, he was photographed flaunting quite a morose look. We wonder if that was the after-effect of Kolkata Knight Riders (SRK's IPL team) losing to Mumbai Indians, last night.

SRK had an exemplary journey in the industry, says Anupama Chopra

Eminent film critic and writer Anupama Chopra’s new book ‘First Day First Show’ has already become a success with Shahrukh Khan’s write up in its introductory page.

In an exclusive interview with the IANS, when Anupama was asked why did she chose Shahrukh to pen down the foreword for her book, the writer candidly articulated that the superstar’s journey in the industry has been a very challenging and special one, and it is he who could summarize the changes in the film industry better than anyone else.

While addressing IANS, Anupama said, "I asked him to write the foreword because he is somebody whose career I have followed very closely and who in a sense to me is one who actually exemplified the journey. The three Khans have really spearheaded Bollywood. So for me he was the best person to encapsulate how much things have changed."

Anupama had earlier written King Khan’s biography that was titled as ‘King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema’.

About ‘First Day First Show’
Anupama’s new book ‘First Day First Show’ is all about the changes that have crept into the film industry, in the last 20 years.

‘First Day First Show’ is a collection of the author’s very own former write-ups.

Talking about her new book, Anupama said, "It's the collection of the work that I have done. The idea was to put the articles together so that it shows how much Bollywood has evolved in the last 20 years. It sort of becomes the history of modern Bollywood. It's to see where we were in 1993 and now it seems like another world."

My relationship with film fraternity is very professional, says Anupama
Though Anupama has been happily married to the famous moviemaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra and as such is close to B-town celebs, the writer makes it very clear that her work has never been influenced by any of her associations in the industry.

Speaking about her association with the film industry, Anupama said, "My relationship with the film fraternity, apart from my husband, of course, is very professional. It's not that I am close friend with anyone. So I can tell you with all honesty that I have never been a case of being biased.”

Giselle Monteiro talks about SRK's Always Kabhi Kabhi

Brazilian model Giselli Monteiro is back as a trendy school girl in Roshan Abbas’s Always Kabhi Kabhi. AKK is a Shah Rukh Khan production.

Yes, Giselle Monteiro, the Brazilian beauty who left everyone flummoxed with her incredibly convincing portrayal of a Punjabi girl in Love Aaj Kal, now stars in Shahrukh Khan’s production Always Kabhi Kabhi.

Giselle is here to stay, this beauty has since taken Hindi classes and is focused on making an impact in Bollywood. Considering her limitations with the language, she has decided to take it slow, work on one film at a time, and make the best of the opportunity.

AKK will see her play the sweet and shy school girl Aishwarya Dhawan in the film, and though Giselle can now speak more Hindi, she still has a limited number of dialogues in the film.

How Giselle Monteiro caught Shahrukh Khan’s eye!

The girl reveals that it was her performance in Love Aaj Kal that caught Shahrukh Khan’s eye. Consequently, she was roped in to play a pivotal role in Always Kabhi Kabhi, directed by Roshan Abbas.

"I was told by Roshan that Shah Rukh spotted me in Love Aaj Kal and wanted me for the film." reveals Giselle

Giselle adds that Shahrukh guided the film’s actors throughout the making of the film.

"Right through the making of the film, he had suggestions for us. However, he used to pass them on to Roshan, who further helped us with our scenes," said Giselle, adding, "I’m told that he wanted us to be natural and on our own than worry about what he thought of our performance."

‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’ is slated to release on June 17. The film also stars Zoa Morani, Ali Fazal and Satyajeet Dube.

SRK joins the league of international VIPs!

Shah Rukh Khan is the first Indian star to join the site that boasts of only international celebrities like Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Enrique Iglesias among others. The website Whosay.com is a special invites-only portal that allows A-list celebrities to syndicate their social media, providing them with one common platform to tweet, talk to fans on Facebook, etc.

The site's users reportedly include famous athletes, artists, stars, wrestlers, etc across the world.

"Whosay is a VIP service for only famous people. If you are a popular personality you can contact the website for an invite. It gives celebrities new control over their presence on social media. When you see someone posting via Whosay, you'll know that it's authentic," a source told Mid Day.

"Last month, Whosay invited him to use this platform. After his last film My Name Is Khan, Shah Rukh has become a global name. The site apparently offers photo and video hosting, along with services like automated copyright branding and a private mobile app allowing the social media updates to be easily controlled."

Well, what more can we say but that his 'name is Khan'.

Shahrukh performs Bharatnatyam in ‘Ra.One’

The much awaited Shahrukh Khan-starrer superhero flick ‘Ra.One’ has more than one reason to attract moviegoers. Well, apart from the superhero concept and digitalized outfit, the King Khan will be seen performing classical dance in the movie.



Latest tabloids have revealed that the Shahrukh will be for the first time seen performing Bharatnatyam in his home production ‘Ra.One’.

The ‘Ra.One’ superhero will be seen doing Bharatnatyam steps in the song and dance sequence ‘Chamak Challo’, which will also feature heroine Kareena Kapoor.

Choreographer Ganesh Hegde has put together the classical dance steps for Shahrukh, whereas the western rapper Akon has crooned the song ‘Chamak Challo’ in Hindi.

Talking about the dance sequence, Ganesh said, "SRK will be a wearing a formal three-piece suit. In the song, he comes across a group of dancers that is performing Bharatanatyam.

“Since he is a superhero, he can do anything. So he tries to get the steps right. He has actually danced with a lot of panache.”

Shahrukh’s generous side
Unlike most of the tinsel town biggies who love to announce their charitable deeds, King Khan lends a helping hand with no public display of it.

Reportedly, SRK is mulling over funding a cancer wing for the needy in Mumbai. It’s learned that the superstar wants to become a part of this cause, as his parents Fatima and Taj Mohammed Khan were the victims of this deadly disease.

A source close to the actor said, "It is all in the planning stage. He has been talking about doing this but hasn't decided when, where and how. SRK becomes very sad when he comes across cases of terminally ill people who have no proper medical facilities."

However, Shahrukh, who also funds a children's ward in a top city hospital, was not available to comment on his new venture.

Shahrukh gifts puppy to his kids
Gossip mongers are saying that Shahrukh Khan, father of two, has recently gifted his kids a yellow labrador puppy worth Rs. 50, 000.

A source informed, "Yes, Shah Rukh Khan has got a new yellow Labrador puppy for his kids and he had to pay a lot for it.

The puppy cost him around Rs 50,000. The price is a bit steep, but it's a show quality puppy."

Shah Rukh Khan's puppy love

Shah Rukh Khan has got a new puppy for his kids. And its not just any puppy, the actor had to shell out a huge amount of Rs 50,000 for the same.

Apparently it is a top breed, show-quality puppy. The puppy's mother (Blair) is an Australian import, whereas its father (Jack) is an UK import.

The father is a top championship winning Labrador in the history of India. Even Blair won many dog shows in India.

Khan got the puppy from a breeder in Delhi. A source told us, "Yes, Shah Rukh Khan has got a new yellow Labrador puppy for his kids and he had to pay a lot for it.

The puppy cost him around Rs 50,000. The price is a bit steep, but it's a show quality puppy."

Usually show quality Labrador puppies are available in the market starting from the price range of Rs 20,000 and more.

It is quite evident that SRK wanted only the best for his two kids. The puppy is now around 55 days old.

The actor already has two dogs Hulk, a black Labrador and Dash, a Pekinese. SRK remained unavailable for comment.

Asin to team up with Shahrukh?

It seems the ‘Ghajini’ star Asin Thottumkal is in much demand these days, and is all set to join the SRK camp soon.

Reportedly, the actress, who has already worked with two Khans of the industry, will be seen playing the leading lady opposite Shahrukh Khan in a movie based on Chetan Bhagat’s ‘2 States’.

Buzz is that Asin, who has already teamed up with Aamir Khan in ‘Ghajini’ and Salman Khan in ‘London Dreams’ and ‘Ready’, was the first choice of producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Vishal Bhardwaj for the SRK-starrer forthcoming movie.

“Asin, who is already working in Nadiadwala's production Housefull 2, recently met up with the producer and director to discuss the film. Both the producer and the director feel she is best suited for the role and Asin, too, is excited about the prospect of working with SRK and that too in a Bhardwaj film,” informed an industry source.

Asin’s character in the SRK-starrer imminent movie
‘2 States’ chronicles around the life of a young couple Krish and Ananya, who belong to Delhi and Tamil Nadu respectively, and come to know each other while studying at IIM, Ahmedabad.

Things take an ugly turn when they fall in love with each other, and their parents are against their ‘cross cultural’ marriage.

Asin is most likely to play the role of the Tamil Nadu girl, but the news has not been confirmed yet.

Kareena prefers Nayanthara over Asin
Meanwhile, it was reported that actress Kareena Kapoor watched the South Indian versions of her upcoming movie ‘Bodyguard’ on request of the director and liked Nayanthara-starrer Malayalam version more than the Asin-starrer Tamil version.

“Kareena commented that she found Nayanthara’s acting more promising and real as compared to Asin. Besides, Bebo also complimented her look and said that she would try to implement in her character,” confirmed a source.

But to handle the situation wittily, Bebo went on to say that Asin was also not too bad.

Well, we wonder what Asin has to say to about it!!

Asin to romance Shah Rukh Khan in 2 States?

Asin is being tipped to land the leading role opposite Shahrukh Khan in the movie adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's semi-autobiographical book 2 States. Asin has acted opposite Aamir and Salman, this will be her first movie with SRK.


2 States is the story of Krish and Ananya who hail from Delhi and Tamil Nadu, two different states of India. They become friends while studying together at IIM Ahmedabad and soon their friendship turns into love. But they have a big problem facing them: their parents, who are against this cross cultural marriage. How they overcome this problem and get married is what the remaining story is about.

Yes, we hear that Asin is the most favoured on the wishlist of producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Vishal Bhardwaj to bag the role of the south Indian girl who falls in love with the Punjabi guy to be played by Shah Rukh.

Asin, who is already working in Nadiadwala's production Housefull 2, recently met up with the producer and director to discuss the film. Both the producer and the director feel she is best suited for the role and Asin, too, is excited about the prospect of working with SRK and that too in a Bhardwaj film.

Asin made her debut in Hindi films with Aamir Khan; followed it up with two films with Salman Khan. All said, we wonder how Salman, her co-star of London Dreams and the upcoming Ready, will take the news of Asin bagging a film with Shahrukh Khan.

The actress is learnt to have given her nod to the project, though we are still waiting for an official confirmation.

SRK appears for UPSC exam? No, it was just his photo

Shah Rukh is writing UPSC exam at L D Engineering. That is what the college staff believed on seeing his photograph on attendance sheet



“It must be for a new role,” one of the officials at the Ahmedabad centre for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams that began on Saturday must have thought upon seeing Bollywood badshah Shah Rukh Khan's picture staring back at him from the attendance sheet.

On Friday, officials at the L D Engineering College were going through the attendance sheet provided to them by the main office at Delhi, in order to fix the seating arrangements, when they noticed the actor's photo pasted next to role number 8375.

The name provided along with it was WERW, and the officials thought letters, might be a code to hide the well-known actor's identity.

Sources said that then officials at the centre scrambled to figure security arrangements for the star candidate.

Requesting anonymity, a top UPSC official from Delhi revealed, "Assuming that WERW was a code, someone from the college called up to verify if Shah Rukh was really appearing for the exam. They wanted to inform the police and arrange for security for the superstar. Their request befuddled us."

Meanwhile, a closer examination of the attendance sheet revealed that the signature next to the role number was that of one Sunil Tripathi and not Shah Rukh Khan.

The officials decided to allow the candidate who appeared under this name on Saturday. "We allowed him to take the exam as we do not want anyone to suffer for an official's fault," said the official.

On calling the UPSC control room in Delhi, an official who identified himself only as Arora said, "For the past three years candidates have been filling exam application forms online. It could be the work of a prankster. Or else, a candidate might have committed a mistake while uploading his/her photograph. Usually, UPSC is very careful about the attendance sheet it draws up. But this time, there are just random alphabets like AKAK or BAMH instead of names. Several candidates were named SHORT NOTE.

The industrialist and the showman

Shah Rukh Khan and Vijay Mallya have tested their cricketing knowledge before - at the IPL auctions as team owners of the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively. But on Saturday the Bollywood star and the liquor baron tested their mettle on the field as they led their sides in a 10-over-a-team exhibition match.

Shah Rukh's KKR team included trainer Adrian le Roux, IPL CEO Sundar Raman, co-owner Jay Mehta and even tennis ace and Kolkata-native Leander Paes, who wasn't part of the playing XI but was in the squad. Mallya's RCB outfit comprised pilots from his Kingfisher Airlines, son Sidhartha Mallya and RCB coach Ray Jennings.

The two teams played in front of an empty Chinnaswamy stadium, barring of course a handful in the corporate boxes and the families of the teams involved. Mallya looked visibly tired after the effort even though for the most part he was standing at first slip, next to son Sidhartha, who donned the wicket-keeper's gloves. Mallya senior was huffing and puffing at the end of each over. The change of ends was the only time he moved from first slip, where he was stood with hands on his hips.

SRK came out to bat, but was kept at the non-striker's end as the teams batted like it was a Test. The actor did give a glimpse of his cricketing talent when he danced down the track to hit Jennings's gentle medium-pacer past mid-off for a four.

Urmila follows Shah Rukh Khan

The actress makes a cameo appearance on the TV show Sasuraal Simar Ka, just like SRK did recently. 

It seems Bollywood has developed a fascination for the small screen. After Shah Rukh who made his comeback on television with a cameo in the serial Sasural Simar Ka, actress Urmila Matondkar is all set to appear on the same show.

It is believed that Urmila will be seen monitoring Simar for her participation in the dance-reality show Chak Dhoom Dhoom, as a part of her serial Sasuraal Simar Ka. Choreographer Terrence Lewis will also be a part of the show and will help out Simar. Simar, who manages to participate on the show, has no idea about the surprises in store for her.

It can be recalled that Shah Rukh who played a celebrity guest in the show appreciated Simar for her dancing skills. SRK's presence helped the serial to get good TRPs. Hope Urmila just goes a step ahead.

Asin moves from Salman Khan to Shahrukh Khan!

Asin scores a hat-trick! How? She made her debut with Aamir Khan; followed it up with two films with Salman Khan; and now she is tipped to land the leading role opposite Shahrukh Khan in the movie adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s semi-autobiographical book 2 States. 

Yes, we hear that Asin is the most favoured on the wishlist of producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Vishal Bhardwaj to bag the role of a south Indian girl who falls in love with a Punjabi guy to be played by Shahrukh.

Asin, who is already working in Nadiadwala’s production Housefull 2, recently met up with the producer and director to discuss the film. Both the producer and the director feel she is best suited for the role and Asin, too, is excited about the prospect of working with Shahrukh and that too in a Bhardwaj film.

The actress is learnt to have given her nod to the project, though we are still waiting for an official confirmation.

All said, we wonder how Salman Khan, her co-star of London Dreams and the upcoming Ready, will take the news of Asin bagging a film with Shahrukh.

2 States 

2 States is the story of Krish and Ananya who hail from Delhi and Tamil Nadu, two different states of India. They become friends while studying together at IIM Ahmedabad and soon their friendship turns into love. But they have a big problem facing them: their parents, who are against this cross cultural marriage. How they overcome this problem and get married is what the remaining story is about.

City police demand extra fees to provide VVIP security to SRK

Police top brass say this applies to any celebrity not under Z or Y category cover; neither has Centre or state made a special request in King Khan’s case

On Friday, the private agency which supervises security arrangements for IPL matches in the city approached Bangalore Police’s VVIP cell and asked them to take over Shah Rukh Khan’s protection. The superstar is in the city to watch Saturday’s match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Since SRK doesn’t fall under the ‘Z’ or ‘Y’ categories, and because IPL is a commercial venture, the police replied that they will have to be paid for it.

“Shah Rukh Khan might be a big star and the owner of an IPL team. But any person who is not officially entitled to security under a certain category will not be given a pilot or a police escort,” D Dharmaiah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (VVIP), told Bangalore Mirror. When a South African security official hired by RCB called up Dharmaiah on Friday morning to talk about SRK’s security, the latter reiterated this.

“If he (SRK) needs special police protection, the organisers should apply to the city police commissioner and pay the stipulated amount for such services to the city police. Only then can we do the needful,” Dharmaiah said.

Field officers of the VVIP security cell were also given clear instructions by their superiors in this regard.

Recently, former city police commissioner Shankar M Bidari had hiked the amount to be paid to the city police for providing security for IPL matches. The total amount is Rs 1.12 crore for the seven matches, and includes security for players.

“We do provide police escort and other security arrangements to a person free of charge if we are intimated about it by the concerned central or state government agency. In this case, we haven’t received any such intimation,” Dharmaiah said. SRK reached Bangalore on Friday evening and checked in at ITC Gardenia where both the teams are also put up. No police security or escort was provided to him on Friday.

“It is not just Shah Rukh Khan. Any person not officially authorised security will have to formally apply for security and pay the required fee and only then will we provide it,” said Additional Commissioner (Law & Order) T Sunil Kumar.

During the last IPL season, former IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi, who was given ‘Z’ category security by Bangalore Police when he came to watch a match here, was charged Rs 50,000 for it by the police.

DNA Networks, which handles such matters for Royal Challengers Bangalore however denied that police security has been requested for SRK.

“We have paid the full amount of Rs 1.12 crore fixed by city police to provide security for the matches, players and franchisees. I really don’t know what the confusion is about,” a senior executive with DNA Networks told Mirror.

SRK renders the 2012 Mercedes A-Class

There are a lot of renderings and speculations floating around the internet about the new Mercedes A Class. But here we have a definitive design of what the next generation A Class would look like from the desk of Shoeb R Kalania. The rendering is based on the leaked shots from the European patent office published on Autoscoops.be. The premium hatchback will wear a three pointed star and should definitely look like this.
The model seen here is a 5 door hatchback which closely follows the design philosophy of the Concept A Class but with less dramatic body surfacing and detailing. The new A-Class will be based on the new MFA platform with a front front-wheel drive layout. A 2.0L engine, turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine is expected to drive this car.
The 2012 A-Class  is expected to make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany this September. Mercedes India recently made a statement to the press that they are considering smaller cars from their portfolio for India. If this does happen, expect a few of these A-Classes trundling along the Indian streets by 2013.

We have managed to break even, we won’t be seeing red: Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan is on a roll. His film Ra.One produced by his home production company Red Chillies Entertainment is generating quite a buzz, while his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is on a winning spree in IPL 4 after three disastrous years. In the capital recently to announce Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer's tie-up with Buddh International Circuit, the host of the Formula One race in India, SRK displayed his trademark wit, charm and eloquence. Between cigarette puffs and sips of coffee, he spoke to ET on his passion for sports, his unending love for making movies and on the subject of Ganguly playing against KKR. Edited excerpts:



How much money do you expect to earn from the KKR franchise? Has it been a profitable business venture for you? 

I am not a number crunching businessman so I would not know all these numbers. My CEO tells me that we have the biggest volume in terms of sales. I think we have great sponsors who have spent generously on players and teams. Brand valuation-wise we are quite high. I think that's because we keep losing! (laughs) But jokes apart, I can say that we have managed to break even or made nominal profits. We won't be seeing red.



What big plans are lined up if KKR reaches the IPL final, besides showing off your six-pack abs? 

I don't even know if I have the six-pack anymore! I just had rasam and rice yesterday so I am sure some damage has been done there (laughs). But on a serious note, I said that more out of sheer exuberance thinking about KKR doing well. It will be very good for us as a brand to be in the Champions League.



Sourav Ganguly has stepped into IPL 4 as a Pune Warrior team member and will play against KKR. How do you feel about that? 

It will be a regular match. I wish him all the best but I think it's high time that we move on now. You can't have everyone in the team. We are more focussed on the team that we have now. In any case, no team is synonymous only with one person. As Gautam Gambhir says, a captain is a person heading a good team.



The ticket sales in Eden Gardens have been less this year. Do you see a declining interest in IPL over the years? 

We had the stadium 50% full, which is not bad at all. In India, a full stadium is mostly packed to about 60%. IPL anyways is more of a television property. But we will try and reduce ticket prices so that more people come and watch the match on ground.



You have been associated with Tag Heuer for the last 8 years. What factors, in your opinion, have worked to make the recall value so high for the brand? 

I think it's a brand of great history and achievements, so in that sense the association has been mutually identifiable. It's a brand for keeps and exemplifies a certain lifestyle for individuals. That makes people relate to the brand easily.



Always Kabhi Kabhi and Ra.One will soon be released by your production house. Going ahead, what other plans do you have on the anvil for Red Chillies Entertainment? 

We are re-designing Red Chillies Entertainment as a professional unit. We have succeeded in a lot of our plans and will be professionalizing it. If 'Always Kabhi Kabhi' does well, then we would like to do smaller films with youngsters more frequently. We will be making four films in the immediate future. The plan is to get different people on board for various departments with the creative aspects being left for me to handle.



Being a sports enthusiast what do you feel has been your contribution to popularizing sports amongst your fans? 

I had hoped that 'Chak De' would bring hockey more to the mainline. But it hasn't helped as much as I had thought. Through my endorsement for Tag Heuer, a lot of up-market sports are now being talked about more like Golf and F1. There is a need for more such companies to come on board and popularise varied sports so that it is seen as a profession in the country.

SRK's 'Ra.One' impresses the 'Love Aaj Kal' girl!

Shahrukh Khan seems to have super-impressed Giselle who will be seen in his next production venture ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’. The newbie has seen few portions of SRK’s ambitious project ‘Ra.One’ and can’t wait for it release.

Giselle can’t withhold raving about King Khan and said, “I have seen SRK’s ‘My Name Is Khan’ and I really it. I was fortunate to see few portions ‘Ra. One’ which I think Mr. Khan has done wonderfully and it’s really tough to do so. I am super-excited to watch him in a superhero avatar.”

Interestingly, the actress has met SRK only once but goes gaga about the superstar. “When I saw Shahrukh Khan I couldn’t contain my happiness and soon I discovered that he is very humble and simple person for the place where he is today. The only expression I could get hold of was ‘wow’ and realized why people like him so much,” explained Giselle.

Giselle didn’t get any acting tips from the King of Romance but the pretty lady claims to have learnt a lot by observing him!

Giselle on cloud nine: SRK handpicked her for Always Kabhi Kabhi

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Brazilian model-actress Giselle Monteiro won many hearts as the coy girl in Love Aaj Kal. She even managed to impress Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan who recommended her name for his home production Always Kabhi Kabhi.

'I came to know much later that Shah Rukh recommended my name for the film. I was very happy,' said the 22-year-old, whose happiness knows no limits. After all, it is not everyday that King Khan recommends someone for his home production.

'I had never met him before. He saw me in Love Aaj Kal and chose me after seeing me there. I was happy that I got through a film, which was his production. When I found out that he chose me for the role, I was elated and excited,' she added.

So far so good. But the film turned out to be a litmus test for Giselle because she had to deliver her dialogues in Hindi, something she didn't have to do extensively in her first film.

Made with newbies Ali Fazal and Zoa Morani, the Roshan Abbas directed movie also features Satyajeet Dubbey.

'I had to work a lot on the language in the film as compared to the previous one because in that one I hardly had any dialogues. I learnt much more Hindi this time. It was a big challenge for me.

'I recorded lines from the script and kept listening to it till I got the pronunciation right. I also made sure that I understand the meaning of the dialouges because when you're enacting a scene, it is not only about saying a dialogue, it is also about bringing out those emotions. And for that it's important to know what you are saying,' she added.

'Sometimes I've even told Roshan sir to change few words, which were a bit of a tongue twister for me', she added.

Giselle will be seen as a schoolgirl in Always Kabhi Kabhi.

'In terms of the role, this was easier because I play a schoolgirl. It was easier to connect,' said Giselle, who had never seen a Hindi film before Love Aaj Kal.

Born in the southern Brazilian state of Espirito Santo, she flew down to Mumbai and bagged modeling assignments for the covers of Indian editions of lifestyle magazines such as Harpers Bazaar, ELLE and Marie Clarie and also Femina.

But now. it's the movies for her and she plans to stay on.

'Bollywood gave me new aspirations and goals. First, I was in modeling and I was too happy doing shows. Then I got to do films, so I am planning to shift my base here. I like challenges and I'm happy to take on bigger challenges. I think I'm here to stay now,' said the budding actress.

The good and bad about SRK

SRK loves his evil side as much as he does his good one. Well, we are talking about his forthcoming films in which he is donning these two roles.

SRK is getting set to display the good side in RA.ONE in which he plays the superhero. But in Farhan Akhtar's DON 2 - THE CHASE CONTINUES, SRK has one of the most devilish characters scripted for him.


This contrast in characters is making King Khan content. SRK is excited that the audiences are going to see the good and the bad side of him in the same year.

Talking about these contrasting characters, SRK says, "I think I'm really lucky to be playing the good and the bad in my upcoming films RA.ONE and DON 2. My character in RA.ONE is called G-one and this guy like a typical superhero is a good guy. But, in my film DON 2, I will be showcasing my evil side far different from the RA.ONE act. So, it's pretty interesting that the audiences will see the good and bad of me in this year."

While RA.ONE is gearing for release on 26th October, DON 2 is scheduled for a Christmas release.

Roshan Abbas: Shahrukh is the biggest entertainer

Besides superstar Shahrukh Khan's name attached with Roshan Abbas' upcoming film ALWAYS KABHI KABHI, what's also drawing people's attention is the whimsical title of the film and the idea behind it. When asked to the director about the one thing which he feels that SRK should 'always' do and what he should 'kabhi kabhi', Roshan candidly replied SRK should give up his anger Kabhi Kabhi.

"I think Shahrukh should ALWAYS entertain us because I don't find a bigger entertainer than him. The place where he has reached is because he gives his 100%. At the same time, I feel he should control his anger level aur KABHI KABHI loose karna chhaiye," reveals the debutant filmmaker Roshan Abbas.


Everyone knows how perfectionist, dedicated and focused is Shahrukh when it comes to work. Considering the same, did the team of ALWAYS KABHI KABHI ever felt the pressure from King Khan while working under him? However, the newbies are in awe of Bollywood baadshah's warmth and hard work and never got the jitters of working with him.

Zoya Morani daughter of Karim Morani, SRK's good friend said, "Even if we were nervous his warmth and energies died out our nervousness after sometime."

CHECK OUT: ALWAYS KABHI KABHI debutante Zoa Morani loves to cruise

Other co-star Satyadev Dube added, "He is so sweet, full of warmth and energy always. He came and hugged us. I remember it was 2 am in the morning. He is such a sweetheart."

However, director Roshan has a different story to tell, "I knew he was in the middle of RA.ONE and DON 2 and was extremely busy yet he took keen interest and looked after every detail. His energy levels can truly exhaust you. He is a man whose mind is ticking even at 2 in the morning. They (the cast) didn't feel the pressure but I felt the pressure because he was very clear on what he wanted."

ALAWYS KABHI KABHI is all set to hit the screens on 17th June 2011.

Hrithik Roshan turns out to be SRK's lucky mascot

Mumbai, May 11: Hrithik Roshan, superstar of the Hindi film industry became lucky for the Baadshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan’s team, Kolkata Knight Riders. Hrithik Roshan was there on the 7th of May to watch the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings at The Eden Gardens Stadium.
Even though he had been shooting till 4am for Agneepath on the 6th, he still came for the match as he did not want to miss out on the feeling of watching a match live within the stadium. This was the first time he was going to see a match inside the stadium in India which is why even more he did not want to miss out on this opportunity. He was also under extreme pressure as he had promised Shah Rukh’s wife Gauri that if he would come then her team would win.
The day turned out to be lucky for him. Hrithik whose last movie ‘Guzaarish,’ which did not fare well at the box office is really hoping that the remake of the original movie ‘Agneepath’ would go very well with the audience. Known for his different genres of acting, this time even we’re going to see him in a new avatar. We wish him all the very best.

Strange that KKR are winning this season: SRK

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan thanked his players for putting up a magnificent performance in the current edition of the Indian Premier League and said that it felt "really strange" to see the side on a winning spree as it was only used to losing in the previous three seasons.


"I thank the boys for putting up a good show. They are really playing well. Especially the way the youngsters are performing and the way the have been carried forward by the superiors is really magnificent," said Shah Rukh Khan at a post-match party on Saturday.
"We were only losing and when you keep on losing you get used to that. So it is really strange that we are winning," said Shah Rukh.

KKR, which is currently at second place in the points table, had fared badly in the earlier three editions. It is the only franchise which failed to make it to the semifinal even once between 2008 and 2010.

Shah Rukh was asked how difficult it was to be in the city and cope with the emotions triggered by Sourav Ganguly’s exclusion from the team after the Kolkata boy was an integral part of KKR in the previous seasons.

"We respect the emotions. We all love Sourav. But as the son of India I also belong to every city and Kolkata will also love me for that," he replied.

SRK to lock lips with Bebo

Shah Rukh Khan will leave no stone unturned to achieve all he can for his film ‘Ra.One’. Shah Rukh who is known and hailed for his one woman man image will be seen kissing Kareena Kapoor in 'Ra One'. The scene apparently is being included in a song. Insiders said that the kiss is nothing explicit, but something that can be termed as 'simple and sweet'. It can be remembered that Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor, too, indulged in a romantic lip-to-lip in '3 Idiots'. When asked Kareena said she has kissed on screen before and that it is no big deal. She also added that all the four Khans– Aamir, Salman, Shah Rukh, Saif – are so amazing that she always looked forward to doing movies with them.

Besides, Shah Rukh will bring every possible technology into town to make viewing his ‘Ra.One’ a lifetime experience for his audiences. Promising to change the movie-going experience for cinegoers in Mumbai, for the first time, the Dolby surround 7.1 system is reportedly being installed in several multiplex theatres in the run-up to the sci-fi`s release. And this is not just a vain wish to be one-upped on all the other technically-sophisticated films. SRK is going all-out to ensure ‘Ra.One’ sets a new benchmark for technical finesse in Hindi cinema. In June, the film`s technical team headed by Shah Rukh will be in Los Angeles to get special sound effects done for the film. These effects, never used in any Indian film, can only be experienced fully only when the new Dolby equipment is operational. Oscar winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty will also go to Los Angels.

SRK stays out of his own film promotion!

When it comes to SRK, everything needs to be big! However, the superstar seems to be away from the promotion of his upcoming movie ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’. While media was introduced to the star cast of the film in the presence of director Roshan Abbas, King Khan was missing from the scene.

Roshan Abbas is excited about his dream project and is all praises for Mr.Khan. He elaborates, “When I was reading out the script to SRK, I told him I don’t need any superstar for this story as it’s about school life. Shahrukh liked the idea and then we decided to make a movie.”

On asking Roshan if he was not interested in superstar, was SRK’s presence in the special video done for publicity of the film, on which Roshan wittily said, “Yes, Shahrukh has done the promo as we needed him as a producer. The movie is not only about youth but even about parents who can relate to it and we wanted a convincing personality for it. SRK was the best choice.”

“Shahrukh chose to not interact with the ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’ team as he believed that they should not adapt his grammar of acting and his lack of interaction definitely helped me to manage the pressure,” explained Roshan.

The director denied all the reports which stated that he was trying to find a different superstar for the promo but finally SRK became the face. “This is the best piece of fiction I ever heard (he chuckles) as we did two theatrical promos without any star because SRK was shooting outside. Later, we did a video with Shahrukh and realized it has a great impact,” he added.

It seems that the ‘Always’ popular SRK decided to be 'Kabhi Kabhi' part of his own production so that his presence doesn't dominate the starcast!

Shahrukh’s ‘Ra.One’ outfit to get digitalized

Shahrukh Khan’s expensive superhero outfit for his upcoming sci-fi flick ‘Ra.One’ may be the talk of town currently, but the superstar does not seem to be impressed with it.

Reportedly, SRK felt that something was missing when he saw his specially-designed outfit that was made in Los Angeles and was worth Rs 1 crore.

And now the superhero costume will apparently become costlier, as SRK and his SFX team has decided to digitalize the suit.

Outfit to emit rays


Tabloids reported that the latest addition to the suit would be a feature that would make the outfit emit rays on-screen.

Sources disclosed, “This has now become even more expensive as it is being digitalized. This outfit will now be made through special effects and this has been decided after having a talk with marketing and animation professionals.”

“It goes perfectly with SRK’s character that is made of solid electricity and has come in the real world from a virtual world to fight against Ra.One the evil force,” revealed a source.

The best part is that King Khan is now happy with the costume and feels that whatever amount is spent on the movie was worth it.

‘Ra.One’ costume’s new shining look is expected to be liked by one and all, especially children and SRK feels that the movie would be loved by all.

SRK promotes ‘Ra.One’


The first look of ‘Ra.One’ has generated great response and this has excited the Baadshah of Bollywood.

Among the promotional activities for the movie is a special video game that is inspired by the movie and is slated to hit the markets soon.

The film stars Shahrukh Khan, Arjun Rampal and Kareena Kapoor in the lead role. In this film, Shahrukh will be seen playing the role of a superhero for the very first time.

‘Ra.One’ is slated to hit the silver screens on October 26.

Bollywood Buzz: SRK bends 'no kiss' rule...

If there is one thing that can be said about Shah Rukh Khan is his clean-cut image on screen: he will romance women half is age, but on-screen lip-locks have always been a big no.

So it has surprised us all when the rumour mills started to churn that the actor has decided to bend his ‘no kiss’ rule for the mega budget sci-fi, “Ra. One”.

SRK has allegedly shot for some intimate scenes and lip-locked with none other than Kareena Kapoor herself, his co-star in the film. The duo allegedly got cosy during one of “Ra.One’s” song sequences.

Kapoor, of course, hasn’t shied away from any bold avatar in the past, what with smooching away Akshay Kumar a number of times in “Kambhakt Ishq” and real-life boyfriend Saif Ali Khan in “Kurbaan”.

Friends and acquaintances of Khan are keeping mum on the subject, but cynics in the film business are saying this is nothing but yet another cheap publicity stunt to get in the crowds.

Well, we guess all shall be revealed once the film releases on October 25 in UAE cinemas.

I became SRK''s lucky mascot: Hrithik

Mumbai, May 9  Actor Hrithik Roshan, who landed in Kolkata to cheer the home team against Chennai Super kings in the IPL match last Saturday, says it was the first time he watched a cricket match in a stadium in India. The previous night, Hrithik had shot till 4 am for his upcoming film Agneepath. According to Hrithik, "It was my first-ever experience of watching a live match in India. The excitement was palpable! I was here to cheer for Gauri, so was under tremendous pressure cause I promised her we would win if I came. Izzat bach gayi, truly glad that it turned out a happy day!" He said he was happy that he became the lucky mascot for Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan that evening. Kolkata Knight Riders beat Chennai Super Kings by ten runs under the Duckworth Lewis method.

SRK denies lip-lock in Ra.One

Shah Rukh Khan is annoyed these days. He is disturbed with the reports that he has liplocked Kareena in his upcoming movie Ra. One. The actor, who has probably not kissed her any of his co-stars in his 22-year career, says he would never do so in future as well.The actor on the occasion of promoting a luxury brand said he is not comfortable doing a liplocking scene and even asked his fans not to believe in everything they hear about him.SRK candidly puts that before signing any film his one of the conditions is he wont shoot such intimate scenes.

We’re cool and calm, says SRK

Calcutta: Shah Rukh Khan believes the Kolkata Knight Riders’ cool attitude has made a difference to their fortunes this season.

“The team is cool and calm… Gautam (Gambhir), (Jacques) Kallis and (Yusuf) Pathan bring a lot of calm to the side… The juniors have complemented the seniors… Dav (Whatmore) and the support staff are responsible for this turnaround. We don’t have any tension and believe in performance,” the KKR principal owner said at a promotional organised by Nokia on Saturday.

Shah Rukh said the team didn’t wish to be influenced by talk about making the playoffs or winning the title. “Whenever I’ve spoken to Gautam or Dav, it’s not been about the semis or final… The talk is always about the next match. That’s been the whole attitude of the team. They always look together. We’ve been patient, resilient, honest and hardworking. Even if we win the final, I’ll not be tension-free. We’ll be confident… One of my desires has been to win the IPL for this city… I’ll be happy if I can achieve this.”

But how tough has it been to be associated with the side without Sourav Ganguly and the emotions surrounding him? “We respect the emotions of the city. We still play for Dada and KKR… We would have loved him to be our mentor. As a son of the soil of this country, I belong to every city... I’m Shah Rukh Khan, son of India. They’ll all love me if I win it for the city.”

He said he felt a certain closeness with the people here. “I feel extremely close to the people of this city. I hardly get to meet people. I left Delhi when I was too young and I’m too busy in Mumbai. That’s the reason I do those victory laps after every game…”

Meanwhile, Sourav’s wife Dona will be among the thousands of Calcuttans, who will root for Pune Warriors India when they take on the KKR on May 19. “I will be among many fans in Calcutta, who will be supporting Pune Warriors,” she said.

SRK's kids prefer Hrithik as superhero

The actor reveals that his kids choose Hrithik Roshan over him when it comes to playing a superhero. 

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is gearing up for his most ambitious project of his career Ra.One. It is a huge budget film in which Shah Rukh will be seen as a superhero for the first time. The actor is excited and nervous too. Reason? The actor is scared whether his kids will love him as superhero or not.

SRK reveals that his kids are already a big fan of Krissh and think of Hrithik Roshan as ideal superhero. Both the kids love and admire Hrithik more than their father. Now when Shah Rukh is coming up with a superhero flick of his own, his main aim is to impress his kids along with his fans.

Shah Rukh knows that his competition is with Hrithik and doesn't want to take any chance. Though he can't be as good looking superhero as Hrthik is, he will certainly try to make his stunts bigger than Hrithik's to impress his kids.

It can be recalled that SRK showed the first look of his film to his kids first. We hope SRK manages to impress them.

KKR doing well despite Sourav: SRK

New Delhi, May 7 : Bollywood actor and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owner Shah Rukh Khan feels that his team is doing well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) despite the absence of their former captain Sourav Ganguly, who will be seen this time with Pune Warriors India.

Shah Rukh, during a promotional event in the national capital, said that Knight Riders had offered Ganguly a role in the team but he didn't accept it.

"I have been often asked this question. We would have liked Dada to play in the scheme of things we wanted," said Shah Rukh, making it clear that Ganguly didn't like what was there in the offing.

Shah Rukh, despite naming Ganguly, said there was "not one but many reasons for the team not doing well in the previous seasons".

But in a diplomatic style, he said: "Dada is my favourite player. But we need to move on. I wish him all the best with Pune Warriors and hope that he does really well."

"This time we wanted to start off with a clean slate. We wanted to give the reins to the coaching staff. And they have done wonderfully. The team has been doing well," Shah Rukh commented

I won't kiss on screen: SRK

In 22 years of his showbiz career, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has perhaps hardly ever locked lips with his heroines and says he never will. He admits he is not just uncomfortable about kissing on screen, but doesn't even know how to do it.

"I don't kiss on screen because I don't know how to do it. I don't do it because I feel weird...and I feel those who do it in films, do it well already," Shah Rukh told reporters here Friday.

"I feel discomfort in doing two things for films. When anyone comes to narrate a story to me, I tell them two things - main ghoda nahin chalaunga aur main choomunga nahin (I won't ride a horse and I won't kiss)," added the 45-year-old.


Shah Rukh's well-known witty side came through when a young journalist asked him if reports that he has kissed Kareena Kapoor for his upcoming sci-fi superhero film "Ra.One", are true.

Looking dashing in a formal black suit, he seemed to be quite amused at being asked such a question at a press conference meant for the formal announcement of Tag Heuer's tie-up with Buddh International Circuit, the host of Formula One in India.

"Where did you read these reports," he asked.

"They are all over the internet, probably reported from Mumbai," she said nonchalantly.

"How old are you my dear?" asked Shah Rukh, and the lady responded: "I am 25. But you shouldn't ask a girl her age."

Came SRK's quick rejoinder: "Well, dear, you don't ask such questions to men! You've asked me this, I am a simple guy, married man with kids...but don't ask such a question to men on the street! But, because you are young, and possibly just stepped into journalism, please don't believe whatever you read on the internet. It may not always be true."

Shah Rukh says if a film requires him to do things which make him uncomfortable, he quits it.

"I don't kiss simply because I am not comfortable doing it. I am pretty uncomfortable even at laughing in my films...so whenever there is a scene where I have to laugh, or where there is a scene where I am uncomfortable or I feel I will not be able to do justice to it, and whenever there are animals involved and I feel they might be mistreated, I quit the film in its narration itself."

I don`t want to play SRK`s wife or Akshay`s girlfriend: Lara Dutta

Mumbai: Lara Dutta, who recently tied the nuptial with tennis ace Mahesh Bhupati has made up her mind on the kind of roles she would be doing in future. The former Miss Universe has pulled off a stunning performance in a non-commercial flick ‘Chalo Dilli’, her first home production.

In the film, ‘Bheja Fry’ actor Vinay Pathak plays her husband. The duo makes an unusual yet a refreshing pair.

The stunning lady, whose acting prowess has not been made good use of, has decided she will not like to describe the character that she is playing as “Shah Rukh Khan’s wife or Akshay Kumar’s girlfriend”.

Talking to reporters, Lara said in an interview, “I don`t want to play SRK`s wife or Akshay`s girlfriend anymore." On the same breath she said, "It`s just that in our business, there`s a serious dearth of roles for women. And invariably, a heroine is clad in fancy costumes, great make-up and hair extensions and is reduced to dancing in a film where the song becomes a big hit.”

She would like to essay characters that have substantial worth.

“I have done umpteen number of those myself. And the heroines are either being subjected to being hero`s wife or girlfriend." Hmmm..we`re sure the other beauties have heard that. Now we`re waiting for their take...”, Lara added.

Well…Finally Lara had evaluated her worth as an actress!!!

Keep the spirit high, Lara!

Nokia’s 500 Millionth Phone To Prove India Isn’t A Poor Country

Remember Nokia? The company that once was in everyone’s pocket? Nokia is planning to sell their 500 millionth phone – a special edition Nokia C3-00. What’s so special with C3-00, well the 500 millionth phone will be signed by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and it will be handed over to the highest bidder by SRK himself. But if that’s not enough, the winner will also get a chance to watch the IPL Cricket match between KKR & Mumbai Indians on May 22. Nokia said that they will contact the highest bidder to pay the money and then match up the amount and donate it to charity.


Nokia’s Chennai factory will soon roll out their 500 millionth phone. Nokia setup their plant in Chennai back in 1995 when mobiles were new to India and outgoing call rate was about Rs. 16 per minute (correct me on this, please). Today, Nokia employs over 25000 people and enjoys the credit of being voted as the Most Powerful Brand 9 times.
The current bid for the phone stands at Rs. 3,41,074 and likely to go up. I have no reason to believe India is a poor country. Do you?

Chasing SRK ‘chettan'

Shahrukh Khan's Knightriders lost the IPL match against ‘nammude' Tuskers and did he win our hearts? Almost, it appears…


Kochiites faced a strange dilemma at the starry clash between Kochi Tuskers (KTK) and Kolkata Knightriders (KKR). The Badshah of Bollywood , the owner of KKR was here and has a huge fan base. His team was off against our home team. Whom to support? SRK's KKR or our KTK? But the ups and downs of “what a match!” as the display board said gave the crowd more than they had asked for: SRK in a cameo role and a real cracker of a match.

Everyone went back home happy presumably except our esteemed guest King Khan, whose team lost, but who has promised to return.

Hot and muggy, noisy, crowded and as overheard, “more than 30,000 strong crowd,” were all waiting for the match to unfold. Expectancy was high, higher than the six hit by Hodge. If the Tuskers won (which they did) it would be great but if not we had had our date with SRK.

But did King Khan disappoint or did he steal our hearts away?

“I would say, he came, he saw but he did not conquer…. You know why? Shahrukh chettan looked distant and was minding his p's and q's too much. On screen he seems such a fun guy. I felt he was ‘mood spoilt' here, for some reason,” reasoned a dismayed fan.

“He was quite itchy,” said one from the crowd who managed to take three shots of the star, scratching his neck and one almost tearing his hair.

Charming

But then there were many in the excited crowd who had their fill by ‘simbly' looking at him…. “He is so charming and so well maintained,” gushed a young lady. And from time to time, when the air ranted with ‘Sharukh' slogans, he would wave and blow kisses, much to everyone's delight.

But for die-hard admirers looking for a glance, an acknowledgment and just a few words, nothing was there.

At the hotel too, as an insider said, he had so many fans waiting to catch a glimpse that he had to be whisked away from the rear. He was constantly being cheered on but he looked a bit restrained. He seemed uncomfortable. But in public he was perfect, clapping on a good shot, at good fielding and bowling.

And then the game began. Tuskers trudged slowly, till Hodge changed the match with a great finale knock. SRK clapped sportingly.

When KTK owners greeted him, he was the perfect gentleman and, from afar, he seemed to make the right noises.

Even to the KCA officials, it is learnt, he was full of praises on the standard of the stadium, and it is believed that he said he would be back here in the future. During intermission, he slipped away to a personal enclosure and the news came that he was on the phone. So we waited outside for a byte and a smile but none came.

And the match began again, at that juncture looking good for Kolkata. But somewhere KKR seemed to lose the plot and were wavering but before long we knew there were 31 runs to be scored and 12 balls to go.

The match could go any which way. But then our own Sree gave away so many runs till we had to scream out ‘nammude maanam kakkanam' (keep our respect).

It was as if Raiphi heard and struck twice, in a maiden over, and by Jove, where were we!? So close to victory. “Poor thing he's our guest…imagine his team losing,” said one thoughtful soul in the crowd.

But KKR lost and KTK won. And SRK? “O, did you see him go up to Prashanth Parameshwaran, and offer him encouragement and pat him on the back?

O! what a good gesture. Did you see him congratulate our team? That's the spirit. He is a winner,” agreed the crowd in chorus.

But the best quip heard from a die-hard, sour grapes fan was, “SRK is not as important as endosulfan.” Well true, true but SRK was impeccable and nearly did win our hearts.

Next time in Kochi, as he has promised to return, we wish him a better game and hope he spends some time with his fan club in waiting.

Shahrukh croons for ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’

It seems very soon the moviemakers will be doing away with the playback singers and lyricists, as these days the actors themselves have started penning down songs and lending their voices for them in their movies


The tabloids have revealed that the ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’ producer Shahrukh Khan, who will be seen dancing to an item track in the movie. He has written the lyrics of the song, and will be singing it too.

A source close to the film unit stated, "Both composer and filmmaker were stuck when SRK walked in and within no time the creative enzymes in the actor started following and a melody was conceived. Shah Rukh also added some punch lines in the song giving it his trademark edginess.”

Confirming the same, music director Pritam said, "SRK is so spontaneous and lyrically strong that whenever we were stuck in a tune he instantly contributed with his creative inputs.”

About ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’
The forthcoming film ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’ is being produced by Shahrukh’s production house, Red Chillies Entertainment.

Radio Jockey and Shahrukh’s friend, Roshan Abbas is directing the film, whereas music composer Pritam Chakrobotay is compiling music.

The film features newcomers Zoa Morani and Satyajeet Dubey, along with the ‘Love Aaj Kal’ actress Giselli Monteiroin, and the ‘3 Idiots’ actor Ali Fazal in lead roles.

The movie will possibly hit the silver screens on June 17.

Get ready to watch 'Ra.One' with Dolby 7.1 system

Shah Rukh Khan's ''Ra.One'' promises to change the movie-going experience for cinegoers here. For the first time, the Dolby surround 7.1 system is reportedly being installed in several multiplex theatres in the run-up to the sci-fi's release.

And this is not just a vain wish to be one-up on all the other technically-sophisticated films. SRK is going all-out to ensure "Ra.One" sets a new benchmark for technical finesse in Hindi cinema.

In June, the film's technical team headed by Shah Rukh will be in Los Angeles to get special sound effects done for the film. These effects, never used in any Indian film, can only be experienced fully only when the new Dolby equipment is operational.

Oscar winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty, who will also go to Los Angels, said: "You see, 'Ra.One' is not just a movie experience. It will be the first Indian film to hover somewhere between being a game and a movie. It requires a very unconventional sound and visual quality for which we're getting the Dolby 7.1 system installed."

The idea to get sound effects done in Los Angeles and to install Dolby 7.1 in Mumbai's theatres comes from SRK alone who has taken complete charge of the project's post-production editing marketing and release.

"The Dolby 7.1 format goes a long way in creating a larger-than-life experience on 'Ra.One'. We're looking at changing the Indian audiences' movie-viewing experience this Diwali," said Resul.

He admits multiplexes in Mumbai are going for a makeover for the release of "Ra.One".
"And for this I want to give a large part of the credit to Ramesh Sippy, who has been hands-on in supporting us in the campaign to update and modernize and sound and projection in the theatres," he said.

Explaining the Dolby 7.1 system Resul said: "Dolby 7.1 is a new sound format which gives you two additional surround channels that ensure much wider sound compared to the present Dolby 5.1.

"All the digital cinemas playing sound through their native systems and formats will now have to go through a Dolby processor which follows and standardizes the cinemas according to the ground rules of the SMPTE (the Society Of Motion Picture & Television Engineers) and ISO (International Organization For Standardization) which ensure a better movie experience for the audience."
Shah Rukh is apparently sold on the idea of taking Indian cinema to an international level with "Ra.One".

Shahrukh not ready for YRF’s next

All the Shahrukh Khan fans, who are desperately looking forward to YRF’s forthcoming flick starring King Khan, will have to wait for some more time, as the much awaited film will go on floors only by December.



Apparently, at present, SRK is on the go with his home production ‘Ra.One’ and as such he doesn’t have time to spare on any other project.

This would be the first time that SRK and Katrina will be seen together in one frame. Meanwhile, sources close to the film have revealed that the dates for the film have been already set to December 15.

Shahrukh does a cameo in ‘Sasural Simar Ka’
Actress Deepika Samson, who plays the protagonist Simar in the daily soap ‘Sasural Simar Ka’, was quite thrilled to share screen space with Shahrukh.

The Baadshah of Bollywood did a cameo for the TV show. He plays a judge for a dance reality show ‘Chak Dhoom Dhoom’, where Deepika will be seen taking part. The shooting of the particular sequence took place in SRK’s abode Mannat.

Talking about his cameo in ‘Sasural Simar Ka’, SRK stated, "Shah Rukh Khan shot for a scene yesterday and this episode will go on-air next week. He will be shown judging the Chak Dhoom Dhoom auditions where Simar will perform. He will have a short conversation with Simar wherein he will praise her for her performance."

However, when Deepika was asked about her experience of sharing screen space with SRK, the telly actress stated, “It was a lifetime experience to shoot or be around SRK. I froze when I saw Shah Rukh. He made me feel so comfortable. I keep pinching myself to believe that I shot with him."

Colors didn’t want to disclose about SRK doing a cameo
It’s believed that Colors were not keen to disclose details about SRK’s cameo in ‘Sasural Simar Ka’. Sources also revealed that SRK took time to agree to do a cameo for the show, since he’s quite busy with the IPL matches.

However, the actor later agreed as he found the story of the lead protagonist bearing similarities to his own life.

Salman not interested in SRK's contract

While he had asked for a copy of Aamir Khan's contract, Salman seemed disinterested when YRF tried to bargain the deal showing him SRK's remuneration.

It was recently reported that Salman Khan had asked for a copy of Aamir Khan's contract, for the film he signed with YRF. Salman, who usually doesn't work outside his friend circle or family, was a bit skeptical about signing a film produced by Aditya Chopra and so wanted to ensure that he gets the best deal.

On the other hand, Yash Raj officials tried to use Shah Rukh Khan's contract to bargain the deal with Salman Khan. Their line of argument was that they are paying Salman Khan the kind of money which they don't even pay to their favourite actor Shah Rukh Khan. However Salman Khan was not amused with the comparison.


Most actors (Shah Rukh Khan inclusive) are known to willingly accept lower paychecks to get a chance to work with the prestigious Yash Raj banner. However Salman Khan, who doesn't really share a friendly rapport with the Chopras and would be starring in a Yash Raj film for the first time, isn't amongst those who would make any compromise for the banner.

The Yash Raj film for which Salman Khan is being considered will be directed by Kabir Khan and Katrina Kaif will be paired opposite him.

As per trade circles, Yash Raj made an exception and signed Aamir Khan for Dhoom 3 at sky-high price. Will Salman Khan be lucky enough to get the same treatment like Aamir Khan? With the super-success of Dabangg , Salman has all the more reason to not budge from his high monetary demands. But then again Yash Chopra had once made statement that he didn't like Dabangg !

Busy SRK delays film; Top priority is KKR

Shah Rukh Khan has finally given the go ahead to Yash Raj Films to start their movie by the end of the year after the production house was waiting for his dates for the past few months.

SRK was earlier slated to start the film during summer, but the way his cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders has started performing well in the IPL 4, SRK does not want to let go off a chance to back his Gautam Gambhir led team to enter the finals of the IPL tourney this year.

Also the prost production work of the film Ra One is being supervised by SRK himself and hence the actor finds himself to be busy with his work.

What this entails is that Yash Raj Films will have to wait before they embark on this biggie with SRK and Katrina Kaif which is being directed by the grand old man Yash Chopra himself.

YRF has needed a hit for a long time and frequent flops barring the recent Band Bajaa Baraat have severely dented the reputation of the production house which was ruthlessly doling out hit after hit even if it was a bad film like Neil And Nikki.

Yash Chopra was the man who had lent SRK a valuable amount to buy his Mannat Bungalow and films like Darrr and DDLJ have given SRK the stardom he has.
Hence, Shah Rukh has tried his best to ensure that he gives time to Yash Chopra as a first priority once his own business interests like the Kolkata Knight Riders and Ra One are taken care of. SRK and Yash Chopra’s son Aditya Chopra also share a warm bond between each other.

Meanwhile, some trade pundits have already given the shooting date of the film as December 15 because 6 is a lucky number for YRF. Well, we do know that a lot of their films have gone for a six at the box office. Will SRK hit the much needed sixer?

SRK okays Sunny film remake

Not many know that actor Shah Rukh Khan, apart from a cricket team, also holds the rights of Arjun, the cult Sunny Deol ‘angry young man’ film from the ’80s.

It is learnt that SRK had acquired the negatives and other terms of ownership of the Rahul Rawail movie from the production company Cineyug, owned by the Morani Brothers.


When actor Nikhil Dwivedi expressed an interest in remaking the hard-hitting Arjun, which was originally written by Javed Akhtar, SRK willingly issued on a ‘no objection certificate’. The project, after a change in the director (first Shivam Nair, now Bharat Ratan) has finally been revived with actor Nikhil in Sunny’s role.


SRK has the rights to remake Sunny's Arjun
An insider associated with the remake reveals, “Back when the film was planned, the world was recovering from recession. So the idea of unemployment in the original Arjun was changed to the troubled setting of the recession. However, the remake was put on hold as Shivam hit a rough patch when his film Ghost Ghost Na Raha with Rahul Bose got stuck in the cans.”

Fortunately, the wait paid off for Nikhil, whose Shor In The City released last weekend. Bharat, the new director on board, is a first-timer, who currently works with producer Manmohan Shetty’s Walk Water Media. “The idea of setting Arjun against the backdrop of recession has been discarded. Instead, it will be a very contemporary issue, yet retain the soul of the original,” says the insider, adding that the shoot is scheduled to start this October.

When contacted, all Nikhil was willing to say for now is: “Yes, the remake of Arjun is on. It’s too early to reveal anything yet. We’ll make the official announcement at an appropriate time, closer to our film’s launch.”

Apparently, SRK also owns rights of films like the Aamir Khan super-hit Raja Hindustani, besides other Sunny Deol starrers Damini and Dushmani.

Arjun (1985)
The film revolves around Arjun Malwankar (Sunny Deol) whose attempts at getting a job end in vain. One day when hoodlums are beating up a man, he intervenes, and beats them up with the help of his friends. Soon his life changes, as he’s used by rival politicians for their selfish purposes.