Friday, March 27, 2009

SRK update 4th week of April

Cricket has taken over the front page of my search window whenever I type his name and well it should coz there're a coupla big things happening on its front. I've blogged about the change in place from India to South Africa (supposedly to UK , but that didn't work out).

And now, thanks to John Buchanan, SRK and his team is put firmly in the limelight yet again. If his idea works, KKR will be touted as the agent of change in Twenty20. If it fails, they'll lose spectacularly in IPL-II and everyone will go, "I told you that the idea won't work". But it's just as well that the experiment is not conducted on home ground.

I have a feeling that John Buchanan is gonna go ahead with this plan despite saying that the decision will only be announced today. SRK has always said that he gives the coach complete control over the technical aspects of KKR and his control is over the entertainment bit, so I don't think the new concept will be met with much resistance from the head owner. Anyway, Shah Rukh has always been a gung-ho person when it comes to new concepts XD

Not knowing anything about cricket, I can't comment much. But from what I read, it was really intense at Eden Gardens a coupla days ago. Here're the headlines... you're welcome to read and believe whatever you want:

Sourav was aware of captaincy plans: Buchanan
Go back Buchanan, shout Kolkatans
John's theory leaves Sourav dazed
Final captaincy decision in two days: Buchanan
Security beefed up for Buchanan
Multiple captains will leave players confused: Arthur
Buchanan does a Greg to Sourav
Buch offers to carry the cross
Sourav ridicules Buchanan's plan
'No fixed captain for KKR'
Sourav is our main man: Shah Rukh

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Talk on SRK

“He’s a team player, whether in films, shows or cricket. He’s patient and caring. He looks at this as a sport — some days you win, others you lose. His leadership is great. Take Shah Rukh out of the IPL and it’ll be a great loss for them.”

“I have seen Devdas nine times. I love the movie. And Shah Rukh Khan is great. I wouldn’t mind working with him. I could be a lost French girl in India who gets hitched with this guy who gives her a lift in his car. And SRK could be the guy.”

"His humility is noteworthy, he doesn’t have any air of stardom, and he’s so much like any other ordinary guy that it’s an absolute treat to be his co-star.”

"I was an NSD student and he was with Barry John. Somehow, even though it was dark in the auditorium, his face stayed on in my mind.”

IPL + KKR update

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at an emergency meeting Sunday decided to hold the Twenty20 tournament outside the country because state governments have expressed their inability to provide security to the tournament as it clashes with general elections.

What Shah Rukh had to say about it
Link 1:
“It is a great decision. We will follow what the IPL and BCCI decide. All the franchise owners have decided to stick together and see it through,” Shah Rukh said after a meeting of the eight team owners with IPL chairman Lalit Modi Sunday.

“The elections are important for the country. It’s a bigger issue than IPL. We have tried to resolve the problem. IPL officials will have to do a lot more work. We all have been working non-stop for past three days. The picture will be clear in next five to seven days,” he said.

“However, the buzz which is in India will not be there, but the election buzz will be there,” Shah Rukh said.

The Bollywood superstar said the sponsors should not have any problem falling in line. “The tournament is going to be televised so the sponsors will come along.”

Shah Rukh, who last year travelled extensively with the team, said he will take time out this year too. “I will try to be there for as many matches as possible.”


Link 2:
Kolkata Knight Riders owner and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan said he could understand the security constraints in holding the event while the country went to polls.


"We have to respect the elections in the country. That is a bigger issue than our issue. By shifting the IPL abroad, we have tried to find a solution to the problem," Shah Rukh told reporters after meeting IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi here.

"Off course the local buzz wouldn't be as strong as it is here but I guess elections will take care of the buzz," he quipped.

Asked whether he would there to watch all the matches featuring his team as was the case in the first edition, Shah Rukh said it would depend on how the schedule pans out.

"I will try to be there for as many matches as possible. Hopefully the schedule will help me," he said.

Quotes of the day

“I respect myself. I don’t like invasive questions, I’ve nothing to defend or to prove. At the end of the day, I’m a performer. What I have, I deserve; what I don’t have, I don’t want.”

“Sometimes I wonder – why do I do this? I don’t need to do it anymore. It takes a lot of will power to get up every morning and drive to the studios, sing to my heroines, break my back... 13 years and 38-odd films, and I’m still here. But then, when people say, don’t you want to relax, watch the sunrise, I say no, I don’t want to watch the sunrise, I want to act. For me, it’s not the end result, it’s the process...”

“My core universe is my family and my work. My work is out there for everyone to see, my family is mine alone. I guard it jealously. My children need me, and I need them. But there is another Shah Rukh on display always, whom the audience loves. I am humbled by that love, they love me for what I do on 70 mm. They love me because I hold up a mirror to them.”

On his children:
“In fact, my world is expanding. The only difference is that I’m looking inward now, looking for meaning within. When I see Aryan and Suhana, I see purity and spontaneity. Untouched by commerce, untainted by envy... even as an actor, I grow simply by watching them. The truth is that I don’t want to be this famous but absentee father. I want my children to flower under my care. My father was there for me till I was 15, and he was father and mother to us. We depended on him and he taught me everything I know. He always wanted me to go out there and experience life; there were no boundaries I had to keep within, no pressures. The only way I can be a better father is by being there longer for my kids...”

On Karan Johar:
“He is the best screenplay and dialogue writer in the country today. Actually, Karan adds value to any project that he is associated with. In the years to come, he will be remembered for inventing his own genre of Hindi films. And I think it was very nice of him to write a film like KHNH and give it to Nikhil to direct. If I had written it, I’d be reluctant to part with it. Of course, Nikhil is very good...”
"Even in my films, it is said that it will get a good opening because I am there. If I consider the same yardstick, a star of my calibre should have brought enough audiences before the television set. If there is no opening and lack of appeal for the show despite my presence, then I think I am responsible."

"Grown-ups forget that it is okay not to know everything. They don't realise the beauty of saying I don't know some things."

"May be next time I may not be signed for a television show and might be paid a much lower fee."
"It’s not that I am too much on TV, it’s just that there’s lot of TV happening these days. Cinema is no more the only form of entertainment. We are talking about watching films on mobile phones. Five years from now, I may be doing a movie that may be released on cellphones. Does that mean I become smaller or has the reach increased."

"For success you need to know that you can go wrong and yet go ahead and do it. People who do wrong things, like stealing or murder, have overcome the thought that this is wrong. They have found their justification. Positively, if we apply the same, it will work. As soon as you accept that this can go wrong, the fear of failure decreases. If tomorrow I face failure, I hope I can say I enjoyed failure too."

"Giving all the credit to luck takes away from the hard work involved. People will say I got a good show and it’s our luck that the show’s doing well. But there’s a lot of hard work involved here. I am not successful by luck, but because I am in the right place. I am not special. Eight years ago I thought I was, but after that, I think there is a set of audience that likes my work."

"TV work is very difficult. Especially quiz shows. It’s almost live. Also, there are many factors like unknown contestants, dealing with kids, the 200 lights and after all that, there’s a deadline to adhere to. I can work for 20 hours. I can dance, fight, do press conferences and not get tired, but with this I get tired. Also a show like Kya Aap... needs something from the host. There is a certain responsibility and I never shirk away from responsibilities. But yes, it is tiring and I get a headache at the end of the day. But the problem is when I return home, my kids want me to ask them the same questions again. So I have to sit down and do that."

"Honestly, even I don’t know myself. You keep acting the whole day. You do lot of things that are larger than life. Lines start getting blurred after a point. The closest I came to playing myself was in KBC and now this show. On the show I emote the way I would in real life."
"There was a time we used to respect the critics, but nowadays there are more of them with less knowledge. Both their criticism and appreciation should not be taken seriously. You can take the recent examples of Fanaa and Krrish . Both films were panned. But look at the kind of business they have done.

The problem with critics today is that they feel compelled and are in a race to rip a film apart. I go by the audience viewpoint. A lot of people, especially women, did not like me in KANK and I accept and take the blame fully for it because I did not act well in the film".
"When I have been taken advantage of, I've never taken action against them, I'm amused. It doesn't make a difference. Like I said, I don't think about it after having done it even if I get to know. To me if somebody at that stage fools me, I find it amusing and I enjoy it. There's a bit of 'rascallyness' that I like."


Saturday, March 21, 2009

Today's previous headlines

... well, I can only speak for myself. Had it not been the hype about his six pack abs, I doubt I'd be so gung ho to join the gym XD. I allow myself to be influenced positively by my idols... coz it's fun~

... I couldn't resist pasting this article XD. It's only for my archive.

... but some of his debutant heroines didn't make it big though. At the end of the day, after the magnificient launch.. it's every woman for herself.

... it's interviews like this that set people in a frenzy over getting SRK to join politics. He sounds so capable in carrying out the task of leading a big organization that it fills their heads with this fantasy of him leading the country. Frankly, I think he can be more influential in politics by being a financial backer than diving into the political limelight himself.

.. old news on KBC.

... why only SRK? Why not target all those other smoker stars too? Is he so big that he represents all the smokers ever featured on the silver screen?
... ignore the speculation on the rift between him and Farah Khan's husband. I'm pasting it here for the 'Zoya Factor' story. I wonder at what stage this movie is at right now. I wonder if KKR or some of the team members are gonna feature with their owner as themselves. It's another sports-oriented movie by SRK although he's not in the lead this time ...but Kabir Khan was not really the lead in CDI, was he? The focus has always been on the girls. I wonder whether it'll be a sports movie that I can sit through the whole 1.5-2 hours (pls maintain that time frame and don't drag it too long ^^;). I wonder if there'll be much bling bling in it as in Billu, or in any of the films RC Ent has produced previously... I'm not in favour of too much bling bling in a sports movie, to be honest. But then Shah Rukh always says that each movie has a life of its own, so let's see how this one turns out. I can't wait for its release as I'm always excited about any film produced by the RC Ent banner.
... is mein koi shak hai? XD
... by virtue of being more obsessed about SRK than I am, and millions of his fans are, Karan Johar has endeared himself to me. Now, I find myself anxious for his new film. I know it's a different kind of film than the one he's ever done before with the added factor of it not being penned by himself. I know it's stupid to worry about someone else's work when there's absolutely nothing I can do to help, but I really hope that the film does well for his sake.

I'm not worried at all about SRK despite his company co-producing it and him being the lead male actor. Somehow, when it comes to SRK... things like his movies flopping or succeeding at the BO don't worry me much coz I know I'll love his acting anyway. I'm his fan, yaar. I accept and love everything he does on screen. In fact, the characters I'm absolutely mad about come from his flop/average hit movies: Ram Jaane, Asoka, Rup, Arjun, the ghost in Paheli, and Mohan. The day I fall out of love with him & his acting is the day I quit the section and I've been his fan for more than 10 years now so hopefully that won't happen ever XD. But yeah, for Karan's sake... I hope the movie will do well at the BO and critically acclaimed too. Cheers!
... well said XD.
... how fateful is it that SRK has an admirer in the form of another Dato' from Malaysia? That's why I'm pasting it here. Michelle Yeoh was conferred the title by Sultan Azlan Shah, the Sultan of Perak, her home state. Yep, she's Malaysian born.
... a day in the life of Shah Rukh Khan, this article was published in 2001 during the filming of K3G, Devdas and Asoka.
... he can't do the dark brooding intense cinema? I believe that *you won't know what role SRK can't do until you have him do it*. It's my play of the popular 'innocent until proven guilty' adage. Also, why offer a film to an actor and later on say that the actor doesn't suit the character? That's really iffy. Anyway, this one article is a different take on the story.

Headlines

...oh, okay. At least I can understand the situation a bit better now.
...an interview with Anupama Chopra.
...a short review on Anupama's book.
I like this extract:
The influx of money has meant a bonanza for the top actors. Shahrukh Khan said that a corporation recently offered him $125 million for a five-picture deal with full creative control. “When people offer too much money, I refuse to hear the script,” he added, “because money is a very strong force. I might start liking scenes which I didn’t before, because I can see extra zeroes behind it.”

...you're the biggest movie star in the planet and you're still working with relatively new directors in films financed by your own company, when you can have $100-200 million (as in crore?) 3-picture deals or 5-picture deals offered to you by big conglomerates? I mean, it does speak volumes for the kind of approach SRK has towards his acting job.

Btw, I love how Hrithik's picture is the biggest and sits at the top of the post while the pictures of the rest of the 5 biggest Bollywood stars are arrayed one after the other with SRK coming in at the 4th position before Akshay. It gives you perspective on the fickle nature of the cinema pundits. To them, the stars are only as big as their latest release, or status at the award functions.
...what is it with this obsession to get SRK on a political platform?? He's the kind of person who'd give a job 100% attention. He's not the same as those actors-turn-politicians who occasionally act when their seats are in trouble. If he ever gets into politics, I don't think he'll ever do movies again. Is that truly what these people want?
...even I noticed that 'SRK' titled film LOL. That reminds me of the recent India Conclave where one person in the audience asked him what if he were a Hindu named Shekar Krishna and Shah Rukh retorted, "Shekar Radha Krishna... SRK" (lol)

Personally, I don't believe a meeting with your idol will change your life. I think they're just outside elements you use as an excuse to give you that extra push you need to make your life more interesting. I have many such people, in real life and reel. SRK is just one of them, although he's the most fascinating.
...this was written in 2007. I like the post and I wonder if the blogger still has the same passion for Bollywood as he had when he wrote it. Extract:

This man seems to be a great actor to work with. A sense of humour? Yes. Movie star looks? Sure. Professional? Of course. Good with kids? See above. But the over-riding theme of all these extras stories is that for a man with his star power, Shah Rukh is generous with his time.

In my time in Hindi Film, I have worked with a who's who of the industry. After working with Amitabh and Abhishek, Kareena and Shahid, Preity, Priyanka and Rani, Akshay, John, and one of the other Khans, Salman, I would like to join the Shah Rukh camp. Without playing the numbers game, it would be a career high to share screen time with the No.1. The most famous name in Indian cinema. Shah Rukh Khan, Main Hoon Na.

...a sort of review on KANK. My opinion on the whole Pandora Box thing is, people were unhappy about the movie (watch the 'We the People' show in my video link post) because Karan Johar has always stood for the sanctity of family in his previous films and Shah Rukh has never been involved in an affair outside his real marriage. Which I think is a hypocritical and bogus reason for being outraged at a nicely-told story. But hey, everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion.. right?

For my archive

“You don’t go up against Shah Rukh Khan, no matter how good your product is.”

...that's a quote from this article: Stumbling Toward Bollywood

Well, I know of one person who's intent on going against him in 2009 XD. I read that their films will be releasing on the same day this year. I'd love to see how that goes.

Frankly, I don't understand fans who're angry over who's bigger than who/who's better than who/whose movie fares better at the BO than whose/etc. Dudes, the question of economics, profits and losses are best left to the production houses. Don't spout those numbers as if you're one of the accountants who've stayed back late every night trying to balance all the columns. Idiots.

I say... just watch the movie, enjoy your favourite actors, love the story, blab about it to your friends and family, and if you have complaints against certain scenes or just anything about it in general, bash it in the spirit of good fun. What is this, "I hate him, I hate her," stuff.. yaar. You don't even know these movie stars personally so how can you hate them? They're there to do a job they love and to entertain you. Chill... demmit.

But then, I stumbled on this article... and I guess there's no way for somebody like me who's never been raised in a culture that revers movie stars as if they're second only to God to tell these devout fans to chill, huh? Maybe I should just let them enjoy movies their way and I'll just enjoy movies my way... even though I think I'll post on this kinda stuff again and again just for the heck of it XD

Amitabh Bachchan Has a Cold
In Calcutta, the Shah Rukh Khan Fan Club has created a one-room museum in his name, which features a 10-foot poster of Mr. Khan with the caption: "After God, the only icon we believe in is S.R.K."

Friday, March 20, 2009

Headlines (on KKR)

I'm excited to play in Shah Rukh’s team: Mortaza
...oh. So he's emperor now? What next? Wait, one can't get mightier than an emperor, right? Sometimes, these clever journalistic alliterations (as SRK called them) make me cringe.

Anyway, I'm quite excited to see clips of Mortaza playing in the field on youtube (I hope some kind people upload them). I mean, SRK's people did haggle for 40 minutes to get him during the bidding process so he must be excellent, right?

I have to say though, those golden helmets hurt my eyes. Why can't they make the normal helmets in plain black and promise the golden helmet only to the accomplished players? I read that their image is undergoing renovation so I hope that sparklingly shiny metallic gold colour will disappear from the field. It distracts me from enjoying the game. The gold on the shirt is nice though. That one can stay.. but perhaps make it into slimmer strips?

Shah Rukh Khan launches first Reebok Knight Riders Store in Kolkata
...so it's Reebok, not Nike? Dem. Where are you Nike people? Why haven't you approached SRK as brand ambassador of your products in India?? I'm telling ya... his "Just Do It!" attitude is just perfect for Nike stuff.

Manish Malhotra’s fashion for cricketers
...what about the helmet, Manish?? O well, I do hope those gold strips on the shirt are slimmer though XD

What Sourav dada said about being more exhausted reminds me of an article (or maybe it was in one of Farah Khan's interviews, I forgot) on Shah Rukh during the filming of OSO when he exclaimed, "Let me get back to acting, please?" as his workout was reaching fever pitch coz he wanted to maintain the abs all throughout the shooting. I don't remember where I read/watch that, but I did find this one article. What the hell is reverse crunches??

Zapak, SRK's Knight Riders join hands for internet gaming
...just for my archive.

SRK launches Knight Riders album Nokia 2 Hot 2 Cool
...that contest reward makes me feel like wanting to live in India now XD.

Today's talk on SRK

Anushka Sharma:
"SRK is very professional. He is grounded and down to earth. He'd never say no to retakes because he didn't want to do it or he thought the scene was fine. It was upto Adi to decide if the scene was fine. SRK never called the shots when it came to direction. It was Adi who took the final decisions."

Vivek Sharma
"I really needed Shah Rukh to dub for the film, and when I requested him to come for dubbing on a particular day, he was there at midnight and dubbed till early morning, only so that my mixing doesn't stop. He's my dost Khan!"

Hrithik Roshan (this is a very old quote, btw):
"Some day I want to be better than Shah Rukh Khan. And I will be better than him, if I continue working the way I am. Some day, I would like to achieve more than what Shah Rukh has achieved in his ten years. But first, give me my ten years of time. "

Sourav Ganguly:
"This is even more exhausting than playing cricket. When I was in the team, I only knew about the bat and ball. Thanks to KKR, I have been a judge on a reality show to choose our cheerleading squad, called Angels and now I will be walking the ramp. Wonder what is next in store for me. But the journey has been great and I am taking everything in my stride."

Headlines from previous days

Shah Rukh, Arjun: Dard-e-dils...
...see, now someone writes that the response to Billu is great. Then I open some pages which say Billu is a flop. That's why I said, sometimes I think the flops and hits of movies are all in these journalists' heads.

Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Jai Mehta
...is the London office open yet? Where is it situated? Is there a law in the UK against stalking someone else's office (with a bunch of friends while holding a big banner proclaiming your undying love for the owner of the company)?

Is Chak De India a Career-Best Performance by Shah Rukh Khan?
...I personally don't agree with this. Chak De is not the best performance he's delivered. I fully believe what he said.. that his best role is the next one. He'll always better his work so there's no need for this useless and redundant discussion.

Shah Rukh rocks in UK
...why do you think his fans love him so much? Even his overseas fans, like me, are absolutely crazy about him.

SRK, Preity Zinta, Mukesh Ambani, Mallya win IPL bids
...$75.09 million, as in US dollars?? Hoshiz.

Shah Rukh Khan's tantrums
...what tantrums? This article title confuses me.

Farah Khan: I'l be gifting Shah Rukh the first print of Om Shanti Om
...you know what's amazing about SRK, apart from the gajillion other amazing things about him? His close friends from the industry/outside of it and family members (more accurately, his wife's family members) are his biggest fans. They're crazier about him than regular fans like us are and that's really saying a lot about the kind of person he is in real life.

Celebrity endorsements may not increase sales: SRK
...As a person who buys stuff coz she needs/likes it and not coz her favourite star is endorsing it, I agree with this 100%. And the fact that a brand ambassador can say this so frankly and honestly is really something. He's a very aware guy, huh?

Taking bollywood places
...this is more about Eros than SRK, but I thought it's an interesting article so I'm archiving it here.

Age is just a number: SRK
I like this article a lot so I'm quoting a few passages:


  • When he was young, Shah Rukh Khan thought life gets over in the 40s. But now that he is there, he doesn’t feel it’s any big deal. “I feel more stronger and enthusiastic today. In fact, when I play with my kids’ friends, I don’t use age as a criteria to perform less. I still think I can beat kids half my age at half the things I do, physically I mean.
  • “I don’t look at age as a reason for making more intelligent and wiser decisions. I don’t think what I did earlier was wrong and what I do now is right. It’s the wrongest notion that older people are smarter and wiser, I feel they are just older."
  • "In the film industry, someday I read I am ruling more, some days less, someday a younger star has toppled me. I think I am beyond all this now."
  • “Akshay is the most viable star in the country now,” admitted Shah Rukh. “He’s doing more prolific work, giving more hits, he’s not just good looking and focussed, but really hard working too. I am very fond of him. I have known him for years now."
  • "Today, the concept of a single star ruling seems to be slowly phasing out. It’s like a league of movie stars, all very secure, happy, singing, dancing. It’s beautiful. Aamir, Salman, Akshay and I, we are all big stars today. It’s like tennis ranking. One Grand Slam, and there you go. But the commercial success of others never makes me feel any lesser or more successful. God isn’t there only to give Shah Rukh Khan everything, in fact he shouldn’t be giving only me.”
  • At 42, he has made six pack abs a trend. Of this, the Bollywood Badshah said, “I know people have been saying that I got it through special effects, surgery, and steroids, but I know how much hard work I put into this. When I was working out, I thought, I can’t have bigger biceps than Salman, a stronger chest than John or even wider shoulders than Hrithik, so I said why not concentrate on my abs. See, I have a very oriental kind of physique, like Bruce Lee, so I guess it’s standing out.”

..the "all very secure, happy, singing, dancing. It’s beautiful" and the 'tennis ranking' remarks nearly toppled me off my chair with laughter. Man, I think Bollywood would have been a very very boring and dull place without SRK around. I know for a fact that there's one person who won't give a shiz about Bollywood, let alone be blogging about it, if it hadn't been for him. Me.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

There's nothing that turns me on more than a man of vision...

Yeah, I love brilliant men. I think I'm a bit of a geek where my taste in men is concerned. And if the man is as cute and adorable as Shah Rukh Khan,what more can I ask for?

He may not be the best actor in India, or the best looking guy on screen (I didn't say this. He said it himself in an interview session... I don't remember which one. I'm his fan so I'm not bothered about who's best in whateva like some critics are) ...but I have to say, he is the most visionary. He's talked about producing ads since he was in college, and now RC Ent has TVC. He's known to promote the future of the television industry from back when he just started working in movies, and now RC Ent has Idiot Box. And do you know that RC Ent has started acquiring some old films? The list is up on the website. I also read that Shah Rukh has started acquiring negatives of his own films.

What I'm really intrigued about is the VFX arm of the company. IMHO, that's the most exciting part of RC Ent. Or maybe that's coz I'm a tech geek, in that I love gadgets although I dunno how they work 99.99999% of the time. If I have limitless amount of money, I'd buy some stuff just so I can open them up to see their insides. I can't wait for R.1 (or Ra-One?) to come out. I read that the film is supposed to be the calling card for VFX but looking at the fate of Drona and Love 2050 at the BO, I'm anxious about it. And then he comes up with this scheme LOL. I can see this will set a new trend in Bollywood, as everything else he's done in the past. He'd better make it work the first time around... or else some future snobbish industry's children will replicate the idea. And if their movies get commercial success, they'll claim that it's their idea to begin with and start asking, "Shah Rukh who?" ..hmmph.

Shah Rukh ropes in Hollywood writer
Mumbai, March 19: Done with his shoulder surgery, superstar Shah Rukh Khan now seems to be gearing up for his upcoming production ‘Ra.1’. The actor has reportedly signed Hollywood’s famous writer-director David Benullo for the film being directed by Anubhav Sinha.
David is best known for writing the screenplay of much appreciated ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ and the script for Hallowed Ground, Cupid and Shadow Man, which had won him accolades. And now he has been roped by none other than King Khan for his next venture ‘Ra.1’, which is reportedly an SFX film. An industry insider said, “‘Ra1’ has loads of special effects, which is why it is to be made differently from the usual commercial Hindi films. SRK wanted a writer who would do justice to the film. So he got David Benullo to work on the script.”Confirming the news, director Anubhav Sinha said, “Yes, David Benullo is one of the writers working on the script.” Reports reveal that the writer has already started working on the film when he was he was in India recently. ‘Ra.1’ is slated for release early next year.


At a time when everyone who's everyone is taking potshots at him while he's too sick to be out in public (Huh. Where were they when the guy was healthy and ready with sharp and witty comebacks??), he's doing all sorts of interesting projects from his designer bed. I think these 3 arms of his company will grow to be colossal, i.e. they're gonna 'infect' the entire India entertainment industry with their positiveness and success, not just Bollywood. It's like that catchy term people have now... 'the viral effect'. If they keep coming up with exciting projects, that is. Do you know he's bringing all the IPL teams on his next TV show? Yep, you can read about it here. I think if SRK continues on along this path, he's gonna be India's answer to Rupert Murdoch in.. oh, I dunno.. 15-20 years? Except that Mr. Murdoch has never been the biggest movie star in the world.. HA!

I wish Shah Rukh all the best in all his ventures. God bless~~

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I want to see "The Making of Ra-1" on ASTRO!

Remember when Subhash Ghai called SRK up to discuss on the clash between Yuvvraaj & Billu and SRK said, "Subhashji, your film is my film and my film is yours." and postponed his own film to give way to Ghai's (link)?

Here's the background to that. Red Chillies Entertainment did the visual effects for the film, so what SRK said makes more sense now... at least to me (link).

I dunno why the administrator of the blog I'm following deleted his post on the VFX done for Billu (it's still on display in my Dashboard tho), but since it's prolly over an issue important enough for him to delete it, I'm reluctant to transfer the post to my blog. I tried to find some other existing page on it and found this one. Click on the arrow button to view the rest of the slide.

Here's what SRK had to say about VFX:

"VFX is the way of the future. I personally believe that with all the colour, charm, passion and the lyricism that already exists in hindi cinema, the way to enhance the romance of films is going to be through the addition of VFX in our technique of cinema. Technology can only better the process of story telling and narration. It is a tool which the largest film-making nation in the world cannot afford to ignore!

Also, it is necessary to develop our own system as somehow the understanding of VFX in an Indian way is important because it will help us retain our USP of films and not end up being a reflection of the western way of thinking when it comes to effects. VFX is the next big addition to our films and needs to be nurtured and developed if our films have to truly get international in the near future."


Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Not another one?? I knew it...

Aamir Khan's obsessed with Shah Rukh Khan:

"I had absolutely no intention of kicking Shah Rukh off his pedestal. Though I have to say, I don't think he ever was on it."

...and there you have it folks. The one man battle between Aamir and the currently-very-busy-to-bother-about-petty-squabbles Shah Rukh.

I wonder what really happened in the background to have Aamir babbling like this... he's never cared about who's on top before. Heck, he's never cared to give interviews to CNN before, I think.

Anyway, this is the last post (hopefully) where I'm quoting Aamir's trivial comments on SRK. Or else, my SRK blog will turn into an Aamir blog, looking at the number of quotes he's giving on our guy (3 interviews in +/-2 weeks?? That's really a record). O well, Shah Rukh bhai did say he prefers people taking potshots at him than being ignored XD

Here's why I call it trivial:
  • I know why I love SRK. I know why he's my most favourite actor in the world, not just in India (Bollywood, Mollywood, Tellywood, whateva). I know what his accomplishments are (the published ones anyway, if not all of them). So it doesn't matter what others think or say coz I know what I know and that's enough.
  • I think his potential extends beyond what the current crop of Bollywood filmakers can envision for him. Frankly, I think he should start coming out with his own scripts coz I have a feeling that his stories will be wonderful. But then, that work would eat into his acting time and I want him in front of the camera more than I want him behind it.
  • I love all his characters in his movies... yes, even the BO-flop ones... which is more than I can say about some blockbuster films by other actors.
  • In a world monopolized by powerful families, he has made a significant place for himself and I don't doubt at all his dreams to build that 'empire' as he called it. He has his fingers in all sorts of pots and is doing okay/excellently in all his ventures.
  • Even when he fails, he'll pick himself up again with such a positive attitude and the way he risks his life in his line of work time and again (okay, I know other actors risk their lives too, but I'm not their fan) ...that every time I read those interviews I feel so awed and grateful that such a person exists for my role model when it comes to my work. I'm not the most conscientious worker so I need constant motivation and he's one of the people who provide that motivation and he's not even aware of it.
I'm sorry if I sound so mushy (lol) but that's why no matter how bad or negative the remarks against him are, none of them will take away that appreciation I have for Shah Rukh Khan... and you can quote me on that. One day I may not be as obsessed with him as I am now, but I think I'll still look back with a lot of affection to this time when I love him so much.

And that's also why Mr. Aamir, even though I don't know what is it that you're trying to accomplish here, I wish you luck in your effort. But you'll need an infinite amount of it and that's something I don't think you'll get coz not all SRK fans are as generous as I am.. ha!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Just mumbling to myself...

Is this article from the same interview? If so, it's okay. If not and he actually gave separate interviews to talk about SRK, I wish I could tell him personally to move on.

We're not bothered about who's more successful than who, or who's number 1 and number 2. To your fans, you're number 1 and to Shah Rukh's fans, he's number 1. And Amitabh Bacchan is beyond all numbers... Hindi or Roman.

Actually I could go to his blog and tell him that personally, but I couldn't be bothered to fill up his quota of blog comments per day.

Shah Rukh Khan accepts Aamir as 'Bollywood Badshah'
...this is for my own archive:
Aamir, while talking to reporters yesterday said, "Well what can I say. Shah Rukh always likes to be in the second position".
When asked that if he had a chance to interview Shah Rukh, what would be his first question, the actor said, "That's a tricky question. I would ask Shah Rukh how does it feel to be second after Aamir?"

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Mostly from: indiatarget.com

‘What they say about SRK' ?
...I noticed that when it comes to SRK, he has heroines he's worked with, or female actors he hasn't worked with, praising him to the sky. That doesn't happen with any other male star. Well, I usually concentrate on articles about him but I always manage to get sidetracked and read about other Bollywood actors too. However, I've never found the media collecting compliments for them from their heroines/other female actors the way they alwiz do for SRK. He even has junior heroines speaking loudly about being his die-hard fans (e.g. Priyanka) or wanting to kill his wife coz they love him so much (e.g. Vidya, altho I hope she was just joking about that ^^;). Other links are this one, and this one, and this one, and this one, and this one, even this one, and... do you want me to go on? I personally like this one though, and it's more about what he says about them than the other way around. But it got me laughing, that's for sure.

‘The names Bollywood can rely on’
...you know, they would have more bankable stars if they get rid of this system of pushing only their grandchildren into every new movie available and honestly nurture the new talents instead of trying to 'drown' them everytime their 2nd, 3rd and 4th films don't do well at the BO. I think there's a reason why all the new heroines SRK has worked with are people from outside the industry. And I also think it's only logical for him not to work with new male actors. He will prolly dwarf them completely and destroy any chance of them ever get propelled into the limelight. That won't be an issue with female actors. He gave Deepika and Anushka and all the Chak De girls their spotlight without reservation, and if you've watched enough Dil Se and KKHH like I have, he gave a lot of space for Preity and Rani too. There are some new girls he worked with that didn't work beyond that one film they did with him though (Gayatri, Suchitra... and what's happened to all the Chak De girls??), but I guess there's only so much an icon can do to give you a break. The rest of the hard work has to be done by yerselves.

‘Hottest Male Debutants’ of ‘07’
...a case to emphasize my point above. What is the one resounding similarity between all these MALE DEBUTANTS? They have a column entitled: pedigree. What the heck does that column have to do with their achievements, is anyone's guess. Hey, don't ask me! I'm an outsider. I know nothing.

Bollywood Industry - an unfair place for the commoner (Pt. 1), (Pt. 2)
...I like this one so I'm quoting it: "It is a rank outsider like Shah Rukh Khan who walks tall. His story is definitely their Bible."

Shah Rukh and His Girls
...I think this is what Karan Johar meant when he said, "What he doesn't do off screen, he does on screen," XD

‘Worse time 4 Bollywood’, Come, make a Movie ['Adlabs Films']
...well, this reminds me of that talk they have with Shah Rukh in the recent India Conclave and I think in the Summit 2007 too about corporates getting into the film industry. And Shah Rukh's anti-taking loans stand is much more understandable now. I remember reading how he bought his equipment for his production house when Dreamz Unlimited just started: he worked to the bone at his endorsements and his maal-functions until he got the required amount and then he poured it back into his company. I think he still does it like that even to this day. Also, the media only asks this type of scarily sharp questions to Shah Rukh, never to any other actor. I guess it's becoz he's the only one who can come up with the sharp answers. Yeah, I'm still in awe of his appearance in the Summit 2007. Please invite him to the Summit again. I think he'd go as long as you guys don't give him the task of preparing a speech on 'The Globalisation of Indian Cinema'.

Bollywood king spends four hours in loo!
"Considering the kind of films that Indian filmmakers make, I think that’s really the best place to read the scripts."
...needless to say, I nearly fell off my chair reading that XDDD

Star smoker!
...so you think only Shah Rukh Khan chain smokes in public?

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Headlines (from The Telegraph - Calcutta)

‘They all wanted a Shah Rukh song’
...an interview with the producer of Boothnath.

We’ve become tougher now: Shah Rukh
...what I like about Shah Rukh (amongst the gajillion things I like about him) is his straightforwardness in saying "I don't know," when he doesn't know about something.

Shah Rukh scores, India adores
...I shudder to think what would have happened to CDI had Kabir Khan been played by Salman. Or maybe it would have gone on to be the success story it was becoz the script is really good, but I sure won't be liking it as much as I do, which will be a loss to me.

No religion please, I am Shah Rukh!
...I like this article.

Red Chillies is red hot
...there's another angle to the SRK-VVChopra-Raju Hirani story to the one written here. I forgot where I read the article but I'll paste it in this blog if I find it again. Plus, I'm not sure what the real reason for Shah Rukh not acting in Robot is but he did admit he'd worked on it for some months b4 the deal fell through. Don't you think that the kind of discussion the author in this article was insinuating should have taken place early on? Surely SRK wouldn't have spent so much time working on his part in the movie, and then demand that the SFX must be done with his company or he'll leave? It doesn't make sense.

Shah Rukh’s success sutra
...this is exactly why I've stopped trying to find out whether a film is a hit or failure. There, I read that KANK is a hit. Here, I read that KANK is a failure. Now, I think the success or failure of a movie, on print at least, rests entirely in the critic's head.

‘I told Shah Rukh, sorry darling, now you are Shakira. Off with your clothes’
...is the 6-pack still in existence today? Will there ever be a director who will be able to order Shah Rukh to strip again in the future? Questions, questions ..and more questions.

Battle of the super stars
...I like how the media pit Shah Rukh against all the legendary heavyweight of cinema: Rajnikanth, Amitabh, Dillip Kumar, etc. Because he's worth it.. <(^o^)V

On the other hand, most of the predictions (if not all) on the marketing strategy of Billu have come true. Has he become that predictable when it comes to promoting his films?

He who walks tall on telly
...what some people say about the change of host from Amitabh to SRK in KBC.

SRK at 42
...I just have to quote this: "On the IMDB list of best sports movies, Chak De is fifth, ahead of Cinderella Man, Rocky and Lagaan!"

Ha! Thank you IMDB~

Shah Rukh’s sense of fair play
...an article on his association with Emami.

It’s thumbs up for King Khan
...I have to say, I agree with Kajal Chatterjee's opinion.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Quotes of the day

...I've read somewhere that Shah Rukh was the one who suggested Rakesh Roshan to take Hrithik as the hero for Kal Ho Na Ho but I wasn't sure whether it's correct information or not so I never posted anything about it.

Yesterday when I was going through news headlines, as usual with 'Shah Rukh' as key word (lol), I found this article. I think it's the one and only time Shah Rukh talked about it as I haven't found it written anywhere else. Not even in Anupama Chopra's King of Bollywood.

To quote what he said in the book about the whole Hrithik Vs. the Khan angle: "It was so wrong. You can't take away ten years of work. You can't suddenly tell me one morning, 'Hey you're displaced. You are too old, you are not good enough'. I couldn't get out of my house without someone asking me what I thought of Hrithik Roshan. It became shameless."


Taking things as they come (Friday, May 12, 2000)
Extract:

``Did it disappoint you that this show with Juhi (Chawla) and (director) Aziz (Mirza), did not turn up trumps at the box-office, as it was designed to do?''

Shah Rukh did not bat an eyelid as he came back: ``I have done my job as a producer of ``Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani''. I felt happy enough working in the movie as an actor. It would, of course, have been nice if the film had been a big hit, too, but its fate has not altered our earlier plans, not one bit. We - Aziz, Juhi and I - will continue to produce films for our Dreamz Unlimited. In fact, we are already on to a project by Santosh Sivan titled ``Ashoka'' - with me in the title role. This will be a small-budget film with a small cast and so, in terms of cost and the like, it will be viable. Next, I am doing an Abbas- Mastaan movie and Aziz (Mirza) is, once again, writing the script. So, you see, the `Dreamz' continue. I always have believed in making films I enjoy doing and about which I feel generally good. `Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani' was certainly one such film.''


``You must have felt very bad that Kamal Hassan's ``Hey Ram!'', your follow-up release, also let you down badly at the turnstiles,'' I pointed out. ``Would it have better if you had not banked on ``Hey Ram!'' in the aftermath of ``Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani'?''

Shah Rukh shrugged his shoulders to note: ``Let me tell you one thing - I do enough movies for the money I want from this industry. But an actor needs to introspect and engage in some serious cinema too - to test himself as a performer. In this context, I feel very happy that I got to do ``Hey Ram!'', as I had always wanted to work with the total cineaste in Kamal Hassan. Believe me, I was not in the least disappointed here, either with my role - I well knew that mine was a small part - or with the way ``Hey Ram!'' finally shaped as a film. Mine was a parallel role here. But yes, I would have liked ``Hey Ram!'' to do well commercially for the sake of Kamal, who is a good friend of mine. I will value ``Hey Ram!'' as one of my best films. Let me repeat, I enjoy what I do and I do what I feel from my heart. In fact, this is the only yardstick I employ while choosing a film. I go by my gut feeling about a project. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but that does not take away the joy I have felt while doing the movie.''


I draw Shah Rukh's attention to all the talk in the air about the kind of hit both ``Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai'' and its breakthrough hero, Hrithik Roshan, are. Everyone wants to sign Hrithik for his film. Does it, in any way, make him feel insecure?

If I had expected Shah Rukh, as the still reigning superstar, to blow a fuse, I was disappointed. If anything, Shah Rukh retorted, coolly: ``It was I who suggested to Rakesh Roshan that he make a film with his son, Hrithik, at a time when the father was keen to start a new project with me in the lead. I feel happy, therefore, that what I saw in Hrithik, during the making of `King Uncle', has been borne out. Hrithik is an extremely hard-working young man, besides being a talented actor. I could see the sparks in him then itself, though Hrithik was there but fleetingly in `King Uncle'. I have seen Hrithik practically grow up in front of my eyes and am glad that he has started out so well."


``Which,'' I ask Shah Rukh in conclusion, ``have been your satisfying films as an actor?''
``I have enjoyed acting in ``Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman'', ``Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa'', ``Baazigar'', ``Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'', ``Duplicate'', ``Koyla'' and ``Ram Jaane''. There have been times when I have not really gone along with some of my films - ``Deewana'' and ``Karan Arjun'', to name just two, but they went on to become such huge hits. So I cannot claim to be a box-office pundit. I feel I will always be an actor. It is so difficult to go on doing something well for long, after having been at it for years. So this is what I would call my real achievement. Once an actor, always an actor, as far as I go,'' wound up Shah Rukh, leaving you in no doubt that he is a formidable force despite the competition fiercely building up around him.

I just have to paste it here...

YashRaj, Karan Johar, SRK, SLB, Aamir, Salman, etc ZINDABAD!!!

"Commercial cinema the world over is the bread winner of the family, it is the child that doesn't go to school so that the younger one can."


I found this excellent post that talks about commercial cinema, specifically in India but it also touches the scenario in other countries a bit. I totally agree with the viewpoint.

I've noticed (who wouldn't?) the 'attacking' tone in the comment sections of youtube, news articles, etc. from fans of different Bollywood star fandoms esp after media hyped on alleged arguments/fights/disagreements/etc. between some of them.

I don't get it. Why do you believe everything you read? Similarly, why do you have to change how you feel about certain actors/directors/producers/etc. based on other's opinion?

See, I know Aamir is an excellent actor. He has even said that he's No. 1 and relegated Shah Rukh to No. 2, so I guess it must be true.. at least according to him. I dunno how star status is measured in India as I'm not Indian and Shah Rukh has never been interested in the number game. Since I'm his fan and my idol doesn't care about it, so why should I?

But I just can't enjoy Aamir's brand of films as much as I enjoy Shah Rukh's. In fact, I enjoy Govinda's brand of films more than Aamir's.

I watch movies for entertainment. I watch them becoz I have a lot of pent-up emotions in me and there're not enough exciting things happening in my real life to release them, and movies act as that release switch.

See, I spend my day working from 9am to 6pm mainly and go home to either do more work or watch TV or DVDs/surf the net/read books/etc. I'm not a social person so I don't go out much. I'm not active so I don't do sports, participate in societal programs, etc.

I have enough stress in my work so I'm not going to go home all tired, throw my laptop over the table and say, "Oh, let's watch a movie about lovers committing suicide tonight," look up youtube and hit on Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Plus, there's an intensity in Aamir's performance that I find I can't stand. I get exhausted just watching him emote. The one Aamir's film I can watch over and over is Rangeela. But that's probably becoz I love Urmila's sexy dance scenes.

Amitabh is superb, but I didn't grow up watching him. I managed to watch some of his hit movies when I was a kid but being a malay-Malaysian, I wasn't brought up in an environment where movies and movie actors are revered the way they are in India or America. I also have this thing about watching old movies by an actor who's already old or dead. I think this state of mind was brought about by River Phoenix's death. I love that boy's films. Then he just went and ODed himself and I couldn't watch his movies anymore. Now it's the same with Heath Ledger.

I'm not into Salman because to me he always has the same face, same physique, same mannerisms in most of his films I've watched. I don't really take it seriously when he's portrayed badly by the media off screen. I mean, what do I know about Salman's personality? His fans love him to death to the extent of proclaiming, "Salman's enemies are my enemies," and so many of them can't have liked him so much if he's so badass, right? But I'm just not able to take all that macho-ness and shirt-offing frequency on screen for too long.

There're several other actors who I thought show great acting in the coupla movies of theirs I've watched: Anil Kapoor, Kamal Hasan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Aftab Shivdasani, Emraan Hashmi. I thought Govinda was really good the first time I watched his movie all those years ago before he suddenly disappeared, at least from the hindi movie list shown in Malaysia, so I was happy when Partner was shown on our TV3 channel. It was a laugh riot, and I loved it.

Thing is, I love Shah Rukh in all his films and all his off screen appearances, while those other guys' magic only works for me in some films and it doesn't work for me in their other films. And their off screen personalities don't work for me at all. It's completely a personal choice.

However, even though the public persona of Shah Rukh Khan and all the other stars matter to us, their fans, why should we shove it down everyone else's throat everytime we're talking about them? Why do fans talk about their idols as if they know them inside and out? Have you eaten their food, stayed over at their houses, been invited to their parties, etc.? We only know how they are from what little we see of them on interviews/shows/concerts/etc. They're literally strangers to us... not our jeevan sathi or family members.

I thought it's all about having fun at the movies? Why must I hate Aamir because he derides Shah Rukh everytime his films are releasing/his blog is not getting enough comments, or Salman because he kept having disagreements with Shah Rukh at his ex-girlfriend/girlfriend's film sets/party and afterwards kept harping about the impossibility of resuming their friendship? I'm annoyed. I'm very annoyed. But hate? Naaaa. Their private lives are completely irrelevant to my life, dudes. I couldn't even summon enough energy to be annoyed at Amitabh for his "my TRP vs. someone else's TRP" post. In fact, I thought that and the debate that followed after was severely amusing.

Anyway, back to movies. I agree with Shah Rukh 100%. Movies are supposed to entertain us in that 1.5 - 3 hours we're watching them. There're fans like me who prefer them to be as reel as possible, and there're those who prefer them to be as real as possible.

I love fantasy and happy-ever-after Hollywood films like Lord of the Ring, Harry Potter, Neverending Story, The Matrix, etc. and I love romantic films from Bollywood like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai where the heroes don't get battered every few seconds by the villains.

I can't stand issue-based films for too long as I'm basically an emotional and hot-tempered person that I usually get angry and stressed out with the injustices shown in the films by the time the credits roll.

But I also know that there are people who love niche/issue-based films. And you know what? There's enough in the pipeline to satisfy both sections of the audience.

Do these unreasonably angry fans really want a Bollywood industry without either Aamir or Salman or Amitabh or Shah Rukh or Hrithik... or even Karan Johar, Farhan Akhtar, Sajid Khan, David Dhawan, Yash Chopra, etc.? From all their bitching, that's what I feel. That they want the actors/filmmakers they dislike or hate to just... I dunno... disappear. Unrealistic much?

I think with internet, bitching has become virulent because it's unchecked and sometimes even encouraged in blogs, tabloid/news articles, online interviews, etc. I've been bashed in my blog too (not in this one. It was when I was in a different fandom, not Bollywood), which is why I'm not so crazy about getting comments now. I only open my comment section in case my friends and some nice passersby want to add their input.

Anyway, in my meandering and rambling way, what I'm trying to say is.. chill, people. If you're not so jumpy everytime some star makes scathing remarks about your idol, I doubt that he'd be making such remarks for long. A case of demand and supply?

I'm sure that if only you could look forward to the good things about your idols... and on getting a more interesting life of your own... this obsession about who's better than who, whose movies are doing better at the BO, who's going down or up, etc. will hardly matter anymore.

Just concentrate on the love rather than the hatred. It takes too much energy to hate, and that too towards a stranger. Enjoy your idols in and out of their movies. Live life, be happy. Who knows... tomorrow may never come.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Today's talk on SRK

Aamir Khan:

• You were called the marketing king when ushers sported the Ghajini look during the screening of Shah Rukh Khan's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
It was a good marketing gimmick. I think promoting a film with another films is the best way as you really get to know your target audience. Usually, people promote their film in a multiplex through promos or posters but when people walked into multiplexes and saw 50 Ghajinis around them especially with the film just two weeks away from release, it created a buzz. That it was done during Rab Ne... helped.

• But it also created a war of words between you and SRK.
I have been working in the industry for over two decades and I have never made any comments about anybody. However, over the years I noticed that Shah Rukh has been repeatedly talking about me publicly. In all fairness, I too decided not to remain quiet and respond to him publicly.

• In his recent interviews, Shah Rukh sounds bitter about you. For instance, he has said that his kids will never be your fans or that his dog refuses to be called Aamir.
Let me say one thing clearly, no matter what Shah Rukh tells his children, I will tell my kids to always love and respect him. What he teaches his children is entirely up to him. I can understand that he is bitter as his films have not done well. I have only have warm regards for him and wish him all the very best. I do understand that Shah Rukh works very hard and gives a number of interviews, which I think is a wonderful quality. I think he is upset as his films have not done as well as he expected them to but I wish him all the success he deserves.

• Now that you have dethroned him in the power list, will there be another war of words between the two of you?
I am least interested in dethroning him. He can be very happy with all the thrones and all the crowns. I am not interested in any of them. He has never hesitated in making fun of me. Even in his films he has made fun of Manoj Kumar and Dev Anand. It shows that he has a great sense of humour but where does it all go when I say humorous things about him? I remember him saying in one of his interviews that he was joking about calling himself No.1. I find it very funny as I have never seen anyone proclaiming, 'I am No.1'. Neither did Sachin Tendulkar ever say that he is No 1 nor did Lata Mangeshkar. Take any field for that matter, Vishwanathan Anand never says that he is the best and I don't think Dilip Kumar or Raj Kapoor ever said that. I am saying all this in a lighter vein so he too should take my comments lightly. I think that his sense of humour suddenly disappears when it comes to me.

• Ever since the fight between Shah Rukh and Salman happened, everyone wants to know whose friend you are?
I find this very funny. I am quite friendly with Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerjee, Shah Rukh and Salman. Akshay (Kumar) and Saif (Ali Khan) too are my friends. I have so many friends. I meet all of them once in a while and there is nothing more to it than that.

• You and Salman seem to be bonding more these days.
Not really. It has always been like this and it all depends on who is free and when. We have impromptu meetings. There is no ulterior motive when we meet and there is no point for anybody to get paranoid. Come what may, I would not want anyone's film to flop. I am this industry's child. My father has been a producer and my uncle has been a director. There are so many people involved in the making of a film and how it fares affects everyone be it the director, unit members, exhibitors and even ushers in the theatres. I want everyone's film to do well, and our meetings are not about discussing anyone's failure or success.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Randomly done blog update

...which I will do from time to time if I feel like it.. ha!

Don't forget to look up my humongously huge post links for new addition every week (or day, depending on my laziness to study) coz I usually update the new videos I find there and not in a new post. New post is usually reserved for... errr, whatever the heck I feel like posting newly about. For example, I just found the India Today Conclave clips OMYGOD! I really love these uploaders *kisses*. There're actually other uploads but since I found a thread with sixteenbleeding parts, so I'm linking that one. Just go to that post, ctrl F 'conclave' and you'll find it.

Actually, you'll find two coz I've just found another 'conclave' show. It's different in that it has a more personal line of questioning and Shah Rukh didn't have to write pages and pages of serious speech about the topic (maybe coz it didn't have one). I love Shah Rukh when he's talking a mile a minute in Q&As more than when he's reading a script that he's spent hours preparing. And those who say he only talks about himself must have only watched 1% of his interviews coz for the 20 you've watched, you've missed out on the other 2000 in which he talks about all sorts of other things. You will only get to experience my level of enjoyment when you've watched a bajillion of his interviews. Keep looking up my links and you'll get there XD.

There were questions in the conclaves that he has answered a gajillion times before in many other interviews, but still he answered them graciously.. with lotsa humour and quite a few jokes that made me go, "Stop it Shah Rukh. The serious journalists won't understand that you're just joking," (lol). I think he's now at a stage where he amuses himself by coming up with different answers for each one of them in every interview. Which is why I've stopped feeling murderous whenever those questions come up again and again and again.. and yet again, coz I've come to a point where I'm eager to hear his new take on the old questions like: Why do you dance at weddings? Why do you endorse too many products? Why do you always say you're greedy? Have you been over exposing yourself? Do you sleep with Karan Johar and how often?

But there's one question I can't stand though and that's: When are you going to make up with Salman Khan? Ha! As if you tabloid reporters would want that to happen. It's really becoming a bore, that tone of voice asking the question so sympathetically as if his/her life depends on SRK-Salman's reconciliation. You know, the guy should have been resting and you're holding him back so that you can ask him redundant, mundane and completely nonsensical questions that are not even important for four-year olds to know the answers to. I like the way Shah Rukh answered Denzil though.. but then I've always liked it when he answers anal questions by turning the interviewer into the interviewee. It's a nice skill and I learn new things every time.. <(^o^)V

He's been saying 'power lunches' and about how corporate culture that wants to invest in films should be different since 2003... or maybe even before but this is the earliest (link) I found. The video interview is more like an audio interview though coz the picture is so blurry that I couldn't see much. And all these questions about whether he's entering politics soon or why isn't he becoming an activist who promote strongly some cause or other... you know, I think I say this for a lot of his fans too... why are you so adamantly persistent on trying to deprive us of our screen hero? Do you understand that the implication of him being active in platforms other than movies is that he's gonna have to cut down on his acting job? Huh, why do I even bother throwing this sensible question to this insensible lot. They'll never get it.

I think I should go pray and turn in now. It's way past midnight here and tomorrow is another day.

Did you know...

...that we have our own Twenty20 match going on right here in Malaysia? Uhuh, you read that right. We even have Persatuan Kriket Melayu Malaysia. When did all this happen? I feel like I've been living on another planet. Here I am blabbering about Twenty20 matches in India, and all the while a Twenty20 match is happening on home ground this week:

UKM buru satu lagi gelaran

GELARAN juara Kejohanan Perisai Raja-Raja berakhir kelmarin, sudah semestinya melonjakkan kegarangan skuad Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia apabila bertarung dalam saingan Twenty20 UKM bagi merebut Piala Menteri Pengajian Tinggi bermula hari ini hingga Ahad di Bayuemas Oval, Klang dan UKM Oval, Bangi.

Enam pasukan unversiti tempatan bertanding dalam pertandingan anjuran Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia itu yang secara langsung memberi pendedahan pertandingan berformat 20 over yang menjanjikan pertemuan aksi tinggi membabitkan sebahagian besar pemain pelapis kebangsaan dan peserta antarabangsa yang menuntut di negara ini.

Pengarah pertandingan dan teknikal pertandingan, Fairus Shafie berkata, UKM yang merupakan pusat prestasi tinggi kriket di bawah program Persatuan Kriket Melayu Malaysia mengharapkan pendedahan itu sebagai persediaan pasukan Malaysia yang akan mengharungi kelayakan Twenty20 ke Sukan Asia di Guangzhou, China tahun depan.

I still don't get sports though, and how am I supposed to buy the ticket? Are they still selling? Where can I find the ticket booth? Where the heck is this UKM Oval place anyway? Why are there only university teams playing for the Twenty20? Don't we have state teams or national? Why is there the word 'Melayu' in the association name? ..does that mean non-malays can't join in or if they want to play they need to form an association pertaining to each race's identity? I thought sports is supposed to be blind to race and religion?

...so many questions and no one to ask them to.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Quotes of the day

I may have to dance more to keep paying for the Kolkata Knight Riders! I’m looking for some weddings… I don’t like to borrow money, I like to earn it… Then, I believe in the dignity of labour… I don’t believe in my image, if I start believing in that, then I’m a fool… I’m just a normal, educated middle-class guy… I have no qualms about dancing at weddings… It wasn’t tough deciding to do so. Remember, I started as a street and theatre actor in Delhi… I’m a full-fledged performer who learnt his art on the streets. I’m Shah Rukh Khan because of what I do. (link)

It would be more interesting if people started asking me if I was having an affair with Abhishek Bachchan! (link)

Today's talk on SRK

Farah Khan:
“Once he got it (the abs), he was very charged. He had become like those self-obssessed heroines. I can understand, at one time I lost about 15-16 kgs 5-6 years ago and all I could do was stare at myself,”

Nasreen Munni Kabir:
"He goes off in tangents and you have to bring him down to the roots. He knows very well that he is someone the public sees rather than hears; and he will enact only that role for you."

"He will not have the same answer for you next week as he does today. He is seldom able to stick to time, but when he does, he is with you completely."

Farokh Engineer:
"I’m honoured that Shah Rukh idolised me… What else can I say? He didn’t know I’d be here… Shah Rukh, in fact, told me that I was the favourite of his parents too… That, for them, Indian cricket meant Farokh Engineer.”

A new interview is out...

Check it out here!

Extract:
How did you manage to hurt it in the first place?

I must have hurt it before, which I don’t remember. But it was not too major... just a little tear to the muscle. A muscle-muscle attachment is called a ligament and a muscle-bone attachment is called a tendon. So this ball and socket joint in the shoulder has three muscles. One to move the arm to the front, one to move it to the back and the third to move it to the side. The middle one, the one needed to move the arm to the side, has torn from the bone. I was shooting for this film called Dulha Mil Gaya... aaahhh... I did it for a few friends, Sushmita Sen was there. And there was just a couple of days of shooting. So I went and for the last couple of shots I had to jump over and my shoulder hit against the ground. I didn’t realise it then. In fact I shot My Name is Khan in the US with this shoulder, without realising. Then I was in a lot of pain. I couldn’t sleep. I went to the doctor... luckily I had the world’s two best shoulder specialists in the US. Both saw it and said the shoulder muscle was completely torn. A few strands were left and I had to get it operated immediately. If those strands came off, the shoulder would never heal. So I came back and got operated on. What they did was take the muscle and put it back on the back and nailed it, in layman’s term. Two nails have gone into the bone. So they pain. The muscle pains. The shoulder pains. I can’t move it for eight weeks. If I move it, the muscle will move away from the bone again and I can’t do the whole thing again! So it requires a lot of careful rehab. The external stitches have just been taken off and I am allowed to travel a bit. But that’s about it.

... I want to see his face while he was explaining what tendon and ligament are to the interviewer XDDD. This is why I think all his interviews should be recorded on video and aired on TV or online (video interviews coupled with the printed form.. why doesn't any news website have this kind of format??) and not just written down. A lot of the times when I'm watching his interviews online and remembering the same interviews in print, the black and white really doesn't do justice to his eloquence and animation.

Headlines

SRK to resume work soon
...reading this made me go on google searching for articles with these keywords: Shah Rukh Karan (lol). I found quite a few:
There's a reason (or many reasons?) why Bollywood bigwigs and heroines are fixated on SRK, okay. I think outsiders like us, fans/SRK-haters(again I want to ask, why do you want to hate a movie star? Is he that important to you that you want to invest that much energy on hating him? I don't get it)/media, should just shut up and stop spouting nonsense on stuff about their world that we don't understand. But I'm a realist so of course I know that won't happen any time soon, or ever.

Frankly, I don't understand why the media and fans/anti-fans are so concerned about who SRK is buddy with and who he's not on speaking terms with. But hey, anything written on him is added volume on my link posts so I think I'm only pretending to complain about it XD.

I've found a blog that talks rather obsessively about Shah Rukh despite the blog mistress/master's self-proclaimed dislike of him and his acting/looks/God-knows-what-else-he(she?)'s-not-satisfied-about.. with pictures and dialogue bubbles and stuff. I'm his fan but even I find it tedious to up his pictures (which is why they appear only once in a blue moon here). Reading some of his/her posts, I think I can understand why Karan likes to follow that anti-Karan blog he told us about in an interview or why Suzanne Khan exclaimed that "The gossips are fun! They have to be there!" in the First Ladies episode :P


Another headline:

....I did promise that I'll go around to search for the real estate deal, remember? I found this. I don't know how much of it is true or if it's the Boulevard thing or some other real estate affair (Shah Rukh is a favourite of UAE) though. Economics is a weird thing.. a loss can turn out to be a profitable venture overnight. I'll keep my eyes peeled for more news.. or 'news'.

I've always believed that...

...there's so much more to Shah Rukh than any of his current crop of directors have envisioned for him. Maybe becoz the first movie of his I've watched is 'Maya Memsaab', which is more of an art house movie than a mainstream one, that makes me believe it of him. And becoz I watched it in 1995 without knowing who he is and yet I retain the memory of his scenes, even though I'm such a forgetful person, for years afterwards. I watched it in the UK on one of the TV channels (I don't remember which).. I think it's aired becoz of Diwali. And yes, the bedroom scene was there, uncut in all its 'rear' glory XD. Trust me when I say, that's not my favourite scene. The one I like is the train scene. The look on his face while he talks to her over the window and when he approaches her in the coach as he closes the shutters, man.. I don't think I can ever get that one out of my system.

I think people are so used to him in romance films that they have forgotten this is the same guy who made a jaded audience in the early 90s embrace a homicidal psycho and a murdering amoral avenger, made both films in the same schedule, and won Best Villain and Best Actor respectively for the roles. I wish someone would dare give him such rule-breaking roles again and he would dare to take on that challenge without worrying about our reaction, as he had at a time when he said he had nothing to lose.

I have to say this, I love the roles he played in his average hit and flop movies more than the ones in his super-hits or blockbusters: Anjaam, Ram Jaane, Chaahat, Koyla, Pardes, Duplicate, Dil Se, One 2 Ka 4, Asoka. He gave a lackluster script such shine that even though the film flopped, people who watched it tend to remember his character in it well afterwards. I think a lot of cinema goers know the storyline of his flop movies more than of hit movies by other actors. Or maybe it's becoz the movies are 'quite senseless' (his words, not mine XD) with easy-to-remember/overused plots. But what I think is rather cool of him is that he's always managed to make movies with such familiar themes a hit with the audience over and over again. That's no mean feat.

I've watched Chak De! India and Swades, the films where so many people said that SRK has shown such a wonderful never-before-seen range of acting abilities, and I don't get what they're blabbering about. He's always shown such range in his roles.. so why did they have to make it sound like it's a new discovery? I've always equated watching Shah Rukh assay his part on screen akin to drinking an elixir I want to savour with every taste. In every frame, I can't miss out even one second of his screen time. If I concentrate on the other actors/background/scenery/subtitles, I always rewind that scene to watch him again. Maybe that's why I like watching the DVDs of his movie more than going to the cinema.

You know, it'll be cool if we have a gadget.. like the 3D or 4D goggle.. that allows the cinema goers to view a film individually on the same big screen so that each person in the audience has the ability to control the speed/FF/RWD of his viewing experience. We'll need noise-filtering headphones too, though. When that thing is created, I'll buy a cinema ticket.

Talking about DVDs.. I went to the mall yesterday to buy KANK (having finished it, this is one of those times that I feel like killing members of the censorship board), which I've watched online, and a long-due copy of KKHH, which I've watched a gajillion times on a rented VHS, and I found that Ghajini has already hit our stores. Where's RNBDJ, Adityaji?? Is it so successful that the DVD version has not been out yet? I couldn't find a single RNBDJ full movie upload in youtube (as opposed to Billu, which was upped in a flash a coupla days after its release). Not even a full video of Dance Pe Chance or any of the other songs. It's like.. they released the movie and then forget everything about its other distribution vehicle after that.

I don't understand film distribution. The more I try to keep up with the BO collection of RNBDJ and Billu, the more I realised that it's idiotic of me to worry about whether someone else's movies are doing good business or not. The ones who should be worried about the figures are the production houses. I'm just a person in the audience, not their accountant. I'm content to watch the movies.. if I like them, I'll watch them a bajillion times later. If I don't like them, I'll give my DVD copies to my sisters XD.

YRF, pls release RNBDJ on DVD immediately. Thank you.