Saturday, February 28, 2009

Interviews

I'm obsessed with his interviews but I find that however many clips I've watched on the net, new ones always crop up later on in the week. Or old interviews being uploaded or re-uploaded. Since November 2008 (I've loved him since KKHH but I got severely into him after he was conferred Datukship by the state I was born in: Melaka, or Malacca in English), I have never had a day when I go on google ..type 'shah rukh interview' ..and come back empty.

And I know that if Shah Rukh himself had known how many almost-24-hour days I've spent watching his interview clips on the net, he'd be horrified. He'd even probably advise me not to be so obsessed and start spending more time living my own life. I have to hide my router on weekdays now, otherwise my fingers will roam by themselves and type those familiar search words in google without my knowledge and my whole body won't be able to budge from the monitor when the links start to open XD

So I have decided to make a post where I can dump all the links to the interviews I have watched or bookmarked to watch because I don't want to keep the links in several posts... it's too annoying to open so many of my own links to get to more of my own links. This however will probably make the post several window pages long by the year end (if I keep at it, that is).



Billu






Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi



Om Shanti Om




Chak De India!

Don - The Chase Begins Again


Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna


Devdas

Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Dil Se

Duplicate

Kaun Banega Crorepati

Kolkata Knight Riders

Business talk

Talk shows

Koffee with Karan

Concerts

Other shows/news

Backstage

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Why does it always take a Shah Rukh?

He came into ads at a time when it was not popular for a star to 'stoop so low by endorsing a lot of products' and now actors, including the young uns, scramble to be named as the highest-paid brand ambassador. He came into cricket and they tumble after him to gain a piece of the stake. And now it's an award function.

Remember the Na-real (Narial) Award he instigated with Saif in Filmfare last year? Somebody has decided to follow that up with a real one. It's called the Golden Kela Awards. I'm pasting the news here:

In a spin-off from Hollywood's Golden Raspbery Awards (also known as the Razzies) which recognises the worst in cinema, India will have its own version of the same, Golden Kela Awards, to be held March 7.

Launched by Random magazine, the ceremony will take place here on the same day as the 54th Filmfare Awards 2009 are held in Mumbai.

"The Golden Kela Awards is the first of its kind to be held in India on the lines of the Razzies in America. It'll be very funny and entertaining for the audience and we hope to make it an annual event just like the one in the West," Jatin Varma, founder of Random magazine that is launching the award ceremony said.

While Himesh Reshammiya, Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan to name a few fall in the worst actor category, actresses like Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif compete for the worst actress award.

"As compared to Hollywood, Bollywood comes out with a lot of movies annually and not all of these do well. So, we have already made it clear that we are just poking fun at them with no personal remarks," Varma said.

The Indian version will also be honouring comedian Jaspal Bhatti, who is also the "Godfather of the ceremony" with the lifetime achievement Kela award.

Varma was, however, not deterred by the missing celebrity quotient from Golden Kela.

"We have invited the celebrities but we haven't heard from them yet. We might get overshadowed by the Filmfare Awards this time but we will still have a lot of humour quotient and stand-up comedians to spice up the ceremony," he said.

"Our celebrity quotient might be a bit less but hopefully we will have celebrities themselves attending the awards in the coming years to receive their trophies themselves just like in the West," he added.

The categories and the nominees have been selected by the editorial board of the magazine and will be selected via an online poll for the public on the website www.goldenkela.in.


...needless to say, I'm greatly amused :P
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The results are out...

And I'm not pleased! Why didn't Naseerudinji get the Best Actor award?? A Wednesday didn't win a single bleedin award! Also, the two biggest movies of the year (Rab Ne and Ghajini) did not win anything in the important categories. Geh.

Before anyone stab me with a blunt object for not rooting for Shah Rukh as Best Actor, my defense is.. he may have played the character to perfection, but I don't think Suri/Raj is an award winning role. It might have been though, had the story concentrated on Suri. To be fair to Adityaji, it's a story he wanted to tell and he told it. I doubt he made it with the intention of winning awards. I love the story, I wish it had won some big awards, but in my heart I also know that there are others in 2008 which are more deserving. Hopefully he will come up with an excellent story with award-winning elements and cast Shah Rukh in it so they can make another clean sweep next time.

Here's the Filmfare result (link):
  • Best Film - Jodha Akbar
  • Best Director - Ashutosh Gowarikar (Jodha Akbar)
  • Best Actor - Hritik Roshan - (Jodha Akbar)
  • Best Actress - Priyanka Chopra - Best Actress (Fashion)
  • Lifetime Achievement Award - Om Puri & Bhanu Athaiya
  • Best Music Director - AR Rahman (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na)
  • Best Story - Abhishek Kapoor (Rock On)
  • Best Supporting Actor - Arjun Rampal (Rock On)
  • Best Supporting Actress - Kangna Ranaut (Fashion)
  • Best Playback Singer (Male) - Sukhwinder Singh (Haule Haule - Rab Ne Bana De Jodi)
  • Best Playback Singer (Female) - Shreya Ghoshal (Singh is Kinng)
  • Best Debut (Male) - Farhan Akhtar (Rock On) & Imraan Khan (Jaane Tu)
  • Best Debut (Female) - Asin (Ghajini)
  • RD Burman Upcoming Talent - Benny Dayal (Ghajini)
  • Best Costumes - Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
  • Best Background Score - AR Rahman (Jodha Akbar)
  • Best Cinematography - Jason West (Rock On!)
  • Best Editing - Amit Pawar (Mumbai Meri Jaan)
  • Best Coreography - Longinus (Jaane Tu)
  • Best Lyricist - Javed Akhtar (Jashn-e-Bahara, Jodha Akbar)
  • Best Sound Design - Vinod Subramanyam (Rock On)
  • Best Visual Effects - John Deitz (Love Story 2050)
  • Best Action - Peter Heinn (Ghajini)

Here's the Star Screen result for comparison (link):

Best Background Music
A. R. Rahman - Jodhaa Akbar

Best Music
A. R. Rahman - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na

Best Playback Singer (Male)
KK - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)

Best Playback Singer (Female)
Shilpa Rao - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)

Best Lyrics
Anvita Dutt Guptan - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)

Most Promising Newcomer (Male)
Farhan Akhtar - Rock On!!

Most Promising Newcomer (Female)
Asin Thottumkal - Ghajini

Best Story
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!

Best Screenplay
Shiraz Ahmed - Race

Best Editing
Rock On!!

Best Art Direction
Rock On!!

Best Cinematography
Rock On!!

Best Animation Film
Roadside Romeo

Best Jodi
John Abraham - Abhishek Bachchan (Dostana)

Lifetime Achievement Award
Sanjay Khan

Ramnath Goenka Award
A Wednesday!

Best Popular Actor Award
Akshay Kumar - Singh Is Kinng

Best Popular Actress Award
Aishwarya Rai - Jodhaa Akbar

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male)
Arjun Rampal - Rock On!!

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female)
Shahana Goswami - Rock On!!

Best Actor in a Negative Role (Male/Female)
Akshaye Khanna - Race

Best Actor in a Comic Role (Male/Female)
Tusshar Kapoor - Golmaal Returns

Best Film
Jodhaa Akbar

Best Director
Ashutosh Gowarikar - Jodhaa Akbar
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!

Best Actor (Female)
Priyanka Chopra - Fashion

Best Actor (Male)
Hrithik Roshan - Jodhaa Akbar


...notice the glaring similarities? I wonder if the juries are the same people for those categories. Another of my pet peeve is this double winners these award functions sometimes do. Can't you just choose one of them? It's called 'Best' so that there'll be just ONE person standing at the end of the day (or night, as we have it). This happened to SRK too when he had to share the Best Actor award with Ajay (link) and the industry was lucky he poked fun at it in a jovial manner instead of making it a mockery.

One thing I love about Shah Rukh (among the gajillion things I love about him) is he respects the awards he gets and is not shy to admit that he covets them as proof of recognition for his works. I like that bluntness more than all this talk about not caring about awards and yet submitting his name year after year to the same award functions he's never attended (I bet everyone knows who I'm talking about here). To 'that guy', I want to say that if the awards repel you so much.. take your name off the nomination list coz you're wasting everyone's time in the voting process. The whole of India and the world knows that you're No. 1 (...errr, because you told us so? Hmmph...) so what's the point in contesting anymore, right? Take an example from Lataji and make scarce.

I hope Shah Rukh win some Best Actor awards next year (altho I'm not quite sure about the films he's chosen to act in this year, actually ^^;). But looking at the 2008 trend, I'm seeing some interesting things occurring. It's the year of debutantes and acceptance to the popularity of different kinds of cinema. I'm writing this with full bias: I think Shah Rukh is the person who has affected the most changes that's happening in the Hindi Cinema industry today. Off the top of my head:

1. He's the first TV actor with no filmi family/political/financial backings who came to Mumbai and was awarded Best Debut for his first released film, Deewana. That was achieved all the while he was thinking he'd be in Mumbai for only a year. To all you struggling actors, top that before you whine so much.

2. He's the first Hindi film hero who plays villainous roles, not in just one film but three, and two of them became hit movies. Actually, there's another recent one.. Don. I'm looking forward to Don 2 where he's supposed to give the character its wholesome evil worth.

3. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think he's the first actor who got the Best Actor award for a villainous role. In fact that was his first Best Actor win.

3. He's done successful remakes of two of the most famous movies of yesteryears (and the legendary actors who played the central characters are still alive and kicking), Devdas and Don. Hmm, I just noticed that both the central characters's names start with a 'D'.

4. He made a 180deg turn after Anjaam (and Karan Arjun + several flop movies ^^;) and starred as a romantic hero in a movie that has made history as the longest running film in India (second longest in the world, I think), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

5. His roles are so varied from movie to movie it makes your head spin: bad guy, comedian, gundaa, romantic hero, victim, patriotic sportsman, etc. Did you know that he filmed Darr and Baazigar in the same schedule (link)? And both are hits (by virtue of being a workaholic, he's always had 1 or 2 hit films almost every year). And he got away with Best Villain and Best Actor, one for each. Anyone else wants to argue that he can't act? In fact, I should list down some of his hit films that he made in the same schedule just so I can impress some people about this guy.

I'll stop here coz this post is getting too long and I haven't even touched the stuff he's affected outside of the film industry.. like ads, sports, overseas popularity, et cetera et cetera. I guess I'll pick up this topic in another post later.
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Friday, February 27, 2009

Wow...

oohh.. the official Red Chillies Entertainment website is so spiffy and bling bling. Me likes.

Check out the TVC section. O-ke, I've always liked watching nice ads so naturally that's the first place I looked when I browse the site. They've produced quite a lot and not all of them include SRK. He's just in there for the brands he endorses.

It reminds me of the interview he did a long time ago when he talked so much about ads and what he felt/thought about it. He's come a long way, huh.

What also interests me is this statement:
"It boasts of an in-house team of talented directord, writers, stylists and creative producers who would help you churn out world-class ad films.

The pizzazz in the Red Chillies Ads division comes with an exclusive access to Bollywood Directors namely Aziz Mirza, Karan Johar, Farah Khan, Santosh Sivan and many more to craft your commercials."

Well, when the company is able to deliver THAT kind of promise, it's only natural for the Ads section of RC to grow in leaps and bounds. It's really cool though that the collaboration with RC has managed to turn these film directors into ads directors. It's not an easy thing for a creative mind who's more familiar with churning out 3-hour length works to turn around and come up with a 30-second film format and does it brilliantly too.

..altho, I must say the Dulux Velvet Touch ad makes me squirm in my seat a bit ^^;

I love the Hero Honda ad. It's brilliant! Excuse me while I go watch the rest of them.
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Today's talk on SRK

Subhash Ghai on the postponement of Shah Rukh Khan's home banner productions, BILLU:
"My distributor called me to say that he wanted to release YUVVRAAJ on November 21. So, I messaged Shah Rukh and he immediately called me back. I told him – Since BILLOO BARBER was supposed to release around Diwali, I had planned to release YUVVRAAJ three weeks later. But now I hear you are releasing your film on the same date. Shah Rukh assured that there would be no clash saying – Subhashji, your film is my film and my film is yours. And very gracefully I think he has postponed the release of the film for me." (link)

The Dalai Lama on Asoka:
‘‘it is a brilliant film and shah rukh khan is a brilliant actor." (link)

Rakhi Sawant's rant:
“Just because I come from a poor background or don’t have a godfather, people think they have the right to say anything about me. I don’t like people laughing at me! Shah Rukh kare toh reality, Rakhi kare toh publicity!” (link)
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If I read another comment that goes...

...Shah Rukh is better than Amitabh/Aamir is better than Shah Rukh yada yada yada (I don't think comments that compare Salman with SRK are worth reading), I'd prolly end up hitting something with a blunt stick. Give these stars their own space, for friggin sake. There's enough role for everyone. Geh.

I wish they would take time to read the interviews (like this one) he gives when he does ..very occasionally.. mention other actors, at the instigation of the interviewers, so that they'll realise all this comparison business is a waste of time. But of course, be as childish as you want on the net.. is all I can say.


SRK Quotes:

"One must always go for excellence. If you are playing, be like Roger Federer. If you are an actor, be like Amitabh Bachchan." (link)

"I did ads because I need the money. And I find nothing wrong in having money. It is a proud moment for me when I earn money through my work. With the money I earn at weddings, I get the choice of not doing a film I don’t want to do. Many actors have done 70 films out of which 30 are just for the money. Like, many actresses are stuck with films they did only for money.

I am very proud of the fact that I never did a film because I wanted money. Even Guddu was to be directed in a very fine way by Lekh Tandon, though it didn’t eventually work out that way. I never did a film because I wanted to buy a house. A person who does a film because of money will dislike the film when it does not do well. This doesn’t happen with me. There is not a single film from the 35 films which I dislike. As a matter of fact, I have made it a point not take money when I do guest appearances. So that door of making money is closed for me. There is no easy money for me. That is my business philosophy. You should only earn money with your hard work." (link)


You think your acting skills are over-rated?
If my acting skills are over-rated, so are your writing skills.

So what makes you so special?
Nothing really. I guess my tears on screen are real. You know something? Actors are like healers. In the turbulent darkness of a theatre, they give hope, joy to so many millions. They touch lives. You know what makes me special? I'm just an ordinary man in an extraordinary world.

When will you do other kinds of cinema, better cinema?
When you start asking me other questions, better questions.

So what would your epitaph read?
'He was a good guy... at least he tried'. Come back tomorrow, I'll give you another quote. (link)

On Billu:
“It’s a space age film in a village,” explained SRK. “And, Inshallah, ready for release on February 13, 2009. Gosh, that’s a Friday the 13th! In this business, all release Fridays seem like Friday the 13th!” (link)

“The territory of superstar doesn’t belong to one actor today. Actors who have consistently worked for around 20 years are all superstars. Akshay is rightfully a superstar today. So is Aamir Khan, and Ajay Devgan, Salman, even Hrithik, though he is from the younger lot." (link)

What have been your strong and weak points in life?
My weakness is that I cannot say no to anything. My strong point is that I want to complete everything I take upon myself. (link)

"I act like a kid. Even my performances are childish. For me this industry is like a play house. " (link)

Drew Barrymore?
"Ooh, she's so beautiful, looks like a doll! And Catherine Zeta Jones, oof beautiful! The Slumdog Millionaire guys were so sweet. I met Dev Patel in the loo and he said, 'I can't believe I'm p**ing with Shahrukh Khan. I'm a fan!' I'd love to go someday to the Globes with a Hindi film." (link)


"I get people who fall sick and think I can cure them. I get people who leave their houses in different states of undress and stand outside mine. I get people who write in blood. Normally very short letters like 'I love you.'" (link)

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Of Angels

I think I have found the reason for that Knights and Angels reality show. Other than the reasons SRK and RC have given, might it be that the current budget pinch has led them to generate money through their latest Idiot Box project in order to keep their cheerleading team alive?

"It has been suggested that one of the casualties of the cost cutting measures that are likely to be inevitable for this year’s IPL fixtures, may well be the cheerleaders." (link)

...please don't mind me. I like to come up with krepi theories like this all the time XD.
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Headlines

1. SRK, Aamir, Abhishek Make It to Forbes List
...The US publication, known for its rankings of wealthiest persons across the world, has named these Bollywood stars among ten celebrities adding star-power to mobile phones.

2. Yesterday once more
...the Colonel is making another Fauji series. Wow. I'm speechless.

3. Youngistan strikes gold!
Extract:
“Stars such as Shah Rukh and Hrithik are stable and time-tested.” Shailendra Singh, joint managing director of Percept Limited, agrees. “Asin is yet to prove her youth connect despite the success of ‘Ghajini.’ So her unrealistic price could disappear if her next film flops.

Nevertheless, India has a large youth population and so it is guaranteed that youth will connect with brands.”
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Today's talk on SRK

“SRK is a global phenomenon. When you have that kind of stardom, other people will go through pangs of insecurities and envies. Every time any one is in power, some one will try to displace him and that will go on,” Karan said about the much-publicized spat between SRK and Salman Khan. (link)

On her item number ‘Marjania’ with Shahrukh Khan for the film ‘Billu Barber’ which is ruling the music charts Kareena says,” I am happy ‘Marjania’ is such a big hit. I had worked with Shahrukh in ‘Don’ for the song ‘Ye mera dil’ I think people like us more in songs than in films.” (link)

“It already has a substantial market in south Asia, China, south east Asia, Australia, Middle East and parts of Africa. In 2004 for the first time, more people in the world watched Bollywood than Hollywood films- 3.8 billion as opposed to 3.6 billion, according to Paul Brett of the British Film Institute,” he added.

He noted “Indian film Industry could tap 12 percent of the global entertainment market by 2008. Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood star has 1 billion fans worldwide- the same number as Tom Cruise. (link)
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I want this book...


...but it's bleeding expensive like OH MY GOD. It costs about RM275 in Kinokuniya and so heavy that if I were to throw it at a dog, it'd die a sudden and painful death (while the book remains in mint condition). Although, I'd have to perform the purifying ritual on the book afterwards and it'd be all wet and destroyed.

Hmmph, I can't even make a dog joke in my SRK blog without feeling sensitive about it now. Drat.

Mustaqji had this to say about the 4-kilo book:
"There is so much to SRK, Just one book is not enough, I think round about 90-95 books will do justice." (link)

And this is what SRK had to say about it when asked whether the books and documentaries being made on him indicate an early retirement:
"It's a subtle hint. In the last three years there have been three books. I think people are making sure that one book is released every year so that I finally get the message." (link)


I found SRK's comeback dog joke and told myself why not... XD. So I'm pasting it here:

When asked to elaborate, SRK told HT City, “Aamir had said it was a joke that his dog was named after me… and I said if it was a matter of [a] sense of humour, then my joke would have been that I also wanted to name my pets after Aamir, but my pets vehemently refused. My wife said people don’t understand your jokes, so please refrain from doing so... though I felt it was quite funny but I didn’t say it at that time. Nobody said anything about stooping low, etc. Stooping low would be a height joke.” (link)

...o-ke, maybe it's a height joke and a dog joke rolled into one, as only SRK can do. See, when I read this I can definitely see it's a joke. It's sarcastic and funny. I wish serious, intellectual *cough* artistes will refrain from writing 'jokes' at someone else's expense in their blogs in the future. I (and quite a number of their own fans) just can't seem to get the humour.

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Thursday, February 26, 2009

This guy just gets better looking with age...


...and if you don't agree with that, what are you doing in my blog? Gerr off!


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On brand endorsement

In recent times, there has been such a deluge of celebrity endorsements that it has led to the very clutter that it aimed to break. For instance, Amitabh Bachchan endorses or has endorsed Pepsi, ICICI, BPL, Parker pens, Nerolac, Dabur, Reid & Taylor, Maruti Versa, Cadbury and a few social messages too. Bollywood badshah Shah Rukh Khan endorses Omega, Tag Heuer, Pepsi, Hyundai, Clinic All Clear and Airtel among other brands has to his credit more television commercials than feature films since 1992. This over-exposure can be bad for the brand. Khan (as in Mohammad Khan, Chairman of Enterprise Nexus) adds, “We seem to have just 2 ½ celebrities in a country of 1 billion people which is a terrible tragedy. Consequently, each celebrity is called upon to push maybe a dozen brands or so. Which is great for the celebrity but I think it is pretty daft for the brand because the impact of the celebrity reduces as the number of brands he endorses increases.” Parmeswaran agrees, “Unfortunately in India, we have too many brands chasing too few celebrities. And the recall value drops by a huge margin when you move from an A Class celebrity to a B Class.” (link)
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Quotes of the day

"The shakedown, as it were, is affecting people who were in the business to launch, go public, collect cash and disappear. We're here to stay -- and we have no imminent plans of going public," said a confident Khan. "But you can never tell. For all you know, this could turn out to be a very carefully thought-out bad decision!" (link)

"Sex is not required to sell my film. My name is enough." (link)

"I enjoy making films. But I’m not attached to their success or failure. In fact, I’m detached from my films. Once they’re made — I let go. Films are mini life. By Friday night, I’m already moving on. My directors get disturbed!" (link)
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Updates

1. 'Everybody needn't be a Shah Rukh'
... that Sanjay Kapoor had to say this in the first place strikes me as, well... pathetic, not him but this whole 'comparison game' business. Why must every actor be compared to SRK? Even though it's a great compliment to the guy, I think it's really weird. Shah Rukh is a trend setter and a rule breaker. Maybe that's why his name keeps being mentioned everytime someone else tries to be different in the Hindi cinema industry. But really, I think it's a redundant statement, matey. Everyone SHOULD be successful on his/her own without trying to measure up to anyone else and there's absolutely no need for anyone to point that out to the media/public.

2. Shah Rukh’s surgery forces him out!
... ha! Filmfare officials have been chastised from forcing a sick guy out of his designer bed to host their award function (I think it's Colonel Gauri's and her army of loyal faujis' doing). Here's another link to confirm this news.

Even though I (and a gajillion SRK fans) will sorely miss him, we unanimously think that it is imperative for him to rest as per the doctors' orders. Anyway, let's see how the youngsters will do it. I wonder if they're going to emulate him and be as irreverant. Don't overdo it, kids. I know you have your strong filmi families backing you up, but those oldies won't appreciate being snubbed by lightweights.

Or maybe Filmfare will be as boring this year as all the years Shah Rukh (and Saif) were not around... geh.

3. My average looks kept me out of Bollywood
...extracts of the Irrfan Khan's interview (on Shah Rukh):

"But you’ve always been a serious actor ...
I did what came my way. But working with stars like Shah Rukh Khan, I have realised why he has an instant connect with the audience. They all love him because he gives them what they aspire and dream of.

How was it working with people like Danny Boyle and Shah Rukh Khan?
Very good. Both of them share a common factor which is humility personified, despite their achievements. They are also very creative. All this while I thought to be a successful businessman you have to be little dishonest and crooked in your dealings. But Shah Rukh changed my views. There is imandaari and scruples in his dealings."

4. I want to cater to kids: Shah Rukh Khan
... is an article about Raa-One movie. I read an interview where SRK said he wants to make an overbudget VFX-filled film one day and the day is finally arriving, it seems.

5. Malaysian critic appreciates moral message of ‘Bhootnath’
...I'm always on the lookout for any Malaysian-SRK connection that even a link as weak as this caught my attention XD.

6. SRK - A Creature of Habit?
...this is not really an update. I just feel like posting the link here for archiving purposes.


Today is the 3rd third day and I haven't found any new SRK post-surgery interview yet. Hmm, maybe my theory (the one I spewed out in my previous post) is whacked. I'll wait until tomorrow and roam the net again in case the internet time runs a day later than Malaysian time.
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I think the reviewer's obsessed, mate

I found this blog post that talks about a review he/she has read. I just have to quote here the review quoted there coz it has a high LOL factor. I'm greatly amused.

"The nude body of Shahrukh in OSO may also be seen as a visual iconography with sexual meanings, operating in a pleasure economy, and being an icon of “permissiveness”. His performative act in the song “Dard-E-Disco” is principally centred on the male body, symbolising a different erotic genre."

If we're going to get technical, nude or naked means absolutely no clothes, right (..or have I been reading the wrong dictionary)? And SRK still has his pants on, to the annoyance of some millions of his female (and male?) fans.

While on the subject, am I the only one who realised that the only time he showed that 6-8 pack abs is during the song? They (the abs) are absolutely covered right before and after that video. I think I represent a wide section of his fan base when I say I'm greatly peeved that we only get to ogle them for less than 10 minutes. Shah Rukh bhai, you're such a tease.

But reading this quote made me realise that someone has to take on the task of writing exclusively on this different erotic genre thing basing the whole argument on Shah Rukh's (half) naked body in Dard-E-Disco. I would volunteer for that job if only I knew what the hell erotic genre is supposed to mean. Maybe I should do some research on the subject.. ha!
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Becoz I like it...

...so I'm pasting it here for posteriority (hehe)

Link

Mr. Khan is much more than a movie star, like Hailey’s comet or Facebook or the Blackberry, he is more of a global phenomena. In fact, in a set of unnecessary scenes trying to establish a fictitious movie star like Mr. Shah Rukh Khan called Sahir Khan, the lavish display of musical numbers, spectacle, entourage, fan following and mass hysteria perhaps fall short of what the real person experiences daily. The night I saw it, the following was overheard during a sequence where Sahir Khan leans out of his helicopter heading to Billu’s village and hundreds of villagers run like cattle following him, “If this was the real Shah Rukh, there would be at least 10,000 more”.
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A quick ramble b4 I turn off

I'll be ranting about this topic several more times in the future InsyaAllah, so please be warned (lol).

I get extremely pissed off whenever I read someone writes that Shah Rukh Khan "CAN'T ACT". I think they need to increase the power of their glasses.

Lemme tell you that this so-called 'untalented' actor has done double roles in as many as 6 films: Karan Arjun, Duplicate, Paheli, Don - The Chase Begins Again, Om Shanti Om, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (did I miss any?).

Come back to me and tell me he can't act when you've found another actor who's done as many double roles and as brilliantly as he has done. If you haven't watched these movies, why are you spouting nonsense? Just to provoke?

Whatever. I know who I like and what I like about the idols I like. I just wish I could avoid reading those childish and nasty comments on my favourite idol while reading up on his updates.
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Monday, February 23, 2009

Roaming updates

I'm seeing a future where I turn fan reporter if this kind of updates keeps up. I'll give this blog a year to flourish before I can confidently say I'm here to stay XD

Let's get on to the headlines, shall we. Some are not new but it's about one future venture or another so I'll just include them.

1. Clash of the Dons at the Box Office
...I thought this one has been settled? Farkhan supposedly put his Don 2 project on hold coz Amitji was set to star on a Don remake (now why would he want to do that in the first place?) and that he finally decided to go through with it when Amitji's film looked like it's not going to see the light of day. Then it was rumoured that Amitji will be one of the cast in Farkhan's Don 2. Now this piece of news has cropped up. I don't know which headline to believe but whichever is going to happen, I think it'll be awesome. I love it when SRK is being challenged by heavyweights. He's excellent when he's the lone King at the top but he's beyond words when he's in the 'stadium' fighting it out like a gladiator. He's an inspiring fighter, that's what he is.

2. Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan movies to clash again
...my first thought was, "What the hell are they doing??", which was followed by, "Hoshiz, this is so cool!" XD. You have to look at our dull Malaysian cinema scenario to understand my excitement. Aamir's and SRK's fans are alwiz bitching about who did better at the BO, Ghajini or RNBDJ (Ghajini fared better in India, RNBDJ rocked overseas) but in the violent exchanges of gaali they conveniently forgot one thing.. both movies have benefited the Hindi cinema immensely, esp following the dearth of cashflow (let alone profit) into the distributors' and cinema owners' pockets after the Mumbai attack. They should celebrate the achievement of both films instead of concentrating on the supposed 'cold war' between the 2 main actors. But maybe they're just having fun being childish on the net.

3. Asin and Farhan Akhtar grab top prizes
...and RNBDJ + SRK are nowhere to be seen ^^;

However, I do think the fans have missed something nice in their uproar over the near-nil nomination for RNBDJ and SRK: a veteran actor and a debutante are both being nominated. I thought it's beyond cool that Naseerudinji got nominated for A Wednesday and I like Farhan, not just coz he's SRK's buddy but he's also a really nice actor. His movies are unconventional and they appeal to a modern sensibility. I hope he keeps up with the good work.

I want Shahrukh to do that too one day, being nominated as Best Actor when he's around 70 years old, not just once but several times. I hope I'm still alive to watch those award functions on cable. There are quite a few nominations with new names and non-formulaic Hindi films too so I'm happy (even tho I still think award functions that ignore SRK's hit movies are losers). I wish I could be this happy with Malaysian films that got nominated in our award functions ..heh.

3. Ghajini director zeroes in to Shah Rukh Khan
...what's with the 'out-and-out romance' tag in this article anyway? It's been appearing everywhere and getting on my nerves. Are they trying to say that Shah Rukh is going back to his 'romantic root' after 'dabbling with character roles' for a few years?

4. Hollywood here we come
...I'll have you know that Shah Rukh has predicted this since the time he first joined the movie industry and has been spouting to all and sundry about his dream for a one-stop shop for movie-making facilities that will cater to the needs of international teams who would want to make films in India, while everyone in the industry and India was still looking down on their own products (it's like Japan and their love-hate relationship with anime and manga. I dun get it). What can I say.. he's a visionary.

I know Shah Rukh said something about being bored going to the Cannes and Oscars. I read a comment somewhere criticizing him for that when he then turned around and congratulated SM for winning so many awards in GG and Oscars. But see, he's a self-confessed schizophrenic. You can't pin him down over any of his conflicting and contradictory 'statement' XDD

That said, I thought it was awesome that AR Rehman won an Oscar... oops, sorry... TWO oscars! I do agree that in award functions like this, major wins usually have political elements attached to them, but that's not to say that the movie doesn't deserve it. If a movie's good, it's good. It does seem interesting tho that on the eve of Hillary's departure to China to trade air-smooches with their leaders, India.. the 4th largest economy in the world (GDP of $3 trillion in 2007) and predicted to surpass that of the US in 2043 (wiki link).. is being recognised on an international platform like the Oscars. Dem right I'm seeing gateways being opened.
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Repetitive shmetitive

"You cannot deny the fact that you are getting repetitive."

This is a 'statement' hurled at SRK in an interview four years into his film career. ONLY FOUR YEARS! And of course he fielded it with his "I agree with you but see.." method he uses for anal questions but whenever I read something like this I alwiz wonder, "What exactly do you mean by that statement, Mr. Interviewer?"

If I were a director and I have a specific story that I want to tell, upon reading it I would immediately know who I would want to cast. There'd be certain visuals that move about in my head every time I 'meet' a character in a story, certain mannerisms that I'd immediately attach to it based on my memory database of certain types of actors I'd like to work with. It's like trying out clothes in a store, you pick one.. fit it on.. then discard if it's not suitable. If all of the clothes in that favourite store don't fit, you'd go to a new store and scour that place for a fresh look.

Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, etc.. they all have a set of standard expressions for typical situations. You go to watch Rainman becoz you want to watch Tom Cruise play the brash irresponsible younger brother to Dustin Hoffman who's playing an autistic savant. If you want to watch the reality of autism, I advise you to go to an Autism Center near you, not the cinema. There's no such thing as being repetitive in acting. If the roles an actor choses are similar from one film to the next, then the standard expressions become familiar.. that's all.

I have not seen an original expression from Brad Pitt since 'Seven' but I'm not complaining. I'm stuck in front of my TV monitor for close to 3 hours to watch him being Brad Pitt playing a character. Angelina Jolie is always pouting and staring intensely at everyone but you won't hear me bashing her. I watch Angie's movies to ogle at her sexy pout, so why the hell should I turn around and write, "Why does she always push her lower lip out every time her character faces an obstacle?" Even Robert De Niro has his own style that he never seems to be able to get rid off in his films. Keanu Reeves only has 1/2 expression (he alwiz looks like he's gonna complete it and then some film sequences get in the way) and he's still paid higher than all the Bollywood stars put together (I'm just speculating on the basis of the difference in currency here. Sorry if I'm wrong.. ^^;)

The only ones I can't pin down are Ewan McGregor and Johnny Depp. In fact, with Johnny.. there's still something in his eyes that stays the same from one film to the next, even in Pirate. Jude Law is fantastic too.. where IS he nowadays??

If you approach an SRK movie with the intention of enjoying it, I can guarantee that you'll enjoy it. There may be quite a few moments in his films that jar your logical brain (I'm an engineering student, it's a curse).. but if you've set your mind from early on that you're here to watch a movie about friendship and not a documentary on village barbers in India, you'll enjoy Billu. You know nothing about the underworld and the reason you're sitting in a dark cinema hall for more than 2 hours is to learn the nitty gritty truth of a mafia Don who has major deals in international drug traficking centered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia? Whaaa... Get real, will you?

I get a headache everytime I read reviews that dissect a Bollywood movie like it's some kind of NASA world space program educational film. Look at Krrish, or Koi Mil Gaya even. In what way can they be explained intelligently? Pls enlighten me. I might have missed something because I was focusing too much on Hrithik's sexy body (the glasses and the geeky look only succeeded in making him cuter).

I enjoy Shah Rukh because every second he's on screen he's doing something. His face shows a flicker of differing emotions that requires me to rewind several times in order to catch them all. In K3G, he says he's the underdog of the film and from the POV of the story, I think he's right. The antagonist is played by Amitji and the protagonist is played by Hrithik. SRK plays the guy whose problem everyone else is trying to solve. And yet, even though he's somewhere at the back being shadowed by the powerful presence of stars, like Amitji and Jayaji, with their equally powerful dialogues or by the vibrant and cool Hrithik-Kareena duo with their equally chilled out exchanges, he still manages to catch our attention (well, mine anyway.. I dunno about anyone else's). Because he's alwiz doing something.. whenever he has screen time, we're alwiz curious as to what he'd do even when he's told by the director not to do anything.

I realised this in Veer-Zara during the Lodi song, actually. That song is between Amitji and Hema Malini, while he interjected with the chorus. But while these two heavyweights are at the front doing their thing, he's at the back flirting with Preity XDD. And the scene where he threw the notebook at Amitji was so short (the frame cut him off from the shoulder up) that at first I missed it. I had to rewind it several times to catch on ..or maybe I'm just slow at detecting his supersonic movements XD". His reactions to a situation always seem unrehearsed, except in romantic setup. I actually don't prefer him when he's romancing his heroines. I like it better when he's roughing them up or vice versa (lol) ..you know, like what Lalit does to Maya on their way back from the discotheque in 'Maya Memsaab' or Reshmaji does to Rup when he's about to leave her. I thought those scenes are awesome.

I definitely disagree with any talk of SRK's retirement plan. Actually, I want to write that in capital in a blinkering 5-metre tall neon sign and put it up on top of The Imperial so that everyone in Mumbai can see it. Every time I read or watch him being asked that, I want to kick the interviewer's head in, bludgeon his/her unconscious body to a pulp and drown him/her in the Ganga river.
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Recuperating updates

You know.. this search for the newest news on SRK while he's under house arrest is turning into a delightful treasure hunt. I'm challenging myself as to what kind of article/interview I can find on him on the net and I'm seeing a pattern here. It seems that every 3 days there'll be something out. His operation was on the 17th Feb article and he did a face-to-face interview on the 20th (the youtube links I pasted in the previous post). Today I managed to find a phone interview done on the 23rd. Anyway, groggy after being pumped with pain killers or not, he can still disperse his megawatt charm throughout the chat. I'm sorry Shah Rukh bhai, I know you're in a lot of pain but your answers nearly toppled me off my chair with laughter XD".

You can read the full article here.

Excerpts:

  • Sleeping is difficult, so he’s got a special bed for the purpose; the back goes up and down, he’s been sleeping at 90 degrees almost, in a sitting position. Like a hospital bed? “No, it’s a designer bed,” replied SRK showing signs through the pain and grogginess of his ready wit. He’s started physiotherapy. “It’s minimal movement,” he explained, “I wrap up the Bombay Times in my fingers, my hand hanging by my side, it’s like doing a bicep curl.”
  • He’s been given a three DVD set of the arthoscopy. “It’s taken by a sharp camera, I’m all cut, burned, stitched and nailed, but what you can see looks like a fish in an aquarium eating floating food,” he described. “Some 30 litres of water was pushed through my shoulder... and the entire process is magnified 25 times on camera. It doesn’t look like a surgery... it’s quite an art.”
  • Yes, his kids Aryan and Suhana have seen the video with him. “They think it’s beautiful, quite intriguing and not scary at all... like dinosaurs in an underwater sequence,” he added. But he’s put the procedure behind him, now comes the recovery, and he’s using the time at home to catch up on work. He’s into discussions with script writers.

...and what's the strategy behind producing a film without him as the main character?

"Now distributors know, whether I’m in it or not, Red Chillies Entertainment makes good films."

See, this guy has everything all planned out :P

Other articles I want to keep here for posterity (somehow this word always reminds me of 'posterior' ^^;) :
SRK on his operation: Sophisticated carpentry
My relationship with Shah Rukh too deep to need formalities: Viveck Vaswani
Fearless King Khan
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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Interview: KBC

Link

"I told him in 1990 no one knew SRK and in 1991 he entered into the industry with no God father and no backing. And today he is a badshah... the King Khan. I asked him how does he feel today being a self made star and how does he react to the fact that many other stars with huge backing are afraid of him? And being his humble self he told me 'No person is ever self made. Everyone has help from someone - a friend or a colleague.' And as far as being given the labels of being King or Badshah he said didn't think he is any of them. He said 'I am only Shah Rukh Khan...'


Link

Are you coping with the obvious comparisons?
• There has been hype, pressure, comparisons with this other gentleman that I am not comfortable talking about. Because all this negative and positive carries to the children, and I’m wary about that. However what really hurts me are the SMSes.
SMSes?
• That newspapers carry in reader’s polls? When a Geetika from Bhayander says ‘SRK sucks’ that really hurts me. I read them all. The good and the bad. It’s like a pimple on the face. You don’t notice the rest of the face, but the pimple you notice. I remember the nasty ones. Some are very rude.

Is there any truth to ‘SRK vs Mr Bachchan’?
• See, no matter what I say nobody believes me. He’s an accomplished gentleman who’s 64, and I am where I am, and at the stage where I am the comparison is not fair to him at all.

But is there awkwardness? Are you two on speaking terms?
• Arre yaar, this is all because of that article that weekly news magazine carried. What’s that woman’s name? I’ll slap her when I see her next. I have been in this industry for 10 years now and I have never been thwarted yet. I may be anxious but I will never be thwarted. But nobody believes me.
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On being happy

Link

“My message has remained the same since the past 17 years. Be happy; Allah, Bhagwan, whatever you call God, has brought you into this world to be happy. So snatch whatever little moments of joy you have, and hold on to them tightly, as it’s really important to be happy in whatever you do. I have made a lot of films which have made people unhappy, including producers and distributors, so don’t watch those. Just be happy and have a great time. And believe me when I say, happiness is the most important thing in life”.
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On young actors

Link

My advice to young actors who complain about beginning in small roles, is to do the role but make sure people notice you. If the mass audience doesn’t notice you even in a small roll, you are not good enough and you need to develop that kind of confidence. It doesn’t come from wearing tight jeans, sporting a cool haircut or having a great body. That doesn’t make you a hero. You need to be hard-working like Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan, conscientious like Aamir Khan, persevering like Saif Ali Khan and all there like Akshay Kumar. The list is endless … and they all have some amazing quality that distinguishes them as good actors. Actors experience highs and lows, and they have stuck through all kinds of times. And finally, they have given the audience their all, and attained their success in entertaining”.
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Interview: During the making of CDI in Australia

"I married the girl I was in love with, and we decided that I would do 5 films and return to Delhi. That was on 26th June, 1991, and I am still here …. So I guess, it’s that injury that marked the beginning of my career as an actor. In fact, I did not know I could act, I still don’t know if I can act, but now I think my own reputation impresses me so much, that I think I can act, and act well!”

“The idea is to make sure that you’re giving your best, the very best you possibly can, and then leave the rest. And as I am never thinking about my forthcoming scenes or working on them, I am at ease when it comes to acting them out, which comes across on screen as natural emotion. I guess I’ve been acting for so long, that its become a way of life for me, and after 18 long years in the industry, its silly for me to say, God, the routine is tiring….after all this is what I do, it’s my day job. And night ! Like right now, it’s after 4 am….”

On his own production company

“We have a company that produces films, and when I say ‘we’, I mean everyone who works for it, either as a director, producer or even general staff. Aziz and Juhi Chawla are a part of it, so is Farah Khan (who’s also family), and a whole range of directors who have worked on our films, and inshallah, many more will. We produce a film once every year on an average; sometimes we are successful, sometimes not, but it’s never been considered as a business. Our vision is not wholly focused on business, but neither are we only a creative outfit. It is sustenance for the 60-odd workers in the company, and houses a fully developed VFX department, a complete advertising production department, and a film production unit. But I have plans for its future, and with the consent of my friends, I’m looking at making it a little larger, maybe get a few more films produced….although I won’t act in them, as I already have too much work. I would like the company to become self-sustaining in terms of money and technology, including equipment like cameras, cranes and maybe even a recording sound studio. I have a vision of a one-stop-shop for film production”.

On what success means to him

“If you start analysing success you become redundant, because it would take a lifetime to analyse something as intangible as success. I don’t think I owe my success to extreme good looks, because I’m not a stunner; nor extreme talent, and I don’t genuinely believe that I am the greatest living actor, but what stands out in me is that I am willing to take a chance. I am not intimidated by new challenges, and am willing to try something that has never been done before. I guess this attitude has grown on me because I am not bred within the film industry, and years in it have taught me a lot. I can do a bad guy’s role or even remake a masterpiece, but I take the chance despite my nervousness and lack of being completely in control. I give it a shot, and it’s my best shot. And I have my little rewards, like Paheli, which lost money, but went to the Oscars. Although I must admit that my desire to take risks has mellowed … probably because the older you get, the less inclined you are to be rash. I guess I’m getting old….”.

Reason for acting

“Primarily to entertain, but now I act to say ‘thank you’ to everybody who has, I truly believe, given me much more than I deserve . I feel a little guilty for all that I have, and the best way of getting rid of some of this guilt, I think, is by saying ‘thanks’ through my films”.

The rest of the interview is here.
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