I personally think that the franchise is a legacy for Aryan so all this talk among cricket fans and media about him trying to sell it off is really impulsive and baseless.
I don't understand why they're deliberately making his cricketing venture an uphill struggle for him, what with all the controversies due to the cricket officials last year and the Kolkatan KKR/cricket fans this year, but I'm telling ya it will only make him fight it all the way until he wins or until you guys leave him alone (and we know the latter is not gonna happen in a million years).
In a way, losing two seasons in a row takes the pressure of expectancy off his shoulder. Hey, I'm determined to look at it positively here!
Anyway, this reminds me of that "David vs Goliath" interview he did with Anupama Chopra (I think it's included in his Inner and Outer video). I've read a comment by an SRK fan who, being a bigger cricket fan than he is SRK's, said how he (it's always a male) had turned into a member of the SRK hate club because SRK's messed with the legendary Gavaskar, the Kolkatan prince and basically cricket in general. What a tall order. You're just giving yourself an excuse to make him a scapegoat for all your frustrations, huh? Does it make you feel better now?
Frankly I don't understand this emotional blender that fans always exhibit: "Aamir, I was your fan but after you insulted SRK, I hate you and will never watch your movie again!", "SRK, you shouldn't fight with Salman, I hate you and will never watch your movie again!", "Akki is King! SRK's movies are flops compared to his! I've never watched and will never watch SRK's films!" , etc. etc.
What does one have to do with the other? I'm not Aamir's fan and I've blogged on my feelings about him going around town spouting SRK's name to interviewers, but I would like to watch Fanaa (I haven't found it online and I don't have the budget to buy the DVD), a snippet from Taare Zameen Par brought tears to my eyes and I still remember Raja Hindustani and Maan with fond memories. I'm not into Salman's style of acting, but I did like him in Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and Partner, and I've always thought that Akshay Kumar's gonna be big in Bollywood and when he took such a long time to get recognized, I was sorta frustrated.
Maybe I'm an outsider who wasn't raised to treat these artistes as much more than the humans that they are. Or maybe these people take their reel life heroes so seriously because they lack real heroes in their mundane and dull day-to-day lives.
It's true that sometimes I feel like shouting, "Shah Rukh, don't say that! You're gonna get misunderstood/misinterpreted/misquoted/etc.!" but I bet that's what his wife has been telling him for 20-odd years and it's still not working XD. So I don't know why I should tell him what to say or what to do, just because I'm on the way to collect his entire filmography. Being a fan or anti (as they say it in Korea) does not entitle one the right to control one's idol's every movement.
Besides, if Shah Rukh had just been a good actor like Salman Khan or a good actor/producer like Aamir Khan, I would not have taken such an intense interest in his comings and goings. I think, more than anything, he has an indomitable spighit towards life itself that I wish I had. Unlike others, he talks a lot, and very articulately too, about his struggles, losses and successes. Usually public figures are only vocal on two out of those three things, but Shah Rukh shares everything.
Know what's the most amazing thing is? That he remains an enigma to us all despite it... and here's a measure of that obsession with the enigma that is Shah Rukh Khan, captured so vividly in high colour LOL.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Which is why I say I'm not worried about Shah Rukh over this whole fans-turn-haters debacle and that he'll be okay
There's a petiton to "STOP HATRED ON SRK" circulating and quite a lot of people have signed it. I've asked for it to be canceled in my comment to the creator but it seems that it was not approved XD". O wells, my comments and blog posts are not popular with reviewers and approvers all over the world, it seems. I wish I had saved that comment so that I can paste it here.
Anyway, I basically wrote that instead of turning the favour back to SRK, the media's just gonna have a field day over it and turn it into a "SRK fans vs Kolkatan cricket fans" circus. We have to remember, at the end of the day, the team will have to come back to the city (if it's still not changed to Ahmedabad or anywhere else, that is) and far from making SRK's life easier, it's just gonna add more friction between the fanbase and the franchise.
But hey, a fan's gotta do what a fan's gotta do, huh? Although I have to say, having disagreed with its conception, I won't sign it, of course. But I wish them luck in their belief that it can help ease Shah Rukh's public life a little in the weeks or months to come before IPL rears its head for the 3rd time.
Source
Anyway, I basically wrote that instead of turning the favour back to SRK, the media's just gonna have a field day over it and turn it into a "SRK fans vs Kolkatan cricket fans" circus. We have to remember, at the end of the day, the team will have to come back to the city (if it's still not changed to Ahmedabad or anywhere else, that is) and far from making SRK's life easier, it's just gonna add more friction between the fanbase and the franchise.
But hey, a fan's gotta do what a fan's gotta do, huh? Although I have to say, having disagreed with its conception, I won't sign it, of course. But I wish them luck in their belief that it can help ease Shah Rukh's public life a little in the weeks or months to come before IPL rears its head for the 3rd time.
Source
Shah Rukh Khan’s SMS reply to The Telegraph to a query whether he was planning to sell Kolkata Knight Riders
Nonsense… I have invested so much love into our KKR team that even if I want to… nobody else in the world can afford to match that. It’s amazing and a first for me. People believe that defeat means one should leave the arena. It’s such a wonderful feeling to be a struggler again… hoping to succeed… losing again… and again… feel the hatred… the jibes…. Been a long time since I wanted to beat failure again….
I feel younger, more energetic and so damn hungry now. Contrary to what everyone is saying… More than ever now… I want to own the arena… not run away from it. Inshallah, KKR will come out of this stronger than ever… and I am so proud being a part of this turmoil.
SRK philosophy
“My philosophy is to try and live every moment of life to the fullest. I have learnt a lot from my children. I believe children live more in the present moment than adults because they don’t carry the heavy weight of past like grown ups do,” says SRK with a demeanor void of any philosophical affectation. (source)
If this guy still serves as coach for IPL 3, I will abandon my allegiance to KKR
...or at least follow it suspiciously in the beginning and hope for the best without being as enthusiastic as I was this year.
I may be ignorant on all things cricket and I don't subscribe to the seven-point theory, but it doesn't take a cricket genius to figure out that KKR is at the lowest position with only 7 more matches to go. Forget the semis, right now my prayer for them is that they don't end up at the bottom rung by the time IPL 2 is over.
Hey, I'm a SRK fan but like I wrote before... I don't support a losing team. I don't think Buchanan is ever gonna let them take the trophy back home and if Shah Rukh doesn't realise that soon, he has no business keeping a team that's only gonna bleed him dry, emotionally if not financially.
Mr B may have awesome credentials, but I want to throw SRK's words spoken to Gavaskar at him (I've modified it to suit the occasion - source): "I respect Mr B - his knowledge about cricket is a billion times better than me. But this is an era where Mr B has not indulged in."
He even says something to this effect on an interview: "The intensity of it is higher than any one-day or Test series I have been involved in."
And what in the world did Mr B mean by this one?? "“We didn’t finish on the right side, but the game has been the winner... The outcome will help lift the tournament."
I intensely dislike someone who can't admit he's wrong, goes forward with his proven-to-be-a-failure strategy and in the process, drags everyone down with him. On that note, why must McCullum wait until the whole schedule is over to get the idea that they'll never make it to the semis? Why can't he save the team from being 8th by giving up the captaincy now? I'm not a a Dada fan, and the reports I read of his performance in IPL 2 has not succeeded in making me one. I don't care who'll be the new captain but I hope he'll serve the team better than McCullum has so far.
I still want to know more about cricket. I just found out that my univ has a cricket team (this after studying there for years). I'm intrigued with all the numbers being thrown around in comments and articles... sixers and fours, decimals in overs, +ve and -ve in net run rate, etc. Look up this answer and tell me that the numbers are not turning you on. It sounds like a really compelling game. I'm quite pissed that no one has ever tried to sell this game to me when I was at school.
So yeah, I hope I'm gonna be eating, drinking, and talking cricket come next year. But I've never been in favour of supporting a personality when a game is at stake. Especially if the personality is the owner, and not one of the players.
Not being Indian and certainly not a Kolkatan, forgive me for not caring that the team may move to Ahmedabad due to some money-grabbing officials. I just want the team I'm investing my time and mental/emotional state on is worth all my tears and cheers. Ever since my last view of the points table where KKR is at a measly 3, I'm not following the scores anymore, as you might have noticed from the absence of my live feed table in this blog. What's the point? They're never gonna get to the semis.
I'm angry at Mr B for messing up with the strategy from early on. Heck, even though I know it's redundant to be angry at an owner when it's the team management (or lack of it) that's at fault, I'm a tad angry at Shah Rukh for letting the dismal show carries on like this when it was clear from the 6th match that a fundamental change in formation (be it at the directive or player level) is in order. Maybe it's because I'm so used to him being a take-charge and in-charge person in his own professional life, seeing him give full reign to someone else seems so uncharacteristic of him that it jars my sensibilities.
On another front, the media has done it again. They couldn't get enough of dissing SRK when it comes to KKR and IPL but once he's on home ground and in his own element, they're all over him and saying things like KKR has disappointed him and that he's looking to sell it to the highest bidder. Losing two seasons does not make the franchise a dud, you idiots.
Having said that, I'm looking forward to improvements in the line-up, i.e 80% weed-out of current strategists in Mr B's camp (and if that includes Mr B himself, it's even better). After all, they've not given Shah Rukh value for his money and in the corporate world, which T20 is always made out to be by the critics, this kind of non-performance would have resulted in sacking. Is Shah Rukh going to be his regular softie self and retain this failed coterie for the next tournament??
This vent is good for letting out my angst. I feel calmer already. And if any cricket lover were to take this post so seriously as to quote it anywhere else, he (it's always a male) deserves a whack on the head.
I may be ignorant on all things cricket and I don't subscribe to the seven-point theory, but it doesn't take a cricket genius to figure out that KKR is at the lowest position with only 7 more matches to go. Forget the semis, right now my prayer for them is that they don't end up at the bottom rung by the time IPL 2 is over.
Hey, I'm a SRK fan but like I wrote before... I don't support a losing team. I don't think Buchanan is ever gonna let them take the trophy back home and if Shah Rukh doesn't realise that soon, he has no business keeping a team that's only gonna bleed him dry, emotionally if not financially.
Mr B may have awesome credentials, but I want to throw SRK's words spoken to Gavaskar at him (I've modified it to suit the occasion - source): "I respect Mr B - his knowledge about cricket is a billion times better than me. But this is an era where Mr B has not indulged in."
He even says something to this effect on an interview: "The intensity of it is higher than any one-day or Test series I have been involved in."
And what in the world did Mr B mean by this one?? "“We didn’t finish on the right side, but the game has been the winner... The outcome will help lift the tournament."
I intensely dislike someone who can't admit he's wrong, goes forward with his proven-to-be-a-failure strategy and in the process, drags everyone down with him. On that note, why must McCullum wait until the whole schedule is over to get the idea that they'll never make it to the semis? Why can't he save the team from being 8th by giving up the captaincy now? I'm not a a Dada fan, and the reports I read of his performance in IPL 2 has not succeeded in making me one. I don't care who'll be the new captain but I hope he'll serve the team better than McCullum has so far.
I still want to know more about cricket. I just found out that my univ has a cricket team (this after studying there for years). I'm intrigued with all the numbers being thrown around in comments and articles... sixers and fours, decimals in overs, +ve and -ve in net run rate, etc. Look up this answer and tell me that the numbers are not turning you on. It sounds like a really compelling game. I'm quite pissed that no one has ever tried to sell this game to me when I was at school.
So yeah, I hope I'm gonna be eating, drinking, and talking cricket come next year. But I've never been in favour of supporting a personality when a game is at stake. Especially if the personality is the owner, and not one of the players.
Not being Indian and certainly not a Kolkatan, forgive me for not caring that the team may move to Ahmedabad due to some money-grabbing officials. I just want the team I'm investing my time and mental/emotional state on is worth all my tears and cheers. Ever since my last view of the points table where KKR is at a measly 3, I'm not following the scores anymore, as you might have noticed from the absence of my live feed table in this blog. What's the point? They're never gonna get to the semis.
I'm angry at Mr B for messing up with the strategy from early on. Heck, even though I know it's redundant to be angry at an owner when it's the team management (or lack of it) that's at fault, I'm a tad angry at Shah Rukh for letting the dismal show carries on like this when it was clear from the 6th match that a fundamental change in formation (be it at the directive or player level) is in order. Maybe it's because I'm so used to him being a take-charge and in-charge person in his own professional life, seeing him give full reign to someone else seems so uncharacteristic of him that it jars my sensibilities.
On another front, the media has done it again. They couldn't get enough of dissing SRK when it comes to KKR and IPL but once he's on home ground and in his own element, they're all over him and saying things like KKR has disappointed him and that he's looking to sell it to the highest bidder. Losing two seasons does not make the franchise a dud, you idiots.
Having said that, I'm looking forward to improvements in the line-up, i.e 80% weed-out of current strategists in Mr B's camp (and if that includes Mr B himself, it's even better). After all, they've not given Shah Rukh value for his money and in the corporate world, which T20 is always made out to be by the critics, this kind of non-performance would have resulted in sacking. Is Shah Rukh going to be his regular softie self and retain this failed coterie for the next tournament??
This vent is good for letting out my angst. I feel calmer already. And if any cricket lover were to take this post so seriously as to quote it anywhere else, he (it's always a male) deserves a whack on the head.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
T___T
Kolkata Knight Riders lost again tonight. They're so far behind in points, it's not even funny. No, it's never been funny from the start. I'm angry that the team I support is being messed this way.
Shah Rukh, I know you know more about cricket than I do... but seriously. There're only two things to do to get you and the team back in favour at Kolkata and a winning formula at IPL. Send Buchanan with his royal family and escorts back to Australia where they belong, and get Sourav back into captaincy. Although, I wonder if he'd be keen on getting the title again the way he's been hoisted off so unceremoniously by Buchanan in SA.
In fact, if the IPL were to be looked at, the whole enterprise has gone into a sour phase. If critics were to be believed, that is. And you know how heavy-handed those doom-sayers are on any matter unconventional and new.
Oh God. It's true what they say. Real life is stranger than fiction. I bet even the movie industry has never given Shah Rukh Khan this much nightmare and so many sleepless nights. He's even come up with that ingenious 'celebrity guest' concept in addition to dancing at more weddings, probably to fill up the hole in his pocket burnt by his destructive brushes with IPL. The way the media has made a field day of his losses ...their excited buzz is like a nest teeming with gleeful hornets.
I'm depressed. Maybe I should go watch anime for a coupla weeks, or until the tournament is over, to get myself off this IPL funk.
Shah Rukh, I know you know more about cricket than I do... but seriously. There're only two things to do to get you and the team back in favour at Kolkata and a winning formula at IPL. Send Buchanan with his royal family and escorts back to Australia where they belong, and get Sourav back into captaincy. Although, I wonder if he'd be keen on getting the title again the way he's been hoisted off so unceremoniously by Buchanan in SA.
In fact, if the IPL were to be looked at, the whole enterprise has gone into a sour phase. If critics were to be believed, that is. And you know how heavy-handed those doom-sayers are on any matter unconventional and new.
Oh God. It's true what they say. Real life is stranger than fiction. I bet even the movie industry has never given Shah Rukh Khan this much nightmare and so many sleepless nights. He's even come up with that ingenious 'celebrity guest' concept in addition to dancing at more weddings, probably to fill up the hole in his pocket burnt by his destructive brushes with IPL. The way the media has made a field day of his losses ...their excited buzz is like a nest teeming with gleeful hornets.
I'm depressed. Maybe I should go watch anime for a coupla weeks, or until the tournament is over, to get myself off this IPL funk.
FanSpeak: KKR fans seek SRK exit!
Source
Soumya Sengupta: I'm quite happy you are planning to sell your team. Thank god, we will get someone who knows what cricket is all about and not one who is just after the moolah.
Sundaram: You have a stakeholder called fan base, which I think gives you a major part of your profit. And you know what, nobody gives a damm to your waving or puffing during matches.
The Boss C: The Knight Riders team management had come up with "illogical cricket theories" to get media attention. They had also insulted "one of our gods of cricket" Sunil Gavaskar and "played with our emotion and humiliated our local lad Ganguly". "We need to stop this nightmare", it was "high time to hand out the pink slips and take a u-turn". In case that does happen, "we will come back to you" (The fan also sounded more than miffed for dropping Kolkata from the team name, for the fake blogger saga and the "illogical team composition")
Soumya Sengupta: I'm quite happy you are planning to sell your team. Thank god, we will get someone who knows what cricket is all about and not one who is just after the moolah.
Sundaram: You have a stakeholder called fan base, which I think gives you a major part of your profit. And you know what, nobody gives a damm to your waving or puffing during matches.
The Boss C: The Knight Riders team management had come up with "illogical cricket theories" to get media attention. They had also insulted "one of our gods of cricket" Sunil Gavaskar and "played with our emotion and humiliated our local lad Ganguly". "We need to stop this nightmare", it was "high time to hand out the pink slips and take a u-turn". In case that does happen, "we will come back to you" (The fan also sounded more than miffed for dropping Kolkata from the team name, for the fake blogger saga and the "illogical team composition")
Watch the video for the rousing welcome they gave SRK last year. So if Shah Rukh does everything according to their taste, they'll love him and if not, they'll burn his posters and ban his movies?
Maybe one of these real cricket lovers from Kolkata should pool enough money to buy the franchise off his hand since they know the game so much more than he does.
Oh, and one more thing... look up the list of IPL team owners and name me an owner who 'knows what cricket is all about'... which one? Vijay Mallya? India Cements? Reliance Industries Ltd?
IPL is not just about cricket. It's high time everyone accepts that so we all can get on with life.
Quote of the day
"The expenses involved are huge, and I am not doing the figures. I will see what it is like at the end of the year and then, depending on the balance sheet, I will have to dance at a few more marriages." (source)
...and he was true to his words, as he always is.
...and he was true to his words, as he always is.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Not a pretty picture...
Source: SRK packed off from the Cricket arena. IPL franchisees' Deccan & Royals - selling stake
It is lot of restructuring at BCCI. Ever since the ICC pushed for an early resolution with ICL and the Essel groups’ response to failed negotiations with strong legal actions have caused a lot of concern for the BCCI. The IPL cash-cow too has left a lot of loop holes in the second season.
The announced deal and revised hike by IPl broadcaster Sony; is not all black and white. According to sources it seems that Sony will not part with cash and some parts of the revised hike, is in format of barter to the IPL & its franchisees- in terms of free air time for promotion.
Tickets are being sold at a low rate of only about Rs 100. Even this low rate is not educing full houses and false propaganda of sell-out matches have become part of the IPL fictional folklore. This has left the franchisees with lot of heartburn; the central revenue (largely coming from the Bradcaster fee) may not see a hike in actual cash-flow as is being proclaimed by IPL officials. Gate receipts are a long foregone history making the red on franchisee balance-sheet’s far more prominent and dark.
SRK ill- advised to drop his city loyalty base and reposition his team into a pan global identity has met with dust. Latest reports that the Bollywood Badshah is on his way out of the IPL circus, further compounded by his teams’ disastrous cricket performance.
Despite better cricket performances Rajashtan Royals & Kings 11 Punjab are financially bleeding and are looking for stake holders to keep the ship floating. The only way IPL franchisees’ can be bailed out is in form of additional central revenue from IPL.
However that seems a distant reality with Sony officials admitting that offering additional broadcast fees was a mistake, especially after learning that the competitive suitors NDTV & ESPN were never serious about paying the revised rates demanded by the IPL body.
Sony now has offered the IPL and its franchisee a strict part payment in barter (free air time for promotion) that results in lack on additional cash revenue from the central revenue system offered by IPL to its franchisees.
.
.
.
.
.
These look interesting times for the BCCI president Shashank Manohar. His dislike for Lalit Modi is well documented by his absence at both the first and second seasons of IPL. His boss and mentor Sharad Pawar too has distanced himself from Lalit Modi in season-2. Srinivasan, Rajeev Shukla and Niranjan Shah ( BCCI powerbrokers) are fence sitters and waiting for the election results. Rumors are also afloat that if the congress returns to power Lalit Modi’s stint in Indian cricket would be history.
If the ICL issue was not enough then the BCCI also has to content with the APL ( American Premiere League). The BCCI wants to monopolize the game but an over priced IPL has broadcasters and prospective sponsors looking at private leagues like the ICL & upcoming APL as a more value for money proposition. These are interesting times in cricket Will the monopoly of BCCI continue or will it have to share space with ICL & APL? It’s an answer that only time will tell.
It is lot of restructuring at BCCI. Ever since the ICC pushed for an early resolution with ICL and the Essel groups’ response to failed negotiations with strong legal actions have caused a lot of concern for the BCCI. The IPL cash-cow too has left a lot of loop holes in the second season.
The announced deal and revised hike by IPl broadcaster Sony; is not all black and white. According to sources it seems that Sony will not part with cash and some parts of the revised hike, is in format of barter to the IPL & its franchisees- in terms of free air time for promotion.
Tickets are being sold at a low rate of only about Rs 100. Even this low rate is not educing full houses and false propaganda of sell-out matches have become part of the IPL fictional folklore. This has left the franchisees with lot of heartburn; the central revenue (largely coming from the Bradcaster fee) may not see a hike in actual cash-flow as is being proclaimed by IPL officials. Gate receipts are a long foregone history making the red on franchisee balance-sheet’s far more prominent and dark.
SRK ill- advised to drop his city loyalty base and reposition his team into a pan global identity has met with dust. Latest reports that the Bollywood Badshah is on his way out of the IPL circus, further compounded by his teams’ disastrous cricket performance.
Despite better cricket performances Rajashtan Royals & Kings 11 Punjab are financially bleeding and are looking for stake holders to keep the ship floating. The only way IPL franchisees’ can be bailed out is in form of additional central revenue from IPL.
However that seems a distant reality with Sony officials admitting that offering additional broadcast fees was a mistake, especially after learning that the competitive suitors NDTV & ESPN were never serious about paying the revised rates demanded by the IPL body.
Sony now has offered the IPL and its franchisee a strict part payment in barter (free air time for promotion) that results in lack on additional cash revenue from the central revenue system offered by IPL to its franchisees.
.
.
.
.
.
These look interesting times for the BCCI president Shashank Manohar. His dislike for Lalit Modi is well documented by his absence at both the first and second seasons of IPL. His boss and mentor Sharad Pawar too has distanced himself from Lalit Modi in season-2. Srinivasan, Rajeev Shukla and Niranjan Shah ( BCCI powerbrokers) are fence sitters and waiting for the election results. Rumors are also afloat that if the congress returns to power Lalit Modi’s stint in Indian cricket would be history.
If the ICL issue was not enough then the BCCI also has to content with the APL ( American Premiere League). The BCCI wants to monopolize the game but an over priced IPL has broadcasters and prospective sponsors looking at private leagues like the ICL & upcoming APL as a more value for money proposition. These are interesting times in cricket Will the monopoly of BCCI continue or will it have to share space with ICL & APL? It’s an answer that only time will tell.
Kolkata Knight Riders has the lowest point
... I dunno what else to say. At this rate, never mind semi-finals, they'd probably end up at 8th rank as opposed to 6th last year.
For someone who knows nothing of cricket, at first I don't want to give my unsolicited opinion. But after reading so many articles, I feel like saying this anyway. Shah Rukh, weed out your strategists. And if you can replace your coach, it's even better. Also, turn the cricket spotlight away from yourself, please! It's the 2nd year already, time for KKR to get pushed onto the stage. I know you think of them as your kids, but they should be professional enough to handle the limelight and all the poison that comes with it.
I have a deep feeling of angst towards Buchanan right now. I don't understand what he's doing with the team. When the multiple-captaincy strategy was first given out and Dada's fans said it's a ploy to oust him from captaincy, I thought they were just being paranoid. But when he's replaced by McCullum and the multiple captains are nowhere in sight, I begin to believe that they're right. Then came that article stating all the strategists in Buchanan's camp and I went @_@ ...why are his son(s) employed along with him and why are all of them westerners (I don't know if all of them are Australians or not)?
I know Shah Rukh said he's not gonna interfere in the cricketing decisions made by his cricket staff, but he's let them have free reign with his team for 2 years and they're not producing good results. It's time he hardens his soft-hearted sentiment towards them and take some tough actions. At the end of the day, no matter how much love he pours onto the franchise, if they're not winning games, the enjoyment of IPL cricket will soon sour for everyone: him, the team, the fans. It's understandable that one team will lose and one team will win in a game... but there's no point in going on the field if you don't play to win. Honestly, is KKR playing to win right now?
That's my 2-cent worth anyway. I love KKR... the franchise is the most attractive among them all: good line-up, nice image, excellent promotion, and Shah Rukh as co-owner. I want them to be at the top of the heap in IPL 3 (I've given up that impossible dream for IPL 2, sorry). Shah Rukh is a good brand on his own right so I don't think KKR endorsers will give up on him that easily (case in point: the Hyundai collaboration). Just by having him on board ensures maximum interest from oversea viewers regardless of whatever opinion the Indian cricket lovers have towards him. Heck, the only reason why I'm taking an interest in IPL at all is because of Shah Rukh and I'm sure there're thousands, if not millions or billions, of people out there who are the same. Shah Rukh might joke about him being the USP of IPL, but to us SRK oversea fans, what he said is completely true.
We want KKR to win because we want Shah Rukh to win. That's all there is to it. And if that irks cricket lovers everywhere, then we're sorry but we're not gonna be apologetic about this. I'm telling you, write KKR off now and if SRK and his team manage to turn it around and make a winning venture in 5 years time, all you malicious reporters will then churn out article after article of what an ace businessman and sports person he is. We've all seen/read/heard how that's happened before.
I wish him and his team all the best and God bless!
Malicious
So, this is what they want huh? If I were to subscribe to a conspiracy theory, the whole controversies were staged right from the start to force Shah Rukh to let go of his cricket enterprise. But of course people would say I'm paranoid if I were to say that. O well, he's been through all this before with his production company (Dreamz Unlimited). The only difference is, his IPL venture is the only venture that does not have his direct participation as he's not one of the players on the field. If you ask me, in the long run he'd lose out if he sold KKR. But what about the immediate cost? I don't want him to sell his body to pay for maintaining the team (as he jokingly said in an interview).
I'll let you read the malicious reports and make up your mind about them yourselves:
Exclusive Report: Shah Rukh Khan To Sell Knight Riders
According to the Red Chillies official, Khan wants to exit, owing to the team’s poor performance — so far the team has won only one rain-curtailed game under the Duckworth Lewis method — and rising costs.
“If the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) does not increase the number of teams for next year, Khan could get double what he paid,” said the Red Chillies official.
Khan is supposed to pay Rs 30 crore per year for the next 10 years. The total annual cost for the team is about Rs 75 crore.
Khan had earlier said that KKR was easily the most successful IPL franchise, making a Rs 13 crore profit last year. However, his costs trebled last year owing to interventions from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Cricket Association of Bengal.
According to initial calculations, Red Chillies had to pay Rs 90 lakh per match and was supposed to earn Rs 3 crore if all stadium tickets were sold at Eden Gardens. Red Chillies had to pay Rs 20 lakh to the police and municipal tax of Rs 5 lakh. So its expenses per match would have been over Rs 1 crore. But this figure had trebled.
Last year, however, Kolkata Police demanded Rs 2 crore as security fees, against Rs 50 lakh that the organisers of the IPL offered. Then, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) demanded Rs 25 lakh from Red Chillies as amusement tax for holding IPL matches at Eden Gardens.
To settle the dispute between Kolkata Police and the IPL organisers over the cost of security arrangements at Eden Gardens, Red Chillies Entertainment had to agree to pay Rs 75 lakh as security fees.
About 5,500 uniformed personnel and about 1,500 sleuths were deployed to secure the stadium and its surrounding areas, since many celebrities were expected to watch the IPL matches at Eden Gardens.
Will Shah Rukh Khan dump KKR?
There are reports now that Shah Rukh Khan who bought the team for Rs 300 crores is in advance stage of talks with big companies like Nokia, Sahara and the Anil Ambani group to sell his stakes in the company.
Reports from Shah Rukh Khan’s company Red Chillies Entertainment say that King Khan is looking to exit. But he also wants to ensure that he doubles the money that he had invested. He may be able to sell his stakes for as much as Rs 600 crore easily sources say.
A dejected SRK had earlier said ‘If my team continues to lose like this, I am not going back to South Africa. I will go only when they play well and win.’ ‘But once they come back, I’ll call them over and ask what went wrong with them,’ he added.
But it seems his team is running out of time now with so much losses.
I'll let you read the malicious reports and make up your mind about them yourselves:
Exclusive Report: Shah Rukh Khan To Sell Knight Riders
According to the Red Chillies official, Khan wants to exit, owing to the team’s poor performance — so far the team has won only one rain-curtailed game under the Duckworth Lewis method — and rising costs.
“If the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) does not increase the number of teams for next year, Khan could get double what he paid,” said the Red Chillies official.
Khan is supposed to pay Rs 30 crore per year for the next 10 years. The total annual cost for the team is about Rs 75 crore.
Khan had earlier said that KKR was easily the most successful IPL franchise, making a Rs 13 crore profit last year. However, his costs trebled last year owing to interventions from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Cricket Association of Bengal.
According to initial calculations, Red Chillies had to pay Rs 90 lakh per match and was supposed to earn Rs 3 crore if all stadium tickets were sold at Eden Gardens. Red Chillies had to pay Rs 20 lakh to the police and municipal tax of Rs 5 lakh. So its expenses per match would have been over Rs 1 crore. But this figure had trebled.
Last year, however, Kolkata Police demanded Rs 2 crore as security fees, against Rs 50 lakh that the organisers of the IPL offered. Then, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) demanded Rs 25 lakh from Red Chillies as amusement tax for holding IPL matches at Eden Gardens.
To settle the dispute between Kolkata Police and the IPL organisers over the cost of security arrangements at Eden Gardens, Red Chillies Entertainment had to agree to pay Rs 75 lakh as security fees.
About 5,500 uniformed personnel and about 1,500 sleuths were deployed to secure the stadium and its surrounding areas, since many celebrities were expected to watch the IPL matches at Eden Gardens.
Will Shah Rukh Khan dump KKR?
There are reports now that Shah Rukh Khan who bought the team for Rs 300 crores is in advance stage of talks with big companies like Nokia, Sahara and the Anil Ambani group to sell his stakes in the company.
Reports from Shah Rukh Khan’s company Red Chillies Entertainment say that King Khan is looking to exit. But he also wants to ensure that he doubles the money that he had invested. He may be able to sell his stakes for as much as Rs 600 crore easily sources say.
A dejected SRK had earlier said ‘If my team continues to lose like this, I am not going back to South Africa. I will go only when they play well and win.’ ‘But once they come back, I’ll call them over and ask what went wrong with them,’ he added.
But it seems his team is running out of time now with so much losses.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Quotes of the day
Source
Right. And the industry is pinning it’s hopes on you, praying that Main Hoon Na will turn out to be the blockbuster that has been eluding them for so long?
I don’t accept that. Hey, four years ago, people were ready to write me off. I may be a saleable star today but not big enough for the industry to be banking on me. I’m the one banking on the industry. Actors like me come and go. I’ll be happy if I can add to the reputation of the industry but I know that I’m just a small part in this expansive and complex machine. So I don’t let myself get carried away by such hype. I’ve had a fortunate run at the box-office lately. That’s given distributors the confidence to back my film. We’re expecting an encouraging opening. After that it’ll depend on how good the film is and how the audience reacts to it.
One last question, the question uppermost on every mind: how’s your back holding up?
It’s okay. I’ve done 3-4 films since my operation last year and I’m doing fine. You can see that on screen though I don’t see why anyone would want to focus on my back unless they like my ass.
Right. And the industry is pinning it’s hopes on you, praying that Main Hoon Na will turn out to be the blockbuster that has been eluding them for so long?
I don’t accept that. Hey, four years ago, people were ready to write me off. I may be a saleable star today but not big enough for the industry to be banking on me. I’m the one banking on the industry. Actors like me come and go. I’ll be happy if I can add to the reputation of the industry but I know that I’m just a small part in this expansive and complex machine. So I don’t let myself get carried away by such hype. I’ve had a fortunate run at the box-office lately. That’s given distributors the confidence to back my film. We’re expecting an encouraging opening. After that it’ll depend on how good the film is and how the audience reacts to it.
One last question, the question uppermost on every mind: how’s your back holding up?
It’s okay. I’ve done 3-4 films since my operation last year and I’m doing fine. You can see that on screen though I don’t see why anyone would want to focus on my back unless they like my ass.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
SRK Movie My Take - Rab Ne Bana Jodi
Caution: Please watch the movie before you read this. I'm revealing all the good moments (the ones I really like) all over the place.
I watched this movie as a Shah Rukh Khan's fan who's always looking forward to being entertained with good stories presented in his trademark engaging way. I didn't watch it like a critic. I've never found anything wrong in the way he portrays his characters. I may like some more than the others, but the reasons have always been character tributes, not his acting chop. So don't expect to find biting comments about his movies or his acting in my blog. You can have a bellyfull of that kind of treatment from critics and wannabe-critics elsewhere.
Also, all the noted dialogues are written according to the English translation coz I dunno Hindi so I'm afraid to write it in case I misspell any word.
First Impression on SRK
When he disembarks from the train, my thought was: "Hey, this is not Shah Rukh Khan!" LOL
You know the gag spectacles people usually buy at gag shops... the one with big-sized rims, a big nose and a mustache? Shah Rukh looks like he's wearing that as Suri. I thought, if I were to pass by this guy on the street I would not have even looked at him once, never mind twice. If ever Shah Rukh felt the need to disguise himself when he goes out, he should go with this 'common man' mask instead of dark glasses. I can bet no one would realise who he is.
Anushka is a goddess in her wedding attire.
Anushka's lovely moments
Every time she appears onscreen XD. To pick just a few:
Everytime Shah Rukh appears onscreen LOL. Okay, okay.. that's too general.
Feels like commenting about this song...
Suri's my favourite character, but I also love Raj a lot. Shah Rukh has created a mix persona of jester, wannabe hero, awkward + extravagant guy with a good heart in Raj. I see moments of Suri in Raj, but I can't see Raj in Suri at all. In fact, there are several scenes with Raj that made me go, "Suri, why are you doing this?" or "Uh oh, it's Suri applying his naive logic/reasoning again". The way Shah Rukh plays both characters is genius. The only apparent time that Suri acts like Raj is when he asks Bobby, "Have you ever tasted the first raindrops? They taste heavenly."
My verdict? As far as comparison goes, to me, it's way better than DDLJ. The first time I watched DDLJ was in 1997 back when I was in the UK. People made such a fuss about the film so I looked it up. I wasn't very impressed with it, but maybe that was because I couldn't identify with whatever it is it tries to convey. But with RNBDJ, due to some real life experiences, I can identify with its issues and maybe that's why I enjoyed it better. Shah Rukh was right, it's quite a modern take on marriage. While not always concurring with Suri's decisions, I understand everything he tries to do for Taani. If my Suri were to love me as recklessly, what would have been my reaction? Would I be like Taani and ask him to stop?
Can I say this? Shah Rukh looks really nice with a mustache hehe. Even though it makes him look older than his age, it also makes him look more beautiful... to me, at least.
I can see how Shah Rukh was having fun with Raj. I love Raj, he amuses me to no end. Every time Shah Rukh plays a dorky character, it reminds me of Babloo. Maybe because that's his first really dorky character I've come across. He let go quite a lot as Raj. The gol guppa competition reminds me of how Shah Rukh said he doesn't like people to see him eat. Raj eats very sloppily in that scene. And of all the places Raj can go with his lady love, he takes her on a tour to places of worship LOL. What a difficult guy to pin down. No wonder Taani was smitten. I think Shah Rukh didn't want to fight public opinion and so agreed readily when people say Raj was played over-the-top etc. But IMO, the way he plays it is the only logical way to play Suri's Raj.
See, Raj will make sense if we think that Suri's modeled him after his best friend. Booby Khosla is flamboyant, very confident with himself (colourful hair and loud dress sense in the small town of Amritsar? He's definitely a confident guy) and overtly macho. It's a unisex salon so I think he's popular with the ladies too, although it was not shown in the movie. The only real person Suri can base his super hero Raj on is Bobby and because exaggerative gestures are out of character for Suri since his movements are particularly minimal , Suri's imitation of Bobby becomes jerky and discontinuous. Which probably translates to the audience as hamming.
Hasn't anyone ever wondered how come the best friend of the most boring guy in Punjab Pawar is an extrovert like Bobby? Aditya didn't explain clearly the equation between the two, deciding to focus on the woman-man relationship instead. I wish Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has a sequel. There're a lot of things that can be done with these three interesting characters yet. Oh, by the way... that the story stays interesting from start to finish for billions of people all over the world with just three big characters (with one played by a newcomer) driving it forward speaks for the brilliance of Aditya's writing. If the screenplay had sucked, not even Shah Rukh could have saved it. It's also a testament to that popular saying, "Only sex or Shah Rukh sells" Heck, for a movie that stars the King of Romance, it doesn't have even a peck on the cheek (or did I miss it somewhere??) and it sold like hotcakes when it was released.
Some people say that Suri deliberately pushes Taani towards Raj in order to test her love for him by becoming more stoic, case in point is when he requests her to close the window coz the floor will get spoilt by rainwater. I don't think Suri does any such thing, he's just being his normal regular homely self. That's his ancestral home... of course he doesn't want to see the floor ruined. Suri's request is a reflex due to his practical nature. IMO, the only time he tests Taani is when he asks her about Raj.
And about Taani not recognizing her husband? I agree with the opinion that we see what we want to see. What we don't want to see, our brain will make up its own explanation to justify it so as not to disturb our sensibilities. Or else, why wouldn't Lois Lane notice that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person? The power to create false imageries to replace the truth in order to preserve our sanity is a very human defense mechanism... just like forgetfulness is.
Surprisingly, the humblest and most profoundly beautiful gestures in this film are made by the happy-go-lucky avatar, Raj:
My request? To any kind soul, translate the ending credits and upload it to youtube, please? Thank you in advance.
I watched this movie as a Shah Rukh Khan's fan who's always looking forward to being entertained with good stories presented in his trademark engaging way. I didn't watch it like a critic. I've never found anything wrong in the way he portrays his characters. I may like some more than the others, but the reasons have always been character tributes, not his acting chop. So don't expect to find biting comments about his movies or his acting in my blog. You can have a bellyfull of that kind of treatment from critics and wannabe-critics elsewhere.
Also, all the noted dialogues are written according to the English translation coz I dunno Hindi so I'm afraid to write it in case I misspell any word.
First Impression on SRK
When he disembarks from the train, my thought was: "Hey, this is not Shah Rukh Khan!" LOL
You know the gag spectacles people usually buy at gag shops... the one with big-sized rims, a big nose and a mustache? Shah Rukh looks like he's wearing that as Suri. I thought, if I were to pass by this guy on the street I would not have even looked at him once, never mind twice. If ever Shah Rukh felt the need to disguise himself when he goes out, he should go with this 'common man' mask instead of dark glasses. I can bet no one would realise who he is.
Anushka is a goddess in her wedding attire.
Anushka's lovely moments
Every time she appears onscreen XD. To pick just a few:
- When she's shouting to her friend not to touch her wedding dress
- When she's shouting to her father to go for the mehndi himself
- When she says, "Are? Kya nehi nehi?" to Suri on their first meeting
- When Raj is playing around during their first dancing session at the hall. Anushka's face looks like Taani can't make up her mind whether to kick his ass for being insolent or laugh
- "Aap ko biryani acchi nehi lagi?", "You never know. Wait and watch~" ...o man, so beautiful
- Taani looks the most modern and enchanting while she's spouting all that gaali in the Dhoom 3 scene
- Okay, forget it... I can't choose. I love all her scenes!
- Whenever he looks at Taani, before and after their marriage. He conveys such awkwardness, shyness and longing in those brief glances. Especially when Taani appears in front of his officemates in the house-warming party and in the 'first breakfast Taani made for him' scene. There's such gratitude and disbelief, probably at how lovely she looks (even I gape at her in that brilliant yellow dress, running her hand through her wet hair)
- Suri and his yellow tiffin casing... "yellow is my favourite colar" ...LOL! Even the Hyundai (the car brand Shah Rukh endorses ting tong) is yellow
- Before the start of Haule Haule when he flicks his head back
- Cute phrases: "Mention not", "Mooch nehi katte ni hai", "Hoit!", "Oyee!", "Siappa", "Punjab Pawar lighting up your life, Surinder Sahni this side ji",
- Suri's naive reactions: "You will slap my wife??", "Sorry Bobby, is that part (macho) very expensive?"
- Every time Taani comes to his room unannounced, Suri drops something he's been working on XD
- My wish for the 'my favourite uncle' moment was granted! It's that scene when Suri takes off his fake mustache while still wearing his spectacles. I went, "Hey! It's Uncle!" LOL
- Suri dances before his bath and at the dinner table during the 'Dance Pe Chance' video
- The way he looks when Taani says she's cooked him biryani and while she's filling up his plate (shock! horror! ohnoes, stop it! stop it! no more! I'm going to die, huh?), then loudly going "Arrrrghhhhh," while lying on his bed, unable to go to sleep LOL
- Every time Suri's demeanour peeks out during the first night at the dance hall, esp when Raj tries to explain that "it was a mistake" as the guy inspects his 21 green card
- Every time he flirts with Taani, esp the "Flirting would be if I were to tell you that I have never seen a girl more beautiful than you and when you dance all sweaty, the way your hair swings left, right, left, right made my heart skip a beat..." dialogue. I was like, "Suri! Where did you get that vocabulary??" XD
- During the bike ride in the rain, esp when he says, "Bataa du?" (I like the fact that there's quite a lot of rain when it's Raj's turn)
- Cute phrases: "Oh dearrr, never fearrr, Raj is herrre", "Areppaaa", "Now you'rrre not saying anything", "Okay, John Ibrahim!", "Full verzhon, please?", "Thank you Madonna madam!", "Correct?', "Kuch kam karu! Karu, karu, karu!", "Aap here... what? why? how come?", "Tu God's ki gift hai ji", "Same, same?", "The sky fell, yes. Let's hang together", "By the by", "Oh, present ji", "Everything is same.. to same ji", "Oh good night Taani partner. Happy monsoon~~"
- Every time he takes off his dark glasses and looks at Taani. So intense are his stares, it makes me wonder how much Suri's spectacles power is and whether, however much he squints, Raj only sees a blur whenever he looks at her from a distance
- His expression, inflection and o yumm body language when he says, "O man, I'll die of happiness!", "Price ka mile gaaa?", "Koi bi?", "I'll pick you up tomorrow 9am, Amritsar time ji."
- Prancing down the stairs of the mandhir in that tight kapre during the 'Tujh Mein Rab Dekhta Hai' song
- Taani's eyes as she says, "I'll do as you wish, father" on his deathbed
- Suri's eyes when Taani says she has to kill her old self and create a new Taani, and Anushka's acting skill during this scene
- The whole characterization of Suri: the way he walks and talks, his body posture, his voice, the way he looks at others through his spectacles (he never takes them off, just like Clark Kent hehe)
- Shah Rukh's inflection when he says, "But I love her just the way she is" in the confession scene at his friend's salon
- The change in expression between '...apka hero' and 'ji'. Also, when he says, "I aaaaamm..." during Raj's first meeting with Taani. Actually, I love the whole host of expressions Shah Rukh displays during that scene. It's Suri being worried that his wife will recognize him and trying to act like this hero 'Raj' that he's created at the spur of the moment.
- When Raj talks to the mannequin/Suri, esp when Raj reverts to Suri at the end of the monologue. This is one of the scenes I rewind the most. That single tear at the end is so easy to miss.
- Raj's morphing into Suri in the changing room during and after Taani's answer that "The only thing a girl desires is that someone loves her like no one has ever been loved before. There is nothing else a girl wants from life."
- Anushka's expressions during the 'I Love You' scene. I feel as if I could stare at her forever
- Raj's expression after Taani says, "Nothing remains the same after that," is Suri thinking, "Hoshit, I made a big mistake, didn't I?". Very profound
- After Raj declares his love for Taani, there's a hardened quality in Suri's eyes whenever he gazes upon Taani, with every look screaming betrayal. This look starts surfacing in the salon: the scene when Suri combs his hair
- Suri's rigidly angry posture in the rain when Raju calls to tell him that his wife is at the garage asking after Raj, and the softening of his expressions when later he enters the garage and finds how wretched Taani looks sitting by herself waiting for him to come
- Anushka's expression and body movements during their entire dance in the Dancing Jodi Grand Finale competition
Everytime Shah Rukh appears onscreen LOL. Okay, okay.. that's too general.
- When Suri clears his cupboard. Also, later as he looks around the attic, goes, "maih" and proceeds to bounce lightly with a broom in his hand to clean the cobwebs
- Shah Rukh Khan is washing the dishes! Mukyaaaaaa!
- Best Scene of Filmfare 2008 is my favourite scene too
- Everytime Suri is at the office: sitting so primly at his seat, answering telephone, interacting with his officemates, carrying that tiffin box to his desk like it's some kind of offering to God, etc.
- Drunken revelry with his best friend, Balwinder aka Bobby Khosla, to the tune of 'Tere Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'
- The shorning of half a mustache: "Haule, haule, haule, haule, haule, haule, hoit!" (somehow, in the dark ...Suri's sillouette reminds me strongly of Shah Rukh as 'Babloo' in Duplicate)
- Every time Raj adjusts his tight jeans XD
- The gol guppa competition. Esp when both Taani and Raj have tears streaking down their sweaty faces, after they've eaten God knows how many plates of that food, yet they still bravely shove it in one by one. And afterwards, Suri shoveling the biryani courageously while saying "A-One ...A-One ji" after every mouthful.
- The 'oye macho' scene + the 'macho' song when Raj enters the dance hall
- The most uncomfortable moment for me has to be everytime Suri prays at the Golden Temple because he does the 'sujud'. It makes me wonder how Shah Rukh justified those scenes while he was acting
- There's too much mentioning of 'God' in this movie. What was happening in Aditya's life when he penned this story?
- That short dialogue-less scene at the temple before 'Dance Pe Chance'. Either Aditya was too sure that Shah Rukh would manage to convey the right message to us or he didn't want to bother. But I thought that's a very important scene and he should have inserted more clues into it in case some people don't get what it's about
- No one in the film tries to explain how a normal desk-job guy who never seems to get up from his seat, much less has weight-lifting included in his daily regiment, can have a nice sculpted body. Or does the casting staff think that Raj's body is like that of any normal guy's in Amritsar? I have to go to this Amritsar place and check out the male population there before I complain any further
- What does the writing Taani sees on the banner mean in the scene before she and Raj get showered with rose petals?
- That dancing and singing is allowed in the masjid. It's made me realize my ignorance on how Islam is practiced in other parts of the world
Feels like commenting about this song...
- Kajol looks so fresh and distinct in the sea of black and white, Bipasha so wooden and awkward with Shah Rukh, Lara so forgettable that I couldn't distinguish her from the back-up dancers even though her costume is outstanding (it looks like the set in Om Shanti Om. Even the costumes are similar. I wish they got Deepika for this one instead. That would have been quite a trip down memory lane), Preity so vivacious, and ...I run out of words to describe Rani. She's as beautifully vivid as she was in KKHH. In fact, some of her moves remind me of the 'Koi Mil Gaya' song. I can't believe she's 10 years older now, she is still just as youthful, energetic and riveting.
- I managed to guess correctly 4 out of 5 avatars that Shah Rukh did, which means his talent for mimicry is quite formidable (remember, I'm not an Indian Hindi movie goer. I hardly get to watch old Hindi movies on TV and I don't buy other DVDs aside from SRK's). My miss was Rajesh Khanna. But that's probably coz I've only watched a couple of his movies and they are of the tear-jerker variety. I have never seen Rajesh Khanna dance wearing bright clothes XD". But Raj (the Charlie Chaplin look), Shammi (Junglee and Yahoo, the way he throws his arms and hair about) and Rishi Kapoor (the long scarf) are pretty identifiable from the word go. And Shah Rukh got Dev Anand's mannerisms nailed. I bet he's one of the actors Shah Rukh always tried to imitate while acting in his bathroom when he was a kid
- Funniest Scene: thumbdrive-stuck-in-laptop scene LOL. The way Shah Rukh executed that scene is such a riot!
- Sexiest scene: when Raj gets out of the cab and pays the fare while wearing Suri's spectacles and then walking like Suri. Even though Raj is always in tight t-shirts and jeans, the only time I think, "OMG, he's so sexy!!!" is during this scene
- Most Adorable Way of Saying Embarrassing Things to Your Lady Love: Raj in the 'motion ni loose hai' dialogue LOL
- Best dialogue: "Bobby my friend, to make Taani laugh, to keep her happy, Suri can do comedy, Suri can dance, Suri can change himself completely and become Raj. But to win her love, Suri won't change. She will have to love this Suri I work for Punjab Pawar for who he is. And she will have to understand Suri's love soft, sweet, slow. Otherwise we are travelling the love lane, down the road we will meet again."
- Best Mood Twister in a Scene: the sumo wrestling scene. It could have been a funny scene but the way Shah Rukh played it made me cry and laugh at the same time throughout it. The music score amazingly captures the varying mood range of the characters
- Best Villain: Taani when she, leaving the movie theater and her husband behind without a word, went to find Raj at Raju Garage
- Most Lovable Look while Posing a Ridiculous Question: Suri when he asks Taani whether God will be angry at him for loving her more than Himself
- Most Loaded Sexual-Tension Look: Suri during the Dancing Jodi Grand Finale
- Most Favourite Scene: the 'run away with me' scene, hands down
Suri's my favourite character, but I also love Raj a lot. Shah Rukh has created a mix persona of jester, wannabe hero, awkward + extravagant guy with a good heart in Raj. I see moments of Suri in Raj, but I can't see Raj in Suri at all. In fact, there are several scenes with Raj that made me go, "Suri, why are you doing this?" or "Uh oh, it's Suri applying his naive logic/reasoning again". The way Shah Rukh plays both characters is genius. The only apparent time that Suri acts like Raj is when he asks Bobby, "Have you ever tasted the first raindrops? They taste heavenly."
My verdict? As far as comparison goes, to me, it's way better than DDLJ. The first time I watched DDLJ was in 1997 back when I was in the UK. People made such a fuss about the film so I looked it up. I wasn't very impressed with it, but maybe that was because I couldn't identify with whatever it is it tries to convey. But with RNBDJ, due to some real life experiences, I can identify with its issues and maybe that's why I enjoyed it better. Shah Rukh was right, it's quite a modern take on marriage. While not always concurring with Suri's decisions, I understand everything he tries to do for Taani. If my Suri were to love me as recklessly, what would have been my reaction? Would I be like Taani and ask him to stop?
Can I say this? Shah Rukh looks really nice with a mustache hehe. Even though it makes him look older than his age, it also makes him look more beautiful... to me, at least.
I can see how Shah Rukh was having fun with Raj. I love Raj, he amuses me to no end. Every time Shah Rukh plays a dorky character, it reminds me of Babloo. Maybe because that's his first really dorky character I've come across. He let go quite a lot as Raj. The gol guppa competition reminds me of how Shah Rukh said he doesn't like people to see him eat. Raj eats very sloppily in that scene. And of all the places Raj can go with his lady love, he takes her on a tour to places of worship LOL. What a difficult guy to pin down. No wonder Taani was smitten. I think Shah Rukh didn't want to fight public opinion and so agreed readily when people say Raj was played over-the-top etc. But IMO, the way he plays it is the only logical way to play Suri's Raj.
See, Raj will make sense if we think that Suri's modeled him after his best friend. Booby Khosla is flamboyant, very confident with himself (colourful hair and loud dress sense in the small town of Amritsar? He's definitely a confident guy) and overtly macho. It's a unisex salon so I think he's popular with the ladies too, although it was not shown in the movie. The only real person Suri can base his super hero Raj on is Bobby and because exaggerative gestures are out of character for Suri since his movements are particularly minimal , Suri's imitation of Bobby becomes jerky and discontinuous. Which probably translates to the audience as hamming.
Hasn't anyone ever wondered how come the best friend of the most boring guy in Punjab Pawar is an extrovert like Bobby? Aditya didn't explain clearly the equation between the two, deciding to focus on the woman-man relationship instead. I wish Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has a sequel. There're a lot of things that can be done with these three interesting characters yet. Oh, by the way... that the story stays interesting from start to finish for billions of people all over the world with just three big characters (with one played by a newcomer) driving it forward speaks for the brilliance of Aditya's writing. If the screenplay had sucked, not even Shah Rukh could have saved it. It's also a testament to that popular saying, "Only sex or Shah Rukh sells" Heck, for a movie that stars the King of Romance, it doesn't have even a peck on the cheek (or did I miss it somewhere??) and it sold like hotcakes when it was released.
Some people say that Suri deliberately pushes Taani towards Raj in order to test her love for him by becoming more stoic, case in point is when he requests her to close the window coz the floor will get spoilt by rainwater. I don't think Suri does any such thing, he's just being his normal regular homely self. That's his ancestral home... of course he doesn't want to see the floor ruined. Suri's request is a reflex due to his practical nature. IMO, the only time he tests Taani is when he asks her about Raj.
And about Taani not recognizing her husband? I agree with the opinion that we see what we want to see. What we don't want to see, our brain will make up its own explanation to justify it so as not to disturb our sensibilities. Or else, why wouldn't Lois Lane notice that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person? The power to create false imageries to replace the truth in order to preserve our sanity is a very human defense mechanism... just like forgetfulness is.
Surprisingly, the humblest and most profoundly beautiful gestures in this film are made by the happy-go-lucky avatar, Raj:
- Blackout-ing the whole Amritsar for a few seconds in order to light it up again with 'I love you' written across the black expanse. I find it lovely that one side of the V is made up of roadside lamps
- Giving up the dance classes he is looking forward to participating with Taani in order to give her a shot at winning the competition
- Taking her on a tour to the places of worship and staging all sorts of lovely receptions to welcome her: the rose petal shower, the giant picture puzzle, the child dancers, and finally the most astonishingly extravagant love declaration a woman has ever been treated to
- Telling her that he thinks what she wants to wish in the first rain is to stop her heart from hurting
- Asking her, quite sensitively done actually, what is it that a girl wants most in the world
- Making her smile and laugh all the time. He never gives her a chance to stare into nothing or sulk at all during their interactions
- Trying to serve hot tea while the reality of Taani, his (Suri's) wife, choosing another man is staring him in the face
- Asking her to run away with him, knowing fully well that if she were to accept, he'd have to erase his real self (Suri) and become Raj for the rest of his life. Of all the movies I have watched in my life, I think this is the ultimate 'sacrifice yourself at the altar of love' scene for me. Nothing can top this, ever
- Being endearingly overwhelmed by Taani's refusal to leave with him after the competition even though the reason Taani doesn't want to leave Suri is most probably due to gratitude and wifely obligation, not love
My request? To any kind soul, translate the ending credits and upload it to youtube, please? Thank you in advance.
On the IPL 2 front
Moles backs Knights’ captain to come good
Speaking to The Telegraph on board a South African Express CRJ-200 flight from Port Elizabeth on Tuesday morning, Moles added: “I don’t think the Knights’ captaincy is weighing him down... From the conversations I’ve had with him, Brendon’s quite liking the role... He loves challenges and this is one...”
Speaking to The Telegraph on board a South African Express CRJ-200 flight from Port Elizabeth on Tuesday morning, Moles added: “I don’t think the Knights’ captaincy is weighing him down... From the conversations I’ve had with him, Brendon’s quite liking the role... He loves challenges and this is one...”
According to Moles, McCullum has the qualities of a leader, which is why he’s Daniel Vettori’s deputy.
The Knights’ poor show, though, has prompted McCullum to say that he’d be prepared to “step aside” if the team didn’t make the semi-finals. Indeed, he’s “comfortable” with accountability.
That’s a plus.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Quote of the Day
Source
Shah Rukh is excited about playing the title role in the remake of the 1970s hit “Don”. “The remake has no comparison with the original hit. It will not be that great, but it is indeed a dream come true for me to play that legendary role.”
His philosophy in life? “I enjoy it without being overwhelmed. I had said this about ‘Devdas’ as well. If you are going to run with Carl Lewis, you feel relaxed because you know you are not going to win. So, just enjoy the fact that you are getting the chance to run with Carl Lewis.”
Shah Rukh is excited about playing the title role in the remake of the 1970s hit “Don”. “The remake has no comparison with the original hit. It will not be that great, but it is indeed a dream come true for me to play that legendary role.”
His philosophy in life? “I enjoy it without being overwhelmed. I had said this about ‘Devdas’ as well. If you are going to run with Carl Lewis, you feel relaxed because you know you are not going to win. So, just enjoy the fact that you are getting the chance to run with Carl Lewis.”
While waiting...
It seems that the KKR website is getting such a heavy traffic or something coz I still can't log in from yesterday after trying a bajillion times to wish KKR all the best in their next game.
So I've decided to return to the more familiar and dominant aspect of Shah Rukh's professional front that I blog about before I became IPL-crazed... his filmi and filmi-related careers. I've decided that I'ma start doing my krepi reviews on his films starting from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. I think I'm gonna write as I watch it so it'll probably be several pages long haha. Who cares. No one follows my blog anyway so I can write as much as I want and as krepily as I want to.
But before that, I just want to quote this coz I like the fact that he's called the 'bigger Khan' as compared to the other two (all three of them were born in 1965):
While the case is closed on the Twitter profile of Shah Rukh Khan as a fake, Shah Rukh has officially began blogging on the Kolkata Knight Rider’s website. And thus now with the likes of Big B, Aamir and Salman the bigger Khan of them all has joined the bollywood celeb blog bandwagon (of course there is Shilpa Shetty and Gul Panag as well). The only difference here being that instead of a personal blog, it revolves around KKR and the IPL. (source)
He's returning to India this Wednesday to vote, so hopefully the media, fans, anti-whateva people, and the general public will let KKR play in peace for the rest of the tournament. I still have this hope of seeing them go to the semi-finals, no matter if the pessimists and realists say what an impossible dream that is. Life is made of impossible dreams, sweetheart. Or else, why go on living?
From now on, even though I'll keep following the scores as before, I'll try to curb my uninformed and unknowledgeable blabbing of all things cricket in this blog, or anywhere else really. I'll try to gain more cricket knowledge, go see some cricket games on home grounds (I hope Malaysia got chosen by PCB as that alternative venue), befriend some cricket-mad Malaysians, etc. so I'll be better prepared for IPL 3.
But Datuk Shah Rukh, if you were to leave the IPL before IPL 3... there's no sense for me to take an interest in it anymore. I'm a Malaysian, not an Indian (I could never understand die-hard Malaysian fans of English football clubs, sorry). There's absolutely no reason for me to support the DLF-IPL if you were no longer there, man. So, here's to your long association with IPL... cheers!
P/S: How did people manage to stumble upon my blog anyway (other than the few friends I gave the link to)? I've been staring at the flags in my flagcounter and wondering about it. I didn't put special 'markers' to make it easily searchable and my id is a really general one. I'm very curious. Wish someone would tell me how they found this space so I can solve this mystery.
So I've decided to return to the more familiar and dominant aspect of Shah Rukh's professional front that I blog about before I became IPL-crazed... his filmi and filmi-related careers. I've decided that I'ma start doing my krepi reviews on his films starting from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. I think I'm gonna write as I watch it so it'll probably be several pages long haha. Who cares. No one follows my blog anyway so I can write as much as I want and as krepily as I want to.
But before that, I just want to quote this coz I like the fact that he's called the 'bigger Khan' as compared to the other two (all three of them were born in 1965):
While the case is closed on the Twitter profile of Shah Rukh Khan as a fake, Shah Rukh has officially began blogging on the Kolkata Knight Rider’s website. And thus now with the likes of Big B, Aamir and Salman the bigger Khan of them all has joined the bollywood celeb blog bandwagon (of course there is Shilpa Shetty and Gul Panag as well). The only difference here being that instead of a personal blog, it revolves around KKR and the IPL. (source)
He's returning to India this Wednesday to vote, so hopefully the media, fans, anti-whateva people, and the general public will let KKR play in peace for the rest of the tournament. I still have this hope of seeing them go to the semi-finals, no matter if the pessimists and realists say what an impossible dream that is. Life is made of impossible dreams, sweetheart. Or else, why go on living?
From now on, even though I'll keep following the scores as before, I'll try to curb my uninformed and unknowledgeable blabbing of all things cricket in this blog, or anywhere else really. I'll try to gain more cricket knowledge, go see some cricket games on home grounds (I hope Malaysia got chosen by PCB as that alternative venue), befriend some cricket-mad Malaysians, etc. so I'll be better prepared for IPL 3.
But Datuk Shah Rukh, if you were to leave the IPL before IPL 3... there's no sense for me to take an interest in it anymore. I'm a Malaysian, not an Indian (I could never understand die-hard Malaysian fans of English football clubs, sorry). There's absolutely no reason for me to support the DLF-IPL if you were no longer there, man. So, here's to your long association with IPL... cheers!
P/S: How did people manage to stumble upon my blog anyway (other than the few friends I gave the link to)? I've been staring at the flags in my flagcounter and wondering about it. I didn't put special 'markers' to make it easily searchable and my id is a really general one. I'm very curious. Wish someone would tell me how they found this space so I can solve this mystery.
Deccan Chargers won against Chennai Super Kings by 6 wickets
Chennai Super Kings innings (20 overs maximum)
Parthiv Patel c Gilchrist b Edwards 0 (2)
Matthew Hayden c Sharma b Ojha 49 (35)
Suresh Raina c & b Sharma 25 (19)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Shoaib b Ojha 22 (22)
Jocab Oram not out 41 (29)
Albie Morkel c Singh b Venugopal Rao 13 (7)
Sumbramaniam Badrinath c & b Singh 8 (9)
Manpreet Gony not out 0
Parthiv Patel c Gilchrist b Edwards 0 (2)
Matthew Hayden c Sharma b Ojha 49 (35)
Suresh Raina c & b Sharma 25 (19)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Shoaib b Ojha 22 (22)
Jocab Oram not out 41 (29)
Albie Morkel c Singh b Venugopal Rao 13 (7)
Sumbramaniam Badrinath c & b Singh 8 (9)
Manpreet Gony not out 0
Extras (w 4, nb 3) 7
Total (for six points in 20 overs) 165
Fall of wickets 1-0 (Patel, 0.2 overs), 2-64 (Raina, 6.5), 3-102 (Dhoni, 12.3), 4-103 (Hayden, 12.6), 5-129 (Morkel, 16.5), 6-165 (Badrinath, 19.5)
Bowling:
Fidel Edwards 4 0 21 1
R.P. Singh 3 0 32 1
Dawyne Smith 1 0 17 0
Venugopal Rao 4 0 35 1
Rohit Sharma 3 0 18 1
Pragyan Ojha 2 0 11 2
S.M. Shoaib 3 0 31 0
Deccan Chargers innings (target: 166 runs from 20 overs)
Adam Gilchrist c Muralitharan b Raina 44 (19)
Herschelle Gibbs not out 69 (56)
V.V.S. Laxman c Oram b Raina 4 (5)
Rohit Sharma c Dhoni b Balaji 18 (19)
Dwayne Smith lbw b Muralitharan 12 (5)
Azhar Bilakhia not out 12 (14)
Extras (lb 2, w 3, nb 5) 10
Total ( for four wickets in 19.3 overs) 169
Fall of wickets 1-67 (Gilchrist, 5.4 overs), 2-75 (Laxman, 7.3), 3-114 (Sharma, 13.4),
4-130 (Smith, 15.2)
Bowling:
Lakhmipathy Balaji 3.3 0 41 1
Manpreet Gony 1 0 20 0
Albie Morkel 3 0 29 0
Muttiah Muralitharan 4 0 17 1
Suresh Raina 4 0 18 2
Joginder Sharma 1 0 14 0
Jacob Oram 3 0 28 0
Toss: Deccan Chargers chose to field
Points: Deccan Chargers 2, Chennai Super Kings 0
Man of the match: Herschelle Gibbs (Deccan Chargers)
Umpires: Ian Howell (South Africa) and T. Wijewardene (Sri Lanka)
TV umpire: Shashank Ranade (India)
Match referee Devdas Govindjee
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