Planet Shahrukh Khan

Showbiz, sports entrepreneurship and now real estate. Shah Rukh Khan is always ahead of the game when it comes to exploring new terrain. In town to launch the Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard, the superstar was at his wittiest as he chit-chatted about issues he has rarely talked about in the past. Mazhar Farooqui gets you the juicy details.

His first crush

It happened when I was very young. Her name was Lekhi. She lived in our neighbourhood and was older to me. Yet I was so besotted by her that as soon as I’d see her walking down the street, I’d crane my head out of the iron grill window in our fourth storey house in Delhi, hoping to attract her attention. Of course, she wasn’t even remotely aware of my existence. One day my head got stuck in the grill and that was the end of my infatuation.

On how he met his wife Gauri

Actually, it was the other way around. I have always been very shy about talking to girls. So, when I got introduced to Gauri at a party, I could only mumble a feeble ‘hello’ to her. But Gauri turned out to be more articulate. I instantly connected with her and decided to marry her. I was afraid that she’d change her mind.

His take on the gossip about him and Karan Johar

I find it really funny. I am a very sensitive man and most sensitive men are perceived to have vagrant tastes. I can’t do anything to change the perception of people.

On the competition in Bollywood

Competition? I have had no competitor for years. I may sound pompous, but this is a fact.

If he were a woman for one day, who would he want to be?

Angelina Jolie. I find her lips very sensual. Of course, I will never be able to feel them on my face. By turning into Angelina Jolie herself, I would be able to acquire her face and see what it feels to have those luscious lips.

On how it feels to be in the mid-forties

I will be turning 43 in a couple of weeks, but most of the girls tell me that I don’t look a day older than 27. But yes, I have crossed the first phase of my life. It’s been a great journey until now and I hope the rest of my years are as good. As I grow old I have become mature and feel more conscious of my responsibilities towards my kids as a parent. I lost my father and mother when I was young. I hope I am around when my kids grow up.

On what prompted him to venture into real estate

I have always had a fetish for houses. I guess it’s either because of the frustrated architect inside me or because I have seen my own house being taken away during my childhood. Our property was attached but I was too young to realise why we had to vacate.

Mazhar Farooqui, Gulf News Express

Shah Rukh's Khan's wife Gauri held a rocking party to bring in her birthday (October 8) at their residence at Mannat in Bandra last night.

Says a source invited to the party, "In the past, her birthday has been hosted by her close friends at their homes, but this year, Gauri had everyone come to Mannat. Gauri personally invited her friends over as SRK was in Dubai and had returned yesterday.

Gal pals were in full force. Spotted at the party were Maheep (Sanjay) Kapoor, Malaika (Arbaaz) Khan, Seema (Sohail) Khan and Bhavna (Chunky) Pandey.

The presence of the women from Salman's family proved once again that the ladies have not let the Sallu-SRK fight come in the way of their friendship. There were about 60 guests at the party and it rocked till the wee hours of the morning.

It is believed that Salman's brother Sohail didn't go as he was down with viral fever but Sohail and Shah Rukh had bumped into each other at Farah Khan's Eid party and they'd exchanged pleasantries.

Some of the other guests who turned up to wish the birthday girl included Arjun Rampal and Mehr Jesia, Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor, Karan Johar, Kaajal Anand, Farah Khan and Shirish Kunder, Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja."

A source adds, "The party was rocking as SRK and Gauri's parties usually are great food, great music and plenty of entertainments like games. The most exciting thing about it is that SRK and Gauri inaugurated the new wing of their home. It's in the building directly behind Mannat and nobody had seen that particular wing before."

Aamir Khan wowed the audiences when he tackled the serious topic of dyslexia in his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par, and now Karan Johar too has taken up a serious physical disorder in his upcoming film My Name is Khan.

Shah Rukh Khan who plays the lead role in the movie suffers from the Asperger's Syndrome. The director has developed the character with the help of some high-class research put in by the writer of the film Shibani Bhatija.

In his latest blog on mynameiskaran.com, the director says, "Rizvan Khan, the protagonist in the film, suffers from Asperger's Syndrome (high-functioning Autism) and Shibani Bhatija, the screenplay writer of the film has researched this disorder very accurately and I can't wait to see Shah Rukh portray it. The message that runs right through the film is in strong support of humanity..."

On the meticulous research she has put in for the film, Shibani Bhatija says, "I have a huge selection of books on Asperger's Syndrome. Karan and I also met people affected by the disorder."

While Aamir's film TZP told parents and teachers how to deal with kids with dyslexia, will My Name is Khan instruct people with Asperger's how to tackle the disorder? Says Shibani, "If they have the right counselling, they will be able to adjust. Riz's character signifies what you can do even when a child has Asperger's."

Apsperger What?
Asperger's syndrome is the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in which there is no general delay in language or cognitive development. Physical clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported. Asperger's Syndrome is named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who, in 1944, described children in his practice who lacked non-verbal communication skills, demonstrated limited empathy with their peers, and were physically clumsy.

Shah Rukh and his son Aryan loved Drona. And Goldie Behl is relieved and happy. "It's important for children to enjoy Drona. I'm glad Aryan enjoyed it. I made the film for the child and the child at heart, not for those who like their cinema entertainment twisted and perverse."

In fact Goldie will now dedicate the Drona sequel to Shah Rukh's son and his own son Ranvir. It may or may not be the season of sequels. But it seems no power on earth will prevent Goldie Behl from doing a sequel to Drona.

Unconventionally for a Bollywood star Shah Rukh was not born into a showbiz family. He tragically lost both his parents at a young age and embarked on his career completely of his own accord which makes his meteoric rise to superstardom even more incredible.

A candid chat with the Super Hero…and ticket sale details for Temptations Reloaded, Dubai.

His films always chart very highly even in countries as far afield as the USA and Australia. His face is instantly recognisable to over a billion people and over the years the self confessed family man has built up such a trust between himself and his audience that a brand that manages an association with Khan is worth its weight in gold. It is with this in mind that Shah Rukh was in Dubai on Sunday to launch Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard, a new property development in Ras Al Khaimah. “I have a strange fetish for living spaces,” he told the press. “I am not endorsing this product, I have designed it as well, as I am a frustrated architect. I think the greatest material possession a person can have is a home. Spiritually there are a lot of other things, and professionally there are a lot of things but materially the most important thing is to have a home, whatever size, whatever design. I want to give people the choice and they like it. I hope they like it.”

A further reason for Shah Rukh Khan’s visit was the announcement of the Dubai dates of his new show Temptation in association with the Khaleej Times. This song and dance extravaganza will delight all who attend. With a host of world famous stars and popular tunes it is really an event not to be missed.

City Times caught up with Mr Khan to discuss the upcoming show and lifestyles of the rich and famous.

What can the Dubai audience expect from the new Temptation show?

I have never claimed to reinvent and show anything drastically different. A show is a show is a show. But you try to make it different and this show is designed with that in mind. As far as this Temptation is concerned it is not a rehash because we have new actors onboard; Katrina (Kaif) and Kareena (Kapoor) for example, and the songs have changed. The essence of an Indian show is to do the song and dance routine and to pepper it with a bit of action, this is the formula which remains the same but these guys (organisers) I’m sure will bring a newness to it. As far as completely changing the show I need about a year to rework it but I have designs in mind already so maybe in 2010 people can see a completely new idea that has never been seen before. This show as it is though is as nice as it can be at the moment. Thanks to the sponsors like the Khaleej Times we have enough behind us to make it a big extravaganza.

What made you select the cast you have for Temptation?

We actually go by the popularity of actors and the songs that are running at the moment. Turn on the TV and all you see is Katrina and Kareena with some fabulous movies and songs and Arjun Rampal with Rock On. Everything we do is bound by the finances we have so we can’t have so many actors. I’m assuming I’m still popular so I’m with them but a big factor in choosing the cast is also the question of availability. We have had to change some dates because of this.

How do you decide what goes into the show? Is the cast involved in the programme?

When you do a full world tour yes. We sit down and chat and decide what goes in and that is how I make my shows. You have to enjoy every part of it so it is better for the performers to decide. If you don’t enjoy the process of making it you won’t enjoy the process of doing it. We started in Germany a little while ago and we always film the shows. If it goes on too long or if we think something doesn’t work we cut it. This means the show in Dubai will be different from the one in Germany.

As a devoted family man, how do you find juggling your career and family life? What do your children think of their Dad?

They are ok with me I think. They will grow up to think I am a good dad. I have this worry that I should devote a lot of time to them so at 15 if I have to reprimand them I will have gone wrong. I lost my parents at a young age so I feel I should give a lot of time to my kids, the time I didn’t get. Juggling the two aspects of life is not difficult if you are a superstar. There are people to do everything. I do two films a year but I spend every waking moment with my kids. I plan my shooting during the holidays so the kids can come with me.

Your next film is Rabi Ne Banaa De Jodi?

Yes that comes out on the 27th. I finished a production called Billoo Barber which is a story of a small town babrber and how his life changes when a superstar comes to his village. It’s an interesting story that was made in the South of India and that will come out in February.

What roles are you keen on working on now as you move away from the romantic leads?

I’m not moving away it’s just the last girl I worked with was eight years old when my first film came out and how much can you dye your sideburns? I want to do a superhero film for my kids. I like those films, I like action films and want to do a few before I get too old and have too many broken bones to fix. I like to work with people I am comfortable with and some of my friends come up with good ideas so I might take them up on their offers.

Any Hollywood plans with Indian firms now investing in Hollywood studios?

It’s not up to me, I always say I am not the one to plan it. Movies have to be offered. Ambani going over and investing is fantastic. I don’t have that kind of money to go over with my production company unfortunately but I don’t really dream of being a part of Hollywood. I do ok in the Indian film industry and that is enough for me. I don’t have the business acumen to go over and be part of that. I put my full efforts into one thing at a time. If I am told to go for an interview that is the most important thing that day. My job is to give expressions to the camera. I don’t think of myself as a brand and have never understood people that do. I am a struggling actor. I am not a struggling star but doing twenty thousand songs and trying to make them different each time is a struggle for an actor. I don’t think the plan is to get Bollywood to Hollywood. I think the plan is to get Hollywood marketing and talent over to make films in India at a cheaper rate and distributed worldwide. I am not a businessman but I think this is the logical thing to do.

Is nurturing new talent important to you?

As directors and film makers yes but I don’t get impressed with actors and actresses because I have never thought highly of myself. I know how I get it right and others have to do the same. Directors I do take on. They come to the production company quite young and now they need to start making movies as they are 22 or 23. It is my duty to make them make films. Whoever they want to cast is their choice but I won’t be in the films because it puts too much pressure on them.

EVENT DETAILS

Temptation Reloaded 2008, October 25, Dubai Festival City Arena

Ticket prices: Premium Dh2,500, VVIP Dh1,000, VIP Dh 500, Family Dh250, General Standing Dh100

Tickets available online at www.timeouttickets.com and www.boxofficeme.com

City Times, UAE

SRK has gifted Om Shanti Om and close friend, director Farah Khan, the latest iPhone.

Says a source from the sets of Shah Rukh’s next home production, Billoo Barber, “Last month, Farah Khan was choreographing a song picturised on Shah Rukh and Deepika Padukone at Filmistan Studios for his home production.

SRK and Farah being big techno game freaks became obsessed with the latest iPhone game Lexitron (a word forming game) which cinematographer V Manikandan had on his iPhone. The actor and the director played the game on Manikandan’s phone till the battery died.”

The next day, Farah was pleasantly surprised when Shah Rukh gifted not just her but also her assistant Feroze the latest iPhones. Farah uses the iPhone for playing games and taking videos and pictures of her triplets Anya, Diva and Czar. She has been showing the pictures and videos to everyone on the sets on Billoo Barber.”

Says Farah when contacted, “What a silly thing to talk about! What’s the big deal in such gifts? These things happen between friends all the time.”

H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, today received noted Indian film actor, Shah Rukh Khan and an accompanying delegation who called on him at the Al Dhait Palace here.

Shah Rukh Khan had on Sunday launched the AED 8 billion beachfront residential development project, `Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard' to be located on the Dana Island in Ras Al Khaimah, along with TSA Group.

Sheikh Saud welcomed the actor and appreciated his interest in Ras Al Khaimah's fast- growing property and lifestyle development sector.

"Ras Al Khaimah's landmark projects like Dana Island, Al Marjan Island along with other initiatives will place the emirate in a totally different league, making it a destination of choice for investors and tourists from across the world. Projects like Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard will definitely add more value and variety to the lifestyle offerings available here", Sheikh Saud said.

Shah Rukh Khan briefed Sheikh Saud on the project and said that he was very excited about his maiden real estate venture in Ras Al Khaimah. "I am very glad for having had an opportunity to meet H.H. Shiekh Saud and to know more about the wonderful vision he has for the development of the emirate. Hopefully we will bring some value, goodness and creativity, which as an actor I will try to add to the new development," Shah Rukh Khan said after the meeting.

Scheduled for completion in 2012, Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard will be a world-class beachfront community comprising 10 premium residential towers and featuring a diverse range of lifestyle amenities on Dana Island, a project developed by master developer Rakeen. It will have modern residences including specially designed studios, and one-and two-bedroom apartments and townhouses.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud Al Qasimi, Dr. Khater Massaad, Advisor to RAK Crown Prince and Executive Chairman of Rakeen, Shafi Toffic, President of TSA Group, Tony Ashai, Principal, Ashai Design Corporation, USA, and a number of officials were present at the meeting.

Sheikh Saud also hosted a luncheon in honour of the actor. Later Shah Rukh Khan toured the Dana Island site.

Dubai: Bollywood sensation Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday visited Cityscape to attend the unveiling of the Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard.

Khan has entered the UAE real estate in asscociation with TSA Group to develop the Dh8 billion residential beach community, which will be located on the Dana island in Ras Al Khaimah.

British boxing sensation Amir Khan is also expected to visit Cityscape on Tuesday to launch Tejerah Executive, a commercial tower located in Ajman. Khan has been picked as brand ambassador for Profile Group’s latest venture.

Also on Tuesday, former Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher was at Cityscape to attend the unveiling of the Michael Schumacher World Champion Tower.

The tower will be located in the Central Business District of Reem Island off Abu Dhabi.

Cityscape has seen the unveiling of numerous multi billion dirham property developments.

Megastar Shah Rukh Khan on Saturday congratulated cricketer Sourav Ganguly for being included in the Indian squad for the upcoming Test and one-day series against Australia and hoped he would score a century in the first Test.

"I am happy for him and wish he gets a century," Khan said on a visit to Kolkata.

"We always feel happy if Kolkata Knight Riders' players do well," said Khan, who owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) team, of which Ganguly is the skipper.

To a query about his equation with film icon Amitabh Bachchan, Sharukh said: "There is lot of love between us. Only you people (media) keep on asking these questions."