Planet Shahrukh Khan

It’s 8 o’clock on a Friday night and somehow I’ve ended up in a queen-sized bed on the 30th floor of a five-star hotel, lying next to the King of Bollywood. His right hand grasps my left flipper.

As the camera rolls, we are perfectly still — except for Shah Rukh Khan’s slow, even breathing.

I guess I should mention that I’m wearing a huge, green, fuzzy costume in the shape of a big, pudgy star, and that this is all part of a TV commercial shoot for Videocon.

As the world knows, Khan is in San Francisco for the next month shooting his next big film, Karan Johar’s “My Name Is Khan,” opposite Kajol. But on Khan’s occasional days off, he squeezes in other activities. Today, he’s agreed to shoot four scenes for a promo for Videocon’s launch of a new, bright green logo. The spots will air in India, explained Sunil Tandon, head of marketing for Videocon, India’s leading manufacturer of home appliances.

In the coming months, Videocon will also market its products in the United States. The company will also launch its own mobile phone service along with exclusive Videocon handsets, Tandon told India-West. So the company felt it was time to update its image.

The logo features two green, animated blobs, who have a playful relationship with Khan.

“Chaow is the kind-hearted character; he’s tall, bulky and fat. He has a soft heart; he tries to solve a problem, but does not succeed,” said Tandon.

“Maow is smaller. He comes up with ideas to solve the issue. The two then come together in an animation to create the Videocon logo.”

For the commercial shoot, Chaow and Maow will trail Shah Rukh Khan (as himself) as he shoots a Bollywood movie, takes a break, and snoozes in his hotel.

Maow is being played today by 5-year-old Dev Maheshwari of San Mateo, and Chaow is being played, in a marvelous stroke of luck, by me.

It seems the person who was originally supposed to wear Chaow’s costume, a tall Indian man, didn’t show up in time the previous day, when Khan and his crew, along with the Videocon team, traveled to the Wine Country to shoot in Healdsburg, Calif.

So all of a sudden, there was a vacancy. “I’m 5’10,” I thought to myself. “Why don’t I volunteer?” Before getting into the newspaper business I had a performing arts background, but I’d never worn a mascot costume before. No problem, said the director. You fit the costume, so you’re in.

The fuzzy green costumes were custom-made in Mumbai and crammed into huge suitcases. Mine is nearly seven feet tall, and very large around the middle, supported inside with a collapsible hula-hoop. Although two small eye-holes have been cut out and lined with green netting, it’s nearly impossible to see out or to hear anything, and in order to move from place to place, Dev and I must be led by the hand.

Today, Khan and Videocon have settled in the Castro District, whose colorful denizens range from the fabulous to the freaky — among the passersby were a young man in makeup and a short dress, topped off by a black and white parasol; and a 30-something punk in a Bauhaus t-shirt, with incongruous lip piercings and a pot belly, bumming smokes off the “Khan” crew.

Good thing our punk guest didn’t try to bum a smoke off King Khan himself, as the actor wouldn’t have one to spare. A lit Dunhill constantly hangs from his fingers, as Khan himself directs shots for the ad.

Inside The Mint, a tiny karaoke club on Market Blvd., Khan, choreographer Farah Khan, and Chaow and Maow crowd onto a tiny stage beneath a brightly lit up disco ball. Eighties music (Devo, the Cars) starts to play, and we all move to the music.

“Darling, a little to the left,” Khan tells me as I bump into Farah and nearly become entangled in a hanging strip of disco lights.

Later, we shoot a scene at lunch time (“Maow, be sure and eat all your meat and vegetables so you grow up big and strong like me. Chaow, you’re getting fruit,” says Khan), and a goodbye scene in which we wave to Khan while getting into a van.

Kajol wandered by a few times, on break shooting her scenes for “Khan.” Dressed in a hot pink trench coat, tight black pants and high-heeled black boots (her costume designer, Manish Malhotra, is never more than a few feet away), Kajol was always followed by an assistant holding a silver umbrella — just in case the sun got to be too much. But this is San Francisco, not Mumbai, so the assistant didn’t have too much to do. Later, Kajol relaxed by herself with a paperback, rebuffing any and all who tried to approach her to say hello.

But Khan plays his crowds differently. A dozen or so Indian American movie fans gathered on the sidewalk, and Khan patiently took time to pose for photos.

Some hours later, it was time for the last shot of the day. Dev (amazingly patient and good-natured over the past nine hours) reclines on one side of the bed and I do the same.

“We’re ready!” says a crew member, and Khan is called in. He climbs onto the bed and settles between the two of us, and we all lie still for the final shot.

“Cut! We’re done!” someone says.

As I gaze up at the ceiling through green eye holes, I remind myself to look up that morning’s horoscope.

Believe it or not, but Salman Khan recently agreed to a statement about Shah Rukh Khan being a good actor. Recently, on his TV show ‘Dus Ka Dum’, with actor Riteish Deshmukh as his celebrity guest, Salman could be seen actually acknowledging a statement pertaining to SRK.

An insider reveals that Riteish stopped after winning Rs 10 lakh and gave away the money to Salman`s Being Human foundation. When Sallu asked Riteish who his favourite actor was, the former said SRK. And guess what, Salman instantly agreed about SRK being a good actor.

Confirming the buzz, Riteish said, "I didn`t get any negative vibes about Shah Rukh from Salman on the show. He was very cool and dignified and didn`t pass any snide remarks about him. In fact, Salman spoke highly about SRK and his work."

Riteish was accompanied by superstar Govinda on the show, as they featured to promote their upcoming flick ‘Do Knot Disturb’.

What’s SRK doing with two green creatures who look as though they’ve come from a sci-fi movie?

Well, the two green ‘creatures’ are Chouw and Mouw. And they are part of the revamp of the logo of Videocon, one of India’s foremost electronics brands.

The trademark V of the logo has undergone a ‘green’ change. Those of you who watch TV would have already seen the commercial — that of two green characters intermingling to ultimately form the V of Videocon. But though the animated clip looks kinda cute, creating it was not so simple, if the brain behind the clip, adman Prasoon Joshi, is to be believed.

“What we have done is divide the logo into two units, and make characters out of them — called Chouw and Mouw. Chouw is the kind-hearted one and Mouw the more mischievous one. And together, they send out the message that if you put your heart and mind together, anything can be achieved,” says Prasoon.
But why did the brand feel the need for the change? Was Prasoon clued in to that? Says Prasoon, “The logo needed more energy. So we energised it by giving it a more modern look. Green is the colour of the future. The logo also has a liquefied, fluid-like feel to it. It gives the feeling that the company is on the move and can take any shape and form.”

And the unveiling of the new logo was also done in style — though not with much fanfare. Chouw and Mouw were flown all the way to San Francisco, because the Videocon brand ambassador, Shah Rukh Khan, was there — shooting for Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan. And there, on an abandoned petrol pump, a little removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, King Khan unveiled the new logo with just the crew members on the sets, and Chouw and Mouw watching him. Khan, who was pretty touched by the whole effort, said, “My best wishes to Chouw and Mouw. As an actor, I continuously try and reinvent myself to stay connected with my audience. I am delighted to be associated with Videocon, a thinking company that is taking this step to underline and further strengthen its relationship with the consumers.”

But was SRK involved in the creative process? “He is the brand ambassador and he will be seen in the new campaigns very soon. But for now, the new V is the star,” says Prasoon. SRK signs off with, “I am sure Chouw and Mouw will capture millions of hearts and create smiles across the world.”

The latest stills from the shoot of Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan which is being shot in the US appear to be that of a wedding sequence.

While Shah Rukh is in a bow-tie, Kajol in a red sequined sari is seen with henna on her hands. The cast also includes Navneet Nishan, better known as Tara of the small screen.

The story of the film revolves around a man suffering from Asperger syndrome, set in the backdrop of the 9/11 attacks. Khan goes through turmoil when he is suspected of being involved in the terrorist activities. From the onset pictures, Shah Rukh and Kajol look like undercover agents, dressed to kill.

The look and styling of Shah Rukh and Kajol in the film is very similar to that of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr and Mrs Smith. The recent pictures of a wedding scene remind us of Brad and Angie on the altar minus that lip smacking kiss of course.

Still we wonder if Kajol would ever be able to pull of Angie’s badass attitude in the film. We mean it took Kajol 10 years to get back on the big screen after mommyhood while Angelina has almost 10 kids and still she packs in a mean punch! What say?

In times of recession, Eros International is hedging its bets on a money making director — Farah Khan, rather than bank on Anubhav Sinha.

Farah’s successful track record has put the brakes on Anubhav’s Ra 1 temporarily. She will begin shooting her film Happy New Year ahead of schedule, while Ra 1 has been pushed from September to next year.

A few days ago, we told you how Farah Khan had to rush with the script of the first half of Happy New Year to San Francisco where Shah Rukh is shooting currently. It was a known fact that Farah was supposed to start her film only early next year. We hear, Eros International insisted that Farah’s film should start this year, by the end of November.

Ra 1 is being presented by Eros International and produced by Red Chillies. It was slated to go on the floors before Farah’s film, “That’s true,” says the source, “But when Eros studied the project Ra 1, they felt that this film may not derive sufficient returns in today’s economy. They felt that it would be better if the commercial director Farah Khan put her project on the floors first. They wanted to back that first and wait for things to improve on the economy front. They will go with Ra 1 but only at a later date.”

Mumbai Mirror had also reported on June 27 that Shah Rukh has been advised not to indulge in heavy-duty action. This, combined with Farah’s track record, has come in the way of Anubhav Sinha’s film.

Despite repeated calls and text messages, Eros International CEO Sunil Lulla remained unavailable for comment.

Happy New Year stars Shah Rukh Khan in the lead. The remaining cast is yet to be finalised. Farah also has to complete the script of the second half of the film.

Be ready to fork out $250 to be seen in same pic with SRK at a US hotel
PS: Think we haven't heard of Photoshop, guys?

When Indian movie stars shoot aboard, fans travel from far and wide to catch a glimpse of the homegrown actors.

The management of Hotel Fairmount in San Francisco, USA got a whiff of SRK's superstardom when fans from literally all over the States started pouring in to catch a glimpse of the actor. They came up with a master plan to cash in on their guest Shah Rukh Khan's star power.

A source from the US reveals, "Shah Rukh is currently in San Francisco shooting for the last leg of Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan. And he has agreed to use his spare time for a good cause. SRK fans can book a table at the restaurant for one night when the actor will mingle with the patrons."

The source further adds, "If they wish to take a picture with their favourite star, they will have to shell out $250 (approximately Rs 12,000) and if they wish to have dinner on the same table as the superstar, there is a bigger price tag. The dinner is scheduled for some time next week when SRK will get a night early off work."

Shah Rukh Khan, the undisputed Badshah of bollywood, is all set to make his appearance in a television show Rishta.com being made by big daddy of tinsel town Yash Chopra of Yashraj Films.

The show is about a matrimonial office through which the couples meet and make their decisions about future relationships. Shah Rukh Khan, who has an excellent relationship with Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra, comes for a special appearance in the show. Besides King Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukerji, Tabu, Riteish Deshmukh, Uday Chopra and Jugal Hansraj will also be making special appearances on the show. The show is being directed by Rishabh Seth and is likely to go on air by October this year.

The buzz doing the rounds in the industry is that Yash Chopra wants to make a grand entry in the world of television, and for this purpose he has roped in his trump card Shah Rukh Khan to do a special appearance for him. While King Khan and above named biggies have agreed to be part of the show, some others are still being approached to make an appearance for Yashji.

In fact, Yashraj Films is approaching all the actors who have worked with them in their films so far. Besides bollywood biggies, some new faces will also be cast in the show to make it interesting for the viewers.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been nominated to receive an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from Britain's University of Bedfordshire.

Shah Rukh, the first foreign actor to be conferred the Malaysian title of Datuk - akin to a British knighthood - last year, will receive his first doctorate July 10.

The actor was chosen for the doctorate by NGO Routes to Roots, a member of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organization (WANGO) that works closely with universities and educational trusts in various countries, said a press release.

"I am delighted that Routes to Roots nominated me for the honorary doctorate in arts and culture from the Bedfordshire University, Britain, and it will be my pleasure to receive it personally July 10 in London," said Shah Rukh.

Routes to Roots is a non-profit charitable organisation and endeavours to bring people and cultures together across the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) countries in general and India and Pakistan in particular. Actor Juhi Chawla and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt are among its patrons.

"Shah Rukh Khan was selected by us after careful study since he has his head and heart at the right place in spite of being crowned the king of Bollywood. The superstar has done immense work for the underprivileged and downtrodden and has always come forward for charities in case of natural disasters," said Tina Vachani, co-founder, Routes to Roots.

According to Rakesh Gupta, who is also with the NGO: "Indian students at the university would love to have the youth icon Shah Rukh to be a fellow alumni once he receives his doctorate."

He's a handsome movie star with more global influence than the Dalai Lama. His name is Shahrukh Khan, and for the past month he's been filming his next blockbuster -- right here in the Bay Area.

In the family drama "My Name Is Khan," the Bollywood actor plays a man living with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism that impacts social interaction. He and his wife, played by Kajol, one of Indian's most famous actresses, portray an average Indian family living in San Francisco.

At its core, "My Name Is Khan" is a love story about a husband and wife, but, producer Prashant Shah says, it also seeks to redefine what it means to be a Muslim in America today.

The Bay Area was chosen because of its people, landscape and weather, Shah explains. Furthermore, Karan Johar, arguably India's hottest young director, wanted to shoot here because the three other movies he made in the United States were all filmed on the East Coast.

The production, shot at various locations in Livermore, San Jose and San Francisco, has been tight-lipped and closed to media. There are several reasons for this secrecy, the producer says.

For starters, the highly anticipated film is the first project in eight years to unite Kajol, Khan and Johar. Their last picture, 2001's "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham," earned seven international film awards.

In addition, Khan and the film's other stars, including Tanay Chheda of "Slumdog Millionaire" (he played Jamal,

the lead character, as a teenager) have had hundreds of fans lingering outside their San Francisco hotel, hoping to catch a glimpse. No one wants that to get out of hand.

Lastly, Indian cinema typically sets fashion trends, and the styles in high-profile films such as "My Name Is Khan" wind up on runways across Asia and Europe, Shah says. So the filmmakers can't risk any images getting out before the picture's release, slated for February 2010, implicitly so its unique costumes remain credited to the people who designed them.

Their audience keeps growing. In recent years, Bollywood's popularity has spread far beyond India.

"Spanish is the second official language of the United States, and French is the same in Canada, yet every Friday there are two Bollywood films, not Spanish or French films, released in at least 100 theaters in major cities across North America," Shah says. "Our films don't have typical Hollywood massacre, violence and nudity. So they are appropriate for a 5-year-old and a 92-year-old. That is the appeal."

While "My Name Is Khan" won't have the lively dance numbers Bollywood fans have come to expect, it will have a Bollywood soundtrack.

And Khan, known for his theatricality, will tone it down for this tear-jerker. But that won't change his mass appeal. In January, Newsweek magazine listed him at No. 41 on its list of the "50 Most Powerful People" in the world. According to the magazine, his influence tops Oprah Winfrey's and the Dalai Lama's.

"He is more popular than Will Smith and Brad Pitt combined," Shah says. "If Tom Hanks walked through Piccadilly Circus in London, a few people would ask for his autograph and let him walk on by. If Shahrukh was there, you would need at least 20 bobbies (British police) to have him escorted across the street. In less than an hour, there are usually 15,000 people gathered."

Details are spare, but Shah confirms that Khan will perform and sign autographs for fans at 8 p.m. Friday at the Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason St., San Francisco. Shah anticipates a crowd of at least 5,000.

Shah Rukh Khan has postponed his ambitious Sci-fi action thriller Ra 1 to next year.

The delay will give him enough time to fully recover from his shoulder injury sustained on the sets of Dulha Mil Gaya, and be fully fit for the intense action sequences planned in Ra 1.

The postponement follows a medical checkup that Shah Rukh underwent in the US where he is currently shooting for Karan Johar’s, My Name is Khan, with co-star Kajol.

The Anubhav Sinha helmed Ra 1 was to go on floors in September 2009 after having been earlier pushed back from February 2009 due to SRK's injury.

SRK will play a superhero in the film which will be replete with SFX and state of the art gizmos.

“SRK has been suffering because of his shoulder injury. He had injured himself on the sets of Dulha Mil Gaya a few months ago. After his surgery, SRK started shooting for Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan, which he will soon complete. However, he decided to temporarily put Ra 1 on hold as he is required to do some serious action sequences in the film," a source told Mumbai Mirror.

On completing My Name is Khan, Shah Rukh will start filming for Farah Khan’s Happy New Year.

Bollywood Baadshah Shahrukh Khan is all set to star with US President Barack Obama. Not quite really but Shahrukh will be seen starring with a lookalike of the US President in his upcoming movie My Name is Khan. The casting crew is in search for an African American who can resemble Obama. The exact nature of the character is not known but sources claim Obama's character play a significant part in the story.

My Name Is Khan is directed by Karan Johar and based on the life of minorities in the United States post 9/11. The movie is currently being shot in San Fransisco and also stars Jimmy Shergill and Sonya Jehan. Interestingly another movie New York which releases this weekend also has a similar plot. My Name is Khan is one of the most anticipated movies of the year as it will have the hit pair of Shahrukh Khan and Kajol in the lead after a gap of 8 years.

Shah Rukh Khan has clearly had enough of controversies. He turned down an offer to play Raj Thackeray in Raju Kokate’s Mumbai Tiger.

Before approaching SRK, Kokate had worked on the actor’s look in the film . Marathi film and stage actor Ashok Shinde, who has now been signed on for the role, bears an uncanny resemblance to the politician.

Shah Rukh recently reportedly also turned down an offer from Ashutosh Gowariker, his Swades director. After the 2004 film, which flopped at the box-office, Shah Rukh has flatly refused to work with the director for his next venture.
Ashutosh offered SRK a role in a period film with Rani Mukerji as his screen partner, but after Swades, Shah Rukh isn't taking any chances.

Apparently, working with Gowariker on Swades wasn't one of the highlights of Shah Rukh's life, but Ashutosh asked him to forget the past and start afresh. Ashutosh also offered him incentives to make up for the experience. Our source said, “Ashutosh even told Shah Rukh that they could co-produce the film and he had no issues with Shah Rukh's style of working on commission basis. But even this did not evoke a favourable response.”

Award winning Bollywood badshah Shahrukh Khan is to be given an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from the University of Bedfordshire in London next month.

Shahrukh, who has a huge fan base across the globe, is also a film producer and television host and will receive his award at the Hotel Courthouse, London on 10 July from Vice Chancellor Les bdon, CBE.

He was nominated by Routes 2 Roots, a non-governmental organisation which endeavours to bring together people, cultures and values from across southern Asia, in particular India and Pakistan.

University of Bedfordshire Deputy Vice Chancellor (External Relations) Ashraf Jawaid, said: "We are absolutely delighted to confer this honorary doctorate on Shahrukh Khan. He has made an outstanding contribution to the arts, culture and media which is recognised around the world."

Shahrukh started his career in the late 1980s appearing in several television serials. He made his film debut with the commercially successful Deewana in 1992 and since then has gone on to play a variety of critically acclaimed roles.

He has won seven Filmfare Best Actor Awards and appeared in films including Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Chak De India (2007), Om Shanti Om (2007) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) which remain some of Bollywood’s biggest hits.

Films including Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Veer Zaara (2004) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) have been hits overseas making Shah Rukh one of the most successful actors of Hindi cinema. Since 2000 Shah Rukh has branched out into film production and television presenting.

He is married with two children. In April 2007 a life-size wax statue of him was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in London. During the same year, he was accorded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Literature) award by the French government for his "exceptional career".

Bareilly: An Islamic seminary has issued a fatwa against Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan for allegedly making comments against Islam even as Muslim religious leaders distanced themselves from the decree, calling it “unnecessary” as the actor had offered his clarification.

“A person making a remark like the one attributed to Shahrukh is a kafir (non-believer) and is struck out of Islam,” said the fatwa issued by Mufti Mohammed Shoeb Raza Qadri and Mufti Muti-ur-Rehman of the Darul-uloom-Mazhar-e- Islam. Such a person must offer an immediate apology to return to Islam, the fatwa said.

Shahrukh Khan has strongly denied the comments attributed to him in an interview published in a magazine, saying he had been misquoted.

Case registered
Last week, a criminal case was registered in Mumbai against Shahrukh Khan and the publisher of the magazine under section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious sentiments) and section 34 (acts done by several persons with common interest) of the Indian Penal Code.

Bareilly-based Markazi Darul Ifta, which is responsible for issuing fatwas for the Barelvi sect, dismissed the decree saying the move by the two clerics was “unnecessary.”

“If someone is saying that he has not made statements [against the Prophet], then what is the need to issue a fatwa,” a spokesperson of the Markazi Darul Ifta, Maulana Shahbuddin said.

Darul-Uloom Deoband spokesman Ashraf Usmani said, “We have no plans to issue such fatwa. The fatwa issued against Shahrukh is not significant.”

Another cleric Maulana Yaseen Misbahi said, “Such kind of fatwa should not be issued on the basis of media reports.”

As is by now well know, earlier this month the recording studio of the composer trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy was broken into and computers and other items were burgled. In fact many of their unrecorded and also unused tunes (that were stored were on those computers) were also stolen/destroyed.

It may be termed as Karan Johar's good fortune that the tapes of the recorded but unreleased songs of his upcoming film, the Shahrukh Khan and Kajol starrer, MY NAME IS KHAN (lying in the room adjacent to the one burgled), were left untouched.

Here's hoping that Karan and SEL's good luck continues and MY NAME IS KHAN, presently being shot in San Francisco and other locales of US, continues the golden run of the previous SRK-Kajol ventures!

A Mumbai-based businessmen has, on the basis of an interview published in a magazine, filed a case claiming that SRK had said things derogatory to Islam's prophet. The magazine has since apologised and corroborated Shah Rukh's statement that it was at fault.

However, this has not stopped the fatwas from being pronounced. After a police case, Khan faces a series of fatwas from Maulvis in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly, who have apostatised him and have threatened to have his marriage to Gauri annulled. "It is a publicity stunt from these clergymen," said one cleric, "Nobody can be condemned to punishment on the basis of hearsay."

"If this was someone else other than Shah Rukh, they would not bother," said Shams-ur-Rahman Usmani, a cleric from Deoband. "This is a good way for Mullahs to get themselves on TV channels," said Usmani, "What they are doing is un-Islamic and it is victimisation of a good man who is not only a good citizen but has always shown his respect to religion."
The magazine that is causing Khan trouble is has alleged that Shah Rukh Khan is Time n Style.

Over the weekend, Shah Rukh has left no stone unturned to clarify that the comment was a mistake on the part of the reporter or a "writing error". He said that he had named Prophet Mohammad the greatest, most impressive personalities in history. SRK said that as a Muslim, it is his most important agenda to stand up for the tenets of Islam. He thinks Prophet Mohammad is the most important positive figure in history and Islam. The magazine also published a corrigendum on Thursday accepting the error.