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India Today: TOP 50 Powerful people in India

From Film personalities:

Shah Rukh khan @ 6

Amitabh Bachchan @ 16

Aditya Chopra @ 21

Ronnie Screwala (UTV) @ 24

Rajnikanth @ 28

Aamir Khan @ 38

Javed Akhtar & Shabana Azmi @ 43

AR Rahman @ 47

SRK sports a Marathi ‘pagadi’

Hrithik can’t thank Shah Rukh enough

Shah Rukh Khan went out of his way to accommodate the Roshans by shooting an item song for their production Krazzy 4, and Hrithik can’t thank the busy Khan enough. “I’m doing the song for my own home production. But Shah Rukh has gone out of his way to accommodate the project because he respects dad. His gesture has touched all of us. It’s very kind of him. He didn’t need to dance.”

Hrithik can’t stop raving about the item song. “It’s the best dance track I’ve ever performed. My uncle Rajesh Roshan has outdone himself. And Vishal Dadlani who has sung the number has also been extremely gracious. He didn’t accept the cheque that my dad gave him after the song. He did it for my dad and uncle. As a family, we Roshans are overwhelmed by the respect that has been shown by everyone associated with the item song.”

Tell him it’s because of the respect his dad’s banner commands, and Hrithik corrects. “No, I think it’s more to do with the kind of person my father is. If he wasn’t the person he is, Shah Rukh, Vishal and everyone else wouldn’t have gone out of their way to accommodate us, no matter how successful we may be. I think my dad has earned the respect he gets. He doesn’t command it.” Hrithik further informs, “Shah Rukh’s version of the song will be part of the main movie, while mine will be used in the end titles, also on MTV, Channel V and other promotional campaigns for television.”

With Jodhaa Akbar behind him, Hrithik is now looking forward to starting his next film with Anurag Basu. “That’s one film I’m really looking forward to. I’m a big fan of Anurag’s cinema. I think he’s a very sensitive director. He’s really going to be doing something different with me. I can’t say much about the subject. But it will be a different experience for me, though something right up his alley.” The industry was abuzz about Sonam Kapoor being Hrithik’s leading lady in Anurag’s film. “Both Dad and I think Sonam is wonderful. But she was never considered for Anurag’s film. The role requires someone from abroad. So yeah, I’ll have an international costar in Anurag’s film.”

Hrithik and Aishwarya Rai looked pretty international in Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa Akbar. “I can’t dispute that. It’s so true. Ash and I share a fabulous rapport. It’s always fun to work with a costar who isn’t selfish. We both gave so much of ourselves to Jodhaa Akbar. Aishwarya has been one of my most helpful costars. I really cherish working with her. She an incredible actor and an even better costar. And since all three of us — Abhishek, Aishwarya and I — are friends, we’ have great fun even when not shooting.”

Hrithik craves for the perfect chemistry with his costars. “I don’t think it’s possible for me to give my best if my costar isn’t doing the same. I try to surround myself with like-minded people. And I think I’ve found the right people operating at my frequency to work it, be it Ashutosh Gowarikar, Sanjay Gadhvi, Aditya Chopra or my dad. I’m fortunate, I guess.

Mithun in Subhash Ghai's Yuvraaj

One of 2008's most anticipated films is Subhash Ghai's Yuvraaj starring Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Zayed Khan and Katrina Kaif in lead roles. The film which is a musical has added 2 more members to its already impressive star-cast.

The buzz is that Mithun Chakraborty apparently has been signed on to play a special appearance in the film. When Bollywood Hungama spoke to Mr. Subhash Ghai, he confirmed this, "Yes Mithun is doing a special appearance in Yuvraaj. However it is a very important role in the context of the film. We have shot with him already for around 5 - 6 days."

Besides this Aushima Sawhney who was last seen opposite Kunal Khemu in Superstar has also been signed. Ghai adds, "Aushima is playing one of the female leads in Yuvraaj"

With some people referring to the film as Main Yuvraaj while others calling it Yuvraaj we decided to get the facts straight from the man himself. "I keep telling everyone it is Yuvraaj. The title is positively Yuvraaj and not Main Yuvraaj"

Lastly we can't wait to check out this star-studded extravaganza and hence ask the showman, how much of the shooting is actually left? "50 % of the shooting is left, and we are releasing the film on October 24, 2008, the same day when Mukta Arts celebrates it 30th anniversary," signs off Ghai.

In the meanwhile, all you Ghai fans can surely check out his next release Black and White starring Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, and debutant Anurag Sinha that opens across cinemas next week (March 7).
(Courtesy-Indiafm)

Sanjay-Manyata revoke their marriage in Goa

WEDDING WOES: Sanjay and Manyata now want to register their marriage under special Marriage Act of 1954.

New Delhi: Actor Sanjay Dutt on Wednesday withdraw his marriage declaration, filed with Manyata, before the South Goa Sub Registrar.

The couple filed an application before the Salcete Sub-Registrar saying they do not wish to solemnise their marriage under the Portuguese Civil Code, 1867.

They said the documents they had annexed at the time of marriage should be treated as withdrawn and cancelled from all legal effects.

Sanjay and Manyata now want to register their marriage under special Marriage Act of 1954. The registered marriage of February 7 was dogged by controversies following doubts over how Manyata could obtain a residence certificate in Goa.

South Goa district administration on Monday had issued showcause notice to Manyata seeking clarification as to why her residence certificate, submitted in connection with her court marriage, should not be cancelled.

Manyata had submitted a certificate claiming her residence at Aquem, in south Goa’s Margao town. The certificate was used during the declaration of her marriage with Sanjay in the sub registrar’s office on February 7 pending final signature which has to be executed within 90 days.

The authorities have already informed the Sub Registrar about the suspension of the residence certificate based on which the marriage formalities have been kept on hold.

Officials said that Manyata has to provide any valid proof that she has been staying at the shown Goa address. “It’s upto her what proof she brings,” they said.

Sanjay and Manyata were married as per Hindu rites in Mumbai on February 11.

A fortnight ago, a Mumbai family court had admitted a case by a man named Mehraj Shaikh who claims Manyata is his wife.

In his petition, Mehraj Shaikh had challenged Manyata’s marriage with Sanjay, claiming that he (Shaikh) had married her in 2003 and had not been formally divorced from her.

The petitioner also claimed that he has a two-and-a-half-year-old son from that marriage and the child is currently staying with Manyata’s mother in Hyderabad. He alleged that the newly weds violated Muslim marriage norms.

Shaikh had then said that though he and Manyata have been living separately, neither of them have sought talak or divorce.

(Courtesy-CNNIBN)

“I’ve always looked up to Shah Rukh” - Preity Zinta

The IPL also has Shah Rukh Khan coming in. How does it feel to have him as a competitor in cricket?
I’ve always looked up to Shah Rukh. When I did my first film Dil Se with him, he was already a huge star. To me it’s a matter of great honor to stand on the same platform as him. We’re all working very hard on the IPL. Ours is the youngest team among all the IPL owners. Let’s be positive about it. Initially, it’s very important for the IPL team to work in totality.

Which members of the IPL have you interacted with?
You mean besides Shah Rukh? Vijay Mallya. He’s a very good friend, and a really cool person to know. As for the cricketers, they’re all in Australia now.

How cricket savvy have you become?
Right now, I am more IPL savvy. We are working on the format and the modalities constantly. But yes, I am trying to get as cricket savvy as possible. On Tuesday, I was watching the match at Australia. I was so pleased to see Yuvraj perform so well. He’s rocking. And yeah, I’m reading the sports sections more now. Rome wasn’t built in a day. And my interest in cricket will take time. We just did a trip to Mohali. The stadium there is fantastic. Mr. Bindra of the Punjab Cricket Board has been very accommodating.

Are you happy with your new work schedule?
I’m loving every minute of it. I have always had a lot of energy. Therefore, I am now using it in the right way.

Are you growing beyond cinema?
I certainly am. But my first love will always be acting. Cricket will have to take second place. When I’m in a shot nothing else matters. When I’m watching Yuvraj bat I’m fully there. But I’m in control during my shot, not Yuvraj’s shot. All I can do is motivate the cricketers. I do have various sides to me. And now I’m getting a chance to explore things that are helping me grow as a human being. I am just so thankful to get these opportunities. I always wanted to make a positive impact.

Are you proud to be so active in a game that’s dominated by men?
Men talk about equal opportunities for women. But when it comes to the crunch hardly anyone comes forward to let women rub shoulders with them. I just want to say, the three guys who exemplify true feminism are my IPL colleagues Ness Wadia, Karan Paul and Mohit Burman. These three men have supported me wholeheartedly and without being patronizing. They’re truly the modern men of the world.

Having the love of your life by your side surely helps?
I joke with Ness and say you’re the wing beneath my wings . When I suddenly burst into a loud exuberant rendering of ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ Ness looks at me as if I’ve gone crazy.

Does Ness enjoy being called the wind beneath your wings?

He is that! To give me this kind of support and provide me with equal opportunities as his male colleagues. It’s fantastic. Very few people will do that.

What do you expect the outcome of the IPL auction to be?
It’s an open auction. All of us have to be on our toes. It isn’t going to be easy. To be honest I’ve absolutely no idea what will happen. I’ve giant-sized butterflies in my stomach. I’m looking forward to forming our teams and going ahead full-steam. There’s a lot of work ahead. I’m an eager student of cricket. Fortunately, I’ve so many knowledgeable people around me. I’m just happy listening.

That must be tough for someone as talkative as you?
The toughest thing for me has been to sit in one place for an hour. When I’m on a film set I’m all over the place. But at a board meeting I better be still. This is a whole new world for me. And I’ve plunged into it headlong.

Did you ever feel you might just end up as the glamour prop in the IPL?
I always wanted to avoid that. But in any sphere of activity people treat you the way you want. I’ve been on-board in the IPL full-on attending all the conferences. At every meeting I’m the first one in, the last one out. Everyone has got the message that I’m interested and passionate about the IPL. That I’m not in it just as a token representative. I’m fully inducted into it. Let’s see where it goes.

Any downside to the auction?
I felt bad that we couldn’t get Harbhajan Singh on board, he being from Chandigarh to have him on board would’ve been nice. But Mumbai went hard for him, and so did we. But…at least the good thing is, he got paid really well. A team is never made of one person. We had our budgets, and we had to stick to it. We wanted a team that was heavy with Indians. A lot of mathematics went into the game. Overall, I think we got a well-balanced team. And in the team format no individual wins or loses. That’s the best part of it.

Did your budget afford you the players you wanted?
I think the teams that didn’t have to bid for icon players had more flexible budgets. Chennai, Hyderabad and Jaipur didn’t have icon players.

Do you think it’s important for your team to have an icon player?
We love our icon player Yuvraj. He’s one of the best 20-20 players in the world. He makes a helluva difference to our team’s morale. The good thing is, we’re the youngest team in the IPL.

(Courtesy-Indiafm)

Salman Khan’s daring act

Boney Kapoor’s Pokiri remake Wanted Dead or Alive is in buzz for several reasons. Its leading actor Salman Khan is working hard for to get into the character of a police officer. He has not just worked hard to get a six pack in twenty days for a song, but has also performed a deadly action stunt scene without a body double.

Interestingly Salman who plays a police officer will be seen in a complete Tapori look, who has some really interesting dialogues. He will be sporting his favourite look, half torn jeans and unbuttoned shirts.

According to a source it’s a scene where Salman who plays a police officer in the film has jumped from outside the terrace with a gun in hand. The scene was shot on a building terrace near Mumbai's Mahalaxmi Race Course where Salman poses as a goon to destroy a mafia gang.

Apparently Salman was told to use a body double by the stunt coordinator but when he did not listen to him, Prabhu Deva, director of the film tried to convince him. Salman who loves to get into the skin of the character decided to do it his own without a body double. “Prabhu Deva tried to convince Salman but on the other hand Khan convinced the director that he can perform on his own. Salman performed and the scene was okayed in the first take.”
(Courtesy-Indiatimes)

Never again!

While it’s a good idea to recycle and reuse paper, the same can’t be said about your wardrobe if you’re a celeb or a socialite. When actress Kajol was spotted in her sheer black saree and her fishnet poncho more than once, the fashion columns jeered.

Otherwise short public memory somehow remembers the colour, cut and design of the clothes that celebs wear to different gatherings. But, is it a cardinal sin to repeat clothes if you’re a socialite? I can’t buy clothes for every party I attend,” says theatre personality and socialite Dolly Thakore, who wears her trademark red bindi and silver jewellery to all parties she attends. “I’ve around 300 sarees, so I don’t repeat them often,” she says.

Wardrobe sizes are decided by the number of parties celebs attend. Supermodel Nina Manuel, who also party hops for a living, says she’s not repeated any of her clothes in the last two and a half years of being a party show anchor. “I attend three-to-four parties a week and there are so many clothes to pick from. Outside my show, I’ve repeated outfits and I’m not bothered about what people think. I don’t repeat outfits within weeks. And if I’m wearing something spectacular, I don’t repeat it for months as people will remember it. I mix and match clothes and accessorise them so that they look different each time,” she reveals.

And then there are some who have a limited, multipurpose and functional wardrobe in spite of having the means to own a lot more. SRK, for instance, once said he always trusts his black tux for parties as no one can tell if it’s a repeat. Grey’s Anatomy star Kate Walsh was seen wearing a black gown to a friend’s reception that she wore for the 2006 Emmy awards. Black is a safe colour to repeat, and it’s all about intelligent dressing, says designer Manoviraj Khosla. Manoviraj, who owns 50 pairs of jeans, 30 jackets and tons of party shirts to avoid repetition, says, “It’s a fashion faux pas if someone repeats clothes within a couple of years. We Indians hoard clothes. One should wear styles that are hot for that season. But it’s fine to repeat classics.”
(Courtesy-Indiatimes)

BLOCKBUSTER - OFFICIALLY DECLARED

THE ACE KHAN

SRK’s Khantastic PR skills!

To,
Honorable Mr.P.Chidambaram,
Minister of Finance

Respected Sir,

Today as you are getting ready to put up the biggest show of the year... The nation’s annual budget, which is going to shape up the economy of our country in the coming year, we would like you to introduce you to a man, who we all lovingly call ‘King Khan’ and learn from him what it takes to become popular and win over your worst critics and detectors.

Agreed Badshah Khan has an acquired a six –pack, but there’s more to him than his physical glory. What makes SRK... the brand King Khan or Badshah Khan as he’s popularly called in Bollywood. Is he a media made, PR savvy or a marketing whiz kid? We try to analyze and unfold the brand called King Khan..

He once had a production company called ‘Dreamz Unlimited’! The company shut shop soon after its maiden venture Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani went bust at the box office, but he continued to dream big and paved his way to create the million dollar brand called ... King Khan! “It’s been 18 years in the industry and people say I’m the King of Bollywood and trust me I enjoy it. I’m not pompous, but I don’t know how it feels not to be successful, so I don’t know how it’s not to be the King of Bollywood. I feel it’s my birthday now,” says SRK.

Love him or hate him, but you simply can’t ignore him, that’s his power, charisma and skills. “He knows what he wants it and he gets it, courtesy his innovative marketing strategies and his cut sharp PR skills, which never fails him,” says a leading city based journalist.

What’s astonishing is that he doesn’t have any trappings of a conventional hero... in Bollywood’s lingo the ideal gora and chikna hero. “But the fact is that all his films sell like hot cake and media loves to write about him. He knows how to play the game and has played it to the gallery,” says filmmaker Sangeth Sivan.

A fact endorsed by SRK’s friend and colleague Salman Khan. “The way Shah Rukh saab promotes his films, he doesn’t give much scope to others, filmmakers won’t find a better marketing guy than him,” he feels. SRK’s PR skills and the way he pushes his products are widely known and recognized throughout B- Town. Says, ace Ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar. “SRK as a brand is much bigger than the actor and thanks to his media savvy and PR skills.”

A fact echoed equally by Akshaye Khanna “Hats off to Shah Rukh the producer. I’m amazed by the way he went blazing all guns for his home production ‘Om Shanti Om’, I don’t think any other guy in his position could have pulled this off.”

Bollywood is aware of SRK’s marketing and his expertise in PR skills, but it came into the limelight during the release of Janeman and Don .

It was the clash of the titans. Three of Bollywood’s biggest superstars, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar were tied up in a cat and mouse game of superiority on the big screen. On one side were Salman and Akshay, on the other Shah Rukh Khan. Bollywood’s two biggest films, but at the end it was SRK who walked away with the cake. “When you have Shah Rukh Khan as your competitors, you can’t do much about it. You either run away or face it; I decided to face it bravely,” reminisces Sajid Nadiadwala the producer of the film. A fact echoed by the hero of the film Salman “We were helpless, can’t beat him when it comes to promoting a film,” he says.

While Amrita Rao who acted with SRK in Main Hoon Na says “He thinks ten times ahead of us, his mind works like computer, marketing strategies, promotion, you name it and he has it everything in his head. And importantly media loves him, because he is a natural charmer.” The feeling is mutual for Showman Subhash Ghai, “Amazing PR skills, I don’t see any other Bollywood actor coming anywhere closer to him. He is a class apart. One day he should write a book on marketing, it will be a best seller,” he opines.

While SRK admits that media played an important role in his career, “I’m a media guy and the media have all the right to write about me, it good, bad or ugly,” he once told this writer.

And probably that’s why to acknowledge the importance of media, he promised that if his latest home production ‘OSM’ hits the bull’s eye, he will share the profits with the media and true to his words, a week after the film was declared a run away hit, he placed full page Ads in all the leading publications. “It was his idea of paying back to the media who supported and helped him in promoting his films. He wanted to share the revenues with them,” says an executive of his production company, Red Chillies Entertainment.

The move might come as a step forward towards sharpening his PR and marketing strategy, but the fact remains that unlike others, he didn’t hire a full time PR firm to help with the promotion of ‘OSM’. Just a lone lady, veteran journalist turned PR, Nilufer Qureshi was at the helm, while on the other hand Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Sawariya had the strong backing of the entire Sony Picture’s PR machinery which worked overtime and round the clock, but they were no match to Khan’s overwhelming power and charisma.

He single-handedly pulled out all stops to promote his home productions and emerged winner leaving his competitors away behind in the rat race. “The PR hired for ‘OSM’ handled only Farah and Deepika while Shah Rukh handled himself. He’s a one man army and he doesn’t require any PR manager to handle him,” laughs a veteran trade pundit. While Madhur Bhandarkar says “I thought no one can beat me, when it comes to dealing with the media, but SRK beats me hands down, we have so much to learn from him.”

Even the PR managers shares the same views about King Khan, “When you have a client like SRK, half of your job is done, he’s a marketing wizard and a PR’s delight,” says Alok Mathur, journalist turned PR. Mathur further unfolds the mystery why media loves him with an interesting anecdote “It was around 7 years back, I was a journalist and SRK by then had become King Khan, the superstar. I was in Film city, one night, waiting for an auto rickshaw; it was slightly drizzling, suddenly out of nowhere this shining black Mercedes stopped in front of me. The guy sitting in the backseat rolled down his tinted glass...it was Shah Rukh Khan, he rescued me that night by giving me a lift and ever since he became my hero. Call it his PR skills or a simple gesture from King Khan, but it certainly went a long way and I don’t think I could bring myself to do any negative stories about him after that,” he laughs.

While another senior crime reporter Nirmal Mishra remembers how one of his stories landed SRK in a soup. “I broke a story on SRK’s office property. There was some irregularity about in the deal and when the story came out SRK was fuming as expected, I wanted to meet him and explain my stand, but he wasn’t available. Next couple of days back he sent word through a common friend saying he wanted to meet me. I went to meet him in Filmcity where he was shooting for Main Hoon Na . He called me inside his van and told everyone to leave; I feared the worst, but he causally asked me what’s the source of my story, I told him I can’t reveal my source and told him I was just doing my job. He smiled and said its ok, but you should have checked with me, maybe I had something to say in my defense, next time please check before you write anything, shook my hand and the meeting was over in 5 mintues. I heaved a sigh of relief. Months later, I saw him at a party and was trying to avoid him, Shah Rukh quietly sneaked behind, tapped my shoulder and hugged me. Needless to say, I have turned into an avid SRK fan ever since,” says Nirmal.

Bollywood’s leading villain Gulshan Grover remembers an incident while shooting with Shah Rukh Khan for Yes Boss , “We were shooting for Yes Boss , and once we were sitting inside his make- up van and there were a couple of journalists with us. There was not enough space for everyone on the van, Shah Rukh opened his washroom and sat down on the toilet seat, it was hilarious, but I’m sure the journalists become his fans for lifetime. Shah Rukh can turned his worst enemy into his friend.”

While another veteran journalist reminds how SRK stood up for one of her colleague years back on the set of Rakesh Roshan’s Karan Arjun . “We had gone to cover the shooting and as usual Salman had a tiff with a lady journalist and started throwing tantrums. He told the driver to stop the bus and offload the lady. No one dared to question him, except for SRK, he took up for the lady. He told everyone, if the lady goes, so am I.,” reminisces the veteran journalist.

So MR. FM, how about hiring SRK as your adviser or maybe swapping roles with King Khan, Mr.P.Chidambaram? I am sure that your budget will be applauded and the Opposition will hail you as a Saint for rescuing the Indian Republic. Pl give it a thought. It is worth it.

Yours truly,
Shah Rukh Khan
(Courtesy-Indiatimes)

BEBO PICS

KAREENA RULES

Shoaib and Salman go topless on Mumbai streets

Two of South Asia’s most noted bad-boys, Salman Khan and Shoaib Akhtar went topless through the streets of Mumbai.

Cricketer Shoaib Akhtar was attending a meal at Bollywood star Salman Khan’s residence in Bandstand, when the two started having an argument on who was the fitter… out of the two. What happened next was a dare which saw both running around the Mumbai streets early on Sunday morning. On-lookers were astonished to see these two leading celebrities topless.

The two had earlier slipped out quietly to the head of the promenade where first Shoaib took off his shirt and flung it on the ground to use as a starting block. Salman followed suit. And the race was on. The race went past Shah Rukh’s house Mannat and finished back at Salman’s Galaxy apartments. The whole scene lasted for 15 minutes.

“Neither of them raised any sweat because they both are very strong and muscular, and have very strong legs,” said a source. “There were very few people at Bandstand at that hour, so Salman and Shoaib were not conscious at all and in any case both men are quite bindaas and would have run bare-chested had they thought of the idea even at six in the evening.”

And now to the burning question that you may be asking… Who won? Well, Shoaib Akhtar came in first by a mere few seconds.

Kareena completes Khan trilogy with Aamir starrer

Queen B of Bollywood, Kareena Kapoor is truly on a roll. She has been consolidating her status as no. 1 with a deluge of big banner films with the best directors and A- list actors in Bollywood. This is besides being known as the 'Endorsement Queen of bollywood' like brand SRK and brand Big B.

Kareena Kapoor has now signed film opposite the 'Ace' Khan – Aamir khan, directed by the acclaimed director of the 'Munnabhai' series Raju Hirani. In fact audiences were keen to see the Aamir- Kareena Jodi sizzle on screen

Thus Kareena Kapoor becomes the only actress in the new generation of actress to share the screen with the 3 biggest 'Khans' in the industry.

And with her slew of her forthcoming films like 'Tashan' with Yashraj, 'Agent Vinod' with Saif, 'Golmaal Returns' with Ajay Devgan, 'Kambakth Ishq' with Akshay Kumar, a film with John Abraham and a film with Karan Johar production, Kareena is the undisputed claimant for the mantle of number 1 Actress in Bollywood.

Besides her film which will consolidate that position, Brand Kareena, like SRK & Big B, is also known as the 'Endorsement Queen' in endorsement bandwagon. Kareena high profile endorsement brands consists of Globus, Anne French, Emami, ICI Paints, Vivel of ITC soaps, Head & Shoulders, Boro plus cream, Citizen watch, Perfume, a Jeans line etc..

Kareena eclipses the next generation of actress when it comes to the diversity in her choices, right from big budget fare with A- list directors to imaginative projects, she has literally done it all. She is the perfect mix of performance and glamour.

Also besides the highest paid actress in Bollywood and wielding enormous clout & power in the male dominated industry, Kareena Kapoor has dominated the award season in Bollywood this year.

She has already bagged the best actress award in the Star Screen, Stardust and Filmfare award, and seems all set to win the remaining awards too. Well truly, she has earned the well deserved top slot.

Bachchans stay away because of SRK?

Amitabh Bachchan and his parivaar were conspicuous by their absence at the Filmfare Awards function. According to sources, the reason behind is none other than the presence of Shah Rukh Khan as one of the anchors for the show.

According to sources, last year too Shah Rukh Khan had said something Amar Singh, to which he took offence. The following day Amar Singh's party members created a ruckus outside SRK's house and he had to rush from his shooting early to pacify his terrified children. Later, the actor had said that he wondered why people who cannot take a joke come to the function. He said the function was for the film fraternity and people who attend understand the inside jokes. This year it seems that once Amar Singh found out that SRK was hosting the function, he decided to skip it and so did the Bachchans. The official version was that they were still n mourning. But just last week, the Big B's family attended the premiere of Jodhaa Akbar, and a few days later, Abhishek and Aishwarya were seen dancing at a function. So it is obvious that the mourning was an excuse to skip the function with King Khan behind the mike.

Salman Khan as Indian Gladiator in Veer

It has been reported that the Salman Khan starrer Veer is about an Indian warrior fighting the British Raj.

Set around 1800, the film will be similar to multiple Oscar winner Gladiator, and feature Salman in state of the art fight scenes. Apart from having Indian actors, the film will also feature numerous Western faces, including the daughter of top Hollywood actor Jean Claude Van Damme - Bianca Van Damme.

Salman is currently busy trying to get into shape as he does not want to be undermined by Bianca, who has a body builder for a mother also.

JODHAA AKBAR - BOX OFFICE REPORT

Jodhaa Akbar is big in Overseas

As expected the success of Jodhaa Akbar has come as great relief to the overseas market. Jodhaa Akbar has grossed around 13 crore in three days with UK contributing 3 crore, North America a huge 6.40 crore and UAE adding 1.85 crore.

The film is certain to emerge a Superhit in the circuit or maybe even better. The opening is the second biggest ever in North America behind the 6.90 crore of Om Shanti Om.

Jodhaa Akbar Collects 24.75 Crore In Week One

Jodhaa Akbar has collected 24.75 crore nett (40 crore Gross) from around 700 cinemas. The film showed a drop in collections mid week but has started week two well at multiplexes. The film is best in Mumbai and South. The film has surprisingly done well in Bihar, a territory with mainly small centres.

Although there are two states Rajasthan and Madhya Pardesh which have banned it till now, it still looks like Jodhaa Akbar will emerge a winner due to its big city business. The territorial breakdown of business is as follows.

Jodhaa Akbar-Week One

Mumbai-11,60,02,450

Delhi/UP-4,83,50,870

East Punjab-1,59,12,056

West Bengal-97,71,947

Bihar-58,02,504

CP Berar-72,28,952

CI-64,25,396

Rajasthan-Not Released

Nizam-1,57,18,615

Mysore-1,41,86,563

Tamil Nadu-42,62,672

Orissa-15,57,686

Assam-13,00,501

Kerala-10,48,850

TOTAL-24,75,90,662

Filmfare Power List - Right Or Wrong

Filmfare published its power list but despite the survey being conducted by the renowned market research company AC Nielson, many observers in the trade have doubts about the credibility of the list. A renowned trade magazine also gave a list which it believed to be correct based on its assessment of the film industry. These lists are very hard to make as they are based on many things not just box office power and involve names from different fields like acting, distributing, production etc. Below are the two power lists and the trade list looks more authentic even though the Filmfare list is by AC Nielson.

Filmfare Power List

1.Chopra's

2.Shahrukh Khan

3.Akshay Kumar

4.Hrithik Roshan

5.Salman Khan

6.A R Rehman

7.Amitabh Bachchan

8.Aishwarya Rai

9.Rani Mukherjee

10.Karan Johar

Trade Power List

1.Aditya Chopra

2.Shahrukh Khan

3.Akshay Kumar

4.Hrithik Roshan

5.Aamir Khan

6.Salman Khan

7.Ronnie Screwala

8.Amitabh Bachchan

9.Sajid Nadiadwala

10.Kareena Kapoor

"THE BIGGEST CROWD PULLER "

Huge Curiosity For TASAHAN

The publicity campaign has not even started for Tashan but curiosity levels for the film are huge and we not talking about the trade but actual film going public. There are posters of Tashan at most multiplexes and certain single screens and it seems the public cannot wait for the film as enquiries are in thousands about the film from the public. This could be due to the fact the YRF have cleverly held back the music and promotion of the film that the public is desperate to find what the film is about. If one poster can create this sort of craze then its going to be something else by the time of release.

The publicity campaign is expected to start in the first week of March and there is no doubt that will film create a stampede at the box office with opening day records being smashed all over India. Tashan stars current box office favourites Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor alongside Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor in a stellar role.

Shah Rukh causes huge stampede in London

The presence of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at a London event caused a stampede and an eventual close-down.

London had never before witnessed something of this caliber, as thousands of King Khan fans flocked to the Olympia arena to catch a glimpse of him. When Shah Rukh Khan eventually arrived, at 4pm in the afternoon on Saturday, the arena was at full capacity, forcing security officials to turn away many ticket-holding fans.

The local police called in more officers to form a ring around the venue just to keep the angry fans away. But this didn’t stop the angry fans from fighting and jostling to get into the hall.

Were you there at the event? Were you allowed in to see Shah Rukh Khan? Did you manage to meet him personally at the autograph stage? Or were you one of the unlucky ones that were not able to get in because of the overcrowding?

MAX Stardust Awards 2008

The dazzling demigods of the Hindi film industry descended at the MMRDA grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai and graced the Max Stardust Awards ceremony with their esteemed presence. The program was not restricted to just the handing over and receiving of awards but provided entertainment galore, including song and dance performances by leading stars like Kareena Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Saif Ali Khan, Govinda and Neha Dhupia.

The Max Stardust Awards stands out in the clutter of countless film awards as it showcases and recognises the relatively fresh talent with the promise to emerge as the superstars of tomorrow. The awards ceremony, this year, transformed the banal terra firma of the Bandra Kurla Complex into a spectacle of glitz and razzmatazz. Talented film director Kunal Kohli and the gorgeous diva Neha Dhupia were the perfect hosts for this special evening and kept the audience glued to their seats.

The glorious award ceremony, witnessed dazzling Lara Dutta perform on chartbusters such as ‘Move your body’ from Johnny Gaddar, ‘Deewangi’ from OSO among others while beautiful Kareena Kapoor enthralled the audience with ‘Nagada’ and ‘Its rocking’ form Jab we met and Kya Love Story Hai. The rockstar Saif Ali Khan performed on medley of hits from OSO, Salaam-e-Ishq, Hey Baby and Race – his upcoming movie. Govinda entertained the audience with his numbers from the movie Partner and Bhagam Bhaag. Neha Dhupia apart from her co-hosting the award ceremony moved danced on popular songs like ‘Namak Ishq Ka’, ‘Saiya re’, ‘Mayya Mayya’, ‘Kiya Kiya’ and ‘Naughty Naughty’.

Among the people who attended the event were the who’s who of the tinsel town. Aadesh Shrivastav, Bappi Lahri, Alka Yagnik, Shreya Saran, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Bipasha Basu, Dharmendra, Rishi Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Suresh Oberoi, Irfan Khan, Gul Panag, Celina Jaitley, Dino Moreo, Madhur Bhandarkar, Raveena Tandon, and a host of others. The event had extravagant sets coupled with lasers, special effects, lighting and acoustics to create a magnificent audio and visual impact.

The MAX Stardust Awards are a salute to the young and dynamic Gen Next oozing with creative energy and passion in equal measure. MAX will telecast the MAX Stardust Awards on 16 February, 2008 at 8.00 pm.

THE WINNERS OF MAX STARDUST AWARDS

SUPERSTAR OF TOMMOROW —MALE
Ranbir Kapoor (Saawariya)

SUPERSTAR OF TOMMOROW— FEMALE
Sonam Kapoor (Saawariya)

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE – MALE
Shreyas Talpade (Om Shanti Om)

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE – FEMALE
Kangana Ranaut (Life… In a Metro)

THE NEW MENACE
Shilpa Shukla (Chak De India)

HOTTEST FILM — PRODUCERS

Gandhi My Father (Anil Kapoor)

HOTTEST YOUNG FILM MAKER
Shimit Amin (Chak De India)

STANDOUT PERFORMANCE BY LYRICIST
Sandeep Nath – Saawariya (‘Yoon Shabnami Pehle Nahi Thi Chandni’)

NEW MUSICAL SENSATION – FEMALE
Anoushka Manchanda – Cash (Aye Chori)

NEW MUSICAL SENSATION – MALE
Krishna & Salim Merchant – Chak De India (Maula Mere)

STANDOUT PERFORMANCE BY A MUSIC DIRECTOR
Monty Sharma (Saawariya)

READER’S CHOICE AWARDS
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Tisca Chopra (‘Taare Zameen Par’)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Irrfaan Khan (‘Life… In A Metro’ / The Namesake)

BEST ACTOR IN A NEGATIVE ROLE
Arjun Rampal (‘Om Shanti Om’)

STAR OF THE YEAR - MALE
Akshay Kumar (‘Namastey London’ / ‘Heyy Babyy’)

ACTOR PAR EXCELLANCE
Viveik Oberoi (Shootout at Lokhandwala)

BEST ACTOR – MALE
Shahid Kapoor- Jab We Met

BEST ACTOR – FEMALE
Kareena Kapoor – Jab We Met

THE DREAM DIRECTOR AWARD
Farah Khan (‘Om Shanti Om’)

BEST FILM AWARD
‘Jab We Met’

LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Dharmendra

Now its Shah Rukh versus Salman

After last year’s big Box Office battle between Om Shanti Om and Saawariya, now comes war between two of the industry’s biggest stars - Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

The on-off friends are about to spend their entire fortunes on respective films… both with mega budgets. Salman Khan is expected to take out Rs 65 crore from his bank account for his film London Dreams. While, Shah Rukh will spend Rs 100 crore for his untitled action flick. Salman’s film will be directed by Vipul Shah, while Anubhav Sinha is to take the helm for Shah Rukh’s.

London Dreams is expected to be a musical thriller set in England, but Shah Rukh’s film is more CGI and VFX filled. Salman will star in London Dreams but Shah Rukh might only make a guest appearance in his.

Who do you think will win this battle?