Whoever copies Dilip Kumar are idiots like me: SRK

Mumbai, Feb 16 (IANS) Shah Rukh Khan, who was appreciated for the role of a doomed lover in 2002 remake of "Devdas", earlier played by Dilip Kumar in the 1955 film of the same name, feels nobody can imitate the thespian.

"You can't imitate Mr Dilip Kumar. Whoever copies Dilip Kumar, they are idiots like me," said Shah Rukh at the launch of Nasreen Munni Kabir's book "The Dialogue of Devdas", which has complete dialogues by Rajinder Singh Bedi, based on a screenplay by Nabendu Ghosh and lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi from Bimal Roy's immortal classic "Devdas". 

Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Devdas" was treated differently by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who gave it a larger than life feel and the magnum opus had Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai as Chandramukhi and Paro respectively. The film won lots of awards. 

Dilip Kumar could not make it to the event. However, he sent a letter and Shah Rukh read it out at the event at the Mehboob Studios. 

After a decade of the film's release, Shah Rukh feels that it was stupid of him to go ahead and do "Devdas", which is a big screen adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel.

"I am not someone who would like to do something which has been so beautifully crafted. I have a very deep regard for the fact that my parents loved 'Devdas'. I was very young and stupid that I said yes and did it, but as I am getting mature, hopefully more intelligent, and perhaps would not be able to do it this time," the 46-year-old said. 

The first Hindi director to adapt the book was P.C. Barua who made it with K.L. Sehgal, then came the Dilip Kumar's version in 1955, followed by the SRK starrer.

The superstar also feels he would have never mustered the courage to to be part of "Devdas" had he seen Dilip Kumar's version.

"Had we seen the film before making it, we would never had the guts to make it. Sanjay, Aishwarya and Madhuri we all felt that first we should finish the film then we should watch it," he said. 

Shahrukh Khan makes fun of Farah Khan

Actors taking dig at each other has become a regular episode and Shahrukh Khan’s name comes at the top. Post the slapgate episode, Shahrukh Khan has again took a dig at choreographer turned filmmaker Farah Khan at a recent event. Farah and Shahrukh had patched-up after the slapping episode but King Khan seems not satisfied with

what had happened recently.

On Wednesday evening, at an event, SRK dragged Farah Khan’s name without any reason. An eyewitness revealed, "SRK chatted with the finalists and was dancing with them to music generated by a software system. But the songs got stuck due to some technical glitches in the system. The dance was being interrupted due to the breaking sound system."

SRK who is known for his witty remarks made fun of Farah Khan, "SRK who was irritated with the system error said, 'Play station ko lag raha hai ki Farah iske samne dance kar rahi hai, isliye yeh bar bar pause ho jaa raha hai (The Play station perhaps feels that Farah is dancing to its music and that's why it's throwing up errors).' In fact, the organisers had to finally stop the system and the music," added the eyewitness.

In the past, Shahrukh has also taken a dig at Aamir Khan and his rivalry with Salman Khan is world famous.

Well, with every passing day King Khan is losing friends.

Shahrukh Khan denies fight with Juhi Chawla

Shahrukh Khan is reportedly upset about how media cooked stories about his differences with good friend Juhi Chawla. Juhi and Shahrukh are bosom friends and they have good rapport both in personal and

professional front. Shahrukh blamed media for making false stories and said that he feels embarrassed when media questioned him about his tiff with Juhi.

"There is so much tabloidism in the work we do and the unfortunate bit is that some people write it and start believing in it. Then to come back and ask us about something that does not exist is a little odd and embarrassing for us because it did not exist in the first place," the 46-year-old said at an event here.

"It`s like the smallest particle of atom they are still trying to figure out. So, when you ask this to me and Juhi, all of us get a little awkward about why you are asking this, this has never been a problem," he added.

SRK added that during his initial stage in the industry, Juhi and her family made him feel at home.

"When I was new in the film industry, Juhi, her mother, her brother and her whole family looked after me and they have been very kind to me. We are very close friends," said the superstar.

"I have told her never to leave my side, even if I misbehave publicly and she has said that even if I misbehave and I am ill-mannered, she will still be friends," said Shah Rukh.

Media got a chance to build stories about them when Juhi said that Shahrukh has no time for good friends and that she is too old for him as he acts with younger heroines. She even claim that he doesn’t have time to see her brother who is in coma for a long time and who is also his business partner.

Shahrukh and Juhi was seen in films like ‘Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman’, ‘Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani’, ‘Yes Boss’ and ‘Duplicate’.

SRK says 'Slapgate' reportage affecting his kids

Badshah of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan said that the ‘slapgate’ reportage on media is highly effecting his kids. He feels embrassed when such reports which hardly carry any truth are aired on news channel or written on newspaper.

"Lots of things are being said about my life in news channels but the stuff which you put up in the channels are not the whole truth. This is embarrassing at times as I have a 14-year-old son and an 11-and-a-half year old daughter," said Shah Rukh, who was in the city to address a programme.

The Bollywood badshah was highly embarrassed as a father to explain certain issues to his children.

"Every morning it becomes very difficult to explain to your children and it becomes embarrassing as a father, as a brother or as elder son of the family to explain about what is stated," he told reporters.

He was very shocked as how stories about hitting Shirish Kunder are fabricated and reported on TV.

"Bollywood stories are presented in a larger than life way... I have read the headlines. Yeah, some of them have not happened and some of them might have happened, but I would like to keep it to myself," he remarked.

Describing Farah as a very old friend, Shahrukh regretted the reports that have been published about his dissimilarity with her.

"I have heard things that have been stated about us and it`s very difficult for people to sit down and read things in the house. In our house, the kids call her Farah aunty. It`s really sad when for last two years people say she said this and that... None of that is happening," he said.

However, he is hopeful that things would be resolved very soon.

"We can resolve our issues... certain issues we can resolve with hugs and happiness and I want to keep it personal," he said.

SRK’s secret chat with Priyanka before hitting Shirish

Shahrukh Khanand Shirish Kunder’s brawl might have raised many eyebrows and all keeps guessing as what went wrong between the two. A new twist in the ‘slap fiasco’ is that just before the fight, Shahrukh Khan had a secret chat with Priyanka Chopra.

Whether there is any connection between Priyanka, SRK, Shirish and the entire drama but it is reported that they had a 15 minutes chat.

"The two sat for a while in a corner table. As it was in the wee hours, a lot of guests had left the bash. And those who were around let them have a quiet table to themselves. But in the wake of the buzz about PC and SRK's close bonding, onlookers noticed the duo all by themselves. Later PC left and after a while the SRK-Shirish fracas occured," a source informs.

A source informed the tabloid, "They spoke at least for 15 minutes. As they had arrived only after 3.30 am, many guests had left. And those who were still around preferred to keep a distance from their table."

"It appeared that both were in deep conversation. Later they both got up, exchanged pleasantries with the rest and  Priyanka left the venue while SRK remained," added the source.

Well, the latest update on the fight is that Shahrukh patched up with Shirish. Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala played the peacemakers.

All is not well in Shahrukh-Gauri's paradise

All is not well in Shahrukh Khan’s paradise. If the latest rumor is to be believed Gauri Khan is quite upset with Shahrukh’s closeness to Priyanka Chopra and this has become a major reason of tiff between the two.

It is also heard that to avoid clashes in the house, King Khan is keeping himself busy in film shooting and endorsements.

These days Shahrukh is very much inclined towards her ‘Don 2’ actress. He has also asked Priyanka to shoot a special item number for his film, ‘Ra.One’ and Piggy Chops readily agreed.  A witness reveals that the bonding between the two has raised many eyebrows on the set of ‘Don 2’.

Shahrukh and Gauri are one of the most ideal couples of Bollywood. Hope, very soon the duo resolves their differences and get back together.

EXPECT MORE BOLLYWOOD GANGSTER MOVIES IN 2012

Expect More Bollywood Gangster Movies in 2012

When Bhiku Mhatre called himself the King of Mumbai, it sent shivers down the spines of many wannabe gangsters, on and perhaps even off screen. That was 14 years back.

Though Ram Gopal Varma himself is skeptical about being able to bring Satya back to life, the mysterious tales of the mafia continue to fascinate filmmakers.

Attracting applause to a stylishly shot gang war sequence, cut to a remixed retro number, is probably on the wish list of every other filmmaker these days.

No wonder why bombs and bloodshed or even dons and their molls, promise to rule the big screen in 2012.

So while we see a younger, more vulnerable, Vijay Deenanath Chauhan back to take his big revenge against the local mobster in Agneepath, we also see Akshay Kumar play Dawood Ibrahim's onscreen avatar in Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai 2.

While Zilla Ghaziabad recreates the rivalry between two real-life gangs in Ghaziabad, Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur talks about the unsolved mysteries of the coal mafia in Jharkhand.

Says Milan Lutharia, "Gangsters have always lent themselves to larger than life cinema. I believe characters who are on the other side of law are much more interesting to the audience and the underworld provides perfect fodder for such stories." However, though the genre remains the same, the plot is also heavily subjective to what the filmmaker wants to show.

Like the OUATIM sequel, which will primarily be about a love triangle involving two men in positions of power in the underworld.

Or even Sanjay Gupta's Shootout at Wadala that promises to be an elaborate recounting of the famous Indian dacoit Manya Surve's life. Adds Gupta, "During his time Manya was the only gangster who was a graduate. There are over 820 cases registered against him. So we are getting down to the smallest of small details."

Recreating Satya?

From Deewar to Parinda to Satya, there are too many Indian masterpieces emerging filmmakers go back to, as reference points for the genre. However, many feel that it is difficult to replicate the benchmark these films did.

Says director Karan Malhotra, "I consider Ramu the god of gangster cinema. No one can emulate what he did. But yes, I have a vision, which I have tried to achieve through Agneepath. The gang-wars in the film do not form the crux of the story, but act as a catalyst." So while they capture the dark deeds of these antiheroes, their glamorous lifestyles play a major part within the film too.

Adds Milan, "In OUATIM, after a long time there was so much colour and extravagance in a film about gangsters. So I think filmmakers are trying to reinvent the genre in their own way."

An offer we cannot refuse

Many of them like director Anand Kumar are also unravelling stories about smaller gangs, that may today just find a mention in the dusty files of local police stations. Kumar's next titled Meerut Junction will be set against the backdrop of the rail mafia.

He adds, " We have extensively researched on the rail mafia and discovered that there are many stories which have never been told. So I decided to make this film." Dibakar Banerjee's next too sketches out the crime scene back when Kolkata was still called Calcutta.

Stars holidaying abroad this New Year!

Several Bollywood stars have chosen to take a break from the busy schedule of the tinsel town to usher in the New Year, with some headed for holidays abroad while others preferring to perform on the eve of 2012. 

Shah Rukh Khan will be bringing in the new year with his family in Dubai. His actor friend Hrithik Roshan and wife Sussanne along with their kids Hridaan and Hrehaan, besides Arjun Rampal along with wife Mehr Jessia and two daughters Mahika and Myra, are also expected to join SRK for the festivities in Dubai.

Reportedly, Salman Khan and his family have also chosen Dubai as the holiday destination for the New Year revelry. His ex-flame Katrina Kaif is on a Christmas holiday with her family in London.

Ajay Devgn, with wife Kajol and their children - Nysa and Yug have also flown to Dubai. Even actor R Madhavan is in Dubai with his wife.

"What a lovely time of the year in Dubai. Weather is great and most of my friends and family are here -- Wish you all a fantastic last day in 2011," Madhavan had tweeted.

Actor Sanjay Dutt, wife Manyata and their twins Shahran and Iqra were in Bali. But Sanjay had to come to India to shoot for reality show Bigg Boss. He will fly back to Bali, just when the 2012 lights come on.

There is a buzz that real life couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor would celebrate the occasion in Switzerland.

Even Vidya Balan, who is riding high on the success of 'The Dirty Picture' is on a vacation with her family.

"It has become a routine for me to celebrate the New Year back home in India with those who made me who I am today. I am not performing for only money. I am humbled that my fans want to bring in the New Year with me. New Year is a time to spread happiness around and I like to party with my fans," Mallika had said.

Actress Neha Dhupia, Jacqueline Fernandez and music composer Vishal and Shekhar would also be performing on New Year's eve at another suburban hotel.

Actor Ranveer Singh will shake a leg to popular numbers from his films 'Band Baaja Baraat' and 'Ladies vs Ricky Bahl', at Aamby Valley in Lonavala. Joining him at the venue will be actress Lisa Haydon, who was last seen in David Dhawan’s 'Rascals'.

Vivek Oberoi, will dance at the Country Club, in Mumbai, while actress Tanushree Dutta will perform at Country Club in Delhi.

Among those who are bringing in the New Year at home is Madhuri Dixit, "Back in Mumbai to see in the New Year! Had a great time in the Maldives. Always good to be home.Have a safe a prosperous New Year in advance," Madhuri had tweeted.

SHAHRUKH KHAN APPOINTED BRAND AMBASSADOR OF WEST BENGAL

Shahrukh Khan appointed brand ambassador of West Bengal

After Amitabh Bachchan, who was appointed as the brand ambassador for the state of Gujarat by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, it’s now Shah Rukh Khan’s turn to be the brand ambassador for the state of West Bengal.

SRK, who already has a close affinity with Kolkata thanks to his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), was asked to be the face of West Bengal by Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee. The Superstar was in Kolkata yesterday for the inauguration of the 17th Kolkata Film Festival and even spent time with the CM.

SRK later tweeted, “Awesome feeling of love in Kolkata…got to be in such august company…and mamta didi was so sweet…& the crowds at the airports”

SRK on his forthcoming films

A lot is being written about SRK's next move. Reportedly, the King Khan is in talks with various film-makers, but what's the actual status? In an exclusive, in-depth television interview to this writer, the King Khan shed light on the projects he has been offered...

YASH CHOPRA: "I move on to Yash-ji's film next. Frankly, I haven't had the time to listen to the story, but I have immense faith, love and respect for Yash-ji and Adi and I know they will make a
wonderful film."

ROHIT SHETTY: "Rohit and I have been in talks for a while. He's working on a fresh subject now [earlier, SRK and Rohit were supposed to collaborate on the remake of ANGOOR]. It's a great subject. He has cracked the idea. I don't know if it's titled CHENNAI EXPRESS. Not sure of it."

ANURAG KASHYAP: "Anurag Kashyap is keen to work with me since a while now. He called a few days back... said he has an idea which he wishes to narrate once he's back in Mumbai."

VISHAL BHARDWAJ: "Vishal's project [based on Chetan Bhagat's novel] is not happening. I believe, they have already approached some other actor for it. Vishal and I continue to be friends. He just called the other day. He's planning something else with me. We are supposed to meet shortly."

SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI: "Yes, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has approached me for a film. It's untrue that we fought during the OM SHANTI OM - SAAWARIYA clash. I really enjoyed working with him in DEVDAS and I respect him as a professional. No, he hasn't approached me for BAJIRAO MASTANI. Instead, he has approached for an entirely new film, to be directed by someone else. He would be producing it."

Shahrukh to grace Lady Gaga's show

Shahrukh Khan’s highly ambitious project ‘Ra.One’ hit the theatre this Diwali and after receiving a mixed review, Shahrukh Khan is geared up for Lady Gaga’s show at Formula 1 after-party event to be held in Greater Noida Sunday night.

"Everyone seems to be happy with 'RA.One' in Los Angeles...I feel so touched and happy. now off to Delhi for Formula1 and Lady Gaga show!!" Shah Rukh posted on his Twitter page

Saturday.

Gaga, who arrived in India Thursday night will be performing at the F1 after party event and she assures that her special performance will have an "Indian influence".

The after-party has been organized by actor Ajun Rampal and restaurateur A.D. Singh's high-end lounge and bar Lap. It will be held at a special 20,000 sq ft construction at the Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort in Greater Noida.

Shahrukh is looking forward to the event as he wished to rope in Lady Gaga for ‘Ra.One’ but things did not work out.  King Khan will get to catch up with Gaga on her life and career in an exclusive tete-a-tete for a chat show on UTV Bindass.

Fraternities from the fashion, films and bureaucrats are expected to grace Lady Gaga’s show.