Sunday, November 15

'I miss my Ghajini body'


Aamir Khan looks good with Kareena Kapoor; the new promos of 3 Idiots' song Zoobie Doobie prove that. And when the actors promoted the number at a press meet, they looked very comfortable with each other.

Aamir tells Patcy N what to expect from the song, and the Rajkumar Hirani film. Read on.

You have crossed 40. But you're still playing a college student.

When this film was offered to me, I had told Raju (Rajkumar Hirani) and Vinod (Vidhu Vinod Chopra, producer) that they were taking a dangerous decision; that I won't be able to play a college student. But Raju told me that the character Rancho was like me. We argued a lot on this. But I had liked the story. Plus, Raju and I wanted to work with each other.

Two days before the shoot started in Bangalore, I even called Raju and Vinod and told them that they could change their decision. But they didn't want to.

Raju told me that when I did Sarfarosh, nobody thought I could pull off the role of an ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police), or that I could play a tapori in Rangeela. Nobody thought I could play a villager in Lagaan or have a physique like that in Ghajini. So he said that I had taken up these challenges in the past, and should take up another challenge. Plus, I had already worked on my body to look younger and leaner.

It's a challenge for an actor to do different kinds of characters like playing an 80 year old man or a woman. So I have taken up the challenge now and will wait for the audience reaction.


Image: Kareena Kapoor and Aamir Khan in Zoobie Doobie song from 3 Idiots

I would prefer a son like Abhishek: Vidya


Mumbai, Nov 15 (IANS) Vidya Balan, who plays Amitabh Bachchan's mother in 'Paa', was so impressed by Abhishek's caring behaviour towards his father during the shooting that she confesses she would like to have a son like Abhishek in real life.

'I would prefer a son like Abhishek. I have seen him with his father on the sets... he was so nice to his father that I was touched,' Vidya told reporters here Saturday.


Director R. Balakrishnan's 'Paa' is an emotional story of a father-son relationship and Amitabh will be seen as Abhishek's 13-year-old son Auro who is suffering from a rare disease progeria, that accelerates ageing. The film releases Dec 4.


'The film is all about Auro and all through the film there is a certain sensibility about Auro, but no sympathy is shown towards the 13-year-old progeric child in the film,' said Vidya.


When the director approached her for the role, she wasn't sure about playing the mother of a progeric child. 'Initially, I wondered how to do the role as I didn't have that motherly instinct. But while working on the film I realised what motherhood is,' said Vidya.


She says playing Amitabh's mother wasn't difficult at all. 'I was a bit concerned initially but it was smooth sail once we started working together.'


Asked if it wasn't a risk to play a mother so early in her career, she said: 'I didn't see any risk, rather it was a lifetime opportunity to get to work in such a wonderful film.'

'Ajab Prem is a slap on people's faces'


Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Mumbai
When you enter director Rajkumar Santoshi's office in Versova, north-west Mumbai, you don't see any posters of his latest hit, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.

Posters of his early films -- Ghayal, Damini, Barsaat and Andaz Apna Apna -- are showcased next to a portrait of Che Guevara, the Argentine doctor who became an icon of revolutionaries everywhere.

Santoshi was written off after consecutive failures -- Family: Ties of Blood (2006) and Halla Bol (2008) -- but has bounced back with his Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif starrer.

The director spoke to Syed Firdaus Ashraf about the highs of lows of his career.

Did you expect such a good response for Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani?

I knew people would like it, especially youngsters. When we edit and watch the trial, we come to know. But no one can predict the response. The film had a lot of innocence.

How has the attitude of the movie industry changed after this success?

The corporate people are calling me now!

Artistes have always respected my work. As far as the trade is concerned, it changes every Friday. I don't go to parties or meet stars other than the ones I am working with.

I am an introvert. I don't like to hang around with people without purpose because I don't drink. That's another problem. How many Cokes can I have in a party?

What kept you away from romantic comedies despite the success of Andaz Apna Apna?

I go by my own emotions and pick subjects that inspire me. When I made my first film Ghayal with Sunny Deol, it was a phenomenal success. But I did not make another action film after that. I made a heroine-oriented film, Damini. Then I made Andaz Apna Apna. If you see my career graph, it's always been like this.

I did Lajja, a woman-oriented film, and Khakee, a police thriller. I never repeat myself; I don't like doing that. I always want to explore new territories; that gives me a high.

Comedy, of course, comes naturally to me. But I don't want to cash on it. There was a lot of pressure on me to do a sequel to Andaz Apna Apna, but I didn't.


Image: A scene from Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. Inset: Rajkumar Santoshi.

I don't know how to cook: Karisma Kapoor

Mumbai, Nov 15 (IANS) Karisma Kapoor, a self-confessed foodie who is expecting her second child, confesses that she doesn't know how to cook.

'I don't know how to cook. I just know how to eat everything, as I love food. I can only make tea, coffee and omelettes,' Karisma told IANS.


The actress has a four-year-old daughter with businessman husband Sanjay Kapur and says she loves good food but she is one of those actresses who has always flaunted a svelte figure.


Asked if she was into dieting, the 35-year-old said: 'I am not into exhaustive drastic dieting or anything.'


The actress, who took a sabbatical from the big screen after her wedding in 2003, hopes to have a second innings in the film world in future.


'I am hoping to get back to work and reach out to audiences,' she said.

Tum Mile is engaging


CommentIn Tum Mile, there's a thin metaphor to be found. Relationships are like the environment, messing with both leads to natural disasters. Only it's so vaguely highlighted, you won't give the nature bit much thought.

Even though the backdrop is a real one, the nightmarish rains of July 26, 2005 which led to massive loss of life and property in Mumbai [ Images ]. But then that all it is, a dramatic backdrop on the side, not the nucleus of director Kunal Deshmukh's second film, which alternates between a poignant flashback and action-packed present.

This fluctuating mood is also the greatest disservice to the movie, which gives the impression of being a Twister-kind of disaster flick, tries hard to ape Titanic [ Images ] (to the extent of lifting a scene) but follows the narrative in the tradition of Gulzar's [ Images ] Ijaazat.

And so, what, in fact, absorbs your attention is the breezy, effortless chemistry between two very unlikely personalities -- Emraan Hashmi [ Images ] and Soha Ali Khan [ Images ]. He lends her softness, while she brings him sophistication.

The duo play Akshay, a middle-class Indian student studying art in Cape Town and Sanjana [ Images ], a wealthy girl writing articles on eco-awareness for a youth magazine, sharing a unique sensitivity if not the same social strata.

Their romance reveals itself through numerous nostalgic moments experienced by present-day Akshay, now a toy-comic book developer and Sanjana, a features writer in a Mumbai-based magazine, when they bump into each other, on an exceptionally wet day of Mumbai, several years after their split.

What's amazing is how their story and affection unfolds. The viewer feels the stifling iciness between the two in the first scene. Initially, she's a bit condescending while he's mostly awkward, which is easily believable for not all couples part as friends.

Then as the story rewinds, we are familiarised to how they met, dated, began living-in, got intimate only to experience the not so pleasant side of a man-woman relationship.

Despite the rich-poor stereotype, Deshmukh handles the frustrations and conflicts between two strong-willed, independent individuals with astounding realism. No 'khandaan ki naak neechi kar di' screeching daddies to be found. No theatrical outbursts concerning the male ego and his penniless pockets. The issues -- her tendency to mildly control him or him refusing to communicate his thoughts to her or prioritising one's career over one's personal life are comfortably relatable.

The finely nuanced moments between the two aided by Pritam's [ Images ] fabulous soundtrack and Deshmukh's deft direction are the winning elements of Tum Mile. It's only when the story shifts to a round of forced-adventure in the monsoon-cursed streets of Mumbai, a sense of exaggeration begins to build up not to forget a ridiculously abrupt climax.

While occurrences like human chains, blocked car doors, crying school kids, water-logged roads, drowned vehicles, crashing trees and power outage draw inspiration from true-life, they are employed like mere gimmicks to bring in some VFX-enthused thrills. The special effects, while not world-class, do an adequate job of recreating an imagery of deluge.

Ultimately, though, Tum Mile's true strength lies in the combined appeal and compelling performances of Emraan and Soha. Awe-inspiring it is not but engaging? By all means.

Should Ranbir Kapoor star in Kaminey 2?


Often sequels result in a change of stars even if the main order remains undisturbed. It adds a new zing to the franchise while retaining its original feel.

And so while it's confirmed that Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham will feature in Dostana 2, Priyanka Chopra bids adieu to make way for, reportedly, Kareena Kapoor or Katrina Kaif.

Also, remember Dhoom 2, which had Hrithik Roshan stepping into the anti-hero shoes of Dhoom's John Abraham?

Here's looking at a wish-list of possible sequels and the stars we'd like to see cast in them:

Kaminey 2

Shahid Kapur and Priyanka Chopra's twins grow up to tell their own story. How about Ranbir Kapoor channeling his inglorious side this time around? It would be a welcome break from all the endearing Sids and Prems, no?

Tuesday, November 10

Shahid Kapoor plays Santa to Ahmad Khans' sons


Mumbai, Nov 10 (IANS) Choreographer-turned-director Ahmad Khan says he can't thank his friend Shahid Kapoor enough for fulfilling a long-cherished dream of his children.

'I had been promising my two sons Azaan and Subhan a trip to Disneyland for months. Earlier, when we shot in the US for Yash Raj Films' 'Bachna Ae Haseeno', I kept hoping there would be time. But I couldn't manage to get away. But this time Shahid made sure it happened,' Khan, who is back from the US after shooting for a song with his best friend Shahid, told IANS.

Shahid not only ensured that Ahmad wrapped up his work as quickly as possible, he made all the arrangements for his friend, his wife Saira and two sons to take off for Disneyland.

'And why not?' said Khan defensively. 'Shahid and I are childhood friends. Before my mother held my sons, Shahid took them in his arms. So it's perfectly natural for him to look out for me and my family.


'Out of the one month I spent in the US only 12 days were devoted to shooting the song. It wasn't even a dance song. It was a concept number showing the hero and his friends splurging and bingeing all over the US.

'We shot at casinos and at various pleasure and tourist spots in Philadelphia, Orlando, New York, New Jersey and Chicago,' said Khan who choreographed Shahid in the recently hit song 'Dhan te nan' from 'Kaminey'.

Shahid is also featuring in Khan's directorial debut 'Pathshala'. The first time director says that the actor's role is similar to Aamir Khan's in 'Taare Zameen Par'.

'In a two-hour long film, Shahid is there for an hour... he's there for 55 minutes. His role is like Aamir Khan's in 'Taare Zameen Par'. He comes in mid-way and yes, he's the teacher. Both Shahid and I have decided to focus on the kids in the marketing rather than on Shahid

Saif Kareena Romance Fuels Buzz for 'Kurbaan'


All eyes are now on Rensil D'Silva's 'Kurbaan', which is all set to release soon. The buzz surrounding the movie has mostly to do with its lead pair, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, who have been romantically cast opposite each other for the first time. They have done films like 'Tashan' and 'LOC' before this, but have never been cast opposite each other.

'Kurbaan' will be the first film where the real life lovers will also play reel life lovers. But unlike most Hindi films, the romance in this movie is not the frivolous kind but instead is intense and emotional, something which made the actors draw out from within themselves, emotions and feelings, which perhaps lay buried deep within. The film also stars Vivek Oberoi and its promos also manage to convey the intense mood of the movie. 'Kurbaan' has been written by Rensil and is set in the United States, against a backdrop of terrorism. It seems that story is about the protagonists who turn to terrorism after a series of unfortunate incidents that happen to them. But Rensil is very sure that he is not glorifying terrorism and that is what made Saif accept the role. He was bowled over by the script and which is why both he and Kareena agreed to do the movie. The couple will next be seen together in Saif's home production, 'Agent Vinod'. In fact, that is the only film which Saif will be working on for a while. Kareena, on the other hand, will be busy with the shooting of 'Stepmother' as well. She will also be awaiting the release of Raju Hirani's '3 Idiots' which has her starring opposite Aamir Khan for the first time.

Emraan to shed serial kisser image


Emraan Hashmi, whose next venture 'Tum Mile' with Soha Ali Khan is set to hit the theaters this Friday, described his role in the film as one of the best in his acting career.

"For me it's one of the best roles of my career. It's something that comes only once or probably couple of times in an actor's career. Acting in 'Tum Mile' was an incentive for me," Hashmi told reporters.

"It's (serial kisser tag) something that I have been wanting to change for a long time. I think I'm inching towards it. I definitely want the audience to look beyond that image," Hashmi, often dubbed as Bollywood's 'Serial Kisser', said.

"And films like 'Tum Mile' will definitely change that for me. The role in the film is something new for me as compared to other characters I have played before," Hashmi added.

Talking about the storyline of the film, Hashmi said, "Tum Mile is a love story which would definitely change the way we see romance in Bollywood. It's not a traditional filmy kind of romance on screen. I think it's a very honest script."

"It's something that all youngsters or anyone who has been in love or about to fall in love will relate to," Hashmi added.

Praising the work done by the lead pair of the film, Bhatt said, "Emraan has given one of his best performances. He makes a brilliant transition from being referred to as a 'Serial Kisser' in this film."

"Soha will really shock all of you with her performance in the film which will make you feel that why the hell you underestimated this pretty talented actor," he added.

Soha, who was last seen in Sonu Sood, Kunal Khemu starrer, 'Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge', said, "The character is close to my heart. Tum Mile is an opportunity to present my passionate side to the audience," Soha said.

'If I'm allowed to wear a bikini, I'll do soaps!'


Sherlyn Chopra is full of surprises.
First off, she comes across as a rather shy and quiet girl on Bigg Boss, which is at odds with her bold and sassy image from her music videos and bikini shots.

The Outrageous singer, who got eliminated from the house, dispelled many such notions about her during a very entertaining chat on Monday. For those who missed the chat, here's what transpired.

Sherlyn Chopra says, Hi guys and girls. Glad to be here with you all. Shoot your questions.

sam asked, hi , how was your exp at Big boss, and what do you think of krk, do you belive him that he actually quit bcoz of you
Sherlyn Chopra answers, I felt neglected and rejected most of the time. I made friends with Kamal thinking that he was hilarious but later realised he is the kind of guy for whom TRP mattered more than humanity.

chandu asked, Hi Sherlyn, chandu here. very sad that you evicted from Bigboss. u maintained your dignity in the house. i was wishing you to see you more. what say?
Sherlyn Chopra answers, Hi Chandu. Thanks a ton for your affection. Honestly speaking I wasn't mentally prepared to leave the house. I was beginning to gel with the housemates and it was sad to know that they thought of me as a fake person.

bigguy asked, hi, how is life after bigboss
Sherlyn Chopra answers, Amazing! There are interesting offers pouring in. Thanks to the exposure on Colors.

vindoo asked, How is Shamita as a person?
Sherlyn Chopra answers, Well from what I could see, it was clear that she is hyper-sensitive, tears come to her at the drop of a hat.

varvind4 asked, hi sherlyn...i like your name..what does it mean
Sherlyn Chopra answers, Hi dear. I choose to believe it is the name of a Greek goddess.

hiitsanand asked, what are your upcoming projects
Sherlyn Chopra answers, This month I will be performing for the Mumbai Police Force followed by an exciting never seen before show for a major entertainment channel.

sanjay4ever asked, Hi Are u aware of ,Raju was flirting with u.
Sherlyn Chopra answers, Do you really think so? Most of the time I could not comprehend his comedy, especially the punches.

When a bus sealed music director Pritam's fate


CommentA pair of twin flats on the seventh floor of a housing society in Oshiwara, Mumbai [ Images ], is music director Pritam Chakraborty's office, residence and hi-tech studio all rolled into one. As I wait to meet him in the guest room, actor Akshay Kumar (wearing red trousers) comes by with director Priyadarshan.

"Not every star comes for music sittings," says Pritam, "but this is Akshay's home production, Khatta Meetha, so he is more serious."

Pritam has been in the Bollywood music business just eight years, but is already Mumbai's busiest music director. The two cabinets in the room where we are sitting are almost filled with trophies. So I ask, when will another cabinet be required

Pritam is modest: "Yes, there are some trophies. But actually I have not received any major award so far. I am yet to get a Filmfare Award. I got two Zee Cine Awards but those were for two songs, not for the entire album."

Becoming a music director was never part of his plan, or even a dream, Pritam says. Music was a hobby and Pritam thought it would remain just that, jamming with Bengali bands being the only high point of that interest. He was briefly part of a popular Bengali rock band called Chandrabindoo.

In fact, Pritam enrolled himself in a master's course in a science subject, simultaneously sitting for job-related exams. "One day I bought a thin brochure. It was about various entrance exams. There, the Film and Television Institute of India [ Images ] [FTII] exam was also mentioned. It sounded interesting," recalls Pritam, lighting a cigarette.

The FTII entrance exam, though, coincided with a job exam that Pritam's parents wanted him to sit for. "I was standing [next to] a Kolkata bus stop with the two admission cards, sipping tea from a roadside stall and wondering what to do. For the FTII I had to go to south Kolkata, and the job exam centre was at College Street in the north. The southbound bus came first, and my fate was sealed," he says, grinning through his beard.

Those three years at FTII, Pritam says, shaped his career and gave him a sense of the film industry. Even so, he doubts the FTII diploma had much to do with his success as music director. In this industry, he explains, one learns on the job.

Today, Pritam says, everything about his life is like "a midsummer night's dream". "I saw Sunny Deol's Samundar three times, bunking tuition classes for R D Burman's music," he confesses. "Now, I feel strange that I am actually talking to Sunny Deol. Honestly, at times I can't connect to the reality that I am meeting people like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan..."

In 2009, Pritam has 17 films releasing, compared to 15 in 2008 and 12 in 2007. Pritam says his days aren't about adhering to rigid schedules. Though he is under tremendous pressure, there are days when Pritam prefers to just sit at home. Sometimes Pritam confesses to having sleepless nights.

"One thing that has definitely happened over the years -- my health has deteriorated. Now I am planning to take better care of my body and slow down a bit. There are no Sundays in my life," says Pritam, a chain-smoker who recently had to cancel a trip to the USA on account of sudden chest pain.

Until a few years ago, music director-singer Himmesh Reshammiya's nasal voice was all over popular FM radio stations and in nightclubs. A R Rahman generally sings one song in each of his albums. Pritam, unlike his peers, has sung in just three films. He "can't sing very well", he says. One or two songs are fine, but not more.

"I can't stand my own voice, so how can I expect other people to like it?" Pritam says, self-effacingly. The song is more important than him singing it: if Pritam has someone in mind while composing, then he goes the extra mile to call that singer. "When I was composing 'Tum Se Hi' (for Jab We Met), I could hear Mohit Chauhan's [ Images ] voice in it. But he was untraceable at that time. I had to wait for a month to find him and record the song."

Times have certainly changed for Pritam. He may now own plush Mumbai real estate, but he comes from a modest background. Back home in Kolkata, Pritam recalls, before every monsoon he would have to help his father repair the asbestos roof to prevent leaks. He wants to hold on to that same Pritam Chakraborty of Presidency College.

"I have forcefully tried not to change myself at all. You never know (about) tomorrow. O P Nayyar died in dire circumstances. An actor who was a superstar just five years ago doesn't have any work now. In this profession, it is really difficult to predict kal kya hoga. One should not take money and fame seriously," he says, reflectively, looking out the window as he speaks.

In the middle of our conversation, Pritam receives a message from the owner of T-Series, Bhushan Kumar, who says that he is coming to meet him. At the same time, his sister peeps in to say that lunch is ready. Pritam juggles both while sharing with me his unhappiness over the fact that radio jockeys do not announce music director's names while playing their music.

'My lead characters are people I have met in the past'


CommentOne-film-old Zoya Akhtar is onto her next project, casting brother Farhan once again in the lead.

Neha Bhatt caught up with the filmmaker about her next movie, the star system and the changing Hindi film industry on the sidelines of Osian's Cinefan film festival in Delhi.

Do you believe you are part of a fresh league of filmmakers who are creating what is being called "new cinema"?

I'm not sure about being clubbed in a category such as new cinema because I have never really understood the whole commercial cinema versus arthouse films debate. At the same time, it's true that a new pattern in the Hindi film industry is emerging, where filmmaking is not as formulaic anymore as it used to be. It's a trend similar to what happened back in the 1950s and then the 1970s.

What else is changing in the industry?

More than anything else, the audience is changing. Filmmakers and offbeat ideas were always there, but now, several avenues have opened up for a wider variety of films.

So where does your film Luck By Chance fit in?

I think certain films have a different life altogether, some belong to the festival circuit cycle. I made my film for anyone interested in the film industry and keen on seeing the flip side of it. I didn't want to make it a gossipy tell-all or an expose of any kind. It is a human story about success and failure and about star systems. I wanted to show how the film industry works around a family culture. My lead characters are people I have met in the past as a casting director and I found their lives very fascinating.

You have had the advantage of having star parents (lyricist father Javed Akhtar and scriptwriter mother Honey Irani)...

Honestly, I haven't been as much a part of the industry as it may appear. I have pretty much lived on the fringes. For my arty friends, I am too Bollywood and for my Bollywood friends, I am too arty. So quite often I feel like a fish out of water.

You're obviously more at ease working with Farhan and your father in your films. Is that a comfort zone you are getting into?

No, I would love to work with other actors too.

I wanted to cast Sanjay Kapoor in the film actually. There is no dearth of actors in the industry. I believe there is a role for everyone there. So I would like to work with a lot of other actors, too. But when you're writing the script, you just know who would be perfect for which role.

Right now, what you are working on?

It's a coming-of-age film about three boys, set in Spain. It's a short film, shot as a road movie. One of the boys will be played by Farhan but the rest of the casting isn't done yet.

When Amrita Rao became a cover girl


We spotted Amrita Rao at the launch of the latest issue of The Man magazine in Mumbai on Monday.

Seems like the petite actress has shed her inhibitions as well as much of her clothes, judging from these hot pictures from the magazine.

Tuesday, November 3

Udita, the beauty who stole the show!


Actress Udita Goswami caught our eye at the Fair One Miss Mumbai 2009 beauty contest when she arrived in this eye-popping black number. Of course, she was not participating in the contest but was one of the celebrity judges.


Image: Udita Goswami
Photographs: Pradeep Bandekar

Amrita Rao's sexy avatar


Sooraj Barjatya, who directed the actress in the hit Vivah, says that she is the perfect 'bride material' and many men agree she is the quintessential girl-next-door they would want to take home to their mothers.

As if she knows that only too well, the actress is one of the judges of a reality show called Perfect Bride, on the lookout for, well, the perfect Indian bride.

Text and Co-ordination:Priyanka Jain/The Man
Makeup: Pakhi Mohanani Stylist: Pinky Gogri

Image: Amrita Rao

Amrita Rao's sexy avatar

Sooraj Barjatya, who directed the actress in the hit Vivah, says that she is the perfect 'bride material' and many men agree she is the quintessential girl-next-door they would want to take home to their mothers.

As if she knows that only too well, the actress is one of the judges of a reality show called Perfect Bride, on the lookout for, well, the perfect Indian bride.

Text and Co-ordination:Priyanka Jain/The Man
Makeup: Pakhi Mohanani Stylist: Pinky Gogri

Image: Amrita Rao

Amrita Rao's sexy avatar

Sooraj Barjatya, who directed the actress in the hit Vivah, says that she is the perfect 'bride material' and many men agree she is the quintessential girl-next-door they would want to take home to their mothers.

As if she knows that only too well, the actress is one of the judges of a reality show called Perfect Bride, on the lookout for, well, the perfect Indian bride.

Text and Co-ordination:Priyanka Jain/The Man
Makeup: Pakhi Mohanani Stylist: Pinky Gogri

Image: Amrita Rao

Vipul Shah smiles after a tense fortnight

London Dreams has released and found good appreciation coming its way. After a not-so-thunderous start, the film settled down over the weekend, just as was the case with Ajay Devgn's last release 'All The Best' and very unlike Salman Khan's 'Main Aurr Mrs Khanna' that only fell further down with every passing show.

While Vipul Shah is happy that his film has been received well by critics who matter, he is happier that audiences have given a big thumbs-up to the film.

"That's what the bottom line is all about", says an exhausted Vipul who has horror stories to tell about the pains he had to go through en route to the Friday release of the film, "Look at readers comments all over the internet. They have their own tale to tell. Really, after getting feedback from them and seeing soaring collections on every passing day, I don't really have much to say in defence of 'London Dreams'."

Meanwhile, he is flummoxed with the way his 'London Dreams' progressed ever since it's inception and finally made it to the theatres. While the change in hands w.r.t. to the film's production as well as distribution is an old story, there was quite some drama waiting to take place till a week before the film's release.

'I feel 25,' says Shah Rukh on his 44th birthday

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan turned 44 Monday, but said he still feels just 25 - barring the physical problems he has had in the past year. The heartthrob also said he wants to work for youngsters and underprivileged girls.

"I have been in my 40s since a few years now and I gracefully accept the age. But honestly, I feel like I am just 25 or 26 except for the physical problems I've had in my past year," Shah Rukh told reporters here.

"Maybe I look older, but then when I look younger, people say I get plastic surgeries done to my face. When I look old, they say I am over and done with. But the fact is that when I sleep well, I look young and when I don't get enough sleep, I look old," he quipped.

The actor underwent an arthroscopic surgery for acute pain in his left shoulder here in February and was on a forced break to recuperate completely. But he promises to make up for his absence.

"I am a workaholic, but in the last year I couldn't do much due to my shoulder problem, my team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) didn't do too well and I shot for just one film 'My Name Is Khan'. My injury also pulled me down in terms of my endorsements but I had time to introspect and spend a quieter time at home and with my children.

"I feel more energetic and happy now and totally ready for a comeback with many projects in the next two years after this one year break," added Shah Rukh.

Apart from work, he wants to do good to society by "doing something for youngsters, underprivileged girls and talk to 16- 17-year-old children who are on the threshold of voting for the government and lead the world forward".

"I don't know whether I want to join an NGO or something of the likes, but in my heart, I have this strong feeling that I want to give something back to society," he said.

'My Name Is Khan' set for Valentine's week release

"My Name Is Khan" -- Bollywood's favourite on-screen couple Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol's first film together in eight years -- is set to release Feb 12 next year.

Directed by Karan Johar, the film will open in theatres in India and over 40 countries including the US, Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, said a press release from Johar's Dharma Productions.

"My Name is Khan" features Shah Rukh as Rizvan Khan, an unconventional hero who embarks on a journey across America to win back the love of his life. It shows how, along the way, his unique personality touches the lives of many and inspires a nation.

"I keep setting out to do something different with my films, but the one constant that remains is my desire to continue to explore the many ways in which two people can fall in love and stay in love regardless of any or every challenge against them," said Karan.

The film also marks a re-teaming of Johar and Shah Rukh after three years -- their last outing together was "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna".

Johar has made his film in association with Fox STAR Studios, 20th Century Fox International and Fox Searchlight Pictures.

While Fox STAR Studios will market and distribute the film in India, Fox Searchlight Pictures will release it in the US. The distribution of the movie outside India and the US will be taken care of by Twentieth Century Fox International.

According to Vijay Singh, CEO Fox Star Studios, the film is drawing a "hugely positive response from exhibitors across the world" for the "coming together of Shah Rukh, Karan and Kajol".

"It is a big event for Bollywood audiences across the world and their fan base is eagerly awaiting the release. But what makes 'My Name is Khan' a special film is that it brings together the finest Indian talent with a powerful story that has relevance for audiences everywhere," added Singh.

Bajrang Dal ransacks theatres to protest 'London Dreams'

Dozens of Bajrang Dal activists staged a violent protest here Monday insisting that the screening of the Hindi film 'London Dreams' be stopped immediately.

The men, armed with sticks and iron rods, raided Prabhat and Krishna cinema halls saying the movie hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

At least six workers of the cinema halls were reportedly injured in the attacks.

"Some people stormed into the halls. Police are trying to track down the attackers," Superintendent of Police Rajnesh Singh told reporters.
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