MNIK: After record opening comes the slump

My Name is Khan opened with a bang at the box office, earning a whopping Rs 85 crores (US $18m), but it saw a drop in business from Monday as the word of the mouth was not good enough to sustain the film.

Though many critics loved it and so did the classes, the masses overall seem to be in a rejection mode.

Says Komal Nahta, Bollywood trade analyst, "On the whole, My Name Is Khan is far from entertaining and also too boring for the general masses. For the heavy budget at which it has been made, it will keep its worldwide distributors (Fox Searchlight) in the red. Business in big cities, especially in South India [ Images ], Muslim centres and overseas will be better but it will be below the mark in North India as also in smaller centres and single-screen cinemas. It may be appreciated by the class audience but the masses will reject the film."

The buzz for the film was huge ever since the controversy between Shah Rukh Khan [ Images ] and Shiv Sena [ Images ] broke out.

Sena supremo Bal Thackeray [ Images ] demanded that Shah Rukh Khan apologise to the nation after he said in a press conference that he wished if Pakistani players could play in IPL 3.

This created a furore and Thackeray ordered Shiv Sainiks to see that the film was not released in Mumbai [ Images ] and Maharashtra [ Images ].

The police gave extra protection to almost every theatre and multiplex for a peaceful screening and amidst tension people came out in hordes to watch the film in Mumbai as well as other parts of the country.

"The curiosity value is over, it seems. The picture has suffered a considerable drop in collections on Monday," said Vinod Mirani, another Bollywood trade analyst.

Added Amod Mehra, another trade analyst, "At this moment, it appears the film will not be able to recover the cost because it has been sold at a high price."

Asked about critics loving the film and some of them even giving five stars rating, Mehra said, "Earlier there were paid previews of the film, now there is paid review of the film."

'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.

Kajol makes Kareena nervous

Kareena Kapoor is leaving nothing to chance this time. Determined to match strides with the formidable scene-stealer Kajol in the Hindi version of Stepmom, the actress has been quietly attending acting workshops with the film's director Siddharth Malhotra.

"The last time I rehearsed for a part was for Vishal Bharadwaj's Omkara. But that was a more unconventional film and role where I had to get into a milieu and character I knew nothing about. But Stepmom is urban and very contemporary. I play a very normal metro-centric working girl," said Kareena.

Malhotra's film is inspired by director Chris Columbus 1998 hit drama Stepmom, a heartwarming tale of two women - divorced Susan Sarandon and the new woman (Julia Roberts) in her ex-husband's life - and the problems they face to find a common ground of understanding.

And to attend the workshops, Kareena has been stealing time out of the rehearsals for a song she began shooting with Aamir Khan in 3 Idiots. Through the workshops Kareena is discovering how difficult it is to play a normal girl. "I walk, talk, dress like an ordinary working girl. I'll be using no makeup."

Bollywood's ace designer Manish Malhotra too is having a hard time trying to bring down Kareena's glamour quotient in Stepmom to look like an ordinary working woman. "I couldn't cut my hair as planned because of continuity clashes. And I didn't want to cut my long hair. But I'm going for a new hairstyle," said Kareena.

The two actresses start shooting together from the end of this month.

Talking abour Kajol, Kareena said: "She's always been one of my favourite actresses. We worked together in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. But this is something else."

There will be a lot of dramatic scenes between the two women in the movie. "The desi version of Stepmom is very different from the original. My role is also a big departure from what Julia Roberts played in Stepmom," Kareena said.

Shahrukh Khan's work wrapped on My Name Is Khan

It all began as a rumor that Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Karan Johar would be working together again. Then we got word that this dream team was indeed working on a project called My Name is Khan. We learned that it was not your average masala film and that it was set in the after math of 9/11. In December of 2008, the film went to the floor and though we know a bit more about it, the story is still very much under wraps.

Shahrukh said in an interview with TOI that, "My Name Is Khan is the most special film for both Karan Johar and me. And unlike the rumors, it's not about terrorism, or 9/11. It's about a relationship between two people, between an individual and the State, and between an individual and the country. In short, there the three important components: love story, Islam and a mild form of autism, which forms the core of MNIK."

In what is said to be one of his most challenging roles, Shahrukh plays a man with Asperger syndrome, which is a mild form of autism. According to autism.about.com, "People with AS develop language normally, but often have difficulty with social interactions, fine and gross motor coordination, and eye contact. They may be extremely passionate about just one or two topics, with little patience for small talk. They also may struggle to handle normal daily activities, such as organizing time, managing conflict, or even facing the sensory overload presented by malls and grocery stores." In the film, Shahrukh is suspected of being a terrorists after the 9/11 attacks not only because of his disease but also because of his name. Kajol plays his wife in the film.

In an earlier interview with Subhash K Jha, Karan Johar said of SRK's performance, "Time and again I'm blown away by Shahrukh. At times I wonder how can he bring so many variations in his character when he already has so much on his plate. He has done monumental research on his autistic character in the film. I was zapped by how much he knew about the subject. And he brought all the knowledge on the sets without any strain. He had written reams of notes on how he wanted to interpret his character. And for him it was no big deal. I think he's ready to direct a film. He will be outstanding at it. His understanding of human nature and emotions can never be matched by me."

We can now report that after months of long and hard work Shahrukh Khan has finished his shooting schedule for My Name is Khan and the director still has nothing but praise for the actors performance. KJo wrote on the social site Twitter, "Shahrukh just wrapped on MNIK... He has been so amazing through the shoot... He deserves every bit of his legendary status!!"

Birthday Suite: Kajol

Kajol Mukherjee seems to be the only actress of her generation to have achieved what they call Critical Mass. Even after the colossal failures of 'Fanaa' and 'U, Me Aur Hum', the original tomboy of Bollywood is still considered the best crowdpuller among the screen-eves of today.

Kajol is all set to make a "dhamakedar" comeback with Karan Johar's 'My Name is Khan' opposite none other than her favourite co-star Shah Rukh Khan!

On the occasion of Kajol's 34th birthday, we dedicate this gallery to one of the most adored stars of contemporary Bollywood.

When 'My Name Is Khan' left Karan Johar stressed out

After making candy floss romances, Karan Johar is dealing with serious issues in his 'My Name Is Khan', which brings Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol together on screen after a long time. Though he is excited about presenting a different side of Shah Rukh, making the film did turn unpleasant when actor Aamir Bashir was denied a visa to the US.

Karan's latest directorial venture is 'diametrically opposite' to his earlier films.

'You know, on the very first day of shooting my cameraman Ravi Chandran looked at me and said, 'I don't think you've ever shot something like this'. Shah Rukh plays a completely different human being ... I've never directed that person before,' Karan Johar told IANS in an interview.

But he had his share of problems too.

'Yes, there were problems. We had certain legal issues. We had to make some changes to accommodate the developments. They were sorted out. I believe in completely going by the law of every land. That's what we did in LA (Los Angeles) when troubles arose,' said Karan, who replaced Aamir with Jimmy Sheirgil in the movie.

Were you upset with Aamir for going to the press about the visa problem?

'I don't see why the issue had to be reported so prominently in the Indian media. It complicated things for me. If creating hurdles for a filmmaker on a difficult foreign location makes news, so be it. It constantly kept creating stress for me,' he added.

Written by Shibani Bathija, 'My Name Is Khan' is about a Muslim (Shah Rukh) who suffers from the Asperger syndrome, a form of autism that impacts social interaction abilities, and he is arrested as a suspected terrorist in post-9/11 Los Angeles after authorities mistake his disability for suspicious behaviour.

Excerpts from the interview:
Q: You could make a film on the things that happened during your Los Angeles schedule of 'My Name Is Khan'.
A: Besides normal problems, there were unforeseen problems. Thank god for my fabulous technical team. Without them I could never make my film the way I want to. Yes, there was stress.

Q: There were visa problems for some Muslim members of your cast?
A: Yes, there were problems. We had certain legal issues. We had to make some changes to accommodate the developments. They were sorted out. I believe in completely going by the law of every land. That's what we did in LA when troubles arose.

Q: Was Aamir replaced by Jimmy Sheirgil after a great deal of deliberation?
A: Yes, we did have to do some serious re-thinking. I spoke to my casting director Shanu Sharma for immediate release. I was very happy to have Jimmy Sheirgil on board. I had done his clothes for Aditya Chopra's 'Mohabbatein'. So I know him from his debut. It was unfortunate that things didn't work out with Aamir Bashir. Like Jimmy, he was terrific in 'A Wednesday'. I look forward to working with him some other time.

Q: Were you upset with Aamir Bashir for going to the press about the visa problem?
A: I don't blame anyone for the situation. I don't see why the issue had to be reported so prominently in the Indian media. It complicated things for me. If creating hurdles for a filmmaker on a difficult foreign location makes news, so be it. It constantly kept creating stress for me.

Q: Was it a painful experience to shoot in LA?
A: In all my 11 years as a filmmaker, I've never felt the experience to be so different. Content-wise 'My Name Is Khan' is diametrically opposite to whatever I've done in the past. You know, on the very first day of shooting my cameraman Ravi Chandran looked at me and said, 'I don't think you've ever shot something like this.'

It is for the first time I'm directing a screenplay I haven't written myself. This gives me a level of detachment from the proceedings and yet a lot of attachment. It has released a plethora of unexplored emotions in my head.

This time I'm being creative in a different ways. And Shah Rukh plays a completely different human being ... I've never directed that person before. It took a few days for all of us to get into the groove. How this exploration of a new territory will turn out, no one knows.

(Subhash K. Jha can be contacted at jhasubh@gmail.com)