Slamming the critics of Oscar nominated 'Slumdog Millionaire', Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said that the poverty highlighted in the
movie is a "reality" and wondered why people in India tend to become cynical when something good is happening.
"Isn't that (poverty and slums) a reality? If you (critics) have a problem with the word slumdog, why don't you look positively and see that there is a word millionaire or crorepati also," Shah Rukh, who returned from Los Angeles yesterday after a month-long schedule of Karan Johar's 'My name is Khan' told reporters.
Critics felt that the movie sells India's poverty to West and some others had raised objections to the word's ‘slumdog' on grounds that people living in Indian slums were being referred to as 'dogs'.
"I have just returned from the US and people there have become crazy about the film and its music. The film's sound is also too good apart from a good story and screenplay. The film deserves all awards," Khan, who has read the original book as well as the script said.
Also, the actor said that he does not regret declining Anil Kapoor's role in the film.
"I can’t regret something which I could not have done. I don't think I would have done justice to the role of a game show host like Anil Kapoor, he said at the launch of his company's foray into television content last night with 'Ghar Ki Baat hai' on NDTV Imagine.
SRK said that during the period which Danny Boyle shot the film, he was already hosting 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' (KBC) and later 'Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hai'.
"I am still contracted for a new season of these shows," he said.
SRK said Oscars and Golden Globe awards are a symbol of international recognition.
"I love awards and I hope to feature in a film comprising Indian cast and crew some day which will go to win these awards," he said adding "the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire' worldwide is an incentive to all Indian filmmakers."
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
SRK goes under the knife
Shah Rukh Khan, the actor, who underwent a difficult and painful back surgery some years ago, is now destined to go under the scalpel again for a tear in the shoulder muscle. He suffered the injury in Mumbai when shooting a stunt scene for Mudassar Aziz’s Dulha Mil Gaya. But, as if keeping in mind the old adage ‘no pain, no gain’, SRK continued shooting with occasional physiotherapy from his old friend Dr Ali Irani. Then, instead of resting, he flew to LA where he had a month-long schedule slated for Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan. The LA winter did him in. He was taken to a hospital in pain where an MRI showed up the tear in his left shoulder. Now the actor is back and looking at undergoing a shoulder arthroscopy to repair the tear in his supraspinatus muscle.
Talking to this paper, SRK who dragged on in LA through the pain just so that Karan Johar’s shooting schedule might not get disrupted, admitted, “I was advised surgery, but pulled through on temporary medical assistance until I could not bear the pain any longer. I have to now go in for surgery in the next few days.”
He has no choice because the next schedule of My Name Is Khan requires the Bollywood Badshah to be fighting fit and performing all kinds of stunts. His doctors, of course, have advised him otherwise. “Inshallah, I’ll be fine,” smiled the hero.
Meanwhile, the Bollywood Badshah remains undaunted at the prospect of surgery. At the Asia West Pacific Regional Physiotherapy Conference organised by Dr Ali Irani of the Indian Association of Physiotherapy, he kept medicos, some 800 physiotherapists, delegates from 23 countries and students in splits by referring to all the injuries he has faced.
Said Shah Rukh, “Thanks to my injuries, I know every part of my body, all the muscles, the tendons. My body has pieces of metal in it.” His interaction with physios began from the age of 15. “I was playing soccer at Delhi’s Ambedkar Stadium and developed a lower back problem. That was the end of my professional sporting career. I would have preferred it to the one in showbiz,” he said. “Indias are used to medicines of hakims and vaids. Invasive therapy is not the order of the day. Physiotherapy for most means massage. I love massage though,” he said smiling.
Talking to this paper, SRK who dragged on in LA through the pain just so that Karan Johar’s shooting schedule might not get disrupted, admitted, “I was advised surgery, but pulled through on temporary medical assistance until I could not bear the pain any longer. I have to now go in for surgery in the next few days.”
He has no choice because the next schedule of My Name Is Khan requires the Bollywood Badshah to be fighting fit and performing all kinds of stunts. His doctors, of course, have advised him otherwise. “Inshallah, I’ll be fine,” smiled the hero.
Meanwhile, the Bollywood Badshah remains undaunted at the prospect of surgery. At the Asia West Pacific Regional Physiotherapy Conference organised by Dr Ali Irani of the Indian Association of Physiotherapy, he kept medicos, some 800 physiotherapists, delegates from 23 countries and students in splits by referring to all the injuries he has faced.
Said Shah Rukh, “Thanks to my injuries, I know every part of my body, all the muscles, the tendons. My body has pieces of metal in it.” His interaction with physios began from the age of 15. “I was playing soccer at Delhi’s Ambedkar Stadium and developed a lower back problem. That was the end of my professional sporting career. I would have preferred it to the one in showbiz,” he said. “Indias are used to medicines of hakims and vaids. Invasive therapy is not the order of the day. Physiotherapy for most means massage. I love massage though,” he said smiling.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
What luck! Aamir & SRK in a film
This is a coup for any director in Bollywood. Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan in one film! Take a bow, Zoya Akhtar — you’ve managed to do that in your debut film.
The long wait for cinema audiences everywhere is now over with Zoya’s Luck By Chance (produced by Excel Entertainment and Reliance Big Pictures) hitting the screens on January 30.
Interestingly, the Khans play themselves in the film, but regretfully don’t share screen space and appear at different times individually. SRK interacts with Farhan and Aamir with Konkona. Both superstars have excellent relationships with Farhan and Zoya and both wanted to support this film.
Even though Aamir doesn’t do cameos, he readily agreed because he is familiar with the set-up having worked with producer Ritesh Sidhwani and director-actor Farhan in Dil Chahta Hai. Also, Aamir who works on bound scripts only, had already read Luck By Chance’s script when Zoya took it to him for feedback some years ago. So that was also okay.
“Initially, we were in a fix wondering how to talk to him, knowing his stance on cameos, till dad called me up to say he had spoken to Aamir,” explained the petite Zoya. Once dad Javed Akhtar succeeded with Aamir, SRK was easy to approach. “I personally spoke to Shah Rukh. But I won’t like to take the credit alone, because both actors did it out of friendship for Farhan and Ritesh. There is a lot of respect between all of us,” she added.
The film has Bollywood as its backdrop with Farhan playing a struggling actor opposite Koknona. “This is the first original story that gives you an insider’s journey of the film industry. A struggler’s experience,” said Ritesh. And here’s another little secret: Aamir shot for the film when he was in the midst of Ghajini and had the tonsured look; so, the consummate actor agreed to wear a wig for Zoya!
The long wait for cinema audiences everywhere is now over with Zoya’s Luck By Chance (produced by Excel Entertainment and Reliance Big Pictures) hitting the screens on January 30.
Interestingly, the Khans play themselves in the film, but regretfully don’t share screen space and appear at different times individually. SRK interacts with Farhan and Aamir with Konkona. Both superstars have excellent relationships with Farhan and Zoya and both wanted to support this film.
Even though Aamir doesn’t do cameos, he readily agreed because he is familiar with the set-up having worked with producer Ritesh Sidhwani and director-actor Farhan in Dil Chahta Hai. Also, Aamir who works on bound scripts only, had already read Luck By Chance’s script when Zoya took it to him for feedback some years ago. So that was also okay.
“Initially, we were in a fix wondering how to talk to him, knowing his stance on cameos, till dad called me up to say he had spoken to Aamir,” explained the petite Zoya. Once dad Javed Akhtar succeeded with Aamir, SRK was easy to approach. “I personally spoke to Shah Rukh. But I won’t like to take the credit alone, because both actors did it out of friendship for Farhan and Ritesh. There is a lot of respect between all of us,” she added.
The film has Bollywood as its backdrop with Farhan playing a struggling actor opposite Koknona. “This is the first original story that gives you an insider’s journey of the film industry. A struggler’s experience,” said Ritesh. And here’s another little secret: Aamir shot for the film when he was in the midst of Ghajini and had the tonsured look; so, the consummate actor agreed to wear a wig for Zoya!
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