My Name Is Khan Will Be Playing For Non NRI's In USA

This summer My Name Is Khan (MNIK) will be playing for a non-NRI audience in theatres across the US.

And the version of MNIK that American audiences will get to see will be different from original film as released so far in India and overseas for the NRI audiences.

Shah Rukh Khan confirms this decision to shorten the film for American audiences. Says Shah Rukh, “Yes, we are cutting down the length of the film for the American audience.

Their requirements are different from the traditional audience for Hindi cinema. We’re in this way extending the life span of a Hindi film with first a worldwide release for Indian audiences and then phased out releases for non-Indian audiences. ”

Says the film director Karan Johar, “Yes, the version for Americans will be shorter though not radically different.

We’ve left the American version’s editing to the film’s editor Deepa Bhatia. She is experienced and versatile enough to understand what would be palatable to the American audiences.

Deepa has worked on feature films as well as documentaries. She’s edited films for everyone from me to Govind Nihalani. ”

Karan admits it’s not the songs nor the length that will determine the shape and size of the American version of MNIK. “The first thing we heard from the American market is, we love the songs. So the songs stay. Deepa Bhatia is looking at what to remove. ”

This summer when the film releases for a non-diaspora audience in the US, Shah Rukh, Karan and Kajol will be in the country for the American premiere.

“We’re committed to our American producers Fox-Star to take the film to the US and any other part of the world where it will be screened in whichever avatar. ”

Zarine Khan Kept Her Commitments Garners Respect

Zarine Khan– the gorgeous actress who generated a whole lot of curiosity over her debut in ‘Veer’ is keeping to her commitments in spite of being terribly ill.

According to grapevine, “Zarine is keeping up with all her professional commitments. She attended all the interviews that were lined up in spite of being under heavy medication. She has been ill for quite a while now, but that doesn’t affect her approach to work.”

We come to hear that those who have interacted with Zarine so far have only good things to say about her, “This early in her career Zarine has garnered a lot of respect, as she keeps to her commitments and is a ready learner”.

Well we’re sure great things are in store for Zarine as she goes ahead with the right attitude.

Hansal Mehta Saw No Reason To Be Hostile To Pakistan Or Muslims

Hansal Mehta who started his career as a director with a TV film on legalese called Jayate is ready to make another film entitled Jayate on the slain defense lawyer Shahid Azmi.

Interestingly, Hansal has been researching on the defense lawyer from long before he was slain.

Says Hansal, “In fact, I got interested in Shahid when I was researching for my first film Jayate. I got to know that at the age of 16 Shahid was accused of conspiracy against the State and arrested.

He spent 5-6 years in Tihar jail. It’s there during his years as a Tihar inmate that Shahid became interested in the legal system and in defending the indefensible. ”

And now Hansal Mehta is all set to do the same. Defend the seemingly indefensible, that is. He has already completed a major apart of his scripting and intends to shoot by year-end.

Says Hansal, “I plan to meet Shahid’s family members as soon as they’re out of mourning. I want to assure them that I’m not making this film to grab a portion of the headline. I was fascinated by Shahid Azmi’s life from the time I got to know he spent years in jail practicing to be a defense lawyer. ”

Hansal may have to defend himself against political parties in Maharashtra which may describe him as a Paki-lover.

Protests the tough filmmaker, “But I see no reason to be hostile to Pakistan or Muslims. My wife is a Muslim and my two daughters Kimaya and Rihanna have kept their mother’s name Husain.

I think the worst thing we as filmmakers can do is to surrender to these forces. I’m so glad Shahrukh didn’t give in. Come what may I’m determined to go ahead with my film on Shahid Azmi.

His story must be told. I believe every person accused of a crime has a right to be defended. Shahid was doing a thankless job. I want to understand his motivations. ” Hansal wants to sign either Shahid Kapoor or Ranbir Kapoor to play Shahid. “They can make the transition from the age of 16 to until his death. ”

Now the question is would these mainstream actors be willing to play such a controversial character?

Films Which Bailed Out Saif Ali Khan From Disastrous Patch

With a Padma Shri and quite a few hits tucked under his belt, Saif Ali Khan is set to launch his second production venture and spy thriller "Agent Vinod" and says the delayed project is very much on.

"A lot has been said about 'Agent Vinod', but we are very much on track. Final touches are being given to the script and at the end of March we should have the film on the floors," Saif, 39, told in an interview.

After "Love Aaj Kal", this will be his second production, "Agent Vinod". It will be directed by Sriram Raghavan.

"Meanwhile, I definitely want to work on 'Race 2'. To do a romantic comedy is also something that stands high up in my list, but then I am just waiting for a great script to come my way."

Taking a trip down memory lane, he said it was superhit "Hum Tum" that bailed him out during trying times.

"I would think that 'Hum Tum' was a definite milestone film in my career. Yes, there was 'Kal Ho Na Ho' which was a good success as well, but then I was a second lead there. 'Hum Tum' was a solo hit and had the momentum going for me," Saif told.

"Soon followed 'Salaam Namaste', which further set the pace in my career. In the earlier years, 'Yeh Dillagi' was definitely a landmark movie. Then came 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari', which again worked quite well for me," added Saif who is one of the top actors today and a successful producer also.

Success came to him after a lean patch where nothing seemed to be working for him. With many of his films belonging to diverse genres failing at the box office, Saif was pretty much looking at the bottom of the barrel.

If one goes into flashback mode and takes a journey back in time, it wasn't too far back when he was dancing to the tune of "Main hoon aashiq awara" ("Aashiq Awara") and "Ole, Ole" ("Yeh Dillagi"). Today, with Saif named for a Padma Sri, he has come a long way.

"Yeah, it was a disastrous patch and this is where 'Hum Saath Saath Hai' came in handy. There were also 'Kachche Dhaage' and 'Kya Kehna' which were decent successes and then of course 'Dil Chahta Hai' which was another landmark film," said Saif.

Is there any other film that he believes brought a complete turnaround in the way he was looked at as an actor?

"Other than the aforementioned films like 'Hum Tum', 'Salaam Namaste' and 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', diverse films like 'Parineeta' and 'Ek Haseena Thi' brought in further recognition.

" 'Being Cyrus' was nice and offbeat too and then considering the kind of perception that people had for me, 'Omkara' turned out to be huge as it showed quite some range. And now as we stand, I have a production like 'Love Aaj Kal'. So, yeah, it's not that bad after all."

Kareena Kapoor Is Shahrukh Khan's Wife?

Shah Rukh Khan doesn’t sleep. Or so it seems. He landed in Mumbai on Thursday from Dubai after a show, but shows no sign of strain or jetlag. Just before Dubai the mega-star was in Berlin for the film festival negotiating the attention of hundreds of screaming fans.

What we don’t know is that Shah Rukh met and bonded in Berlin with American auteur director Martin Scorcese and his favourite actor Leonardo di Caprio.

Says Shah Rukh, “Lenoardo, Martin and I spent some time together. Martin was gracious enough to remember that he had met me in Cannes way back in 2002 when I was there for Devdas. He wants to watch Devdas and I’ve promised to send it to him. I’ll do so right way.”

After the glorious performance in My Name Is Khan as a physically-disabled underdog journeying across America on a whimsical mission, Shah Rukh Khan is all set to play the super-hero flying across the sky to save humanity.

True to its mythological title Ra. 1 which starts shooting next month in Mumbai followed by Goa and London, will have Shah Rukh combating 10 villains. Raavan according to Hindu mythology, was a ten-headed demon whom Ram vanquished single-handedly.

In Ra. 1 the modernday Raavan has been turned into ten different villains whom super-hero Shah Rukh, the modernday Ram will annihilate one after another.

Shah Rukh Khan seemed remarkably relaxed in Berlin on the day after his film My Name Is Khan opened in Mumbai accompanied by violent protests by the Shiv Sena.

Said Shah Rukh from Berlin, “I missed the opening in Mumbai. But I believe people have liked the film. I’m being told I’m in character. That’s good to hear. Give me a character to be in, and I’m right there. ”

The SRK brand of humour was intact when told that My Name Is Khan doesn’t look like a Karan Johar film. At his deadliest deadpan best SRK retorted, “Yeah, even I felt like that when I first saw it. I told Karan, ‘Arrey yaar yeh tum ne kaisi picture banayee hai?’.

Actually the three ladies in our lives Hiroo Aunty (Karan’s mother Hiroo Johar), Kajol and Gauri have made this film. ”

Getting serious SRK said, “I thought it would take audiences a little time to come to terms with the film. But I am glad it was well-received. ”

After playing the under-dog in two successive films Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and My Name Is Khan (we aren’t counting his guest appearance in Dulha Mil Gaya) Shah Rukh will be flying across the sky in Ra. 1. The estimated budget of the film to be produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies, is Rs 100 crores. And no Kareena Kapoor won’t be joining him in midair.

She plays Shah Rukh’s grounded wife and not a super-woman.

Says a source close to Ra. 1, “Kareena was keen to attempt the hi-jinks with Shah Rukh, specially since Agent Vinod where she had a lot of stunts has again been postponed But in Ra. 1 all the conflict involves Shah Rukh and the ten villains. ”

Shah Rukh along with the film’s director Anubhav Sinha and journalist-writer Mustaq Sheikh, has co-written Ra. 1 and will be credited as one of the writers. The film will be in Hindi.

Says the source, “He was advised to make the film in English. But Shah Rukh decided to make it in Hindi. Why should he pitch his super-hero film to the Western audience when they already have their Superman and Spiderman? Shah Rukh has no aspirations of cracking Hollywood on their terms. ”

The film requires the star to perform never-before heart-in-the-mouth stunts, which he’s gearing to do.

Neil Nitin Mukesh Is Priyanka Chopra's Husband?

While Naseeruddin Shah at 60 would be Priyanka Chopra’s oldest husband in Saat Khoon Maaf (earlier entitled Ek Bataa Saath) Neil Nitin Mukesh has just been signed to play her youngest husband.

Though age-wise Neil is a few months older than Priyanka, Neil, it is reliably learnt, initially felt he would look incompatible with her.

Says a source, “Neil didn’t want another situation like Aa Dekhen Zara where everyone commented on how incompatible Bipasha and he looked.

At the same time he’s a big fan of Priyanka’s work. So when he heard that his colleague (let’s not call them friends, because they are not) Ranbir Kapoor was working with Priyanka and prepared himself to match Priyanka’s maturity level (Ranbir has stubbled, lean red-eyed look in Anjaana Anjaani) Neil was game for it.”

Neil’s character will require a heavy physical transformation. He will apparently be unrecognizable on screen.

Says Neil from the location for Yashraj Films’ Lafange Parinday, “When I heard the script I was zapped. This was something I had to do. I play one of Priyanka’s husbands, the youngest of the lot. The fact that I get to be in the same film as actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Mohanlalji was incentive enough. I read even Irrfan Khan is in the film.”

(However sources close to the project deny Irrfan’s casting).

While all the actors playing Priyanka’s husbands (and these include an unknown American actor) have been finalized the seventh actor is yet to be finalized.

Neil starts shooting for Saat Khoon Maaf from April. “I’ve a somewhat crowded date diary this year. I join Abbas-Mustan from June to December for Italian Job.”

Neil who moved to Powai to be near Yashraj Studios to avoid the daily traffic to and from South Mumbai is wondering if he made the right move.

“The traffic on that side of town is just as bad. It’s excruciating to travel even from Powai to Yashraj Studios. On Thursday I had a day off and I invited my mom over to do up my new home the way I wanted it.”

Neil who has been a part of a joint family household all his life, says he has no time to miss his family in Powai. “Because I use that old flat of ours only to sleep….alone!”

Rakesh Roshan Told That There Is No Sex In Kites

Kites and Rajneeti are seen by the film trade as the two most crucial releases in the remaining part of the first-half of of 2010.

The two films’ producers Rakesh Roshan and Prakash Jha are currently the two closest friends in the film industry, so much so that Jha decided to shift the release of Raajneeti from May 28 to June 4 on Rakesh Roshan’s advice.

Rakesh Roshan’s Kites (directed by Anurag Basu) is being released on 21 May.

Explains Prakash, “Both Rakeshji and I felt there should be clear gap of two weeks between Kites and Raajneeti. Earlier I was to come just a week after.

But in the case of a big film llike Kites the multiplex theatres don’t know till Wednesday if they would like to change films on Friday. I wanted to avoid the scheduling confusion.

I sat down with Rakeshji and we decided it was better that I postpone by a week because there’s no big release after Raajneeti until Mani Ratnam’s Raavan. ”

Adds Rakesh Roshan, “I think more filmmakers need to work in close consultation to avoid films overlapping and cutting into one another’s market. Prakash Jha and I have been discussing each other release. And we mutually decided he should release a fortnight after my film. ”

What happens to the release of Raajneeti if Kites gets postponed again?

Rakesh Roshan discounts that possibility. “We can’t postpone the 21 May release because the English version is being released simultaneously. ”

What if Kites becomes a big hit? Would that affect Raajneeti’s opening?

“No way!” says Prakash Jha. “Kites is a love story. Raajneeti is a political drama. ”

One point of similarity between the two films is that the leading men of both films are paired opposite Caucasian heroines. Hrithik Roshan shares screen space with Barbara Mori while Ranbir Kapoor ignites the screen with Sarah Thomson.

While Rakesh Roshan insists there’s no sex in Kites, Prakash Jha says Ranbir and Sarah share torrid moments in Raajneeti.

Says Rakesh, “Ours is a clean family entertainer. It’s a love story with no sex in it. When have I ever produced films with torrid sex scenes?”