If first week battering by two times the collections of SAAWARIYA was not enough, the declaration of second week collections has put the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film in an embarrassing state. The numbers have widened the gap further as OM SHANTI OM collections in India are now close to three times the collections of SAAWARIYA in two weeks time period.

While OM SHANTI OM has crossed 65 crores, SAAWARIYA stands at a pitiful 23 crores. This is only going to get worse over coming weeks since OM SHANTI OM has sustained quite week even in the third week while SAAWARIYA has only seen a journey down South.

Another interesting fact that has been revealed is that the collections of OM SHANTI OM in the second week (25 crores +) are greater than what SAAWARIYA has earned till date (23 crores +)!

OM SHANTI OM has clearly murdered SAAWARIYA at the box office, and how!

Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network

"Manoj Kumar scenes won't be chopped off from Om Shanti Om", declares Farah Khan. And before you start wondering if there is a scoop angle to the entire statement, be rest assured that things have truly and completely settled down between the makers of Om Shanti Om and the veteran actor.

On being questioned around the line of action for Om Shanti Om post Manoj Kumar's threat of suing the makers if the scenes spoofing him are not chopped off, Farah Khan said, "Shah Rukh, Gauri and I met Manoj Kumar again last night at his home. We also had Yash Chopra along with us. We apologized again."

Were there any cold vibes considering the fact there has been flip-flop around Manoj Kumar threatening to go to court? "Not at all. He and his wife were very courteous with us. In fact, he told us that there never was a problem. We are relieved as I guess all is sorted out now."

What's the decision on the scenes which Manoj Kumar considered offensive? Would they be chopped now? "None whatsoever. No scenes would be chopped off. As I said, all is well now and the movie would continue to be screened in it's original format."

Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM

Needless to say that one cannot expect anything but the unexpected from the King Khan. The current status is that SRK and Farah Khan had called press conference to publicly apologize to Manoj Kumar. Meanwhile Mr. Bharat, it seems that, wanted SRK to call on him personally and lend his apology, which was not happening, all thanks to the King Khan’s choc-a-bloc schedules.

That’s when Yash ‘Mr Romance’ Chopra, himself decided to play the mediator between the two by calling Manoj Kumar on Tuesday night amidst his dinner and said that he wanted to drop by, without divulging any further details. Manoj Kumar’s joys knew no bounds when he saw SRK along with his better half, Gauri and Farah accompanying Yash Chopra! SRK soon played the ‘real-life’ Raj of DDLJ and in no time all of them were happy with the outcome of the family re-union!

In the meanwhile, Farah has gone on record to say that Manoj Kumar’s scenes won't be chopped off from Om Shanti Om.

As the dialogue from the film goes “Aakhir mein sab kuch thik hi ho jata hai…”

IndiaFM

His latest film Om Shanti Om has broken all records and he is still riding high on its success. CNN-IBN correspondent Iram Mirza catches up with once-upon-a time-ramp scorcher Arjun Rampal.


CNN-IBN: Are you still riding high on the success of Om Shanti Om?


Arjun Rampal: Yeah, I don't know when am I going to land back.


CNN-IBN: How difficult was it to get under the skin of the character?


Arjun Rampal: It was definitely one of the tougher characters that I have played. I have never done a role like that, I don't know anyone like that and do not associate myself with people like that. So it was tough to work on it. But I think I had to work on different expressions and the way this guy would think. It's heavy-duty stuff and I don’t want to bore you with it.


CNN-IBN: What about King Khan? You seem to share a lot of camaraderie with him. So a lot of fun on and off sets?


Arjun Rampal: Shah Rukh and I have worked together quite a bit now and I am fortunate to have worked with him. He's a great human being. We've done a world tour together where we spent three months on road together. Then I did Don with him. He's a very generous actor and producer and is very chilled. Despite all the fame, he's very humble, down-to-earth and knows films like the back of his hand. So there's lots to learn from him. His energy is contagious and he's just wonderful.


CNN-IBN: Talking about your endorsements, are you a Tommy man? Very casual, jeans-and-T-shirts sorts?


Arjun Rampal: What I like about the brand Tommy is that you can suit it up a little bit, throw a jacket and makes you look a little bit more formal. At the same time it's very casual, relaxed and you are never looking scruffy.


CNN-IBN: You've done a lot of roles and walked the ramp too. But what do you really cherish?


Arjun Rampal: Behind the camera as a director or walking the ramp or playing the roles?

Walking a ramp was a while ago. I enjoyed it while I did it. But honestly, I don't miss it too much. I loved the role of the producer - not in Om Shanti Om though (laughs). It's becaue you can start something from an idea level and create it and the whole process of creating a team is a wonderful experience. You meet a lot of people, you learn a lot. I love filmmaking, being part of the industry and I love being an actor. So there are a lot of things I can do and all are related.


CNN-IBN: So what after Om Shanti Om? Any home productions? We've heard you're doing a plum role in Last Lear, right?


Arjun Rampal: Last Lear is a great film and it's my first English film. It's the best performance from Mr Bachchan I've seen till date and from Preeti too. I am fantastic in it (laughs).


CNN-IBN: You must be y our co-stars' darling, saying such nice things about them?


Arjun Rampal: Well, they are nice people and deserve it. They are humble people who don't speak much about themselves. So it's important to give them their due. They are very generous with me and I should be generous with them too.


CNN-IBN: What's the worst rumour you've heard about yourself?


Arjun Rampal: The one that you were just trying to spread - that I am very generous with my co-stars.(laughs)

CNN-IBN

All’s well that ends well. And there is no more hurt in veteran actor Manoj Kumar’s heart for the spoof on him in Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om.

Kumar, who had objected to these scenes, was unrelenting when Farah and Shah Rukh Khan himself apologised to him publicly in a press conference.

He reportedly wanted SRK to call on him and bury the hatchet. This was not happening because of Shah Rukh’s hectic schedule and string of commitments. And a bitter Kumar expressed his disappointment over the entire issue in the press once again. But, peace was made.

Kumar tells the story: “Yash Chopra played the mediator. I got a call from Yash on Tuesday night at dinner time asking for my address. He said he was in the neighbourhood and wanted to drop by. He didn’t say who was with him. So when my wife opened the door, we were pleasantly surprised to to see Gauri and Shah Rukh Khan, and Farah Khan, with Yash. It felt like a family reunion. We didn’t discuss anything that was bygone. Everybody makes mistakes, but when you realise them, more than half your mistake is pardoned. I don’t hold any grudges against anyone.”

According to the actor who has waved the Indian tricolour more than any politician in the country, the conversation revolved around Shah Rukh’s parents and Kumar’s mother-in-law who were all freedom fighters.

“His father worked closely with my mother-in-law. Even Shah Rukh’s mother was known to us,” said Kumar. The Bollywood Badshah then reminded Mr Bharat (as Manoj Kumar was known) that years ago he wanted to take some pictures with him. “It never happened, though,” said Kumar. “But in the hour they spent with us, Shah Rukh and Gauri clicked pictures with us. It was nice meeting him. He touched my feet. He may be my son’s age but I have a brotherly feeling towards him.”

Some sections of the press have unkindly said that the ageing actor used the Om Shanti Om issue to gain unnecessary publicity for himself.

An aggrieved Kumar retorted, “At this age, publicity this doesn’t matter. What matters is respect from people. We have earned it. And I am glad Shah Rukh belongs to that generation which respects elders. God bless him.” He had one regret, however. “Gauri and Farah, who is pregnant, came to our house and we couldn’t give them any shagun. Never mind, just as our doors are open for Shah Rukh and Gauri, the doors of Mannat will be open to us. My wife and I can go there anytime. And we will not forget to carry the shagun .”

Afsana Ahmed, TNN

One of the outstanding sequences of the Farah Khan directed, 65-crore, superhit OM SHANTI OM is the 'Dhoom Tana' song. It was an enriching visual delight to see Deepika Padukone romancing yesteryear legends, like (the late) Sunil Dutt, Bollywood's first superstar, Rajesh 'Kaka' Khanna and the 'Jumping Jack', Jeetendra. Since a lot of curiosity has been generated regarding the origin of this song sequence, here's an insight into the making of this creative masterpiece.

The late Sunil Dutt's clip was sourced from AMRAPALI (1966), Rajesh Khanna's portions from SACHCHA JHOOTHA (1970) and Jeetendra's footage was from JAI-VIJAY (1977). The original starlets, Vyjayanthimala (AMRAPALI), Mumtaz (SACHCHA JHOOTHA) and Jaishree T. (JAI-VIJAY), were removed from the footage and currently shot sequences of Deepika were digitally incorporated. And the result of the hard work is there for all to see.

Kudos to the in-house, Red Chillies' VFX team for giving us a taste of Bollywood history!

Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network

They had debuts to give their right arm for.
The big three -- Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor -- boasted of big names and equally big banners. While Deepika hit it off in Om Shanti Om, the two Kapoors too didn't do so badly, despite their Saawariya coming a cropper.

So, what's in store for the three? Rediff.com takes a peek:

Deepika Padukone

She has been the luckiest of all.

Besides getting major recognition with Om Shanti Om, Deepika has got many endorsements. Now her face is all over the telly.

And it just gets better for the young actress. After starring opposite Shah Rukh Khan, she is set to do a film with superstar Akshay Kumar.

The film, directed by Nikhil Advani, is tentatively called Made in China, and will go to the floor in January. Warner Brothers' first Indian production -- jointly with Ramesh Sippy -- this is going to be a big-budget feature, shot in China over six months.

Reportedly, she's going for the third superstar too! It is learnt that Deepika may star opposite Salman Khan in his next home production, directed by Sohail Khan.

This has been my best year and Om Shanti Om has been my best birthday gift, says actor Arjun Rampal.

Receiving rave reviews for his second villainous act after Ek Ajnabee , Arjun has got great response for his negative role in Om Shanti Om. The actor who’s on a professional high, recently celebrated his birthday with a lot of kids at a suburban mall.

Co-star Deepika Padukone was also present at the happy occasion where Arjun cut the cake amidst loud cheering. When one of the kids asked Arjun his age after counting the 13 candles on the cake, Arjun laughed, “I am as old as the number of candles on this cake.” And life couldn’t have been better for Arjun who has several projects under his belt. “

I am gearing up for many new projects that my production house will launch and I’ll also be seen in the The Last Lear that will release in February next year,” he informs. With his bad boy roles doing wonders for him, it remains to be seen if Arjun will be taking more such roles in the future. After all, it’s good to have a good-looking, bad man.

TNN

Om Shanti Om has simply seen an incredible first week at the box office. It has set new first week highs in every circuit of India and never have we seen so many theatre and city records broken by a single film.

The all second week all India business is around the 26 crore mark.The film has gone into third week with all its theatres in play.The third week will also see the film smashing records.

Mumbai: For the stars of Om Shanti Om, the party just doesn't seem to end. Arjun Rampal and Deepika Padukone made an entry at fame cinemas in one of Mumbai’s surburban malls to meet up with the winners of the Om Shanti Om combo contest, and birthday boy Arjun couldn't have asked for a bigger gift.

“Today people were asking me to make a wish but that was being greedy because OSO is the biggest gift for me,” said Arjun.

The film has managed to set new benchmarks at the box-office, making it one of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters. And it's not just the aam junta which is lapping it up, OSO has a few royal fans as well.

“I was in Jaipur recently where I met the Maharani of Jaipur and she told me she saw the film thrice and it was so satisfying,” said Deepika.

“OSO really did that for me – it broke the barrier where people said models could not become actors,” said Arjun.

No wonder then Arjun can't get enough of all the euphoria. “I’m ready for any form of celebration. I have a huge appetite for party,” said the actor.

Well that said, don't expect the stars of OSO to wrap up the publicity drive anytime soon.

Mihir Trivedi, CNN-IBN

As they say, records are meant to be broken and Farah Khan’s ‘Om Shanti Om’ has taken it very seriously and is doing precisely that. After resetting the US weekend record for a Bollywood film, the Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Shreyas Talpade and Deepika Padukone starrer has now gone ahead and become Bollywood’s biggest US grosser. And that in just 17-days!

As per the collections available, ‘Om Shanti Om’ has grossed a humungous $3,421,520 ( upto November 25). Interestingly ‘Om Shanti Om’ surpasses the previous record, which was established by another Shah Rukh Khan starrer, ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’ (2006), which had grossed $3,275,444, during its entire US run.

In spite of a public apology, Manoj Kumar says he has been humiliated enough to still consider a legal action against Shah Rukh Khan.

Despite the fact that SRK along with Farah Khan had publicly apologised to Manoj Kumar for having spoofed him in ‘Om Shanti Om’, the veteran actor is still seething with anger.

Kumar was upset with the production team for having shown him in a bad light and not even having been informed about it. However, SRK quickly threw a press conference to apologise and also promised to visit the actor, but according to Manoj Kumar he has not kept his promise.

“Shah Rukh announced that he will be visiting my place. But over the weekend, no one has come home, except some police
personnel, who had stationed themselves outside my house in case he comes.”

Manoj Kumar says he is not demanding a personal apology, “I am not here to beg for anything. If he has committed a crime, he should realise that he has to personally apologise to me. In my 50 years of work, I have never held a press conference or hired a PR person. I have been extremely tolerant, but if someone hits me below the belt, it is unpardonable.” “They have shown in the movie that I have been lathi charged at my premiere. Could Bombay police hit a known star in such a public place? It is like saying that anybody can be Shah Rukh Khan’s imposter and the real SRK can be lathi charged for trying to enter the premiere of his own movie. How can I accept such humiliation?” he says.

“I am not a man of litigation. But if there is no response from that side, I might take some action according to my solicitor’s advice,” Kumar adds.

Shah Rukh Khan was unavailable for comment.

DNAindia.com

Destiny in favor of Deepika Padukone because her debut film Om Shanti Om is running very good in theatres, now she will act with Salman Khan. In her first film Deepika got a chance to work with Shahrukh Khan and people like the pair most. Now she gets a proposal from Khan’s camp to act in Mr. and Mrs. Khanna with star Salman Khan.

Deepika Padukone obtains this opportunity at the place of Lara Dutta in the movie. Even Lara Dutta was the first choice of Salman Khan because they worked together in ‘Partner’ and setting between them very nice on the sets. Then why did Sohail Production Company take over to Deepika. According to resources actress Preity Zinta was also doing this film before Lara Dutta but due to some causes the deal didn’t finalized.

Some how it seems Salman Khan is getting impressed very much to Deepika after the success of Om Shanti Om and Sohail Khan Production sign Deepika Padukone as ‘Mrs. Khanna’ of Salman Khan. Filmy sources says recently the project is working on the script if it needs two actresses in the film then it may be possible Lara Dutta enters in the film.

Om Shanti Om debutant actress Deepika Padukone is today’s super star.

Bollywood directors are keen to signing Deepika as a fresh face. She has already signed Priyadarshan’s next film “Pirate”, and “Made in China” opposite Akshay Kumar.

After marriage Kajol was not working in movies actively and has worked in just selective two movies “Kabhi Khusi Kabhi Gham” and “Fana”.

Rani Mukherji and Priety Zinta has tried to be a good partner of Shahrukh and upto one mark. Rani has done some successfull movies with Shahrukh in recent years, But the void created by Kajol was still not filled.
So space is open for any new girl on the block and Deepika is seems to be a good contender of the post. Deepika has an advantage of being fresh in the bollywood and for her grace OSO has been successful worldwide and Deepika is getting praise for her role in the film.

Do you think it is going to happen, I think so, please share your comments.

Aamir is all game for activities promoting his film and he says “It’s good for the movie. The back-to-school experience is fascinating.” There are also rumours that Aamir has delayed the Tamil remake, Ghajini due to promotional activities for TZP. Aamir says “The first week of January, I get busy on what you guys have named Ghajini.

Aamir has also been working out and it is being said that he too has developed six pack abs like SRK, he says “The new muscular look is for Ghajini. And though I may not have measured them at last count, they are definitely more than six. I think I have eight or ten packs.” Aamir also maintains that he has not yet watched Om Shanti Om as he has been busy promoting his own film TZP. According to sources.

I did so myself! The moment one flips through the pages and greedily tastes a sound byte here, a picture there and a quick read somewhere in the middle of the book, you know that it would be hard not to enjoy reading the book. The expectations level are at an all time high in these few minutes itself; something which is akin to watching a full length theatrical promo of a big Bollywood blockbuster film and anticipating it's arrival on the big screen soon!

Thankfully, all the high expectations are met in totality, hence making it truly a collector's delight which can be find a place in your book shelf at least for one lifetime. No pun intended!

This one is no regular/usual behind the scenes kinda book! What you want to read are the quotes you haven't heard before in the 'hazaar' interviews by the cast and crew in the past. What you want to see are the pictures that have already not been seen in the film's promotional brochure. What you want to lend your ear are some gossips/tid bits/grapevine that have already not made it to the 5-scoops-a-day-tabloids. What you want to know are the actual hassles which took place rather than 'working in the film was like a picnic' or 'we were all as one big family'!

And guess what, you get all of this and more! So let's talk about that 'more' first. It is this 'more' which gives a definite edge to the book hence making it stand out as the one that would enthrall not just the followers of Bollywood cinema but also those who want to lay hand on that something extra. It is that extra about dedicated chapters on 'Junior Artists' and 'Reincarnation', ably titled 'Reflected Glory' and 'Borne Again' which makes you visualize the book differently.

To Mushtaq's credit, even though such write ups may have risked being drag/boring/depressing, he makes them quite entertaining. He gets into details like different brackets of junior artists being called for when it comes to a hotel or an airport or a marriage scene or a village setting. He divulges how different junior artists also get classified with different rate card for different scenes. That's not all, if you walk in and walk out of a frame, your pay packet is different from what you would if you are required to be drenched in rain. Interesting!

'Borne Again' is spooky yet exciting. Mushtaq does a little bit of research and Googling to find narrate some high profile cases of reincarnation in India that had made headlines some years back. And for some more information about real life imitating reel, find out what Shah Rukh Khan himself was in his last birth. The research says he was legendary dancer and actor Sadhana Bose! Read the book to know more.

50% into the book and you know that Mushtaq is a smart writer. He deftly handles various portions of the book and provides each of them a different flavor. So while some of the chapters have a core literature look and feel to it, others are told in light hearted tone. This is not all as there is imaginative writing coming into picture as well with one of the stories being told from an Assistant Director's point of view, the other has Mushtaq himself in a conversational mode with the film's crew while one of them is written in a screenplay mode. Easy for the writer since he is also one of the screenplay writers for the film Om Shanti Om.

However, the best is reserved for what perhaps has anyways been hailed as the best part about the film. The 31 star song, 'Deewangi Deewangi'. This is the place where Mushtaq lets his creative instincts get the better out of him as sets the stage with him and his Income Tax consultant looking at all the stars in awe as they take their places and shoot for the song.

Quite funny and one of the lengthiest write-ups, it has some great humor interwoven into the text since Mushtaq demonstrates how a civilian (that's how he calls a star struck fan who seldom gets a chance to see his idol in flesh and blood) reacts to all the glamour around. In one way, the write up seems to be his own alter ego coming into fray with an IT guy just being an excuse to be placed as a character into the story!

If the writer deserves accolades for his detailed work in the book, Ashish Pathak and Jochen Manz, the designer and photographer respectively, deserve full marks for their work too. They come together to make 'The Making of Om Shanti Om' a glossy fare which changes texture with every chapter boasting of a different layout, different font, picture placement and color combination. With no dull moment whatsoever as you flip page after page, it is hard not to hurriedly finish the content on one page (a lot of it on every page) and move on to the next to see what's in store.

Any blemishes in the book? Yes. What could have been one flawless fare is hampered due to the fact that there are some astonishing spelling/grammatical mistakes in the text, especially during the initial chapters. Some basic punctuation errors turn out to be quite alarming, as well as surprising, because one expects nothing but an impeccable product when it comes to a book for one of the most prestigious films of the year. Also, the writer has some reputation to maintain, especially having multiple books on Bollywood to his credit and hence it is disappointing when some glaring gaps like not just sentences but even paragraphs repeating at more than just a couple of instances!

Anyways, ignoring all of this, one is bound to cherish this book which continues to celebrate the book even after it's release. It is a must read at least once and though hardcore film buff may not mind having a second read too, at least the pictures would make most refer the book multiple times. The moment you lay your hand on 'The Making of Om Shanti Om', it's hard not to exclaim 'wow'! Yes, you do expect ton loads of content and some exclusive behind the scene information to be unveiled in this Mushtaq Sheikh book but all of that is expected once you start turning over the pages.

Before that it's the book's cover (yes, this time around the saying of 'never judge a book by it's cover' is proved untrue), styling and overall packaging that makes you plan for three spare hours and find an isolated corner pronto to enjoy an uninterrupted, undisturbed and concentrated reading of this book which turns out to be as entertaining and as blockbuster material as the Farah Khan film has been in itself!

Farah Khan has made an interesting statement - "I think the only crime in movie making is to bore your audience". Well, Mushtaq Sheikh follows the same theory for his book too and the results are there for all to see.

Rating: ****1/2

Some of the interesting facts that are brought to fore in the book:

Farah wanting more boobs on frame by junior artists and not being obliged

Detailing of the most loved Filmfare awards sequence

Farah Khan's cheeky comment - "I guess he didn't want a hit film to his credit" - after
Dev Anand refused to be a part of 'Deewangee'

All 31 stars greeted with 'Oh, you are looking fabulous' cry with none being aware about the prank being played on them

One tight slap by Farah Khan on a couple of crew members.

Goofs around 200 people being dressed in a 70s look when the scene required contemporary setting

Trick behind making the studio sets look burnt when in actuality they were not

The story behind 'Ek Chutki Bhar Sindoor'

Vivek Oberoi turning down role that went to Arjun Rampal

and last but the not the least

The Legend of The Condom Man!

Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM

India's truly International director, Shekhar Kapoor is presently in India and this time right after his latest, 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age'. Just to recall, Shekhar Kapoor made some memorable movies in Bollywood too. The list includes - 'Masoom', 'Mr. India', 'Bandit Queen' and his unfinished project, 'Time Machine', which he intends to revive.

The super talented director is presently in Goa, attending the IFFI (International Film Festival of India) 2007.

Interestingly, the latest movie that he has watched is Farah Khan's 'Om Shanti Om' and Shekhar thoroughly enjoyed the film. He told the media, "I laughed throughout the movie because the makers' laughed at the industry and also at themselves!"

Shekhar Kapoor also disclosed that he would definately like to work with Shah Rukh Khan and that they have been interacting regularly. The 'Elizabeth' director added that if and when they home in on a suitable subject, they intend to work together.

Abid, PlanetBollywood

...says,Walter Semkiw, an occupational medicine physician practising in San Francisco , in his book 'Born Again'

Real-life 'Om Shanti Om' for Shah Rukh?

For some dreams, one lifetime is not enough. So says Shah Rukh Khan in the movie, Om Shanti Om, in which he dies as a struggling junior artiste but reincarnates as a successful Bollywood superstar. In real life too, it may be a similar story, if an American doctor, who specialises in reincarnation research is to be believed.

Walter Semkiw, an occupational medicine physician practising in San Francisco, believes that Shah Rukh Khan is the reincarnation of a dancer and actress called Sadhona Bose - who starred in a few films of the 1930s and ’40s. Bose’s most successful film was Raj Nartaki, released in 1941. But after that, her career flagged and she was eventually reduced to begging.

Sounds bizarre? There’s more. Semkiw’s book, ‘Born Again’ features reincarnation case studies of a number of international celebrities, including numerous Indian personalities, ranging from Amitabh Bachchan to Jawaharlal Nehru. For instance, according to Semkiw, Bachchan is the reincarnation of American actor Edwin Booth, who was considered one of the finest Shakespearean actors of Victorian times, while Bahadurshah Zafar, the last Mughal king, was reincarnated as Jawaharlal Nehru.

Semkiw’s book, which was released last year, has evinced considerable interest, with even Shah Rukh reportedly saying that while his religion did not permit him to believe in a past or future life, he still wanted to see Sadhona Bose’s pictures.

But how did Semkiw come to his conclusions about the past lives of so many people? He says that it was through a combination of psychic sessions as well as a lot of background research. “It all started when I consulted Kevin Ryerson, a famous trance medium. I found that Kevin was able to channel an Egyptian spirit guide named Athun Re, who, I realised over the course of multiple sessions, had the ability to make accurate past life identifications. However, since my background is in science, I needed evidence to be convinced that whatever matches were being told to me were 100% correct,” he says.

One does wonder, however, if the good doctor, though well-intentioned, might have been led on by say, the medium that he was consulting? “Such skepticism is understandable,” says Semkiw, “since I also started out as a hard-core skeptic. But during the course of the sessions, the matches involved individuals in history that were so obscure and so hard to get information on, that there was no way that the spirit guide or the medium, for that matter, could have made the matches without accessing some spiritual source,” he says.

What finally convinced him, says Semkiw was when the name he received as an answer was researched and facial features, personality traits, talents etc matched, there were invariably striking similarities. Amitabh Bachchan, for example, says Semkiw, not only shares a love for acting with his supposed past life persona of Edwin Booth, but also has similar personality traits, which have been passed on from one lifetime to another.

Incidentally, Edwin Booth was the brother of John Wilkins Booth, who is infamous in history as the man who shot Lincoln, although Edwin himself, was determinedly apolitical, saying that politics simply did not suit him - a feeling Bachchan might sympathise with.

Not just that, Edwin Booth’s family has also been reincarnated as people who are close to Bachchan in this lifetime, claims Semkiw. Jaya Bachchan, for instance, has been identified as Mary Mc Vickers, Edwin Booth’s second wife, while Rekha is believed to be Edwin Booth’s first wife, Mary Devlin.

In researching cases, says Semkiw, he found many instances where ambitions that were not fulfilled in a previous lifetime were being completed in the next. “The best example is that of Hollywood actress Halle Berry, who has been identified as the reincarnation of 1950s actress Dorothy Dandridge,” he says.

Besides having a strong facial resemblance, the two had other similarities too. Both were born to black parents in Ohio - Dorothy died in 1965, while Berry was born in 1968. Berry, in fact, also went on to make a movie on Dorothy. During the course of the movie, she became best friends with Geri Branton, who was also Dorothy’s close friend and who claimed that she was taken aback when she first saw Berry, “because she was so much like Dorothy.”

One of Dorothy’s dearest wishes was to win an Oscar, which she never did, because a certain amount of prejudice existed against blacks in Hollywood at that time. However, years later, in 2002, Halle Berry became the first black woman to win an Oscar. “Finally, as Halle Berry in this lifetime, Dorothy Dandridge fulfilled her goal,” says Semkiw.

Having researched these cases, what does he now feel reincarnation is all about? “I believe that the knowledge of reincarnation is necessary for all of us,” says Semkiw. “Knowing that we will reincarnate will help people realise that they can be Christian in one lifetime or Muslim in another. Once that happens, then hatred and warfare will cease to exist and we can come to understand that from lifetime to lifetime, our purpose is mainly to experience various life situations that keep on evolving our souls.”

Rationalists will, no doubt, scoff. But believers will probably take comfort from Semkiw’s contention that an unfulfilled life needn’t be a tragic waste.

As the line goes, picture abhi baaki hai.

Atul Sethi, TimesOfIndia

Marketing as a tool is considered to be successful if it is able to highlight the unconventional and make it the selling point and the USP and this is the basic edifice on which marketing is governed. Were one to analyze and undertake the comparisons between SAAWARIYA and OM SHANTI OM from this perspective, OSO has emerged as a perfect success as a marketing tool, and it would indeed be studied from this perspective in the near future.

This is clearly evident from the fact that Shahrukh Khan still continues to promote OSO on whatever occasions he can grace, as he has been doing through various cricket matches around the countryside and different parts of the world where India has been playing. It is altogether a different matter that the same has unnecessarily raised an unsavory controversy.

The song in which all the film stars till date could congregate has been brought together and has been positioned as the USP of the film from the day on which the promos of OSO were launched. The saviness of Shahrukh in marketing the product aka OSO was evident from the smart comment that he made while giving an interview to after the final one day match between India and Pakistan at Jaipur. With a mischievous glint in his eyes Shahrukh told Rameej Raja that when people are bored of watching a test match should come over to a cinema hall to watch OSO. For SAAWARIYA the marketing effort of this variety was not made in the same magnitude as it was done by OSO though it has been reported that more than Rs.50 crores had been earmarked for promotion of SAAWARIYA.

Now contrast this with SAAWARIYA. While Salman Khan was an integral part of the film he was never marketed in the manner in which he should have been. After the first round of publicity when it became evident that the film needs some further prop this tool could have been highlighted. Salman after all he has his captive audience.

Second aspect of the film that could have been highlighted is the fact that it is a love story between a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl. The films made on these themes are very few, and if a director has taken this courage to do it, this fact should have been highlighted. This is owing to the fact that the past films of this variety, BOMBAY, DIL SE and GADAR were a resounding success, and in the second line of marketing effort this could have been thought of as the strategy to reposition the film.

SAAWARIYA is a work of art, where something different has been attempted in terms of the choice of colours and the contours and this needs to have been brought out in a detailed motif. This could be the first film where blue colour has been chosen as the motif in the background, and to make the audience accept the same this is also an aspect that could have been used to position the film.

Marketing after all is the ability to make the product stand out in the crowd and have a distinct entity in the clutter, and to do so unconventional is what has to be highlighted. The mediums of multitude available as option need to be tapped, and occasions need to be capitalized on to sell the product. After all it is marketing that goes on to decide the destiny of the product.

Enkayaar, Bollywood Trade News Network

Port of Spain, Nov 23 - 'Om Shanti Om' is pulling in the crowds in this Caribbean nation, with not just Indo-Trinidadians but also others thronging the theatres to see the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer.

People here are saying it is one of the most creative movies to come out of Bollywood in recent times. Long lines have been continuing at the premier MovieTowne theatre in the capital since it opened here a week ago.

The movie, directed by Farah Khan, is being shown at several other cinema halls throughout the country.

Indo-Trinidadians as well as people of other ethnic origins are queuing up for the film. They seem thrilled with the dances, music and the entire plot.

IANS

LONDON: Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's latest movie 'Om Shanti Om' has become a hit in Britain with the movie making its entry into UK's Top 10 films, with a revenue collection of $2,001,834 so far.

'Om Shanti Om' is being shown across 1,400 plus screens globally. It saw first week gross collections of $13.5 million in India and $2 million in North America.

According to reports, 'Om Shanti Om', released with a World Premiere here on November 9, 2007, has so far grossed over $19 million from India and overseas in the first week.

According to the latest revenue figures in the UK, American Gangster is heading the list with a gross to date $5,280,819 followed by Beowulf and Ratatouille.

The film is produced by Red Chillies entertainment and directed by Farah Khan.

The Economic Times

He has learnt to forgive and forget.

And move on. Though hurt by the way he was portrayed “and hit below the belt,” in the film Om Shanti Om by Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, veteran actor Manoj Kumar prefers to “see Ram in everyone and ignore the Ravana.”

What also helped matters were the phone calls made by SRK and Farah to Kumar. “Shah Rukh did call me up and said he’d come over and apologise. Even if he couldn’t make it, it’s okay, after all, this is not the Kashmir problem.”

Farah also spoke to him saying she’d like to touch his feet and apologise for this portrayal. “But I told her categorically that in our tradition, daughters don’t touch their father’s feet. Since her father was a good friend of mine, she’s like my daughter too,” he asserts.

The actor does confess to holding a press conference -- his first in his 50 years in the film industry. “I saw activists holding a protest outside Shah Rukh’s house and appealed to the people not to indulge in any sort of violence. I don’t want any public property like cinema halls to be destroyed. Money should not be wasted, I believe in peace and matters should be resolved amicably,” he adds.

Purnima Sharma, TNN

How was it facing the camera for the first time?

Farah (Khan) made me shoot my first few scenes without dialogues. She knew I was pretty nervous. Gradually, she added dialogues and the first line I spoke was, kutte, kameene! Bhagwan ke liye mujhe chhod de!

How was it working with Shah Rukh in Om Shanti Om (OSO)?

He is very non-starry and down-to-earth and makes you feel comfortable on the sets. If I had any tough scenes, he would practise my lines with me. He would then stay till I finished the shot and leave only after it was okayed.

And how is Farah as a director?

Farah is honest about her work. She’s demanding but also gives you space to do what you want.

Was your voice dubbed in OSO?

No. OSO was shot in sync sound.

There are rumours suggesting that you are dating Ranbir (Kapoor)?

That’s not true. We’re just friends. The media has concocted this story.

What do you have to say about the Ranbir and Sonam pairing?

They’ve worked hard on their movie and I wish them all the best.

Is it true you’ve received loads of offers after OSO?

Yes. Talks are on for some projects. But I’ll talk about it only when I’ve finalised them.

A journalist-scriptwriter, Mushtaq Sheikh has the distinction of having written three books on Shah Rukh and/or his projects - 'The Making of Asoka', 'Devdas - The Indian Hamlet' and his most recent 'SRK - Still Reading Khan'. He has now written a book on the making of the film titled "The Making of Om Shanti Om." Also, if sources are to be believed, the book would be arriving in foreign languages as well. On the eve of the book's release, Joginder Tuteja catches up with Mushtaq Sheikh who talks about the idea behind the film, certain interesting episodes in the book, exclusive photos of Shahrukh and a lot more.

When and how did the idea for writing this book originate?
When I was writing the film with Farah the idea came to me. I discussed this with Farah and Shah Rukh and both gave me the go ahead signal. I decided to write the making. The fact that I was working closely on the film gave me the push start to take up the idea. I was going to the have the all access card for the film, so I thought I would multi task and write a book too. Anyway writing a book on a film is always challenging and for a film like Om Shanti Om it becomes even more daunting. The whole process of shaping, a movie being made - into words sets my adrenaline racing. And the way the book has shaped up, I think we have hit the bull's eye.

How did you go about preparing for it?
When you write a book on a making of a movie, all you have to do is to keep all your senses alert and sharp. Eye for detail, eye for the not so detailed - all should be finely attuned. All this simply because one has to get the reader there - Right where the movie is being made. I always feel that for writing a book about movies one should love the art form. One should breathe, sleep and burp movies; I am one such creature. Movies are my G spot.

What could possibly be the most interesting episodes in this book?
The most interesting part of the book certainly will be the chapter 'Borne Again' - a chapter on re-incarnation. Its an interesting chapter where I am touching on reel and real understanding of re-incarnation. The chapter has thrown some interesting insights of the stars and the technicians...and for further details you will have to read the book itself.

After already done three books with SRK like 'The Making of Asoka', 'Devdas - The Indian Hamlet' and 'SRK - Still Reading Khan', how much scope remains in this new book to touch upon his off-screen persona?
After my books on SRK, there is no scope for anyone to write anything about SRK for that matter. Three books quite cover everything I hope. Jokes apart this book is about the movie Om Shanti Om. Its about Om the character, not Shah Rukh Khan. If you want off screen stuff about SRK, pick up 'Still Reading Khan'.

SRK fans would surely be lapping up on this book. What do you have to give to those who are not (of course a far lesser number)?
If you are not a SRK fan, then you must have seen at least one Hindi film. And by any luck if you have seen even one Hindi film then you should pick the book up. Because as I said earlier this book is a celebration of the movies. Just like Om Shanti Om is. A movie that celebrates movies and movie people. And to make things even spicier there is re-incarnation. What more could one ask for? And if nothing else works for you, there is SRK with yummier ab photos exclusively done for the book.

Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM

...who had threatened not to watch cricket matches after being accused of using the sport as a platform to promote his films, the BCCI today said the actor was "most welcome" to the stadiums.

"He (Shahrukh) can come to watch matches. He is most welcome. We have no objection to him being present at the cricket stadiums," BCCI Vice President Lalit Modi told reporters here today.


"If (former Pakistan captain-turned-commentator) Rameez Raja asked him a question about his movie what could Shahrukh do? He had to answer," Modi added.


Modi was reacting after Khan yesterday hit back at BCCI Chief Administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty's comments that cricket matches were being used by stars to promote films after the actor was seen talking to cricketers during Jaipur ODI.


Khan said he was sad and disappointed over the remarks by Shetty and "may be won't go to watch cricket matches in future if it has not gone well with the BCCI".


"It will be strange if film actors do not talk about films," he said. (Agencies)

ChennaiOnline.com

Shame on BCCI (Board of Cricket Control for India) for its reaction to SRK watching recent matches.

In chess, the king and the pawn go into the same box after the game. But in cricket, King Khan and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wouldn’t even watch a match sitting in the same box.

Why else should the Bollywood superstar find himself at the centre of a controversy after a senior board official reportedly accused him of attending matches merely to “promote” his films? Media reports speak of the BCCI’s Ratnakar Shetty taking offence to Mr Khan’s latest film Om Shanti Om being discussed during a chat with TV commentator Rameez Raja at the Jaipur ODI between India and Pakistan. Surely, Mr Khan couldn’t have been expected to refuse to answer questions just because it happened to be a ‘much bigger platform’ than a private TV station?

Starting with the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa early this year, Mr Khan has been a regular at several cricket matches involving Team India. He even celebrated on field with the men in blue after India’s famous victory against Australia. So much so that many commentators consider him India’s lucky mascot, as the team invariably wins every time he cheers it on. So it’s very unfortunate that the BCCI should have involved him in this needless flap.

The richest cricket board on the planet obviously takes itself too seriously, the way it is so finicky about who watches matches. There is no other plausible reason for such exaggerated jitters about someone — who also happens to be a celebrity — with a ticket sitting in the stands.

In any case, if the board is so allergic to famous personalities sitting in the gallery, why does it look the other way when infamous ones like, say, the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, watch India-Pakistan matches abroad?

HindustanTimes.com

After the record breaking opening of Om Shanti Om (OSO) , more than basking in success of his movie, Shah Rukh Khan is tied up clearing controversies.

While it all began with veteran actor Manoj Kumar threatening to file a defamation against the actor/producer of the film for showing him in a bad light in his movie, it has ended with Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer, BCCI, commenting that SRK is using cricket to promote his movie.

This post the incident when SRK was spotted making an appearance in Jaipur on November 18 for the fifth one-day between India and Pakistan with son Aryan and co-star of OSO Deepika Padukone.

While he’s busy clearing this news, we wonder if SRK really needs such platforms to promote his movie? So, how far is it correct to use cricket as a medium for it. Here’s what celebs have to say…

It’s other way round:

Director Sajid Khan trashes the BCCI comment right away. “Oh! c’mn Shah Rukh is too big a star to use a game like cricket as a platform to promote his movie.

Om Shanti Om has already made history by getting such a huge opening at the box-office. It is stupid of BCCI to even say something like this. I feel it’s the other way round. The BCCI is using Shah Rukh to promote cricket as they invite him in all the matches that India play,” states Sajid.

Routine thing:

But actor and cricket show host Mandira Bedi insists that King Khan is going to these matches to promote his movie only.

“This is not the first occasion that a film is being promoted using cricket as a platform. There have been several other instances when filmstars have gone to watch cricket matches and have used the occasion to promote their films as well. I feel Shah Rukh has a lot of contacts and he is using them to the fullest to promote his movie,” avers Mandira.

Controversy’s promotion:

Promotion or no promotion, actor Govinda seems to be okay with both. “The producer of a film is concerned about making money and has all the rights to promote his movie the way he wants it. As far as Shah Rukh is concerned, being a big star that he is, he doesn’t actually need other platforms for film promotion. But then he is also the producer of the movie, it becomes his responsibility to promote the movie well. And well, controversies are also a part of promotion. So, I think Shah Rukh need not bother about them as they would only help him in further promotion of his movie.”

No Qualms:

The Secretary of BCCI, Niranjan Shah says, “I don’t know in what context did Ratnakar Shetty make a comment on stars using cricket as a platform to promote their films. As far as the Board is concerned, we have absolutely no objections to Shah Rukh Khan or any other film personality for that matter coming to watch India play in an international match as long as they are not promoting their films.”

Source: TimesofIndia

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Evidently debutantes Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor are already learning the ropes of the game.

Deepika, at a press conference for a head massager product, passed the uncalled-for comment. When asked about the comparisons being made between Sonam and her, the Om Shanti Om actress said, “There should be no comparisons as I am not from Bollywood and have achieved everything on my own. Also, our movie genres are different.”

Deepika’s comment pointed towards the fact that she has made it bigger than Sonam despite not coming from a filmi background. In a subtle way, she even hinted that Sonam is in Bollywood because she Anil Kapoor’s daughter.

The bone of contention between the two actors seems to be the upcoming hero Ranbir Kapoor. Ranbir has been linked to both the girls. Also, their debut films ( Om Shanti Om, Saawariya ) hit the theatres on the same day.

When contacted, Sonam refused to give full vent to her feelings. She began by saying, “It’s okay. This doesn’t rattle me. Everybody has their own destiny.”

It happened on the Bombay Times’ anniversary party night, a meeting between the rising star and superstar of Bollywood.

The cool dudes of Om Shanti Om and Saawariya didn’t shed their shirts or drop their towels, but they certainly lowered their guards as they met up for the first time in public. But that’s what the annual BT party does, it creates candid moments like this one between Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor at a time when there’s supposedly a strong rivalry between their films at the box office.

For the record, Shah Rukh endearingly went up to Ranbir, embraced him and exchanged pleasantaries even as the cameras went flash-flash-flash. Later, the Bollywood Badshah was to smilingly say of his debutant competitor, “I heard he’s charmed the ladies a lot through his first film. He is a very polite and charming guy. God bless him.”

And Ranbir replied, “There’s always this warmth when I meet Shah Rukh. He’s always been very supportive and guiding. He is so senior, I have such a long way to go and much to learn from him.

Image Courtesy: BCCL

Afsana Ahmed, TNN

...after a senior Cricket Board official alluded that cricket matches were being used by stars to promote films but the superstar hit back saying he does not have to depend on other's platforms to push his films.

Khan said he was sad and disappointed over the remarks by Ratnakar Shetty that use of the platform of cricket for promoting films by stars is "slightly debatable" in the wake of his latest film Om Shanti Om coming up for discussion during a chat with TV commentator Rameez Raja at the recent Jaipur ODI cricket match between India and Pakistan.

Shetty however said film stars were welcome to watch cricket matches. BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla said the Cricket Board has no objection to Khan or any other film personality coming to watch international cricket matches involving the national side.

A visibly hurt Khan said in Mumbai that "God has given me enough and I don't crave publicity."

"I went to watch the match for the love of sport, It is not in my nature to promote my films in others' platforms," he said.

"I don't think it can be so strange that just because I am popular, I can't take my children to watch a spectator sport without creating some kind of ill will or ill thought in the mind of people. I am very disappointed," Khan said.

Khan wryly said, "Maybe I will just send the children next time and tell them not to say they are my children."

Khan said he is not going to watch cricket matches in future if it has not gone well with the BCCI.

Khan said he had gone to watch the Jaipur watch for the love of the sport.

"My kids are fans of Sachin, Dhoni and Sourav," he added.

"God has given me enough. I don't crave publicity," Khan said.

Khan said his latest film came up during the Jaipur match proceedings when Rameez Raja said he and his family would like watch it.

So, it will be strange if film actors do not talk about films, he added.

Rajiv Shukla's statement comes in the wake of a media report, which quoted a BCCI source saying the board officials are unhappy with King Khan as he is using cricket to promote his movies knowing that this is a "much bigger platform" than a private television station.

"The BCCI has no objection if any film star watches any of the matches involving the national team," Shukla said.

"We do not think the players get distracted by the film stars or any other spectator," he said.

Off-late Shah Rukh has been appearing in matches involving the Indian team. He was there to cheer the team in the final of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa and then again went to see the Twenty20 match against Australia in Mumbai, where Deepika Padukone --his co-star in his recent movie Om Shanti Om was also present. He was present in the last ODI against Pakistan in Jaipur as well and talked about his new movie in the commentary box.

He wanted to see the Kanpur ODI as well, but the local authorities vetoed the move saying it would be difficult for them to arrange for security and control the crowd.

The IndianExpress

The OSO book launch had more to it than juicy sound bytes

It's been ten days since the film released but the hype just doesn't seem to settle down. Last evening Shah Rukh Khan and his entire OSO team launched a book on the making of Om Shanti Om. And contrary to tabloid reports no one from the Saawariya camp was spotted or for that matter even missed.

Though such books are normally written as retrospectives decades after a film achieves cult status, SRK doesn't believe in wasting time. No one missed an opportunity to assert the fact that OSO had broken all records in the shortest time span possible. Poor Tom Cruise was the butt of all jokes as his film lost out to OSO's initial box office draw. In fact Sajid Khan-who was the emcee of the show, introduced SRK as 'officially the world’s biggest superstar'.

The event was held at the Sahara Star Hotel (perhaps another sign of SRK's growing association with Subarato Roy’s group) in Mumbai. It started off on a low key with early birds Vivek Vaswaney, Sanjay Gadhvi, Anju Mahendroo and a host of OSO technicians- most of whom you saw in the closing credits of the film. Things picked up with Karan Johar's arrival. Soon Subhash Ghai, Manish Malhotra, Madhur Bhandarkar, Suneil Shetty, Dino Morea and Riteish Deshmukh also walked in. Almost all the women had some secret to whisper in Johar's ears. Whereas Manish was engaged in some serious conversation about fashion with Suneel Darshan.

Among the women Ameesha Patel, was togged up in a short, revealing sky blue dress and she attracted all the attention. Sporting a new haircut, she went up individually to greet all the big daddies and in the bargain made sure those who mattered noticed her new look. Tabu sat quietly in one corner and was seen chatting mainly with KJo until Dino joined in. Arjun Rampal came in with his ravishing wife but quickly rushed backstage to join the proceedings. Meher looked rather unaffected by the spotlight on Rampal post OSO.

And then came the moment everybody was waiting for. True to his character in the film, SRK made a fashionably late entry with Farah and Deepika. The author Mushtaq Sheikh was showered with praises from the entire unit and even his acting skills (he has a cameo in the drunken scene) were complimented. While SRK's anti-BCCI statement obviously made headlines, behaving like a senior he refused to take all the credit for the success of the film.

But he did say that post OSO he truly felt 'like the king of the world'. SRK tried his best to keep every media guy happy giving bytes even as he was walking out. Modesty be damned, Farah said she knew the film would be an event so most of the book was written on the sets like a diary. She said just like the film the book was for the masses and she wouldn't like to call it a coffee table book. But there were more juicy bits to the evening.

Speaking of coffee here's an interesting bit: Now we all know that KJo is a marketing genius and loves to promote himself. So when a diamond merchant wanted him to do a Koffee With Karan at one of his private bashes, Johar didn't mind and passed on his agent's contacts. Apparently Johar does his rapid fire act at many a high profile event for big bucks. In fact he is as big a star as his fav actor. Just look at the number of people chasing him for photos and autographs and you will know about Karan's fan following.

Sajid made sure his pregnant sister was well taken care of watching every step of hers. But Gauri Khan made the most stylish entry of them all. Looking every bit the first lady of Bollywood, she sat with her select friends while the rest came up to meet her. She mainly stuck around with Mana Shetty, Neelam, Bhavna Pandey, Shabina Khan, Kajal Anand and Maheep Kapoor. In fact the only person Gauri walked up to meet was Subrato Roy thanking him for all his support. Ditto SRK who walked back from the exit to say a quick hello to the Sahara man. King Khan seems to be walking over Bachchan's exclusive domain rather quickly.

Also spotted were TV guys Hiten, Gauri and Ronit Roy who looked bored and quite frankly slightly out of place. In the end it was another feather in OSO's already crowded cap of successful promotions. Wonder if they will ever stop? But one producer summed it up well. Overheard him saying, "OSO has raised the bar for hype in Bollywood. While this has been a boon for its collections, all other films look small. Now nothing is good enough for the people".

Anand Vaishnav | Buzz18

The film opened to rave reviews and advance bookings on the 9th November and has since grossed over US$19mn worldwide in its first week making it the most successful opening in Indian cinema history.

Eros International, the leading integrated company within the Indian media & entertainment sector announces an unprecedented opening of Shah Rukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om, produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and directed by Farah Khan. The film opened to rave reviews and advance bookings on the 9th November and has since grossed over US$19mn worldwide in its first week making it the most successful opening in Indian cinema history.

Om Shanti Om released across 1,400 plus screens globally, and for the first time saw screenings as early as 7.45 a.m. in certain multiplexes in India, making it one of the most anticipated films in recent times. Om Shanti Om’s staggering first week gross collections of US$13.5mn in India make it the best ever opening there.

The figures overseas are no less remarkable with the film grossing $1.5mn at the UK box office and over $2mn in North America in its first week. With as many as 14-16 shows planned daily in its second week at some multiplexes, Eros International is looking forward to an excellent run of King Khan’s film offering.

Kishore Lulla, Chairman and CEO, Eros International Plc said: “We are ecstatic with the audience as well as critics’ reactions to Om Shanti Om. It was one of the most awaited films of the year and we are excited that the magic combination of Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan has proved to be a huge success once again. The superb run of the film in the first week has super ceded all expectations and we are confident of the film’s performance in the weeks to come.”

“We were expecting a commercial success but this kind of response has been overwhelming. It’s great that audiences as well as critics have appreciated the film. We had a lot of fun making this film and I am thrilled that audiences are having fun watching it too”, Farah Khan added.

With the film opening in cinemas in India to a fantastic 95-100% capacity audiences and maintaining a steady 80-90% from Monday, Om Shanti Om promises to be the biggest film of SRK’s career.

Om Shanti Om stars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack has been composed by the musical duo, Vishal Shekhar with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. Cinematography for the movie is by V. Manikandan whilst editing is handled by Shirish Kunder.

Om Shanti Om is a story of love, dreams, betrayal and destiny revolving around a film actor ‘Om’ (Shah Rukh Khan) and his love interest ‘Shanti’ (Deepika Padukone). Om was a junior artist and Shanti a superstar in the 1970’s. He was her biggest fan. She was his biggest inspiration.

The film has over 30 of Bollywood's hottest stars including Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Kajol, Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan and many more putting in a guest appearance. Eros has previously distributed Main Hoon Na as well as Paheli, which are both Red Chillies Productions.

With Om Shanti Om, Eros International continues its successful line up of global releases including hits like Omkara, Salaam-E-Ishq, Eklavya, Provoked, Namastey London, Cheeni Kum, Partner, Gandhi My Father, Heyy Babyy etc.

IndianInfoline.com

OM SHANTI OM is pacing towards an all time blockbuster status and celebrations haven't stopped ever since. Meanwhile Sanjay Leela Bhansali is going all out to salvage his film, even as it means taking a dig on the competing film.

One such remark around the expense on costumes in OM SHANTI OM hasn't been taken kindly by the people associated with the film. Bhansali has been quoted as saying, "I didn't spend money on costumes for 40 stars." While Farah Khan comes with a firm 'no comments' on the remark, another high profile crew member refuses to take it lying down. He says with tongue in cheek humor, "Yes, we did spend money on the costumes because 40 stars in OSO couldn't be wrapped in one towel!"

In a recent interview, Bhansali has also questioned if SAAWARIYA and OM SHANTI OM battle as a comparison between a tennis match and 100 meter race. Says the source, "Well, with all due respect to Mr. Bhansali, he must have seen by now that our 100 metre dash has been in the running for much longer duration than his so-called tennis match. The collections are out there to prove so and the second week has also continued with a similar steam."

The crew member also questions the reasoning behind Bhansali's grudge around SAAWARIYA seemingly loosing out due to 'people listening to premeditated opinions and developing a preconditioned mindset without seeing the film'.

"If that's indeed the case, why is he making judgments around OM SHANTI OM without seeing the film himself? On one hand he claims that he hasn't seen the film and doesn't want to! On the other hand he has so many things to say about our film. He seems to know everything about what the film is all about, what the actors have done in the film, what kind of money has gone into costumes and what does audience feel to say about the film. Strange, isn't it?"

Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network

IT’S OVER more than a week now since the year’s most awaited films were screened all over the world. While Om Shanti Om (OSO) rocked the box office with record sales, Saawariya failed to induce people to make it a blockbuster. One can easily say after watching both the movies that Om Shanti Om is better than the latter but in reality both the movies can’t be compared. Is there a comparison between the two?

If the youth in Lucknow can give an overview on the popularity of the two films, they find Om Shanti Om a typical movie masala released in total Bollywood ishtyle, while Saawariya, according to them is just more than a love story and the only credit Sanjay Leela Bhansali should get is that he introduced two promising newcomers. He is no doubt a director whose legacy of successful films continues.

The two films were released last week in 50 shows together in the four multiplexes and cinema halls in Lucknow last week.

“To me OSO is a better entertainer”, said Prashant while coming out of Waves multiplex. Similar was the view of Neha and interestingly the duo had seen both the movies one after another show at the multiplex.

Tavishi had more liking for the love story in Saawariya but she felt when it comes to entertainment, Om Shanti Om has an edge.

Among youth, there is hardly anyone who has missed the two films during the week but most of them give OSO a better rating as far as entertainment is concerned. Yes, at the box office it is OSO that is singing the happy tunes. Saawariya on the other hand is never meant to be a blockbuster the way it has been portrayed. Well, even Black wasn’t a box office hit but still won accolades. For sure, one thing is concrete that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has lost the path in this flick although the film deals beautifully with the emotion of a woman and has many other highlighting features.

OSO on the other side brings back the 70’s era in a brilliant way (Except for recent controversy on the portrayal of Bharat Manoj Kumar) with great performances with SRK in the lead. Besides that the foot tapping music and spell bounding choreography has scored over Saawariya. While OSO fails highly in its script with no story and having an absurd end having no real meaning, after being inspired from Karz, one always thought OSO not to surpass the legendary movie by the showman - Subhash Ghai.

Yes, one does believe that a director of Bhansali’s calibre was expected to deliver a much better movie than Saawariya but one can’t totally sing praises of OSO either, except for it being a box office hit. But the reason why OSO still runs high is because of it’s timing of release, the movie releasing at a festive time had an audience who expected to enjoy at such a time while Saawariya even though a mediocre movie failed miserably because of its timing.

With Chak De being the only distinguishing movie so far of 2007, one strongly believes that the hype created by both the movies prior to their release has failed but still for the namesake we can give OSO a higher rating than Saawariya because of its high collections.

Still we are in search of a movie quite ‘hatke’ (different) from the regular movie masala so that we can the dream to win an Oscar can come true.

Deepanshu Mohan, MeriNews.com

By now, its general knowledge that Manoj Kumar was tad upset with SRK and Farah Khan for having portrayed him in a bad light in OSO. Hence, SRK, the darling that he always is, went personally to apologize to Mr. Bharat himself! And as per media reports, the two legends met over a cuppa’ coffee and Manoj, the ever-forgiving man that he always is, forgave SRK and said that he has now taken the film in the right spirit!

"I feel every day with Shah Rukh is a discovery," says the screenplay writer of Om Shanti Om, Mushtaq Shiekh whose book ‘Making of Om Shanti Om’ will be launched amidst grand fanfare in Mumbai today.

Having known SRK for the last 12 years as a journalist, friend, biographer (his book ‘Still Reading Khan’ is a detailed account of Khan’s personality and life) and now as a close associate, Shiekh feels, "if Shah Rukh trusts, then he trusts completely." Shiekh has earlier written ‘Asoka the Book’ and ‘Devdas-The Indian Hamlet’ besides penning several top telly soaps.

Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om is busy tickling a sense of déjà vu amongst audiences worldwide. This ode to seventies embellished with colors of life and rocking superstar six pack abs has had a pied piper effect. How have you tried to chronicle such a film as this? "Those who’ve liked OSO will like the book. There are lots of glamorous photographs taken by a German photographer Jochen Mang. There are a lot of on location shots, candid shots. It’s a very in your face book. There’s a circus happening, Bollywood ishtyle. It’s a handy book. It is not as heavy as ‘Still Reading Khan’. You can take it to bed," says Shiekh.

They who may be unaware, Mushtaq played a cameo in OSO as the street urchin who gives ‘Om Makhija’ (name of SRK’s character in OSO) a piece of his mind. Also you couldn’t have missed him dancing-n-sauntering his way into the camera as the end credits rolled in. “I’ve got an unbelievable response for my cameo. Rekhaji said I was sensational. After this I can retire as an actor,” Mushtaq chuckles. What according to you is the reason for the tremendous success of Om Shanti Om? “I think it’s the magic of unadulterated entertainment. If it puts pudding on your face, it says so. It has an unapologetic outlook. Full blown entertainment never fails.”

The audience response was expected, but were you guys anticipating fantastic reviews from cinema critics? “I have always said why make a critic to be an alien. OSO just proves how cinematic brilliance can be appreciated both by the audience as well as the critics,” Shiekh signs off.

‘The Making of Om Shanti Om’ has been published by Om Books International and is priced at Rs 695/- It will be formally launched at a gala event with the OSO team celebrating in style. It goes without saying that the who’s who of Bollywood would be present at Badshah’s Bash. Do check out the exclusive video and images from this happening event tomorrow on IndiaFM.

IndiaFM

Farah Khan's OM SHANTI OM continues its record-breaking overseas run, even during the second weekend.

After resetting the first weekend Bollywood record in the US, the film moves on to an astonishing $2,892,773 in just ten days and is now certain to dethrone the top grosser KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA's (2006) $3,275,444. Interesting to note that both the movies have one thing in common, Shah Rukh Khan.

Moving on to UK, OM SHANTI OM is now the top UK grosser of 2007, with $1,997,013. It has moved past the previous record holder, NAMASTEY LONDON's $1,730,000 (approx).

The movie that released with OM SHANTI OM, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ranbir, Sonam, Salman (special appearance) and Rani starrer SAAWARIYA is now way behind, mainly due to a heavy fall in collections. SAAWARIYA has so far grossed $805,054 in the US and $554,271 in the UK.

Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network

After the success of Om Shanti Om, the film’s cast and crew will be present to launch a book, The making of Om Shanti Om tonight.

The book launch will be followed by a party to celebrate the film’s success. Interestingly, Farah Khan has also invited the entire cast and crew of Saawariya. Given the fact that Saawariya clashed with OSO at the box office, it remains to be seen if Team Saawariya will attend the event.

Mushtaq Sheikh, the co-writer of OSO and also the book says, “I have called all my friends. I want them all to be a part of my celebrations.”

Team Saawariya
When asked that there are reports that he has also called the entire Saawariya team, he refused to confirm the news.

However, a source says, “They have surely invited the Saawariya team. Despite rumours that things are not so well between SRK and Bhansali, the actor has always mentioned that Bhansali has given him one of his biggest hits, Devdas. However, it will be interesting to see if Bhansali comes to the event.”

MumbaiMirror.com

After veteran actor Manoj Kumar threatened to sue filmmaker Farah Khan and actor Shah Rukh Khan for aping him in their newest film, Om Shanti Om, SRK has come forward with an apology.

Denying that there was a “conspiracy to humilitate and ridicule Manoj Kumar”, Shah Rukh Khan said, “I don’t want to hurt anyone. I dont think this film should be taken seriously, it’s a comedy.”

He also said that since Manoj Kumar had not said anything to him in person, he would not take it otherwise.

“Elderly people get jolted. Our fathers and grandfathers do that. I have a lot of respect for Manoj Kumar and I admit we should have been more careful,” Shah Rukh added.

In a lighter vein he said, “I have been copying actors for the past 15 years. I never took anyone’s permission. I think I should have called him to take his permission.”

He also said that they have been getting a lot of messages from actors appreciating their work in the film and calling it a tribute to Indian cinema.

Looks like Shah Rukh Khan wasn't happy with the Mercedes Benz he gifted Farah. So the superstar, who was in London to promote Om Shanti Om has now gone ahead and bought her a gift that might be of immediate use to his friend. Khan has bought Farah a custom-made pram, which can hold all her triplets. I am given to believe Shah Rukh took time out during his London visit and purchased this not-so-little gift and flew it down to Mumbai. So it may be a while before Farah can enjoy the luxury of her Merc, but this new four-wheeler is something that she'll surely appreciate.

Buzz18

“Shirtless sequence of one of the songs and dance i.e. “Dard-E-Disco” of “Om Shanti Om” was the original idea of Superstar Shah Rukh and not her,” Bollywood filmmaker Farah Khan said.
Farah Khan also gave credit to Shah Rukh Khan for this commendable idea, which brought such a big success to the film among other factors. She said:”The entire credit for the film’s success goes to Shah Rukh,” director Farah Khan told in an interview. “He is the film’s main attraction and the shirtless song is definitely one of the main reasons for the film’s hit. It is the scene to watch out for.”

“Om Shanti Om”, a film on the theory of reincarnation, had to fight tough against “Saawariya”. However, OSO beat the Saawariya because of its top entertainer style and SRK knows how to read the pulse of the cine-goers.

OSO has all super touches of various areas of life and being star studded appearances of top stars of yester years and that of present era added a great color to the film. SRK’s acting was superb; it may not be possible for any producer to match this sort of top film nor could possible get assemble so many top stars of the Industry.

Shah Rukh Khan, in fact, had to undergo rigorous training to develop a six-pack, which made the song ‘Dard-E-Disco’ hit and the soul of the picture.

In short, SRK was a super star before release of OSO and after its release he has become the top star of the Industry.

Shiv Sena activists on Sunday raised slogans against film actor Shahrukh Khan for insulting yesteryear's actor Manoj Kumar in his film "Om Shanti Om".

They raised slogans outside Khan's house in Bandra and demanded that the offensive sequence in the film be deleted.

Earlier, Kumar's lawyer had said the veteran actor was contemplating legal action against the makers of "Om Shanti Om", as he was angry over a sequence in the film in which he has been shown being thrashed by policemen outside a theatre.

However, later Khan, who is the co-producer of the film, apologised to the actor and movie director Farah Khan offered to delete the offending scene.

DNAindia.com

First week collections of OM SHANTI OM are out and the film has clearly left behind the DHOOM:2 first week record of 35 crores far behind. At 40 crores plus, the film now stands as the biggest Bollywood box office opener of all times.

The million dollar question now is whether the film's extraordinary run would continue for next few weeks as well, hence crossing the 85 crore target set by the YRF production?

While DHOOM:2 had opened at 35 crores, it had gone on to record very good collections in the subsequent weeks to touch the 85 crore mark as well in around 10 weeks. In fact the second week of the film had seen further 22 crores coming in while the third week also crossed 10 crores.

However, the film also benefited from the fact that a) it was a sole release and b) films like BABUL, ARYAN and KABUL EXPRESS were hardly any commercial competitors. In fact BHAGAM BHAG was the only film which boasted of good box office collection after DHOOM:2 in 2006.

On the other hand OM SHANTI OM, which has seen excellent collections in week one and promises to break week 2 record as well, doesn't really enjoy such luxuries. Barring current week and the weekend of 14th December, every subsequent week sees a major box office release. While GOAL arrives on 23rd November, AAJA NACHLE comes on 30th November, DUS KAHANIYAAN on 7th December and the trio of WELCOME, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR and HALL BOL on 21st December.

With such huge competition in hand, if OM SHANTI OM still manages to stay on in the limelight and earn more than 85 crores, it would certainly be an achievement in itself.

Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network

OM SHANTI OM
Opening [£] : 518,845 Screens: 52 Average: 9,978
Paheli
Opening [£] : 192,700 Screens: 43 Average: 4,481
Kaal [with Dharma Prod.]
Opening [£] : 101,649: Screens: 21 Average: 4,840
Main Hoon Na [with Venus]
Openeing [£] : 322,290 Screens: 41 Average: 7,861
Chalte Chalte [with UTV]
Openeing [£] : 289,883 Screens: 37 Average: 7,835
Asoka
Opening [£] : 235,461 Screens: 76 Average: 3,098
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani
Opening [£] : 98,556 Screens: 20 Average: 4,928

(Note: Figures are as per the reported centres)

Om Shanti Om - Week 1
# Mumbai - 7,19,19,944 (Incl. Thane)
# Ahmedabad - 1,89,36,855
# Himmatnagar - 10,02,160
# Baroda - 13,06,850
# Bharuch - 10,02,770
# Jamnagar - 9,57,808
# Bhavnagar - 8,88,302
# Pune - 15,59,364
# Ahmedabad - 6,67,729
# Goa - 21,28,686
# Nasik - 12,56,241
# Delhi - 3,07,33,710
# Noida - 39,20,396
# Kaushambi - 10,73,130
# Gurgaon - 50,19,717
# Ghaziabad - 8,60,197
# Aligarh - 8,67,095
# Agra - 7,50,000
# Bareilly - 5,00,347 (record)
# Faizabad - 16,59,161
# Nagpur - 28,36,246
# Raipur - 19,79,263
# Bhilai - 5,72,105 (record)
# Chandrapur - 4,49,539 (record)
# Amravati - 5,70,511 (record)
# Yavatmal - 2,32,324 (record)
# Wardha - 3,32,736 (record)
# Durg - 2,30,825 (record)
# Akola - 4,34,814 (record)
# Indore - 20,64,363
# Ujjain - 3,25,600
# Sehore - 1,68,300
# Jaipur - 24,89,963
# Kota - 8,58,333
# Ajmer - 6,55,307
# Kolkatta - 65,27,378
# Guwahati - 3,11,488
# Darjeeling - 5,35,960
# Bangalore - 22,10,289
# Chennai - 5,03,775

(Average per print: 9,12,504)
Total collections for Week 1: 17,12,99,581
Total Collections (Till Date): 17,12,99,581

Total Gross: 17,12,99,581

By: Taran Adarsh Source: IndiaFM

With Om Shanthi Om, now running to packed houses in Sri Lanka too, Bollywood super star Shahrukh Khan has cemented his position further by proving his range as an actor of repute.

Om Shanthi Om is a thorough entertainer which is drawing large crowds to theatres in all parts of the world where a staggering 2,000 prints are being screened.

OM SHANTI OM tells the story of Om [Shah Rukh Khan] and Shanti [Deepika Padukone]. Om is a junior artist in the 70s. Shanti is the reigning superstar. He is her biggest fan. He is in love with her. Om dreams of being a superstar, but an incident changes his life forever.

Om dies in a mishap, but is reborn into the present day. He attempts to discover the mystery of his demise…

The first twist in the tale comes as a bolt from the blue. The second jhatka comes slightly before the intermission, when Arjun takes Deepika to the set of his film 'Om Shanti Om' and the entire episode that follows, right till the intermission, is spellbinding. That's a brilliant stroke from the writing [screenplay: Mushtaq Shaikh and Farah Khan] as also the execution point of view. When the opulent set is set to flames, it leaves you wide-eyed and awe-struck. Such is the impact!

The post-interval portions only get better and better! If the initial portions are laced with humour, the second half moves into a new zone completely.

Director Farah Khan knows what her priorities are and most importantly, knows exactly what her target audience is. The execution of a number of sequences clearly shows Farah's growth as a storyteller. Mushtaq and Farah's writing works because the writers pull out several surprises in those 2.46 hours.

SRK proves his supremacy yet again. If you thought that playing to the gallery came easy to certain actors only, watch SRK spin magic in OM SHANTI OM. He's magnificent, the star attraction, the soul of this film, the true baadshah.

Deepika has all it takes to be a top star -- the personality, the looks and yes, she's supremely talented too. Standing in the same frame as SRK and getting it right is no small achievement. She comes as a whiff of fresh air!

Arjun Rampal is a complete revelation. Cast in a negative role this time, he enacts his part with panache and style. Shreyas Talpade is another surprise. A complete natural, he stands on his feet all through, not getting swayed while sharing the screen space with the topmost star.

On the whole, OM SHANTI OM is Bollywood masala in its truest form and also, at its best.

A special screening of ‘Om Shanthi Om’ will be held at the Majestic Theatre in Bambalapitiya at 4.30 pm for special guests and invitees.

The special show is sponsored by Shan Group of Companies.

(Edited)
Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka

The first week results of the 'Diwali' battle are out, and it is game, set and match to Farah Khan's OM SHANTI OM. During its astonishing seven day record-breaking run in India, the Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Shreyas Talpade and Arjun Rampal starrer netted over 40-crores.

OM SHANTI OM has broken many individual records, including that for Bombay. In the process, OM SHANTI OM has set a new first week record in India, surpassing the 35-crores netted by the Hrithik, Aishwarya and Abhishek starrer, the 2006 blockbuster DHOOM:2 ( in its first week).

While on the other 'Diwali' release, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ranbir, Sonam, Salman (special appearance) and Rani starrer, SAAWARIYA, the movie also performed creditably, netting around 20-crores, thanks to its good weekend run.

Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network

Thrilled with the rave reviews her performance in Om Shanti Om has won, budding actress Deepika Padukone says she prepared for the ’70s era character by watching films starring Hema Malini and Helen.

“I watched a lot of films starring Hema Malini and Helen, for instance Jewel Thief and Seeta Aur Geeta, to notice how they were made.

“In the films of that time, everything was over the top - the emotions were exaggerated though I enjoy the originality of the ’70s era films. The actors were more graceful and their body language was completely different from today’s actors,” Deepika told in an interview.

“I don’t count myself as a big star yet, there is a long way for me to go. I think my father handled success very well and it is in my genes to be humble,” the daughter of ace badminton player Prakash Padukone said.

The success of Om Shanti Om has not only made Deepika Padukone a successful actress but also a successful brand ambassador. The model turned actress was in the capital to endorse a clothing line.

Om Shanti Om’s Shanti was in the capital for the second time in the same week to endorse yet another clothing line. Deepika Padukone is riding high on the post OSO euphoria and currently is the ad world’s favourite. According to experts, the model turned actress now commands a brand valuation of over Rs 80 lakh - more than 5 times what she used to get before her debut film.

Collections of Om Shanti Om are out and the film has broken all existing box office records for the first week business across the country. With an all time high collections in the very first week, the film seems to be heading towards breaking the box office collections of Partner and Chak De India, the two biggest box office earners of 2007, in two weeks flat.

Meanwhile, with all the ‘khushi’ around the film’s success, there is also a hint of ‘ghum’ with news around Manoj Kumar being upset with so-called digs taken at him in the film. “But all seems to be fine now after Shahrukh and myself apologized to him,” says a relieved Farah Khan. “I spoke to him and did say sorry. Even Shahrukh did the same.”

In fact, before the release of the film, Farah has informed about the scene as well as usage of a duplicate to Manoj Kumar. “I also offered to even cut out the scene if he wished but he refrained us from doing so,” clarifies Farah when asked if she planned to chop off the portions now because it had supposedly offended one and only ‘Bharat Kumar’.

“I did ask him though that why didn’t he speak to me and scold me if he felt offended by the spoof. After all he is a senior in the industry,” informs Farah. “He seemed to be quite cool about the entire incident and said that he wasn’t offended about it. It was quite sweet of him to say that he treated me like his daughter.”

Meanwhile, audience continues to shower their love on the film with the prints being further increased across the country in view of heavy demand for the film. In Mumbai alone, there are 80 additional shows in the second week. Reports also indicate that the film has broken box office records in number of territories.

Shah Rukh Khan's Diwali blockbuster Om Shanti Om not only created fireworks at the box office but also managed to spark the anger of a veteran actor Manoj Kumar.

Manoj Kumar is one of the many stars from the 70s era who have been spoofed in the film. After the actor threatened legal action for the spoof he believes to be done in bad taste, both Shah Rukh Khan and director Farah Khan have come out with an instantaneous apology

Although the film maker maintains that the comic scene in the movie was meant as a tribute, Manoj Kumar is not happy. He is angry because of the way he has been spoofed in the film.

In Om Shanti Om, a Manoj Kumar lookalike doesn’t get to enter the premiere of a film and even gets beaten up by the police.

He says, “Manoj Kumar who is a citizen of India has been shot in the heart. Someone who was made an icon by the Indian masses has been insulted and mocked at. I think more than legal action, moral action has more importance”.

Interestingly, Manoj Kumar hasn’t seen the film yet. Director Farah Khan is sure that once he watches the film he will enjoy it. She also says that it was never the intention to disrespect the veteran actor.

Speaking to CNN-IBN, the director justified, “I really wasn’t expecting this kind of a reaction because I thought that it was very sweet and done with a lot of love rather than any kind of malice so I was a bit taken aback in the morning.

Shah Rukh added, “I quickly called him up. I apologised to him. I’ll go tomorrow with Farah and personally apologise to him, show him the film and in case he does not like it, we’ll remove the scene, I’ll stop the film.

I would never like the wonderfulness that we’ve got with Om Shanti Om this week to be at the cost of anybody being hurt”.

The film also has a comic take on many other actors and filmmakers from 70s, current generation of Bollywood and even a hilarious spoof on South Indian films.

Watch the video

IBNlive.com