Deepika Padukone has struck gold with the success of her debut film, Om Shanti Om. She has begun to command Rs 1.5 crore for endorsements, three times more than before, and Rs 1 crore for a film, twice what she earned for the first and on a par with established stars.

Of course the big names – Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Amir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, etc – have emerged strong this year and will continue to rake in the moolah.

However, badminton legend Prakash Padukone’s daughter, with two big films slated for release, leads the pack of emerging stars who may well come into their own in 2008. She already endorses Parachute, Kingfisher, Levi’s, Close-up, Limca and Maybelline.

“Deepika, even before the film, was a high-profile model and therefore while other models earn Rs 40 to 75 lakh, she commands almost Rs 1.5 crore,” said an industry player who did not want to be named. That is less than the Rs 2-3 crore that Aishwarya Rai commands, but quite impressive for a newcomer.

Padukone has company in friend Ranbir Kapoor, who made his debut with Saawariya, his leading lady Sonam Kapoor, singer Mukesh’s grandson Neil, who played a murderer in Johnny Gaddar, and Shiny Ahuja, who acted in the successful Life In a Metro and the not-as-successful Khoya Khoya Chand.

Industry experts say Ranbir, who will be seen in a Yash Raj film next year, is being wooed by a telecom company, an apparel brand and a soft drinks maker, from which he is asking for Rs 1.25 crore to Rs 1.5 crore as endorsement fee. A pizza company and a hair care company are said to be courting Sonam Kapoor.

“While Ranbir is already saleable, one will see a different Sonam in Dilli 6, in which she plays a complete extrovert. That will help her attract morebrands,” said an executive from an agency that handles celebrity accounts.

Mukesh is already said to have raised his rate from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh for a film. Not-so-new Kareena Kapoor has made a resounding comeback with the success of Jab We Met. Her fee is said to have gone up by 50 per cent to Rs 1.5 crore.

Then there is Harman Baweja, who hasn’t yet had a release, but is expected to become big when his film Love Story 2010, opposite Priyanka Chopra, hits the theatres. Paid Rs 30 lakh for it, he is already asking for Rs 60 lakh to Rs 1 crore for new films.

Aminah Sheikh, Business Standard

She has grabbed eyeballs with her performance in Om Shanti Om and is the latest Bollywood heart-throb.

But Deepika Padukone has not put academics on the back-burner and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts course at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

The 21-year-old rising star evidently has interest in socio-economic issues, as shown by her choice of subjects.

“Padukone is a student of BA course in IGNOU since 2005. She has opted for sociology as her major with economics as a subsidiary subject,” Srikant Mohapatra, the varsity’s Registrar told.

Padukone, who did her schooling from Bangalore, moved to Mumbai to pursue her career in modelling.

The papers she would take in Sociology are: Study of Society, Society in India, Sociological Thought, Society and Stratification, Society and Religion and Social Problems in India.

Similarly, in Economics, which she has taken as a subsidiary subject, Padukone will study Fundamentals of Economics and Agricultural Development in India.

Apart from Sociology and Economics, Padukone has taken up Nutrition and Childcare as an application course. She has been provided all the study material for the entire course spanning over three years.

The actress has obviously preferred to pursue studies in distance mode because of her busy schedule in her professional career.

“The distance mode gives you the flexibility to pursue education as per your convenience. You need not appear in any class nor do you need to clear the exam in one go,” Mohapatra said.

While OM SHANTI OM has already achieved the BLOCKBUSTER status at the box office, it would also be completing a super successful 50 days run at theaters across the country today.

The film has already crossed 85 crores mark at the box office and looks set to add on some more moolah to it's overall collections in weeks to follow. In the meantime, work is already on in full swing to get the DVDs of the film out on stands in international and national market.

If initial indications are anything to go by, the film's DVDs too are supposed to be extraordinary with ton loads of special features being added to give that extra edge into home entertainment media.

Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network

MUMBAI: Bollywood star SHAH RUKH KHAN has been chosen as the Sabsey (most) Favourite Hero while actresses RANI MUKHERJEE and KATRINA KAIF shared the favourite heroine award.

Om Shanti Om star DeepikA Padukone and Saawriya hero Ranbir Kapoor bagged the favourite budding actress and actor awards, respectively.

Om Shanti Om has been voted the best film by Bollywood fans.

All nominees and winners have been chosen by fans from across the world, making it an opinion poll where winners are honoured for their popularity and not performances in a particular film.

The voting process for the awards covered 30 towns in India and over 60 countries internationally.

Speaking on the event, Star India VP marketing and communication Prem Kamath said, "Idea Sabsey Favourite Kaun has emerged as a true barometer of an actor's popularity as the winners are chosen solely by their fans. Indian cinema has such an immense impact on the lives of people, and this is evident by the overwhelming response we have received year after year."

The event saw dazzling performances by Katrina Kaif as she performed to the tune of songs from her recent films Partner and Welcome. SHAHID KAPOOR engrossed the audience with his superb performance which included a medley from his latest hit, Jab We Met and Fool and Final.

HIMESH RESHAMIYA rocked the evening with songs from his debut movie - Aap Ka Suroor and left the audience asking for more as he strummed the theme tune from his forthcoming movie Karz. Show hosts, Shilpa, Tanya and Chitrashi performed on the songs from their blockbuster movie, Chak de India.

Gulf Daily News

Sia Art Jewellery launched their new Wedding Collection 2008. The theme for this year's collection is 'Feel like a star'. This theme carries forward the success of the Sia- Om Shanti Om association.

Sia Art Jewellery was the exclusive jewellery designer for the film Om Shanti Om, and a line of jewellery from and inspired by the film is already available at all Sia stores across the country.

Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Roli Malhotra, Manager- Marketing and Customer care, said, " Though the Wedding collection 2008 shares a common theme with the Om Shanti Om collection, yet the workmanship on all designs and collections is unique- giving each piece a different look.

This year customers can choose from glitzy American Diamonds, evergreen Kundan, colourful crystals, classic Pearls, elegant Victorian and our trademark Bollywood collection, which features exquisite and over-the-top bling pieces.

Not only brides, but also friends and relatives of the bride as well as those looking for some glamourous accessorizing for the party season ahead can indulge in shopping therapy at Sia!"

The Sia Wedding Collection 2008 features contemporary as well as traditional designs in necklace sets, pendants, earrings, maang tikkas, baaju bandhs, haath panjas, payals, finger rings, toe-rings, bangles and bracelets, and starts from Rs 1995 onwards.

Notable amongst this year's collection is the use of bright colours like electric blue, stunning pink and glossy emerald green."

These colours are always in demand by the customers as these are traditional favourites- complementing these are the new collections in a range of finishes like rhodium, gold, rose-gold, oxidized and a rhodium-gold mix as well.

Our Bollywood collection focuses on large stones set in intricate designs, or framed with smaller stones in Western style"

Fibre2fashion.com

Rakesh Roshan has turned down OSO girl Deepika Padukone. The film, starring Hrithik Roshan could have been Deepika’s ticket to the A-list in Bollywood.

Our sources, however, say that Deepika was not suitable for the role so she was shown the door.

As for Deepika, he says, “Deepika didn’t fit the role. We’ll definitely work with her in future for some other project. It’s quite a complex character and we are looking out for a female lead.”

After they dumped Deepika, Roshans are now looking at casting a non-Indian for the role. Says a source, “Filmkraft (Roshan’s production house) and Anurag have been auditioning girls. The female lead needs to be a Salsa dancer.”
The film is a romantic-action-thriller which will be shot abroad.

It is scheduled to go on the floors by March 2008. Apparently, the film is based on Latin dance forms and Hrithik will be seen performing a lot of salsa.

Film maker Anurag Kashyap has apologised Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan over his comments on Om Shanti Om.

Anurag had previously said that, “My film Return of Hanuman will break all the records set by Om Shanti Om.”

Return of Hanuman is an animation flick which is bound to hit the theatres very soon.

Radiosargam

One of the nicest — and mutually profitable — friendships here is that of Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar. K Jo may be right up there in the marquee as a film-maker but he is still sporting enough to take care of Shah Rukh’s clothes, without ever feeling that he’s too big to be doing this now.

“I do clothes only for Shah Rukh, nobody else,” Karan is clear about that. “I connect with what Shah Rukh wants. I’ve done his clothes in Main Hoon Na (remember the simple but distinct sweater and scarf look?) and in Om Shanti Om. I always say Yash Uncle and Farah are two makers for whom, whenever they work with Shah Rukh, I will always do the clothes. I do Shah Rukh’s clothes in any case. I’m always shopping for him. I love doing it as a hobby.

“I loved doing the clothes of Om Shanti Om. Farah was so well-researched, she knew just what she wanted. Every time I fought with her — like I’d say, Farah, you want to give him this gold jacket for God’s sake — her answer would be, just shut up and give it, I know what my tones are. And when I saw it on screen the gold jacket looked great. Shah Rukh looked fantastic in the film. In the first half there wasn’t one wrong note. I had great fun doing it. I hope I get another job!”

One might say that today it is a privilege for anybody to do Shah Rukh’s clothes. But Karan is not ‘anybody’; he is a huge celebrity himself. One might think Karan benefits from his association with such a big star but if you really look at their friendship, I for one would say that Shah Rukh has equally gained from having Karan for a friend.

Today, especially after the blockbuster win of Om Shanti Om, a dreary charge against SRK is that he is media-savvy, like it is a gaali. Anybody who can’t get a good press (currently, Rishi Kapoor and most of the Saawariya satellites) sneer over the two words, ‘media savvy’ like it is a flaw in your personality. But the truth is, Shah Rukh was not always media-savvy. When he made his first film, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, and flopped on his face, he had got the kind of furious backlash that Sanjay Leela Bhansali got this year. Shah Rukh had no friends in the media, he had an issue with most of them (yours truly included) over laughingly trivial items, and right up to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, it was close friend Karan Johar who spoke warmly to the media on his friend’s behalf.

If Shah Rukh Khan has changed for the better you have to credit buddy Karan for the subtle influence he has had over the actor. Hear Karan’s refreshing views on the media and you’ll get an idea of where Shah Rukh has picked up some important lessons.

Says Karan, “Handling the media is really an art, that too requires a certain course.

“You cannot deny the power of the media, you cannot deny that they are a huge platform you need to be on when you have to promote your film or speak about yourself, you cannot deny that they make you the brand you are and you reap the benefits of that. I work in tandem with the media, I like to be there for them just as they have always been there for me. Yes, there are some bad apples but there are those bad apples in any industry, any profession, why just the media?

“When critics praise you, you’re happy. When they criticise you, you say they’re biased. Why can’t we accept that perhaps they just didn’t like your film? I can, even if it does hurt. If tomorrow you write against my film, I’m not going to be loving you for that second, but the next day I’ll wake up and say, ok, I must respect her opinion, I have so many of my own.

“Yes, the electronic media is in your face, the paparazzi is emerging, it’s annoying when you go to an event and you have a hundred cameras on you. But would you not want those hundred people around you? Would you like it if they ignored you and ran after someone else? No, I wouldn’t. I’m sorry to report, I’d be shattered, upset and want to break my head against the nearest wall! I like the shutterbugs when I walk the red carpet and I like the fact that they’re screaming my name for sound bytes. If they didn’t, I’d wonder what went wrong!

“We need the media,” concludes Karan. And you know just how much Shah Rukh has got from Karan when the film-maker says, “Let’s not pretend that we’re going to go out there and bash them because we sound cool at a party. We don’t.

“Media bashing is really passé!”

Thanks, pal.

CelebrityCircus

The latest buzz doing the rounds is that Rakesh Roshan is planning to cast Deepika Padukone opposite Hrithik in Krrish 2. If all goes well, Deepika will be playing the lead actress opposite Hrithik. Earlier, the roles were portrayed by Preity Zinta and Priyanka Chopra in Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish respectively.

If sources are to be believed, Rakesh Roshan is in talks with the Om Shanti Om actress as he is keen that she be a part of the film.

Although Rakesh Roshan didn’t confirm the news he didn’t deny it either. He says, “Currently I am busy working on two scripts simultaneously ––Krazzy 4 and Krrish 2. If Deepika suits the role I will definitely consider working with her. But, I cannot let you know much at this point because nothing is finalised yet. I will talk about it when the time is right.”

However sources say, “Priyanka was not appreciated for her performance and looks in Krrish. The Roshans wouldn’t like to sign her again. And now, after Om Shanti Om’s success, Deepika seems to be the best choice.”

Om Shanti Om actress Deepika Padukone on Thursday denied the rumours of engagement with Yuvraj Singh, the cricketing hero and a left-handed batsman in the Indian cricket team at an event in Delhi.

While the entire film and cricketing world has been busy speculating the man in tinsel town’s newest queen Deepika Padukone’s life, the lady has gone out and clearly stated her single status.

Just when the rumours of her alleged affair with Mahendra Dhoni was doing the rounds with Deepika’s presence during the 20-20

matches and Dhoni’s rather open appreciation for her came the sudden twist in the tale.

The rumourmills started running with the news of Deepika actually seeing Yuvraj Singh. With the latest development being that.

Police on Wednesday dismissed reports in a section of the media that claimed Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan had received an extortion call for Rs 2 crore from gangster Bunty Pandey.

Shahrukh Khan has not received any such call,” said a senior officer from the Crime Branch.

Asked about interviews a person, claiming to be Pandey, has been giving to some television news channels since morning, the officer said “may be he is doing it just for cheap publicity…to become big in the gangland. Undue advantage is being taken of the media.”

Pandey was earlier aligned with the Chhota Rajan gang but later broke away and reportedly targets Bollywood personalities for extortion.

Shahrukh is very happy with the success of his entertainment company Red Chillies Entertainment and he wanted to share this success with all his employees. So recently SRK and his wife Gauri threw an impromptu celebration for all their employees and at the event apart from good food and drink, Shahrukh and Gauri gave all their employees bonus cheques. This was indeed an extremely pleasant surprise for all the employees as they were not expecting such a magnanimous gesture from their boss, SRK.

Shahrukh and Gauri invited all their employees from Red Chillies Entertainment as well as their other employees like cooks, drivers etc to be present at a five star hotel. When the employees got there, they were all surprised as there was a huge celebration awaiting them. A few close friends of SRK who also work with him like Farah and others also came to thank everyone for their co-operation. Shahrukh and his wife Gauri also thanked everyone for the success of Red Chillies Ent. SRK and Gauri had personally selected the menu of food and drinks. The highlight of the party was another surprise by SRK, when he began distributing bonus cheques to each and every employee present at the event.

A source at the party said “SRK is great, he decided to share the profits made by his company with everyone rather than just enjoy it by himself. This obviously was an extremely kind gesture and everyone was very surprised.” Shahrukh Khan has personally had a wonderful year as his different role in Chak De was first widely appreciated and now recently his film Om Shanti Om which he produced and starred in was quite a hit at the box-office. Hence SRK wants to share this success with his employees without whose cooperation this success would not be possible.

The success of Shah Rukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om has an unexpected fallout. After the movie set cash registers ringing, Khan is said to have received extortion calls from gangster.

Khan was reportedly told to cough up Rs 2 crore. He received several phone calls in the last few days from gangster.
Khan informed the Crime Branch of the Mumbai police and its Anti-Terrorist Squad of the calls from the gangster.

Khan had earlier received threats from Abu Salem while he was returning from Khandala after the shooting of Dil To Pagal Hai. Salem wanted him to act in a movie produced by an acquaintance and was upset over Khan’s refusal.

Indian Express

After her dazzling “double” debut in OSO, pretty Ms Padukone surely is headed for a wild fame game. But the Capricornian has her head firmly on her shoulders. Just check out her favourite things, hardly any designer tags in there:

Food:
“I am most fond of our South Indian snacks, I can’t have enough of idli dosa,” lets on the famous Banglorean.

Apparel:
She may be seen in the de regueur denims and tees, but that’s not her preferred dress code if you please,”I love Indian wear like chudidaars and sarees,” she says.

Game:
“Badminton of course!” she dimples. She inherited her liking for Badminton from her dad Prakash and she grew up amidst raquets and shuttlecocks. She played inter-school matches with zest.

Style Quotient:
In spite of being a supermodel she won’t recommend any designer names, “It’s best not to follow trends. My SQ is to wear whatever I am comfy in. Currently I like to put on a pair of jeans with a kurti.”

Cosmetics:
The lass with eloquent eyes won’t ever leave home without her Maybelline mascara,” I endorse it and use it too,” she giggles.

Screen India

‘Dhoom Tana’ in Om Shanti Om presented Deepika Padukone with the actors of the yesteryears. We got Red Chillies’ VFX team to explain the process.

Stage 1
The team had to locate the original footage of the films they had short listed. The three song sequences appeared in Amrapali (1966, Sunil Dutt and Vyjayantimala), Saccha Jhutha (1970, Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz) and Jay-Vijay (1977, Jeetendra and Jayashree T). Not always in the best condition, the original footage had to be scanned, carefully restored and cleaned up to the best possible quality on the computers.

Stage 2
Keeping in mind, the set of the films, the camera angles and the lighting, Deepika Padukone was shot in present dressed in similar costumes as the yesteryear actresses to further enhance that ‘70’s look. She pretended to dance with the actors by romancing an imaginary hero.

Stage 3
The original actresses, i.e. Vyjanthimala, Mumtaz and Jayashree T. were removed from the sequences. All this of course, was done with the help of the Red Chillies’ VFX (visual effects) team. Sequences where the camera was moving and the actors were in contact were specially chosen, so as to provide opportunity for Deepika to dance along with them as opposed to posing. Things to note were the eye contact between the actors, physical touch, lighting continuity, perspective matching, skin tones matching, color matching, etc.

Stage 4
Deepika’s footage was pasted in place of the actual actresses’ footage. The technical term for this is ‘compositing’. Thus, it seems that she has been locked in the same frame as legends, Sunil Dutt, Rajesh Khanna and Jeetendra. The song truly was a treat to watch. And now some of our wonder and amazement has been satisfied. Keitan Yadav, COO of Red Chillies VFX asserted that the idea was to give a feel of the era and is glad that they seemed to have succeeded.

He adds that “there are about 200 additional shots in the film where VFX is used like the snow-flakes in the globe, SRK and Deepika turning real and dancing in the globe, the Mother India fire sequence, Shantipriya’s death sequence and the climax sequence.”

Image Courtesy: 'The Making of Om Shanti Om' published by Om Books International

Screen India

The song in the now blockbuster hit Om Shanti Om featuring 31 of the biggest stars from tinsel town was the biggest attraction that was pulled off due to the efforts of director Farah Khan and producer Shah Rukh who roped in all of them at such short notice. The song soon became the talk of the town and was a rage at most parties and discotheques around the city. But what made the most popular song from Om Shanti Om still pretty much incomplete was the absence of some celebrities who could not be a part of it due to prior work commitments or other unavoidable issues.

Shah Rukh Khan himself desperately wants the song to go down into the Guinness book as a record of sorts. Yet the hit number was originally to have a few more famous and known faces dancing and making their presence felt. Like Amitabh Bachchan for instance who if not for Abhishek’s impending marriage would surely have been a part of the entire song sequence along with son Abhishek Bachchan . In fact Farah who left no stone unturned to have the duo says, “While both Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan have a special appearance in my film, they couldn’t make it in the Deewang i song. I wanted them to be part of the song, but when I shot the song, they were too busy with the Abhi-Ash marriage preparations."

Aamir Khan too was conspicuous by his absence and Farah it seems had a long standing wish to have the three Khans – Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir dancing together alongside each other for the first time on the 70mm screen. And the lady director clarifies on that front too saying, “I had approached Aamir but he was too busy shooting his film Ghajini and wasn't able to be a part of my film. I wish I could bring Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman dancing together in my film.”

Shah Rukh Khan wanted his Main Hoon Na co-star Amrita Rao to be a part of the special song too. But director Farah Khan, we learn, had bigger plans. She wanted to have a complete Main Hoon Na segment in Deewangi song. That is to say she had hoped to have Main Hoon Na’s leading cast Sushmita Sen , Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan along with SRK to be featured together in a separate part of the song. Amrita says, “I couldn’t shoot for the song as I was busy shooting for Athidhi in Austria. Farah would call me up every time and badly wanted Sushmita, Zayed, Shah Rukh and myself to do a Main Hoon Na sequence but I just could not get out of my schedule.” And Farah went ahead with only Zayed and Shah Rukh where they do their trademark ‘head rubs’ from Main Hoon Na .

Apart from A’s – Amitabh, Abhishek, Aamir and Amrita, there were others too who missed out. Among them were Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu who were the only senior actors who could not make it for the song though Shah Rukh and Farah wished for it desperately. Shah Rukh who was initially tagged of having a strong Dilip Kumar hangover has always looked up to the senior Devdas as his idol.

From the yesteryear celebrities, King Khan also wanted his personal favourite Zeenat Aman to add grace to the song. Not to forget Zeenat’s popular costar – the style icon Feroz Khan . Plus his son Fardeen Khan ! But both father and son were out of town.

So Shah Rukh says that what you saw in Om Shanti Om was not big – at least not as ‘magnanimous’ as he and Farah had visualized it to be, though for the audiences this was as grand as it could get. The king feels that if he could manage to get all the ones they had planned for that could have been huge. So SRK says, “Now I feel I will have to make a sequel to Om Shanti Om and request all the celebrities who missed out from the original song to shoot a song with me in the sequel”.

We would eagerly wait for ‘ OSO 2’ , Shah Rukh!

Indiatimes Movies

Out of the 236 movies released so far this year, only about 15 have made it to the hit mark. The alarming number of flops in the year 2007 came as a huge shock, especially because it rained hits in 2006.

Till March, only one film, Guru emerged as a universal hit, with all the other ones like Nikhil Advani’s Salaam-e-Ishq, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Eklavya, Ram Gopal Varma’s Nishabd, Vikram Bhatt’s Red, Amrit Sagar’s 1971, Milan Luthria’s Hattrick, Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday, Deepa Mehta’s Water, Meghna Gulzar’s Just Married, Suneel Darshan’s Shakalaka Boom Boom, hitting the dust. Nishabd and Eklavya turned out to be huge duds. Then Akshay Kumar’s Namastey London was successful, bringing in the much-needed respite.

july,films like Partner, Chak De India, Heyy Babyy, Bhool Bhulaiya, Jab We Met and the super hit Om Shanti Om attracted audiences, providing a bit of a breather for the distributors.

Drop dead looks to flaunt but no starry attitude to throw.

Down-to-earth and a family man Arjun Rampal is happy playing daddy cool to his lovely daughters, Mahikaa and Myra. But talk of his second passion films, and his latest act in Om Shanti Om (OSO) as a villain has put him in the spotlight.

Post the big reviews OSO has got, we get the actor talking on the apprehensions he had prior to taking on a negative role, his filmi career so far and much more...

Starting straight with the question about his apprehensions signing OSO , he says, “Yes, I was a bit skeptical about playing Mukesh Mehra for I wondered whether I’d be able to justify my character. For at times when there are fallouts in make-up, outfits or appearances, the character can look funny. But thanks to Farah whose selection of the entire crew was excellent.”

But besides that wasn’t he apprehensive about the story theme based on re-incarnation as well? “See, if we are unaware of some fact that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Re-incarnation, fantasies, black magic are themes which work well provided the script is strong enough. And personally I do believe in astro science and the idea of life after death,” says the actor.

Also, with SRK in picture along with a battalion of other superstars in the item song, did you feel your share of limelight got thinner? “Performance of an actor is not judged by the length of his role but by how well he has performed. And even though I played the negative role for the first time I was appreciated all over.”

Being SRK’s close buddy, ask him about the recent allegations levelled on him by the BCCI and Arjun dismisses all of them.

“I know SRK and his family for a number of years. Shah Rukh and I have a strong liking for sports. And so does his son Aryan. I remember when Twenty20 World Cup had just begun there was complete chaos at his house to watch the match live. I am sure people who know Shah Rukh would have laughed off BCCI’s comment. It’s like we pay the price of being celebrities,” he sighs.

What’s more, the actor goes ahead giving a piece of advice for BCCI: “BCCI should rather be thankful to Bollywood for popularising and glamorising the game. In fact, they should invite more celebs just the way Hollywood stars are invited for sports like Baseball and others.”

Well, every other actor seems to be involved in some or the other controversy these days. How has he stayed clear of them? “Touchwood I haven’t been target of any such sensational journalism. I feel sorry for actors who are roped in controversies for all sorts of wrong reasons. I can actually swear that all allegations made against them are wrong.”

Back to his career, ask him having made so many jumps from modelling to acting to production, what has he enjoyed the most?

“I’m more comfortable acting and producing simultaneously. And would continue to do so,” informs the actor who produced I See You with wife and ex-super model Meher. But then with so much to do, why do we see so less of him?

“I’m very selective about the kind of work I do. Above all, I’ve set my priorities in life. I love spending quality time with my daughters.” But ask him about wife Meher and he says, “That’s personal and solely for me to know that what about Mehr makes her so special.”

So what next film-wise? “Presently, I am working in EMI with Sanjay Dutt and next is Rock On where I’ll be playing a rock band member.”

Manjari Sabharwal, TNN

MUMBAI: Today, weeks after the music and movie release, Om Shanti Om's music continues to rock the music charts till the month of December. It has been the bestseller for nine weeks.

The movie released in theatres on 9 November and the music hit stores two months prior to that, on 15 September. In its entry week itself OSO occupied the number one position. Today twelve weeks later, it has successfully managed to guard the post for nine weeks.

For three weeks in between Om Shanti Om was second to Saawariya. Saawariya music hit the stores on 21 September, a week after OSO. It entered at the second position and till date it has been at the number two position for eight weeks out of eleven. Saawariya managed to beat OSO for three weeks in the month of October.

While the first two positions variably shuttled between OSO and Saawariya, the third position has been held by Pritam. From 17 September to 28 October, Bhool Bhulaiyaa music was at the third position. This was later replaced by Jab We Met from 29 November till date.

Now since five weeks, the first position is guarded by OSO, second by Saawariya and third by Jab We Met. The forth and fifth positions have seen music from Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Aaja Nachle, Taare Zameen Par and now Welcome.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa was at the numero uno position from 3 to 9 September (before the music release of OSO and Saawariya). It then stood second to Om Shanti Om in the following week and was shifted to the third position with Saawariya's entry. Now with Welcome's entry Bhool Bhulaiyaa has slipped lower in the chart and is no longer seen in top 5.

For the week ended on 2 December, Om Shanti Om stands first, Saawariya’s the first runner up, Jab We Met - the second runner up, Welcome stands fourth followed by Aaja Nachle.

Source: Planet M Chartbuster

The 'Diwali' release, 'Om Shanti Om' has netted an unprecedented and unbelieveable 76-crores in just three weeks from India. But what is the producer and the lead actor ShahRukh Khan upto?

Well, he is busy with everyday activities and also taking time-off from his hectic enagagements to do his bit for charity. Very recently, it was touching to see ShahRukh Khan spend time with charitable organisations like the 'Make A Wish Foundation', 'Bal Jeevan Trust', 'Project Crayon', who work for under-priveledged children. He even had a special show of 'Om Shanti Om' for the kids and personally assured that the truckload of kids were carted to and fro from their organisations, spent on their food and gave them gifts, unlike other stars who only look at these events as mere photo options and won't dole out a pie from their pockets.
Some of the nuns from these charitable organisation were moved to tears and blessed King Khan from the bottom of their hearts.
Will our other 'charitable' stars take a leaf out of King Khan's book? We sincerely hope so.

Planet Bollywood

1. Shah Rukh Khan

He proves once again why he rules Bollywood. This is the first film I’ve ever seen of his - ever - (including his earliest films like Kabhi Haan Khabhi Na and of course DDLJ) where I thought of him as cute. And it ain’t because of the six-pack. Endearing in a way that only SRK can manage, he was adorable beyond words as the unfortunately named Om Prakash Makhija. He also gives a very controlled performance in the first half; the ticks and mannerisms that are so irksome to SRK-haters the world over were refreshingly missing. And call me crazy, but is our over-40 superstar looking pretty young and boyish? Unfortunately, it does turn into a case of “would you like some ham with your masala?” in the second half as he spazzes away to glory playing reincarnated superstar ‘OK’. But then it’s Shah Rukh…no film of his would be complete without him hamming it up a bit (the true test of any SRK fan) and in this case, it may even have been an intentional in-joke (I have my doubts). Our superstar can do many things, but he can’t do cool. He just can’t. He’s still the King though. Why? That’s a mystery that SRK-haters will never solve.

2. Deepika Padukone

Watch out for this one - she will definitely be the superstar of the future. Rani, Preity and Ash are soon going to be relegated to those special,”mature” roles - but for those big, flashy, commercial blockbusters, I predict Deepika is going to lead the glamor-doll rat race. While I watched Farah Khan parade Deepika around for the promotion of this film, I was worried she’d wear the girl out. But all that Stardom Bootcamp will come in handy for her. Deepika is big time. Convincingly restrained as the 70’s star Shantipriya and very bubbly as the clumsy present day Sandy, she showed a lot of range in a limited role. There is something eminently watchable and intrinsically likable about her and there’s no question that she’s hot (any doubts, ask a male friend). Everything about this girl screams STAR. And her dimples will give Preity Zinta a run for her money. I just hope they find male actors tall enough to co-star with her.

3. Shreyas Talpade

As the sidekick, no one could’ve been better. And dude rocks the tight 70’s big-collared shirt with style! He held his own against the mega Khan and delivers his lines effortlessly with an impeccable sense of comic timing. Dare I say he even stole the spotlight a couple of times? I daresay he did!

4. Arjun Rampal

This might be the role that finally, finally turns this always handsome dude from model to actor. He does a commendable job as the villain. And talk about cool - this is how cool should look. Even as the old guy he was sexy!

5. Dhoom Tana

The choreography captures everything we loved and hated about those ridiculous song-and-dance sequences from the 70’s and 80’s. Farah’s in top form recreating some of the crazy dance steps that our favorites of the time like Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman and of course the queen, Helen, had to perform. (Note the chest-heaving, facial expressions and the signature Helen hip-shake). It’s so much fun, this one will get you out of a depression fast. The special effects with Sunil Dutt, Rajesh Khanna and Jeetendra morphed into the film are really, really of international standard. SRK gets the tone just right and you can’t help but love him for being so willing to make an ass out of himself. Check him out recreating the Jeetendra badminton ground-slide plus leg kick…hilarious perfection.

6. Deewangi Deewangi

Except for the fact that Rekha looks creepier than the ghost in the climax, this song with Bollywood’s finest dancing along with Shah Rukh was a real treat. Rani, Shilpa, Kajol, Govinda, Salman, Saif, Sanjay Dutt, Jeetendra, Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi…whew, blink and you’ll miss a major or minor star. Reminded me of that super classic, John Jaani Janardhan from Naseeb where Big B regaled the superstars of that time. Farah has said that it was in fact the inspiration for Deewangi. I’m not really a fan of the musical composition or the stupid lyrics, but you can’t beat 31 stars on one glitter-laden screen. Testament to the power of (you guessed it) SRK.

7.The Filmfare Awards Sequence

Spoofarific! It’s a mock up of the red carpet with the likes of Amitabh, Abhishek, Akshay, Karan Johar and more predicting who’s going to win that year’s Best Actor. See if you get all the in-jokes. The nominations themselves are irreverence defined - Dhoom:5 and Khiladi Returns? You gotta see it to believe it (and brace yourselves for the raunch-factor). Also includes a great spoof of two Yash Raj style movies with Shah Rukh romancing a different pastel sari-swathed heroine in the repetitive style that made him SRK in the first place.

8. Mind It

SRK nails it as South Indian superstar, Omiswami (aka Rajnikanth). ‘Nuff said. (And yes, he IS calling that tiger “naughty pussy”. Family entertainer, anyone?)

9. One Word

Bhaaagoooo! [Translation: Runnnnnn!]

10. Closing Credits

Unusual and inspiring…we get to see every technician who’s worked on the film strutting their stuff on the red carpet. From the spot boys to the grips to the assistant directors to the special effects guys…everyone gets their moment in the spotlight. An unrestrained tribute to the love and glory of films. All the invisible talents who bust their guts and earn none of the glory for these projects are given a face. The closing credits alone made me a fan of this over the top, cheeseball, so-in-love-with-Bollywood-it’s-ridiculous, imperfect-on-so-many-levels-and-yet-so-earnest-you-can’t-help-but-love-it movie. There are many more yummy tidbits for any Bollywood junkie. This movie is vindication for anyone who grew up watching the TRUE yesteryear Bollywood movies, the ones you never told your friends you were watching because you were too embarrassed.

SRK does some name hunting for pregnant Farah.

We have heard of Karan Johar going shopping in London department stores to buy maternity clothes for Farah Khan, but a better gift came the pregnant ace Bollywood choreographer’s way from best friend Shah Rukh Khan. No, it isn’t the new car he recently gifted her, that was to compliment her on the success of Om Shanti Om.

The Bollywood Badshah’s gift for the mother-to-be was a book on baby names! Farah was floored when SRK, the father of Aryan (10) and Suhana (7), came back from one of his London trips with the book. "It’s probably one of his sweetest gestures," said Farah. "But," she cracked up into laughter, "the big joke is the book has only English names like John, George, and James. The book is by a London publisher and would naturally have only English names. When I pointed this out to Shah Rukh, he was confused, and sweetly apologetic. He was like, ‘What to do, I got what I found,’" added Farah.

Their friendship goes back to Dil Se when Farah made SRK dance on top of a moving train to Malaika Arora’s swaying hips and the tune of Chhaiya Chhaiya. And it has grown steadily over the years. Farah and her editor-director husband Shirish Kunder are gearing up for parenthood. And part of it is choosing names for the triplets she is expecting. "I know people are joking about names and I have received suggestions like Om Shanti Om and Amar Akbar Anthony! But we haven’t ascertained the sex of the babies. So it’s futile to zero in on any names as yet as the permutations and combinations of boys and girls can get too messy. We are not religious, so we will choose neutral names, it’s not a big issue," said Farah.

Yes, but John, George and James are ruled out!

Afsana Ahmed ,TNN

Amrita Rao close to both Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan wasn’t featured in the rocking chartbusting number Deewangi which was shot with 31 stars grooving to it.

According to Amirta “Well to put the record straight, Farah Khan wanted me to be part of the song, but I was shooting in Austria for my Telugu film and I couldn’t just leave my shoot mid way and fly down to Mumbai for the shoot. I really regret not been able to make it. When I saw the movie, I was like ‘Shit, I should have been in the song, the whole industry is here, except me.’ And Farah called me again to shoot for the Main Bhi Hoon Na, award sequence for the film, but unfortunately I was shooting in Bangkok for an ad film and again missed the chance. It was very unfortunate.”

It seems Shah Rukh Khan is controversy's favourite child. No sooner does the controversy surrounding Manoj Kumar subside and here comes the news of another one.

A disability rights activist and organisation working for the physically challenged have objected to a scene in SRK's latest film, Om Shanti Om and they are demanding a deletion of that particular scene. The scene in question shows SRK as an actor in the film playing a physically challenged man saying: "Haath pav nahi jisko, kaise karega woh disco?" This is followed by the hit number 'Dard-E-Disco'.

he organization wants the objectionable scene deleted before December 3rd, in time for International Day of Disabled Persons.

Indiatarget

Have you seen Deepika Padukone closely? There is no one in India who hasn't. Just switch on the television, and you will find her beaming at you from almost every channel. In Om Shanti Om , Deepika's resplendent beauty eclipses Shah Rukh Khan's dynamic charisma whenever the two are together.

Not an easy thing to achieve, but then such is Deepika's attractiveness that the average man is pinioned by the visuals, hoping and praying that her celluloid cut-out will sashay out of the screen for a while. As he watches the vision of Deepika, the haplessly besotted man does not fall in love with her. Instead, he wants to make love to her.

In the article titled 'Hitting above the belt, at the heart' (Times Review, November 25), writer CP Surendran emphasises the exact opposite. Writing a panegyric with Deepika at its centre, Surendran asserts that Bollywood now has the freedom to be less harsh, less coarse, less typecast in the conception of its female characters. He overlooks Sandy, Deepika's second character whose oomph isn't exactly buried by maker Farah Khan, and tells us that why it is possible to love Shanti, and not just lust after her. No one in contemporary Bollywood can evoke tender feelings of love. Simply no one, which is fair enough. Except, of course, Deepika Padukone!

Surendran refers to Sushmita Sen—that classic casualty of casualness—and tells us that it is difficult to come across a more studied persona in Bollywood. But, should one see OSO even once, what is amply obvious is that it is impossible to see a more studied persona than Deepika. Every move she makes, every gesture of hers, seems to have been practised in front of the mirror for days, months, years. Her fluid face is such that her characters can oscillate in time, inhabiting diverse time zones, reminding of a Hema once, a Bipasha next. Her eyes, those large eyes that seem to float as they see, speak the language of understated sensuality.

In OSO , Deepika's Shanti makes SRK's Om stare at her posters, and even endeavour to get an elusive vision by masquerading as someone else. Om being unrealistically stupid, loves Shanti, but not the viewer, who finds an irresistible appeal in her manicured aptitude for concealing the obvious. A heroine who has mastered the craft of subtle allurement, Deepika inspires with her all-consuming glance a feeling far removed from simplistic, unrealistic love?

Emotions in real life are guided by different situations. A lady as sublime as Meryl Streep can be unacceptably incompatible, while an ordinary looker can evoke delicate feelings of love. But, what we experience in reel life isn't vaguely similar, which is understandable since proximity to the star is synonymous with unreachable distance. Not long ago, half of India's men had a common obsession in Aishwarya Rai; but today, Deepika has hijacked the male gaze. The modern viewer loves to indulge in Deepika while knowing that she is far, far away. When he looks at the actress in OSO once she walks into a room, wearing a contemporary outfit and chewing bubble gum, his passion for the actress makes him really happy. When he realises that her vision is the most he can get, which he does, his lips crumble into a satisfied smile.

Let us not doubt that Deepika is a big star meant for even bigger things in life. And, let us not question the fact that her sex appeal has a lot to do with her success. Her Sandy in the second half makes the male heart palpitate wildly; and, not because it is guided by some kind of absurd love for a while. That only happens in the movies.

Biswadeep Ghosh,TNN

Amitabh Bachchan has been completely floored by the recent Diwali releases – ‘Saawariya’ and ‘Om Shanti Om’ - and cannot stop showering praises on them.

‘Saawariya’ was poetry on celluloid. An exquisitely presented Broadway-style musical set within Indian sentiments. It’s daring and original and with such a high quotient of aesthetics, beauty and form,” Amitabh told the reporters here.

An ardent admirer of Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh is also impressed by the latest from the stables of King Khan – ‘Om Shanti Om’.

“The depiction of the 1970s (in ‘Om Shanti Om’) was carefully researched and the ambience played to the galleries. The sarcasm and humour were very much 2007. That’s how this generation communicates and it was bound to catch their fancy.”

LONDON: With ‘Om Shanti Om’ grossing £1.5 million now to enter the UK Top 10 and its distributor, the London Stock Exchange-listed Eros International reporting a 75% jump in its half-year profits, bullishness and Bollywood suddenly appear synonymous.

Eros COO Jyoti Deshpande told TOI on Wednesday that Bollywood’s international appeal and scope in 2007 could be compared to "the way Hollywood was in the 1930s and the Chinese industry in 1970." Poised for massive exponential growth. All this, she stressed, off the back of an upward curve from a film - ‘Om Shanti Om’ "that is definitely not crossover".

So why the palpable sense of excitement in the English-speaking world, Hollywood’s traditional heartland and this sudden panic that Bollywood may be stealing a march on Hollywood?

Answers Deshpande, Bollywood’s time may have come. "In every non-English speaking market, our films have already crossed over. The Germans are watching them, so are the Russians, the Indonesians, the Dutch, the Arabs. From January to November, 5% of the world’s Top 10 films have been our releases."

She adds that ‘Om Shanti Om’ was the number one release worldwide, sans the US charts, trumping the Tom Cruise-starrer ‘Lions and Lambs’. "The day is not far off," she says, "When Bollywood films too will be grossing $ 100 million."

But ‘Om Shanti Om’, she says, is not the start of a new phenomenon of Bollywood bounce, just an expression of it.

Bollywood’s forward strategy appears to be almost like a covert military operation. Eros, which broke new ground by listing on the London Stock Exchange in July 2006, says it is now looking to mimic Hollywood’s new mantra "collaborate, rather than compete" and wants to bring commercial mainstream cinema made in English from India into the English-speaking world.

Reporting positive figures and a sunshine outlook to London’s financial district, Eros says it remained "firmly focussed on its content and distribution consolidation strategy leveraging its leadership position to be at the forefront of the consolidation of the fragmented but rapidly growing $10 billion Indian entertainment industry which is forecast to grow to over $25 billion by 2011 according to Price Waterhouse Coopers."

Pointing to the international success of ‘Bride and Prejudice’, ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and ‘The Namesake’ over the last two years, Eros CEO Kishore Lulla says Bollywood’s onward strategy must now be to bring commercial, rather than arthouse films to the international marketplace.

Rashmee Roshan Lall, TNN