Shah Rukh and I are connected to each other

"My Name Is Khan" is going through a storm. However, in the midst of it all, Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar are standing by each other. The director strongly believes that they are connected to each other more as brothers than being business partners."'My Name Is Khan' is a film which is a strong emotional connect for both Shah Rukh and I. He and I co-producing the film has nothing to do with money," said Karan, whose Dharma Productions has made the film in collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment."We are too connected to each other and when it comes to a family, you don't question their close association. Do you question someone who is working with his brother in one assignment after another? Shah Rukh and I may be having different surnames but that doesn't take away from the strong sense of brotherhood that we both carry," he added.What makes him supremely confident about his life-long relationship with Shah Rukh? Specially when Farah Khan had to move from Shah Rukh to Akshay Kumar for "Tees Maar Khan"."See, its not just the matter of directing a film which would have him as an actor. Tomorrow, I may not be directing a film with him but the fact is that both of us will always be a part of each other's production house. In some way or another, in whatever capacity, we would be working with each other," said Karan.Releasing Friday, the film also stars Kajol and is set in the post 9/11 US.Clarifying yet another misconception about the film, Karan says "My Name Is Khan" is not an issue-based film."Please let me set the record straight that 'My Name Is Khan' is not an issue based film. Instead it's a human drama about a couple. The film will make you smile and result in tears in your eyes. It's a film which connects with you and is totally emotionally based."He also clarifies on the religious connotation saying: "By no means am I aspiring to take forward the baton of an issue. Instead I am just using it as a part of the narrative. The film doesn't have any religious or spiritual undertone to it but basically sends across the message of humanity, so let's watch the film for its worth."

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"You can't compare MNIK with 3 Idiots"

My Name Is Khan is just a few hours away from release and the obvious question that comes to mind is around the box office outcome of the film. With 3 Idiots setting such high standards at the box office and breaking the ceiling, doesn't it put an additional pressure on MNIK to perform further well It seems like this was the only ammunition that was waiting to find a way on the battlefield because Karan gets all fired up at this juncture. "I don't know why write-ups around one film taking a bigger opening than another or whether MNIK would be able to reach the highest slot when it comes box office openings keep appearing without any rhyme or reason. The kind of films that we are seeing today are all different from each other. Veer was different from 3 Idiots, just like My Name Is Khan is different from Veer. You can't be comparing a Guzaarish with a Kites. Or you can't be picking up a Raajneeti and start drawing comparisons with 3 Idiots. This is why I don't like the entire comparing business because all films are different from each other."

Calming down, he further goes on to extend his logic around difference in expectations that one must have when looking at two major films, "First and foremost we should be cognizant of the fact that comparing two entities never helps. A film should be allowed to breathe in the way it deserves to. Yes, now if only I would have made a film in a campus with students as my heroes then perhaps I may have compared it with 3 Idiots. But then just like you could never compare a Lagaan with a Dil Chahta Hai, similarly you can't ever compare MNIK with 3 Idiots or any other film."Meanwhile, Karan is happy to be following the 'mantra' of making quality films without worrying much about their blockbuster fate."At Dharma Productions, we have great vibes amongst us", says Karan, "Everyone is quite passionate about filmmaking and we believe that we should always make films that we are proud of. Commercial success is important but not at the expense of something that would make us cringe later."No wonder, most of the first time filmmakers working with Karan are happy to be working in an environment that challenges as well as motivates them to make something worth remembering."I never ask my directors to give me a film that would fetch me 80, 100 or 120 crores. Once you do that, you only end up putting pressure on the poor guy. Instead, I want them to focus entirely on the subject in front of them and leave the box office in the hands of audiences. This is what Ayan Mukerjee did with Wake Up Sid and look how he passed with flying colours both critically and commercially. Similar was the case with Rensil D'Souza who ensured that there is definite quality component to Kurbaan", concludes Karan with a tone of appreciation.

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Abhishek's Bingo Night with Shahrukh and Karan

 

Shahrukh Khan and Karan Johar join friend and colleague Abhishek Bachchan to hit the Bingo trigger as well as promote their much anticipated film release on this week's riveting MY NAME IS KHAN special episode of 'National Bingo Night'. Be sure to watch the dynamic duo rake up some pretty bucks with Abhishek.With superstar Shahrukh present on the sets, both the host and the studio audience go into a fine frenzy ofanticipatory excitement. In order to give Shahrukh and Karan a warm welcome and to highlight their upcoming film MY NAME IS KHAN, 'National Bingo Night' presents the duo with a unique surprise - all members of the studio audience have the surname Khan. So, barring the host and one of the guests, Karan,everyone's 'name is Khan'!Shahrukh's charm has an infectious and potent quality that women could fight tooth and nail for. However, on 'National Bingo Night' one person turns out to be luckier than others as Shahrukh lavishes his charms on none other than Bingo Bombshell, Rashmi, who turns out to be the object of Shahrukh's affections for the evening. While Shahrukh is busy flirting, Karan is busy playing Bingo with Abhishek. And just as Vidya found her 'Lucky Auntie' last week, Karan finds a lucky charm this week - none other than the dishy host, Abhishek Bachchan, himself! Each time Karan hits the trigger he hides behind Ahishek before Rashmi can announce if his guess on the Bingo Ball is right or wrong...and low and behold...he gets lucky each time! Join Shahrukh Khan and Karan Johar as they have a ball on 'National Bingo Night'.

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Vashu promotes Kal Kissne Dekha

Even as filmmakers stand united in their protest against the multiplexes and are refraining from releasing their films till the issue around revenue sharing is solved, there have been murmurs that some of them are unhappy with Vashu Bhagnani for having begun promotion for Kal Kissne Dekha. Even though there is uncertainty around the release of this Jackky Bhagnani starrer (or any other Bollywood film for that matter), a few others are miffed with the airing of song promos of this Vivek Sharma directed film.

Says a filmmaker who wishes to be unnamed, "It was clearly decided that no film would release till the time producers and multiplexes do not come to a consensus. This was the reason why the strike date of 4th April was announced in advance so that makers could abort the promotion plans, if any, of their forthcoming films. It was meant to be a complete boycott. This is why it is surprising to see the songs from Kal Kissne Dekha being on the air. Everyone's question is 'why'? Why is Vashu Bhagnani doing that when he knows that he should not be releasing his film till we all are in agreement."

Another filmmaker adds, "By bringing the songs of his film on air, he is giving out a sense of urgency to the multiplexes which makes our stand weak. It's unfair. Couldn't he have waited for a while? Today when there are no new promos on the air of any other film, why is Kal Kissne Dekha being in focus?"

Vashu Bhagnani has his answers handy though. "First and foremost, please let me reaffirm once again that I am with my other producers at every step which is being taken in our stand against the multiplexes. So let me state on record once again that Kal Kissne Dekha, by no means, would be bypassing any other film in it's aspiration to be released earlier. No, that won't happen. It will come at it's normal course once we all take a decision around waiting for multiplexes to agree to our terms or decide to head towards the single screens", he announces.

"Rahi baat song promos ki toh the fact here is that it is difficult to hold on to a film's promotion once it has been kick started", says Vashu in his defence, "The promotion of Kal Kissne Dekha had begun to a little extent before the strike was announced. Now since the album is already on stands and buzz had started building for the film and its music, I couldn't have afforded to be 100% laidback around the promotion."

He further adds, "In any case song promos have come on air just now and we are being low key in our approach. But if this is converted to zero, it would send out wrong signals amongst the audience. Tomorrow once we will have to start the promotion again; it would appear to be a slightly dated product. I don't want that to happen."

Vashu Bhagnani finds a supporter in filmmaker Ramesh Taurani. "There is a directive to stop release of movies, not music. If a filmmaker has released his music, he has to promote it. I don't see Vashu Bhagnani doing anything out of the way. The music has to find support system through means of promotion otherwise it may seem dated if it sits on the stands for weeks. I am sure though that he would bring his film only after the stand off is resolved", says Ramesh Taurani.

So what are Vashu's plans from here on? "At the end of the day, if there is someone who is forced to spend extra money, it is me. The longer the stand off continues, the more I will end up spending on its promotion. But yes, what I am doing is to have the songs coming on only 2-3 channels rather than those dozens of music and other entertainment channels. That's my promise to other filmmakers that I am not going overboard on the promotion. Also, let me reassure that I won't hijack my film into the release calendar at the expense of other films", promises Vashu.

Karan Johar shoots in Mumbai slums for My Name Is Khan

After Slumdog Millionaire, the West wants more of the Mumbai slums. Last week Karan Johar shot some key slum sequences in Borivali with the Slumdog Millionaire kid Tanay Chedda who plays SRK's childhood role in My Name Is Khan, and the incredibly underused Zarina Wahab who plays SRK's mother.Karan chose the boy to play the childhood part of Shah Rukh's life not only because of his facial likeness to Shah Rukh, but also because of Tanay's instant connectivity with the Mumbai slums and thereafter the Western audience.

Says Karan, "Tanay is exceptionally talented. He was able to imbibe Shah Rukh's character traits and use them to make SRK's childhood look convincing."The director now intends to cast Tanay as junior SRK whenever required, much in the way that Master Mayur played the young Amitabh Bachchan in a series of films.Karan's exposition on the Muslim identity is expected to reach out to a global non-NRI audience. Though the take-off point for My Name Is Khan is 9/11, not a single shot is taken in New York.The film is set in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Two of the most expensive cities in the US for shooting. While Karan Johar's production of Rensil D'Silva's Kareena-Saif film on terrorism will have Philadelphia masquerading as New York, Johar's own directorial take on terrorism and the isolation of the working-class Muslim has gone to the two actual US cities were the plot is location.

Karan shot in LA earlier this year. He leaves for San Francisco in May for a 40-day schedule. The first and last Hindi film to be shot in San Francisco was Imtiaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal.Putting his shoulder surgery behind him, Shah Rukh with best friend Karan Johar and favourite co-star Kajol to accompany him would be gone to San Francisco for 40 days in May and June.With Aamir Khan vacationing with his children out of the country and SRK busy with IPL, the two purported architects and the mediator Karan Johar for the solution for the multiplex crisis are all out of the loop, putting a large question mark before the deadlock that threatens to shut the film industry.

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