'My Name Is Khan' earns Rs 150 cr in a week

Despite less than average theatre occupancy in the weekdays and its share of controversy with Shiv Sena before the release, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer and Karan Johar-directed Bollywood film My Name Is Khan (MNIK) has managed to rake in Rs 150 crore from its first week of release in India and abroad, say film trade analysts.

This has happened despite the fact that MNIK saw the average theatre occupancy slip to below 40% during the weekdays, especially in single-screen theatres. Initially released with over 1,300 prints, MNIK grossed Rs 90 crore in the first weekend, riding on the controversy surrounding the protest by Shiv Sena over remarks made by Shah Rukh Khan supporting the inclusion of cricketers from Pakistan in IPL-3.

However, the recently released Aamir Khan-starrer 3 Idiots, which is still doing well at the box office, had managed to rake in over Rs 240 crore within 10 days of its release.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/my-name-is-khan-earns-rs-150-cr-in-a-week/583003/

'Don 2' starts this year

Everyone's speculating about 'Don 2'. Farhan Akhtar, who directed the SRK starrer 'Don', had announced the sequel to the film quite some time back. While Farhan got busy with his acting assignments and SRK too decided to work on 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' first and 'My Name Is Khan' next, one kept wondering when Farhan and SRK would start the next installment of 'Don'.

"Don 2 will start in October this year. We've locked the script and also the locations," Farhan and his producer-partner Ritesh Sidhwani tell me. The new Don will have two leading ladies. "Priyanka Chopra will be one of them. The second will be finalized in due course," Farhan states.

There's talk that the producers are also planning to start 'Rock On 2'. "A lot of people want us to do that. Right now Abhishek [Kapoor, the director of Rock On] is working on another script. But if he finds a script that looks like a worthy follow up to Rock On, why not?" Farhan clarifies.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/don-2-starts-this-year/583220/

Shahrukh plays Riz, scraps Lux Cozi

hahrukh Khan did a real life Rizwan Khan, the good soul he played in his new film My Name is Khan, as the actor suspended the sponsorship of his team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by the Lux Cozi innerwear, owned by a businessman accused of instigating the suicide of Muslim youth Rizwanur Rahman.

Lux Cozi is owned by Ashok Todi, the father of Priyanka Todi whose marriage with Muslim youth Rizwanur Rahman against the wishes of family led to the death of the latter under mysterious circumstances.

Rizwanur, a computer graphics designer, was found dead by a railway track in Sep 2007, almost a year after his marriage with Priyanka.

The incident caused a public outcry in Kolkata and a CBI inquiry was instituted.

Rizwanur's mother had written to SRK to dissociate himself with the company owned by a family responsible for her son's death.

Lux Cozi would not be allowed to take part in any kind of advertising during the IPL matches of KKR, an official said here.

SRK would keep the contract with Lux Cozi on hold till the Todis were proved innocent by the legal system, sources said.

The company had signed Shahrukh Khan as their brand ambassador for the coming season and was associated with KKR's apparel merchandising.

Source: http://www.indiablooms.com/SportsDetailsPage/sportsDetails220210c.php

SRK all set to step into the shoes of 'Don' again

Audiences can get ready for Bollywood villain Don's next chase with director-actor Farhan Akhtar all ready to start shooting the sequel to his hit film "Don" from October this year.

"The next 'Don' is coming up really well. At the moment, we are into heavy pre-production for that. We would start shooting on Oct 1 or Oct 2... that's the scheduled date to start shooting for now. So we are getting there... slowly but surely. (I am) very excited about it. And I am quite certain that I'll have a great time making it and that the audience will surely enjoy it," Farhan told reporters here.

"Don - The Chase Begins" was a remake of 1978 movie "Don" that had megastar Amitabh Bachchan as the gangster. The film received a cult status and is still etched in the minds of many movie buffs.

In 2007, Farhan came out with the "Don - The Chase Begins" with Shah Rukh Khan in the title role. Now the director is set to make part two of the movie and says he will retain most of the star cast from the first instalment.

"There will be a lot of people from my previous 'Don' itself. So there will be Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Arjun Rampal and Om Puri. There are also new characters added to the script this time but they are currently being cast," he said.

Farhan was in the capital Monday to promote his movie "Karthik Calling Karthik", a thriller releasing on 500 screens Friday.

The movie is his third as an actor but Farhan says he will never give up direction.

"I would love to have a combination of both (acting and directing) in my life. I don't plan on giving up direction. I love it too much. I am getting back to it with 'Don' towards the end of this year. So it will be a combination of both things always," he said.

For the moment, Farhan can't stop praising his "Karthik Calling Karthik" co-star Deepika Padukone.

"Deepika is extremely professional which I respect a lot. She is prepared about what she needs to do through the day in advance. At the same time, she is not stubborn about having practised and visualised a scene in a certain way and then adapting it differently if asked to.

"I think as an actor, who is evolving and still growing, it's important to be a good listener. She has the ability to listen and not just be made to say the dialogues. I feel that's great."

Source: http://movies.indiainfo.com/article/100222162506_srk_all_set_to_step_into_the_shoes_of_don_again/880265.html

For Rizwanur, SRK scraps ad deal with Todis

Actor Shah Rukh Khan has cancelled an endorsement contract with Lux Cozy, an innerwear brand owned by Kolkata's Todi brothers, who are accused of hounding Kolkata youth Rizwanur Rehman to suicide.

Khan was a brand ambassador of Lux Cozy and his Indian Premier League team, Kolkata Knight Riders, was to promote the brand too.

Khan's support for the brand was criticized by Muslim groups and civil societies in Kolkata.

Rizwanur, a computer graphics designer, died in September 2007, a little more than a month after he married Priyanka Todi, the daughter of Ashok Todi.

Rizwanur's mother had requested Khan not to endorse a product owned by the Todis.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/printpage.php?id=110542&section_id=3

Box Office report: MNIK is on its way out

My Name is Khan, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, is no doubt conquering the global market as far as raking in the moolah is concerned. Reportedly, My Name Is Khan has maintained its strong business and collected around Rs 4.5 crore from Delhi and Punjab. Now the question is whether the film will continue to pull the crowds to Mumbai theatres. IBN MOVIES finds out whether cinema halls are going house full or empty in the second week.

Second Week's Verdict

Subash, manager of Chitra theatre in Dadar informed, "Our theatre did not screen My Name is Khan because we had a contract to screen Marathi films. As far as MNIK is concerned, the controversy did generate a lot of curiosity and many people wanted to watch the film. I was told by my friends who work in other theatres that the first week was house full but the second week was average. In fact, many of my friends who went to watchthe film came out disappointed saying that there is nothing special about story."

Though the critics have given many stars, they have panned the storyline. Santosh Bhatia of Premiere theatre in Parel said, "On the day of the release, we did not screen any shows because of the controversy. However, Saturday, Sunday and Monday shows were house full. The entire week, went very good. But in the second week, the shows did okay. I would say it is neither good nor bad. But, definitely it is not going house full anymore."

Karan Sethia, PR Officer, Fame Cinemas said, "The first week was very good. Most of our shows were house full. However, in the second week there is a decline. But still, it is not even going empty. We have got 70 to 80 per cent collection."

Though Shah Rukh Khan is leaving no stones unturned promoting his film all over, it certainly failed to impress the audiences in Mumbai.

Next, audiences are waiting for Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone's Karthik Calling Karthik, as the music and promos look quite promising.

Source: http://movies.ibnlive.in.com/news/movies/box-office-report-mnik-is-on-its-way-out/184439/0?from=tn

Shahrukh Khan Bonds With Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese At Berlin

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

What we don't know is that Shahrukh met and bonded in Berlin with American auteur director Martin Scorsese and his favorite actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The SRK brand of humor was intact when told that My Name Is Khan doesn't look like a Karan Johar film. At his deadliest deadpan best SRK retorted, "Yeah, even I felt like that when I first saw it. I told Karan, 'Arrey yaar yeh tum ne kaisi picture banayee hai?' Actually the three ladies in our lives Hiroo Aunty (Karan's mother Hiroo Johar), Kajol and Gauri have made this film."

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

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

She plays Shahrukh's grounded wife and not a super-woman.

Says a source close to Ra.1, "Kareena was keen to attempt the hi-jinks with Shahrukh, especially since Agent Vinod where she had a lot of stunts has again been postponed, but in Ra.1 all the conflict involves Shahrukh and the ten villains."

Shahrukh along with the film's director Anubhav Sinha and journalist-writer Mushtaq Sheikh has co-written Ra.1 and will be credited as one of the writers.

The film will be in Hindi.

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

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

Source:http://www.realbollywood.com/news/2010/02/shahrukh-khan-bonds-leonardo-dicaprio-martin-scorsese-berlin.html