"I had a couple of rules actually - that I won't ride a horse and I won't kiss. Both are cumbersome. I don't know how to do both on screen," Shah Rukh said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2012 here Friday.
Ever since the release of Yash Chopra's directorial JTHJ Tuesday, social networking platforms have been abuzz about the kiss scene between Shah Rukh and Katrina Kaif. So, moderator Vir Sanghvi, on behalf of Twitterati, asked SRK: How come he kissed this time!
"I will be very honest. Adi (Aditya Chopra), Yash ji and Katrina, and I say this with all humility and thankfulness to them, that they knew I was awkward, I had issues and I am a very easy actor to work with. They are like my family and they said, 'You don't have to do this' and then they got together and they forced me and then even paid me for it."
"So... When heroines say that 'I wore a bikini because the story demanded me to', I did it (the kiss) because the story demanded it. Believe me or don't believe it," said the 47-year-old actor, who has been in showbiz for over two decades.
Shah Rukh feels doing something as intimate as a kiss on screen, is mechanical.
"It is very mechanical with 100 people telling you what to do. It's very odd. I don't even do photo shoots with heroines if it is not for my film and that is also rude, but I don't want to waste anyone's time. I find it very awkward taking my shirt off and posing. I can do it in character for the film," he said.
But JTHJ was "extremely special because of Yash ji".
"He spoke to everyone and he said 'Shah Rukh, this is a requirement'," recollected Shah Rukh.
The actor was extremely close to the late filmmaker, who breathed his last Oct 21 following dengue and subsequent multi-organ failure.
A Love without life, or a life without love? Time is the strongest tests of relationships? Or something like that! Through Dil Toh Paagal Hai, Yash Chopra made famous the ‘someone somewhere is made for you’ belief. With Jab Tak Hai Jaan, he elucidates the concept of timeless love. Every relationship has its time, it’s believed. If something is meant to happen or not is a trick of destiny, all you’ve got to give it is your honest best.
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JTHJ is the story of Samar Anand (Shah Rukh Khan) tracing his life across a span of around 10 years–one as a young musician in London picking up odd jobs to make an honest yet cheerful livelihood while second as Major Samar Anand of the Indian army, where he’s tagged as ‘the man who cannot die’ owing to his record of diffusing 98 bombs without any bomb suits or safety. While musician Samar is a carefree, extrovert, charming person who makes friends easily as he goes, Major Samar is a recluse, who mostly keeps to himself, playing the dutiful army officer one bomb at a time. Meera (Katrina Kaif) and Akira (Anushka Sharma) play the two loves, who enter at different stages of his life. What circumstances led the effervescent Samar to retreat into a life of solidarity, what’s the emotional baggage he carries and what happens when the lives of the three characters intertwine forms the narrative of Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
Of the two leading ladies Anushka scores over her co-star. Her character as a fiery bindaas daredevil is perfectly written and she makes it to her advantage. The chemistry she shares with Shah Rukh continues in the same vein from RNBDJ.. Not too subtle, not too over-played, she is a complete pleasure to watch. Katrina is comparatively average. While her character has a graph which requires her to be restrained at most times, that is no argument, especially in her scenes with SRK, where she falls immensely flat and looks confused. Coming of the man of the moment, Shah Rukh, looking decidedly dapper in bow-tie as ruggedly composed in army attire, makes JTHJ all about him. Effortless in a character only he could’ve pulled off with so much élan, he adopts Samar’s arrogance and confidence with equal balance, proving exactly why his name is synonymous with romance. There are moments in the film you feel sorry for him having to work against a tide of flimsy material and weak chemistry, but against all odds, he manages to wax coat with SRK charm. There is a lovely casting of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor in a cameo and while the scene was meant to be between Neetu and Katrina, Rishi Kapoor steals it with an endearing grin and a wave of a wine glass.
Of the two leading ladies Anushka scores over her co-star. Her character as a fiery bindaas daredevil is perfectly written and she makes it to her advantage. The chemistry she shares with Shah Rukh continues in the same vein from RNBDJ.. Not too subtle, not too over-played, she is a complete pleasure to watch. Katrina is comparatively average. While her character has a graph which requires her to be restrained at most times, that is no argument, especially in her scenes with SRK, where she falls immensely flat and looks confused. Coming of the man of the moment, Shah Rukh, looking decidedly dapper in bow-tie as ruggedly composed in army attire, makes JTHJ all about him. Effortless in a character only he could’ve pulled off with so much élan, he adopts Samar’s arrogance and confidence with equal balance, proving exactly why his name is synonymous with romance. There are moments in the film you feel sorry for him having to work against a tide of flimsy material and weak chemistry, but against all odds, he manages to wax coat with SRK charm. There is a lovely casting of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor in a cameo and while the scene was meant to be between Neetu and Katrina, Rishi Kapoor steals it with an endearing grin and a wave of a wine glass.
The songs, composed by A R Rahman penned by Gulzar already well received, are magnified on screen. I am not a particular fan of the album in its entirety, but you can’t help enjoying the beats when ‘Challa’ plays (yes, plural!) or tap your feet at ‘Ishq Shava’, packaged very well with tricky choreography, which surprisingly Shah Rukh pulls off quite convincingly. What doesn’t work in its favor is the songs are too close within minutes of each other. Especially in the first half where most of the tracks are stacked up, while ‘Saans’ re-runs in the background score of the second-half make them a tedious watch after a point of which you wish you could reach out for the fast-forward button.JTHJ is a Yash Chopra film of 2012. So the white chiffon sari is replaced with white night gown, Switzerland is traded for Kashmir, but the soul of a Yash Raj cinema is intact. At a gracious run-time of close to 3hours, JTHJ is a couple reels too long, but the filmmaker’s zeal for cinema livens up the otherwise dull moments of the film. This is aptly put together in the end credits of the film, a montage of the film’s making which shows Yash Chopra’s excitement every time he screamed action, or the candid joyful expressions of seeing his actors enact his vision. Beneath a very routine motorbike sequence in the bare terrains of Ladakh, or a simple conversation in a park in London, there lies a Yash Chopra charisma that simply can’t be stripped off or ignored. ‘If you’re not happy, you cannot make anyone else happy’, a character says. Yash Chopra knew this too well. He enjoyed his work, he was happy, he tried to make sure others were happy as well thru his cinema.
For those with pre-conceived notions of this being an out-and-out soppy romantic tale, the screenplay by Aditya Chopra and Devika Bhagat is much more than that. In the midst of a love triangle, there is a story of survival, a tale of letting go, moving on, embracing life as it comes, questioning of faith, challenging of religious beliefs all done without any hum-drums of cheap innuendos, gags or toilet humor, just in shades of pristine white purity. Loaded with references from Yash Raj classics, maintaining an old world sincerity, JTHJ also treads into sub-plots of extra-marital affairs, a barter-trade like relationship with the Almighty, etc. Undoubtedly, the romantic scenes stand out the most, treated with substance and maturity in the experienced hands of Yash Chopra, executing them the way YRF knows best.
JTHJ will possibly not be heralded as a landmark film, it won’t run for weeks together like its other predecessor from the production house; however it’s one of the better romances to come out of Bollywood in recent times. Yes it’s sloppy, yes it’s amusingly clichéd, loopholes/facts hard to look past, but SRK makes it work, one aviator-clad stubble form, one honest act, one engaging performance. Maybe sometimes that’s all there is, Jab Tak Hai Khan.
Our Rating : 3.5 /5
The cast of the film, Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma greeted the guests along with Yash Chopra's son Uday Chopra and wife Pamela.
"We are missing him every moment. I hope everyone enjoys the film. His legacy has been wonderfully celebrated," Shah Rukh said.
Memories of the late filmmaker filled the red carpet with posters from his pictures placed along the carpet.
Guests included the cream of the industry like Amitabh Bachchan with wife Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Aamir Khan with wife, Karan Johar, Imran Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Randhir Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor.
"This is a celebration of Yash Chopra's life. He is still alive for me through his films, work and music. I am really looking forward to his film," said Anil Kapoor.
"He was the king of romance. This is a beautiful way to celebrate his life with love, happiness and remembrance. His films show romance for every age. Wish he was around to see this," said Madhuri Dixit.
Sridevi, who had been the leading lady for Yash Chopra's 'Chandni' said: "There are so many memories with him that it is endless of say. It is difficult to express. We will miss him."
Along with Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, other veteran actors included Vinod Khanna, Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu and Jeetendra.
"We are excited to see the film. We thank the family for this premiere. Yashji would have liked this," Amitabh Bachchan said.
Yash Chopra passed away on October 21 after being diagnosed with dengue. 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' was supposed to be his last film.
Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year is making all the right noises with the release of the brand new track ‘TheDisco Song’. Produced by Dharma Productions and Shahrukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, the film marks the debut of Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan. As the name suggests, the film is set in a college campus and the plot revolves around the bonding between three students named Abhi, Shanaya and Rohan played by Sidharth, Alia and Varun respectively.
Directed by Karan Johar, Student Of The Year has released the first song from the film ‘The Disco Song’. The teaser of the song was very well received and fans couldn’t stop raving about the energy of the groovy track. The Disco Song has the three leads having a blast showing off their funky disco moves. The song was choreographed by Remo D’souza and has all the popular disco steps.
Karan Johar’s films have given the industry some of its greatest hits and with the release of this song; DISCO definitely seems to be the flavor of the season!
Yash Chopra’s as yet untitled directorial film started shooting for its next schedule in Ladakh last week. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, the film also brings together the award winning pair of A. R. Rahman and Gulzar, who along with Yash Chopra, are creating some wonderful and meaningful music for this romantic film.
The first look of the film broke with a theatrical teaser trailer recently and this has added to the huge interest and buzz already existing for the film and fans cannot wait until Yash Chopra and YRF bring the romance back to Bollywood!
About the role and working with Mr Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan told us in an earlier interview. “It is a love story. I am very happy working with Mr. Yash Chopra, I find it very unique every time I work with him, more than any other director I have worked with. I enjoy that. You have sat down and discussed the scene with your co-actor and you are like, okay we are gong to do it like this, blah, blah, blah, and suddenly he comes up bringing this idea and says, you know what just look into her eyes and say you are very beautiful… that’s it. I just want you to make her feel beautiful. Do you think she is beautiful? And I say yeah…then make her feel she is beautiful. Just do that, there is no other information I want. It just keeps it so simple and basic. I really enjoy that. It is the most pure, unique, simple and real way of being in love.”
The Yash Chopra Romance is scheduled for a Diwali November 13th 2012 release, the festive time when Yashji’s movies over the years have lit up homes worldwide.
Check out these cool shots from the location shoot of Shah Rukh Khan in his military avatar. Hot na?
When today one hears the name Farhan Akhtar, one tends to think of Farhan, the actor after his outstanding performances in Rock On!! and Luck By Chance. But we cannot forget that this fabulous actor is an amazing director as well. He is the man behind the great films Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya and Don. In 2011, he has worn both hats: he starred in one of the best and most entertaining films of the year Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and he will end with a BANG! as a director with Don 2, of course starring Shah Rukh Khan.
While writing the first installment, Farhan couldn’t think of anyone else for the part but Shah Rukh Khan. “Shah Rukh Khan was always on my mind. I wanted him in the movie and luckily he liked the script. It is useless to think of anyone else as Don. He really fits the bill.”Initially, Farhan wasn’t hell bend on giving Don, which released in 2006, a sequel. Now he regrets saying that he would not make a sequel. “I feel guilty for saying that I would not do a sequel. When the film released everyone asked me about the sequel. They wanted to see what happened next. My obsession with the character got the better of me, so I decided to write the story. With amazing help and support and almost a sharing of vision with Ritesh and Shah Rukh and the rest of the team, I could not help but make Don 2. And now I am happy with the sequel,” says Farhan.
So now that we are on the sequel-tour, can we expect a Don 3, if part 2 is a succes? “Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai. So who knows, maybe the story will go further with sequels. It will be fun making them,” adds Farhan.
Whatever script Farhan writes, he will always let his father read it first. So naturally, Javed Akhtar, also gave his inputs for this film. “He is a gem, a legend and the right person to take suggestions from. He is so experienced and artistic and when I have access to him why not use it?
In the 2006 film, Farhan had retained some of the dialogues from the original, such as Don ko Pakadna Mushkil Hi Nahin, Namumkin Hai. For the sequel he has tried his hand on some new Don lingo and introduces these each friday with a new trailer. “While writing dialogues and thinking about the style of the dialogues, I knew that the approach has to be to write it in a way that films of the 70s were written, where people spoke with a bit of theatrical sense. There was a lot more drama in the lines. So I maintained that. It makes the film sound different. It will take you back to that golden dialogue era. It takes you back to the times when you got to see films like this where you know every dialogue was a dialogue. There are fun lines in the film, and hopefully people will enjoy.”
A few weeks back a song appeared on the internet claiming to be from the Don 2 soundtrack. Farhan denied this on Twitter. But he does admit being scared of piracy. “I am not afraid because we are working with people whom we trust. Yet if such things happen we can’t stop it. The only thing every producer is afraid of is piracy. All we can do is request people not to see pirated films,” says Farhan.
Does he feel nervous about high expectations? “I have made the movie with honesty and hard work. Now it is up to people if they like it or not. I hope people will like it,” concludes Farhan.
Don 2, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Om Puri, Lara Dutta and Kunal Kapoor is all set to release on 23 December in 2D and 3D formats.
Ra.One has only been in theaters for about a week but already we hear that plans for a sequel to hit film will soon be in the works! Writer of Ra.One, Mushtaq Sheikh confirmed the news to the Hindustani Times saying, “Without a doubt, a sequel is on its way.”Apparently it was during the filming of Ra.One that they had the idea that a sequel could be made. “When we were just half-way through, we knew a film like this would demand a sequel.”
It seems by the time they came to the end it was a definite plan. Many people commented on the fact that the ending of the film left it open for another story to come. Sheik agrees saying, “The way we left it at the end shows how G.One has come back.”
In fact, ideas for part two have been discussed, “Shah Rukh believes in it. It’s completely his vision. We have discussed part two. Like everyone else, he also has some ideas in head,” Sheik said.
In an interview with Subhash K Jha, director Anubhav Sinha also talked about more Ra.One films coming in the future, “I won’t deny Shah Rukh and I have already spoken about a sequel.” Adding, “In fact, Shah Rukh already has the plot worked out till Part 5.”
For now it is still something to think of after a long vacation. Sheik says “Right now, we all are soaking in the energy of Ra.One, which took five years of hard work. After the film’s success party, we will sit together and start work on the sequel. The thought process has already kicked off.”
As Shah Rukh himself tweeted, “picture abhi baaki hai mere dost”. However, we will have to wait and watch to see what the next adventure for G.One will be!
