Movie Review of : Ra.One

Rating:*** (3.5)

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Shahana Goswami, Armaan Verma

Direction: Anubhav Sinha

Genre: Sci-fci

Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes

Story: Goofy gaming expert, Shekhar Subramaniam (Shah Rukh Khan) wants to be a super hero for his son Prateik (Armaan Verma). But his young son, like all young sons, thinks super villans are more cool. So Shekhar creates the ultimate clash of good against evil by pitting a very powerful anti-hero Ra-One against a seemingly less potent good guy. But can the good guys ever lose?

Movie Review: Rajnikant's Robot may have pre-dated it, but Ra-One does manage to hold despite the larger-than-life quality of Rajni's antics as Chitti. Here, Shah Rukh Khan does the train walk sideways and he does it rather well. And if that is not enough, the two desi sci fi heroes have a split second encounter on the streets of Mumbai, with Rajni saar showing off his flying googles act and SRK replicating it with elan. Twin Rascals!

Ra-One works on several accounts. First because it has some interesting clashes betwen G-One, the good robot(Shah Rukh Khan) and Ra-One, the bad robot, who can take the form of anyone he wants. Secondly, the bond that G-One develops with the family he is supposed to protect, Kareena and her young son Prateik, is warm and winsome. There is also a lot of wit thrown in here and there in the screenplay, specially when the film concentrates on the geeky and loving Subramaniam's family dinners. And finally it is the excellently sung and choreographed Chammak-Challo number which keeps the mercury rising to unprecendented heights.

The film falls back in the emotional quotient. Understandably, robots have no feelings, but remember, even the steely Terminator managed to have a very special relationship with the mom and her messiah son. Also, considering so much money has been poured into the film, the special effects and the hi-tech gadgetry lacks the glitzy feel of Hollywood sci-fi. In some places, it even gets somewhat tacky with all those flying cars hurtling into nowhere and the digital game screen going gaudy in orange.

Small quibbles, actually, since Ra-One is sure to usher in a crackling Diwali at the box office and give the audience paisa vasool entertainment, with fine performances by both Shah Rukh and Kareena. Even young Armaan is efficient. Go have a blast.

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Movie Review : Billu

Film: Billu (Drama)
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Lara Dutta, Shah Rukh Khan (cameo)
Direction: Priyadarshan
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes 
Critic’s rating: 

You cast Irrfan Khan in your film and you have half your work already done. The actor takes a role and interprets it in a way that is purely his own. So much so, you begin to wonder where does Irrfan end and Billu begin. Or maybe still, perhaps, there never was a duality between the two. Perhaps Irrfan and Maqbool, Irrfan and Ashoke (The Namesake), Irrfan and Monty (Life in a Metro) are one and same: the actor and the character being perfectly in sync with each other. And no, Irrfan doesn't play it the same always. With his mercurial craft, he has the ability to pitch it high, low, hysterical, restrained, violent, genteel...any which way the script demands.

Here, he plays Billu, the barber (hair dresser, hair stylist or what you will) with an easy charm and an exquisite finesse. As the archetypal Sudama (poor friend), he brings to life a throbbing picture of dignity and restraint, as he tries to cope with his abject poverty on one end and the arrival of his flashy superstar friend, Sahir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) on the other. Sahir is his childhood buddy, going back to those carefree days when the two shared their deprivation with brotherly warmth and care. Billu, the marginally better-off buddy, not only shared his tiffin but also sold his gold ear rings to send showman Sahir to Mumbai for a career in films. And once their paths diverged, he quietly crept back into the shadows with his crumbling barber's shop and his frugal family life, while Sahir got cloistered in his ivory tower that results from too much fame and glamour.

Now that Sahir's back in the picturesque village for a corny film shoot, life doesn't remain the same for laid-back Billu. Everyone gets a whiff of their legendary friendship and wants a slice of the Sahir pie. Everyone, except Billu who doesn't want to embarrass his friend with his decrepit state, despite the fact that the village almost threatens to boycott him and his broken barber's chair.

The film may not have done well in its Tamil version (Kuselan), but Priyadarshan has suitably peppered it with some heart-tugging moments to make it a moving ode to friendship and ordinariness. Of course, Irrfan manages to invest the ordinary with kingly glow, even as Shah Rukh lends the glamour quotient with his filmy naach-gaana. Surprisingly, Lara Dutta too manages to fit in with her deglamourised avtar as the lowly barber's better-half, in crumpled cottons and low-back cholis.

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Return of the Don

SRK-starrer Don 2 to be made with Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal and Boman Irani

Excel Entertainment had put Shah Rukh Khan starrer Don 2 on the back burner because Amitabh Bachchan might soon be part of the sequel to his yesteryear classic Don, to be produced by Nadeem Irani and Nasir Irani, sons of the producer of 1975 Don. SRK's recent shoulder injury had made matters worse. But now everything is sorted out and Excel Entertainment is going ahead with Don 2.

According to our source, Farhan Akhtar will direct the film starring all the four actors who were in Don - Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal and Boman Irani. On the other hand, the Iranis have made no headway as yet in their plans to make the sequel with Bachchan.
While Shah Rukh, Arjun and Boman had given their consent to Excel Entertainment a long time ago, Priyanka was signed a few days before she went to the US to shoot for Ashutosh Gowariker's What's Your Rashee?

Our source from Bollywood says, "Authorities at Excel Entertainment were not too sure if they should go with Priyanka, but lately Priyanka has become a big name after delivering back-to-back hits - Fashion and Dostana and winning the best actress award recently. The decision confirming Priyanka's presence in Don 2 was taken only recently."

A source close to Excel Entertainment told Mumbai Mirror, "Don had done rather well with Shah Rukh. Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar (partners in Excel) were very keen that they make the sequel. Things were not falling in place initially, but now everything is sorted out."

Sidhwani confirmed the story and said, "We start shooting Don 2 in January 2010. The entire film will be shot in Berlin and Ireland. Now that we know that Vijay is dead and Shah Rukh is just Don in the film, the remaining part of the story is going to be very interesting."

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I don't want to hurt anyone: Shah Rukh Khan

An interview of Shah Rukh Khan with CNN-IBN on issue of the title of Shah Rukh Khan's film Billu Barber.

The title of Shah Rukh Khan's Billu Barber has upset the salon and hairdressers union. Now with no option left before the release, King Khan has decided to take off the word 'barber' from its publicity posters.

CNN-IBN: It's too late to change the title of the film Billu Barber, but Shah Rukh you're doing everything to not upset anyone?

Shah Rukh Khan: I had a discussion with the association of hair dressers and salons in Maharashtra. And I've pokes to the associations in other cities on the phone. I don't think we were wrong in ever using the word 'barber' and that is what be stand by. But they have their own take on that. The film has been made with a good feeling. So, I'd rather not hurt anyone, because it's not going to affect my film.

CNN-IBN: So what will be your next step since the prints are out and the posters have been put up?

Shah Rukh Khan: We will put a piece of paper on the word 'barber' on the posters and hoardings which belong to the production which is Red Chillies, wherever it can be done. It's a little expensive to try and change the posters which we couldn't have done.

CNN-IBN: The censor cleared your film, so didn't you try to negotiate with these associations? Did you try to make them understand that the term 'barber' isn't a derogatory one?

Shah Rukh Khan: If they understood that they wouldn't have had an issue with it. In this case I was very clear that there is no legality involved and I would just like to make sure that people aren't unhappy. I think I'm also a little mellow since I'm going for my surgery, so I don't want to hurt anyone.

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Rab is on Shah Rukh’s side

Never mind if Tashan and Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic weren’t eventful. Aditya Chopra’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is all set to bring back Yash Chopra’s lost glory.



Looks like Shah Rukh Khan will prove to be their lucky charm once again after Chak De... India. At least that’s what numerologist Niraj Mancchanda predicts.



He tells us, “Rab Ne... will be the biggest hit of 2008. It comes to number 42 just like Dil Toh Pagal Hai did and that number vibrates with both Yash Chopra who is a number 9 and Aditya Chopra who is a number 3. The movie may might break records.” So, SRK need not worry about losing his throne or crown.

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SRK Konnection

 Shah Rukh Khan may not be starring in Aziz Mirza’s Kismat Konnection, but he’s invisibly there in the project alright.



This Shahid Kapur-Vidya Balan starrer has inputs galore from Mirza’s dear friend SRK. Said a source close to the film, “Shah Rukh and Juhi Chawla share a special bond with Aziz Mirza. They are like family to the Mirzas. Aziz considers them lucky for him”.



Added our source, “Going by the comfort level and the rapport that the two share, Mizra had several meetings with Shah Rukh at his place, Mannat to discuss the script of Kismat Konnection .”



Mizra’s directorial debut Circus starred Shah Rukh when he was a newcomer and since then, Mizra has worked with Shah Rukh films like Raju Ban Gaya Gentlema n (1992), Yes Boss (1997), Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000) and Chalte Chalte (2003).

When contacted, Mizra said, “Shah Rukh and I go back a long way. We always discuss ideas with each other. And so he gave me feedback on this film too. It is not a big deal.”

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Shah Rukh’s tribute to stars of yore

Aditya Chopra is leaving no stone unturned to make his ambitious film, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer, Rab ne Bana Di Jodi, a grand success. Aditya Chopra has recorded an 11-minute song in the film for one important sequence that will have Sonu Niggaam paying tribute to five yesteryear stars.

Our source says, “Aditya has recorded an 11-minute song in the film which show cases the style of five different generations in one single song. The song tracks the journey from 1950s to the ’90s to the present era and will be picturised on Shah Rukh Khan. Adi had reached a dead end with the song, and had almost scrapped it, when he thought of Sonu.

The specialty of the song? It’s a tribute by SRK to stalwarts like Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Rishi Kapoor.

Music composers Salim-Suleiman and lyricist Jaideep Sahni were asked to compose the song which would have the first line of the most famous numbers by these romantic icons – involving songs sung by singers like Mukesh, Rafi, Kishore and Jolly Mukherjee. Ranging from the ’50s to the ’90s, the voice had to encompass the spirit of the old and the new equally, and Sonu was the only option. Apparently, Sonu, who was travelling extensively, obliged to rehearse thrice and work on the song and then finally sang in less than 45 minutes. Sonu Niggaam remained unavailable for comment.

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