Everyone’s aware that Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies and Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions are producing MY NAME IS KHAN jointly. But not many are aware that when Karan requested SRK to step in as producer-partner, the tie up happened within a minute or two.

“I told Karan that he didn’t need me [as producer-partner]. He has an efficient production house, but he insisted. So I said okay, we shook hands and I stepped into the project as producer-partner,” Shah Rukh says.

Post MY NAME IS KHAN, SRK moves over to his home-production RA-1, a superhero film helmed by Anubhav Sinha. Reportedly, SRK’s preference to RA-1 has strained his relations with Farah Khan. “That’s untrue. Why should I be upset with Farah? Farah and I go a long way. Farah, Sajid, Shirish are family and there’s no tension whatsoever,” SRK rubbishes the rumours.

Meanwhile, SRK will also begin filming DON 2 later this year. Reportedly, he has also given the go-ahead to Yash Raj’s next venture, to be directed by Yash Chopra. “They haven’t approached me yet, but if Yash-ji or Adi do offer me a project, I’d gladly walk on the set any day,” he smiles.

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Call it a coincidence, but there is always a 3 or 4-year gap between each of Karan Johar’s films. KUCH KUCH HOTA HAIN [1998], KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM [2001], KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA [2006] and now, his ambitious venture MY NAME IS KHAN opens this February, after almost four years since his last release hit the marquee.

“I can’t churn out movies like a machine. But I do promise to start another film this year,” Karan enlightens me. Reportedly, the supremely talented film-maker is keen to cast his favourite Shah Rukh Khan and WAKE UP SID actor Ranbir Kapoor in his next venture. True? “That’s news to my ears. Right now, I am too much into MY NAME IS KHAN and can’t think of anything else. The cast you mentioned is also untrue,” he elucidates.

Karan also adds that he hasn’t cast anyone in the AGNEEPATH remake yet. “A lot of people ask me why I am keen to remake AGNEEPATH. Let me explain. The film didn’t work at the box-office when it opened almost two decades ago and my father, who was very vocal that AGNEEPATH was one of his finest films, always felt that the film never got its due. He would often prod me to remake AGNEEPATH some day, so here I am, fulfilling my father’s wishes,” Karan says.

The new AGNEEPATH, hence, will be a tribute to Karan’s father.

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Have you seen Avatar yet? It’s a remarkable piece of filmmaking and is quickly making James Cameron’s already sagging award shelf sag even further after the Golden Globes last weekend.

For several viewers, however, it seems that Avatar presented more than an excellent example of modern 3D filmmaking – it was a whole new world altogether and one that is being sorely missed when away from the silver screen.

This CNN story describes how some people have been going through depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing – and then leaving – the alien world of Pandora.

Fans posting on fan forum site Avatar Forums in a thread called “Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible,” where users share their stories.

“That’s all I have been doing as of late, searching the Internet for more info about ‘Avatar.’ I guess that helps. It’s so hard I can’t force myself to think that it’s just a movie, and to get over it, that living like the Na’vi will never happen. I think I need a rebound movie,” a user named Elequin posted.

Another user offered the following advice: “Start living like Neytiri: in touch with nature, the environment, and not being greedy and wasteful. Pass on the burger, for something more healthy for you and less cruel to animals. Spend your time on this forum, or volunteering in your free time, instead of getting high or drinking, twiddling your thumbs, being apathetic and complaining about how bad the world is.”

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he news that has been doing the rounds for sometime now is about the search for the heroine of Farah Khan and Shirish Kunder’s flick Tees Maar Khan. The film has been in news since its announcement. First it was Akshay replacing SRK as the lead, followed by the ‘namesake’ casting coup, wherein Akshaye Khanna was roped in for the film.

As far as the heroine for the film was concerned, the rumor mills went overboard with names that ranged from Sonam Kapoor to Deepika Padukone and likes. But, according to Bollywood Hungama’s confirmed sources it is neither Sonam, nor Deepika, because it is Katrina Kaif! When we spoke to Shirish to confirm the news, all that he said was, “I cannot say anything right now. I can only speak about it in a couple of days.” Our source also went onto add that the trio of Akshay, Katrina and Farah have shot a cover page shoot for a daily (which is supposed to be out in a couple of days) to announce the coming on board of Katrina as Tees Maar Khan’s leading lady.

With Katrina coming on board, expectations are bound to be sky-high about Tees Maar Khan, considering the hit track record that Akki-Katz have delivered in the past, like Namastey London, Welcome and Singh Is Kinng to name a few. What remains to be seen is that will Tees Maar Khan follow suit or will it create a new track record?

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Aamir Khan is on a roll. After the runaway success of 3 Idiots, news is out that Bollywood superstar has signed up as the brand ambassador of UAE’s Etisalat, India’s latest telecom entrant.

The deal was reportedly inked before the release of 3i at Rs 30-35 crore for a period of 3 years. Etisalat will follow Aamir’s other endorsements – Coca Cola, Tata Sky and Samsung.

Etisalat has been the telecommunications service provider in the UAE since 1976, while Etisalat DB Telecom India, previously called Swan Telecom, is a new telco set up jointly by Etisalat and DB Realty, headquartered at Mumbai.

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