PicShik Blog

Actor Saif Ali Khan may have had to cancel his big birthday bash, but he is happy that his 38th birthday on Saturday coincides with the festival of Raksha Bandhan as his two sisters celebrate the festival in a big way.

“There’s no one in town! All my friends from the industry are not here. In fact I had spoken to Shah Rukh (Khan). He had promised to fly back to Mumbai for my birthday. Very sweet of him.”

But the superstar couldn’t make it and Saif says he’ll miss his parents too.

“My mom and dad are not flying over from Delhi. My birthday is not such a big deal for me. I’d just be happy to spend it with Kareena (Kapoor) and my kids,” said Saif.

But since his birthday falls on Rakhi day, he says he is expecting presents from his sisters Soha and Saba instead.

“Rakha Bandhan is always special for me as my two sisters celebrate it in a big way every year, and this year it is even more special because it also coincides with my birthday,” Saif said.

“On earlier occasions of Raksha Bandhan, I have always presented them with gifts, but this time I am expecting a gift from them,” he added.

Things couldn’t be better for Saif as he completes 38.

“It’s been an eventful and fulfilling year. I found love in Kareena. Professionally it was a quiet year. There was Race, but then there were two films that didn’t do well. I need to focus more on my work. I want to put together some good projects and work hard. Since my personal life is so stable I’ve no excuse to not give my job my best shot.”

This was also the year when Saif turned producer.

“I’m actually a creative producer. My partner Dinesh Vijen takes care of the nitty-gritties. I’m there as an actor. For my first production I let my director Imtiaz Ali do exactly what he wants.”

Saif says he has begun to understand himself much more now.

“I’ve discovered there are many things I like about myself, and a couple of things that I don’t like about myself. I’m 38 now. Do I feel wise? Sometimes I do. At other times I’m still as impulsive and headstrong as I used to be.

“I felt when I grew older I’d outgrow certain bands when it came to music, that I’d stop enjoying rock when I was older. That didn’t happen. I still enjoy some of the things that I did 10 years ago. Is that bad?”

Saif is also heavily into fitness now. “I think if you’re health conscious and you’re physically fit and look after yourself, 38 is a great age to be. Today I’m more aware of myself. I know who I am with and what I’m comfortable with. I’ve quit smoking completely. This the healthiest time of my life.”

There were rumours that the actor had a panic attack while shooting in London last month. But he completely rubbishes them.

“What nonsense! I don’t even know what a panic attack is. Does it mean I thought I had a heart attack? No such thing happened to me.”

Saif has just returned from London and the US after one of the longest shooting stints abroad.

“London has become Bollywood’s favourite second home. Mine too. A lot of us actors love London. I spent a lot of my growing years in London. But I don’t feel too much at home there. Mumbai is where I feel home is,” said Saif, who’s just back in the city after two months of shooting abroad.

“Sadly I’m going off to Dubai to do a show, then I’m going to the US for an event. I also have to shoot in Kolkata, Delhi and Rajasthan to complete Imtiaz Ali’s film. There’s quite a lot of the film that remains so I’m hardly in Mumbai. It’d be nice to spend some time in Mumbai not working…just spending some time with the kids,” Saif said.

As far as films go, he has signed another film opposite Kareena to be produced by Ashthvinayak.

“But I’m quite open to her working with other leading men. I think she’s doing Imtiaz Ali’s next film with another actor, just as I’m doing Imtiaz’s current film with Deepika Padukone. So what? Even if we work separately we still manage to spend quite a lot of time together.”

With the battle the war between the two Khans of Bollywood– Salman & SRK is making headlines, it seems some well wishers are already making attempts to cool the tempers. One such name being- the item girl Rakhi Sawant.

When asked by the media about what she though of the war of the Khans, Rakhi said that they should patch up because they are both part of the industry. They both are fierce. Calling one a tiger and the other a Cheetah she concluded that they are all number one in the industry so today or tomorrow they will be friends, as they are the Khan brothers.

Though, considered the motor mouth of the industry, Rakhi this time is playing a different role, that of a peace broker.
Well, we hope the item girl’s earnest suggestion to the Khan’s doesn’t rub them the wrong way.

Rani Mukherjee recently threw a party at her newly renovated bungalow and invited all the four Khans of Bollywood.

But reports are that Aamir Khan , Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan decided to skip Rani’s house-warming party as it was to be attended by Shahrukh Khan .

The three Khans chose to stay away from the bash and only the King Khan was seen making an appearance.

Speculations are rife that this has more to do with the SRK-Salman spat, since Rani is known to be at good terms with all the Khans, namely.

Rani has recently moved into a spacious new home which has been beautified by Sussanne Khan Roshan and Twinkle Khanna in the upscale Juhu neighbourhood and had been planning a house-warming party since long but had a tough time fixing it up all thanks to the busy schedules of all the stars Rani wanted at the party.

But all that planning has gone into the drain with most of them snubbing her do.

Those who made it to the party were- SRK, Gauri, Karan Johar , Akshay Kumar and Twinkle, Farah Khan , Farhan Akhtar , Anil Kapoor and Sunita Kapoor, and Sussanne Roshan.

Much has been written and said about Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor after their debut film Saawariya which failed drastically at the box-office. Though Ranbir many a times referred Sonam only as a childhood friend and denied to be in any sort of intimate relationship, it is the media that occasionally refreshes the issue. Sonam who till date did not come open of her relationship with Ranbir had finally opened her heart. She clarified that she knows Ranbir from childhood and he is not her type. They are just good friends and not seeing each other.

Rumors are rife that Ranbir’s ladylove Deepika Padukone disliked his mixing up with Sonam and according to her advice Ranbir had cut off all the ties with her. Sonam’s choice of guy is Salman Khan and says that if he be single, she would definitely go for him. She loves to get into a messy relationship rather than a mature one.

Childhood friend Sonam and Ranbir are now like two opposite poles, hardly enquire about one another’s well-being. Today, Sonam is highly stimulated with her next release Dilli 6 with Abhishek Bachchan and Ranbir eagerly waiting for the Bachna Ae Haseeno outcome.

“Shah Rukh?” asked the distinctly Indonesian voice as I sleepily gripped my handphone. Shah Rukh? Who? Then I remembered that some guys I had met the night before had called me Shah Rukh Khan and I had left it at that. We had exchanged numbers at some point. And now this … “No, this is Neh-ru” I said in jest, “Jawa-har-lal Neh-ru.” The man on the other end hung up.

Shah Rukh Khan is the most recognizable Indian in Indonesia today. I don’t mind being called Shah Rukh Khan five times a day. I must confess though, that I bear absolutely no resemblance to that startlingly good looking, traffic-stopping heartthrob. Gandhi would look handsome next to me. But when in doubt, or in jest, all Indian men are Shah Rukh Khan.

Bollywood has certainly renewed an Indian cultural presence here, in Indonesia, after the Majapahit kingdom crumbled aeons ago, after Nehru walked off the podium at Bandung in 1955. For every atavistic Ramayana wayang performance in Bali and Java, there are perhaps a hundred Bollywood movies viewed.

I am constantly besieged with people inquiring after the meaning of lyrics from Bollywood songs: “Mister, what is Dil Toh Pagal Hai? (my heart is wild)” asked the man refilling my handphone, or “what do you mean by Dum maaro dum? (go on, take a hit)” inquired the long haired teenager on the bus as a conversation opener.

This phenomenon is not limited to big cities, nor is it particularly recent. I was in a small village in Kalimantan about a decade ago working on a documentary film. This place was way upriver, in the real interior I assure you. As I went down to the bank to wash my clothes a group of middle aged Dayak women started laughing at me and then broke out into “oh made in India, made in India…”, the chorus lines from a Bollywood hit from back when. This love for Indian movies dubbed in Indonesian clearly cuts across all demographic cleavages.

Night clubs in Jakarta with hefty cover fees blast reversioned movie dance hits while pembantus (housemaids) will quietly iron clothes watching a 1970s Amitabh Bacchan re-run. I so want to shake the hand of the man who does the Indonesian voice over for the Big B. His intonation is so mean, so apt, so Lawaaris. And even when the cheaply made, appallingly tacky, Bollywood produced, Mahabharata television series aired in the 1990s many people were glued to their TV sets.

But sadly, there is not really much else going on between Indonesia and India. Sure there are diplomatic visits and some improvements in trading but its nothing to write home about — only about 2 percent of Indonesia’s imports are from India. My parents generation had however, seen a different nature of interaction between the two countries, at first during the aftermath of World War II and then during Sukarno’s non-aligned nations dream.

I grew up with a story that rivals anything that Bollywood might be able to conjure up — of a daring mission during which ace Indian pilot Biju Patnaik flew a Dakota aircraft through stormy, Dutch patrolled skies and rescued Sutan Sjahrir. When the Dutch threatened to shoot him down Patnaik had famously replied, “Resurgent India does not recognize Dutch colonial sovereignty over the Indonesian population,”

In 1995 as part of Indonesia’s 50th year celebrations Patnaik was awarded the rare “Bintang Jasu Utama.” But Biju siapa? Maybe a heady Bollywood song and dance biopic might help remind us of those glory days.

Nehru’s presence in Indonesia is of course better known. But whatever does remain of the famous meeting of non-aligned nations in 1955? There was a stamp issued in India, in 2005 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Bandung conference. It bears Nehru’s image to the left and those unmistakable pillars and flags from the conference to the right.

Shah Rukh Khan arguably has more prominence in Indonesia than Nehru ever did. While that is uncomfortable to come to terms with, one has to accept that despite its often tacky, mediocre, downright silly productions Bollywood has culturally penetrated in areas and numbers that political ideology could not.

Of course, the advent of new beamable, copyable, easily-viewable media has helped this. And thus, the cultural intercourse spanning the Indian ocean, between the two countries, for millennia has reached epic proportions again.

But could this then be the basis of a more durable bond that could be parlayed into trade and improved bilateral relations? We appear to have two gigantic democracies, both open to free trade now, with vast human and natural resources within a few hours of flying time a few days of cargo ship travel.

Add to this the thought that if you’re a little tired, or have had a couple of drinks, it becomes very difficult to distinguish between a Dangdut duet and a Bollywood ballad. Like it or not, in this post-Reformasi era of the New World Order, a pirated DVD of Om Shanti Om has more socio-cultural salience than a stamp, a statue or a shadow puppet. I thus implore marketing guru’s and political strategy Imam’s to ponder over this and possibly devise some new directions for better relations — both cultural and fiscal.

I wouldn’t mind getting in touch with my inner Shah Rukh Khan if it gives Indians and Indonesians more reasons to hum together.

Bipasha Basu is hunting for a brother! Bips was recently in Delhi along with Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Minissha Lamba and director Siddhartha Anand to promote Bachna Ae Haseeno.

Bipasha seemed in a mood to enjoy herself as she joked and chatted with everyone present. Sounding upbeat about the upcoming film, she said, “Watch it to know what the film is all about.”

During the conversation someone asked the Bong beauty about her plans for Rakshbandhan. Bipasha replied candidly, “We are a family of sisters. So, of course, there are no major plans for Rakshabandhan. But, this year I have a novel idea. I guess I should go out and advertise that I am looking for a brother. I wonder if anyone would come up to me and tell me that he will let me tie a rakhi on his wrist!”

After having delivered two back to back solo hero hits like ‘Vivaah’ and ‘Jab We Met’, Shahid has delivered yet again with ‘Kismat Konnection’. Shahid becomes one of the select few top Bollywood heroes to have an opening at the box office. It also takes Shahid Kapoor in a different league with a wide release of prints, since only the superstars of Bollywood can command that clout. The ‘young superstar’ of Bollywood, Shahid has proved both his box office clout and his acting prowess with three back to back hits.Trade watchers are already predicting superstardom for Shahid, as they say that the time is not far when Shahid is officially acknowledged as one of the top five stars of Bollywood.

Shahid Kapoor, the young superstar is presently shooting in Pune for Vishal Bharadwaj film ‘Kaminey.. .’ he will be sporting a new look for the film.And when multi starrers are ruling the roost in Bollywood, Shahid has gone against the trend and delivered three solo hits. His forthcoming films are also solo starrers with Yashraj Films, two with UTV, Vishal Bharadwaj and Ken Ghosh, including another to be directed by his dad, Pankaj Kapoor!! With lady luck showering her affection, Shahid is enjoying every bit of his success. After all he is the only actor to have had three back-to-back solo hits.The success of ‘Kismat Konnection’ overseas too has opened a huge NRI market for Shahid. He is also referred as the new romantic icon, considering his huge fan base amongst the youth of the country. Shahid continues his solo winning trend at the box office!!!!

Bollywood super star Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Ashwarya Rai ended their tour of five cities of the United States with an energetic mega performance here today.
Bachchan family was also accompanied by actors Preity Zinta, Madhuri Dixit, Ritesh Deshmukh, choreorgrapher Shiamak Davar and other 130 performers on their “unforgettable tour” which began from Toronto on July 19.

Talking to reporters, the star family said, though the tour was hectic, it gave them an opportunity to spend quality time together, something which is hard to find when they are busy shooting for movies.

It was a massive venture, they agreed, saying that each show cost around one million dollar to organise but it ran to full houses.

They shared their happiness of staying together and spending time under one roof during the tour. “It is an experience to spend time together without hectic filming schedules,” as Abhisek put it.

He said it provided an opportunity to spend six weeks on the road with the family and “I don’t think we have spent this amount of time and such quality time for over 10 years together.” The warm reaction of the audiences, Amitabh Bachchan said, is their reward and incentive.

Abhisek said their success is tribute to the successful film industry and movies which are appreciated everywhere by the audiences.

The bollywood family headed to Europe to hold similar live performances for thier fans.

Controversies aside, actress-cum-business woman Preity Zinta says she has the deepest respect for internationally acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur and that she will be always there for him. “Shekhar is very special to me because he is the one who brought me into this industry. Though that film did not take off, I will always be grateful to him for bringing me to the film industry. I have great respect for him and I will always be there for him,” Preity said in an interview.
Kapur, whose ex-wife Suchitra Krishnamurthy blamed Preity for her divorce, had signed the actress for “Ta Ra Rum Pum” that was to be directed by Vishal Bharadwaj. “But the film never took off due to some problems. We sat for a few meetings and worked on the scripts but things did not fall in place so we just let it go,” Preity said.
Is she doing any film with him now? “No, he did not approach me again.” What are the films that Preity is working on now? “I have a lot of films which I have completed shooting for.”
Preity said she has completed Jahnu Barua’s “Har Pal”, Rituparno Ghosh’s English film “The Last Lear”, Samir Karnik’s “Heroes” and Deepa Mehta’s Punjabi film “Heaven On Earth”. Out of these, Preity considers “Heaven On Earth” as the most intense film of her career.
“It is the best film I have ever done. If I am 80-years-old and if someone asks me which film do you want to show people, I would say ‘Heaven On Earth’. “Though ‘Har Pal’ and ‘Heroes’ are also very close to my heart, I think ‘Heaven On Earth’ was altogether a different journey for me.”
The film has a host of award-winning actors from stage and is expected to hit the marquee later this year. As far as “Har Pal” is concerned, Preity said she had a great time working with legendary actor Dharmendra.
“It was a lifetime experience of working with Dharamji and I had a blast with my co-star Isha Koppikar. The script is 200 percent original. Every one would think that ‘Har Pal’ is a serious movie, but let me tell you that it is a hilarious film with the right emotions.” What about your relations with ‘Har Pal’ co-star Shiney Ahuja?
“Relations are fine with him, but we are not best friends. He is a good co-star.” The actress, who has featured in commercially successful films like “Dil Chahta Hai”, “Koi… Mil Gaya” and “Kal Ho Naa Ho”, thanks Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh for introducing her to meaningful cinema.
“He opened the doors to working in meaningful films. I want that when I look back after 10 or 20 years, I don’t have only ‘masala’ films to my credit. I want to see myself as part of meaningful films as well. It is because of him that I got ‘Heaven On Earth’ and I want to thank him for that.”
In “The Last Lear”, Preity teams up with Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Divya Dutta and Shefali Shah. About “Heroes”, Preity said it is a multi-starrer - a new genre of film with separate stories that have a common connection.

The new ‘hot’ couple of the tinsel town, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are selling like ‘hot’ cakes in the brand endorsement market. After signing the famous Head & Shoulders shampoo ad, they have bagged the coveted Airtel advertisement.

Earlier, Vidya Balan and Madhavan sizzled in the Airtel ad with their onscreen chemistry and now our ‘Chote Nawab’ and ‘Bebo’ will be seen sharing sweet-nothings onscreen.

According to a source, “Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are the hottest couple when it comes to brand endorsements. They’ve been paid a whopping amount to come together for these two brands. They will shoot for the Head & Shoulders ad soon.”

In the Head & Shoulders ad, Kareena is seen just for a split-second, but any brand that has them both on board will eventually use them together. That’s the reason why brands are going for couples, for eg, Bips-John, Ajay-Kajol.

Rumour has it that Saif has 12 brands, while Kareena has seven in her kitty. Soon, the lady will be seen endorsing leading jewellery and lifestyle brands. Bebo was reportedly paid Rs 5 crores for the Vivel soap ad that marked the foray of the ITC group into soap brands.

Kareena is now touted as the highest paid endorser and commands a price given only to male models. The power couple is now, clearly at the top in brand endorsement market. Seems that flaunting love, tattoos and fights have done the wonder. Bravo, Saifeena!