 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.
Subhash K Jha/ Sampurn Wire
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