Shah Rukh Khan, the pseudo demigod of Bollywood,  was detained at the Newark Airport. Reason – His name is Khan. Apparently he was questioned for nearly 2 hrs before he was let off, after involvement by the Indian Consulate.

Apparently, several Indian actors in the past have been so called victims of racial profiling including Aamir Khan, Irfan Khan, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh et al….and more recently our Ex-President, Dr. Abdul Kalam.

While I sympathize  with anyone for having to go thru this ordeal, strip search is a common practice here in the US port of entry for anyone who they think is remotely suspicious and I kind of agree. No wonder US did not have another 9/11

A rule is a rule is a rule.

Whether you are a celebrity, or the President, the King or an ordinary man- why should you be given a special status because of what you have achieved. Aren’t the law of the land supposed to be the same for all ? Why blame the security guards or officers ?? They just followed the procedure & protocols. They don’t know their own celebrities, let alone Indians…..and why should they ?

Don’t we say – Equal right to every one, equal opportunity to every one and all that jazz ? Why discriminate when it comes to celebrity ?

What irked me more was the rants from our own Soni Kudi : Tit for Tat, saying ” You’ve done blah blah to our celebrities, so we will do it to yours”…

C’mon lady, don’t you think before you speak out ?…

Give me a break!!!  Why don’t you look at improving the security procedures in the backyard before spelling out your vendetta. Why don’t you ask  Chidu bhai not to spare anyone who is remotely suspicious. On one hand you keep ranting at every opportunity, at the same time you don’t do enough to tighten your own belt. Look at how your administration allowed a man to breeze thru security with guns. Learn some lessons!!!

Coming to the point – That SRK had to go thru this ordeal was his misfortune, but I guess the rule applies and should apply to everyone. Celebrities are no exception!

For once, I agree with Salman Khan – No big deal!!!

Popularity: 22%

I would have been around 9 years old when I saw Mohammed Azharuddin for the first time on television. If I remember correctly, it was in the winter of 1984 and England was touring India. The first two matches saw results – both the teams had won a match each in the 5 Test Match Series. India had won the opener in Bombay and England defeated India convincingly at the Ferozshah Kotla Maidan in Delhi.

Golden Debut

Both teams met at the Eden Gardens at Kolkata for the 3rd Test. It was in this match that Azhar made his debut at Eden Gardens when India was down at 126/3. Azharuddin’s debut was as fabulous as one can imagine.

He went on to score three centuries in three consecutive test matches – At Eden Gardens, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and Green Park stadium in Kanpur and thus etched his name in the annals of Indian history as the only player to score three centuries on debut. Some would term it as “Golden Debut”

Compare that to his grand entry to the Congress team.

The Andhra CM is battling his political life – With the Satyam scandals giving him nightmares, Asaduddin Owaisi and his All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen turning out to be a roadblock for Muslim votes in Hyderabad and Chandrababu Naidu gaining strength to strength, Congress had to find a savior who would take the baton and move on. With three big threats and a possible loss in the assembly elections looming, Congress sees a savior in Azhar – out to lambast the opponents. Azhar announces his grand entry into politics and yet another Golden Debut.

Will have to wait and watch, this time, if he can prove his critics wrong.

The Foreign Connection

Azhar was always compared to David Gower for his wrist flicks – a shot that he became characterized with, for the rest of his life. The grace and fluidity of his wrist once prompted John Woodcock, a noted cricket writer, to say,

“It’s no use asking an Englishman to bat like Mohammad Azharuddin. For, it would be like expecting a greyhound to win the London Derby!”

And now when he joined Congress, his foreign connection seems to have resurfaced again– No prizes for guessing the foreign connection!

The Moolah Machine

If you are not from a business family, a corporate czar or a black marketer in India, there are only three ways you can make money – Politics, Bollywood or Cricket. With his entry into politics, Azhar seems to be the only one who has hit the jackpot in all the three fields. Will his second innings prove to be as pocket heavy as in the first ? Only time will tell.

When Chips Are Down

Azhar has this uncanny knack of picking up things when the chips are down. Take his entry into cricket – it was when India needed support in the middle order and in walks Azhar who along with Ravi Shastri would hold the turf for years to come. And who would forget Azhar’s entry when Sangeeta lost her love interest in Salman. And now Congress!

One thing for sure – There is no denying the fact that he is talented and that fans still love him. We want him to succeed and may be he will. Hopefully he does so, doing the right thing, fighting for the right cause..and winning many hearts ….unlike his previous innings!

Image Credit: Prakhar

Popularity: 22%

In the 1990s when Bollywood was ruled by the likes of Govinda, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and the like, a lesser known star emerged from the theatre circles of Delhi. His dream was to make it big in Bollywood. In his hunt for the glitz and glamour, he took very calculated steps. One of which was a short stint on Television which turned out to be a massive success. While Circus was the launchpad of his career, the serial Fauji was the stepping stone of a long lasting and illustrious career in films. No prizes for guessing, we are talking of the one and only Shahrukh “The King” Khan.

In the next few years what followed was a series of blockbusters in Baazigar, DDLJ, Karan Arjun etc. Shahrukh Khan went onto become the King of Bollywood – a success story that will always be written with golden letters in history books .

Shahrukh, in his true style carried his success story to cricket. An ardent fan of cricket from his childhood days, he could not fulfill his vision of playing cricket at a professional level but he certainly had the wherewithal  to be the owner of a popular cricketing franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Incidentally, KKR was one of the two IPL franchise that made profit during the first year of operation. With the IPL second season coming along, Shahrukh Khan taking his franchise to the next level is only anybody’s guess.

There is no doubt that Shahrukh Khan is all about winning, leadership, passion, exuberance and what not. True – he is a hero to many. Amidst all the success attributed to Shahrukh there is also some element of negative shade the man carries – call it the “ego” or the “shades of success” . Of course, one can argue that everyone has some shades of negativity around them and rightfully so. After all, we are mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. Isn’t it ?

Speaking of Shahrukh and his negative shades, he has taken his verbal fight with Aamir a bit too personal. Although I am not privy to what transpired between the two, making it public wasn’t the right way of tackling it even if it meant, a hint. And this is not the first time he did so. Remember his public spat with Amitabh Bachhan a couple of years ago or his tiff last year with his erstwhile pal Salman Khan. Shahrukh Khan seems to be picking on his Bollywood colleagues more often than he should.

As Priyanko said in his article “The Dilemma of Being Sachin Tendulkar”, it is the predicament of the great to forge a path of greatness without harping too much on it. Greatness is not just achieving money and fame, it is also about gaining respect from all quarters – the fans and the critics alike.

Despite all this, Shahrukh Khan continues to be the King of Bollywood. He has shown what can be achieved with the sheer power of will and I hope he continues to be written in golden letters in the history books. I also hope success doesn’t get onto his head, for we like Shahrukh – The Winner.

Image Credit: 4 Dreams

Popularity: 16%

Much has been talked about her performance opposite Aamir Khan in her latest debutant movie in Bollywood. Asin who made an excellent entry into the Bollywood film industry with her latest film Ghajini has won the hearts of many people.

Though she is a well known star down south, this was her first appearance for the Bollywood film viewers. And she has proved herself as a talented actress by her performance in Ghajini. Not to forget that she has given her own voice in the movie.

She seemed like a breath of fresh air in the Bollywood film industry which has been dominated by Rani, Aishwarya, Preity, Kareena etc.

It has been a while since we got to see good actresses from the south delivering roles of some substance in Bollywood movies. Not many actresses in Bollywood get a chance to work in their first movie opposite the perfectionist Aamir Khan but Asin had already got it.

She has bagged her next role opposite the handsome Salman Khan in her next film "London Dreams". The King of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan is also looking forward to work with her. She has done a commercial opposite Saif Ali Khan.

Well what more can an actress who just entered into Bollywood ask for?

Just one movie old and she has been the talk of the town. She impressed the viewers with her performance as a simple bubbly girl and has won many accolades for her role in the movie.

It is said that she has been giving a tough time to many Bollywood actresses, and has become the reason for their sleepless nights. She has suddenly made a new entry into the league of the top actresses in Bollywood.

There have been many new stars making their entry into Bollywood film industry each year. They have been delivering superlative performances in their movies and the competition between the actors is getting tougher by each day. It’s not an easy task to make an impact and survive in an industry like this, especially for someone from a non Bollywood background.

Asin has risen to fame with her first performance itself, unlike many Bollywood actors and actresses who made their debut as popular star kids and gained enough exposure and popularity.

There have been questions in the media if Asin would follow Sridevi’s footsteps as the next actress from the south who will make it big in Bollywood?

Well only time can answer that. And I hope she does it and looking forward for her next performances. Way to go Asin!!!

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Popularity: 15%

I am a die hard fan of Salman Khan. I loved watching him in numerous movies, then what is making me think he is copying someone? Read on..

I watch the TV show Friends everyday. In last one year, I perhaps watched all the seasons twice. Of late I started realizing that Joey, a character in Friends played by Matt LeBlanc, is like someone I know. After a lot of thought, it struck me that it is Salman Khan.

Salman, perhaps was very original in earlier movies. Think of Maine Pyar Kiya, Andaz Apna Apna, Saajan, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. But somewhere in late 90s his style changed, think Judwaa, Hello Brother or even the recent Partner and Yuvvraaj. Other than one or two exceptions like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, every other film in which he is a brat makes me feel his acts are heavily “inspired” by antics of Matt LeBlanc. Interestingly if you see the timelines of change, they do coincide with the times when Friends became popular.

Couple of my friends shared the same thought when I discussed with them. There have been others who out-rightly rejected my claims. “Why do you always think our guys copy Hollywood, why don’t you think Matt LeBlanc may have been inspired by Salman?”, is what they have to say.

Do you share my views or think otherwise, do share your opinions. Frankly, I loved the old Salman than this new “inspired” version. Hope to see the old him back sometime.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Popularity: 20%

 The year 2008 saw 4 releases already from AR Rahman – Jodha Akbar, Ada, Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na and now Yuvraaj. Come December he will release his fifth one – Ghajini. Sometimes I wonder where does he get all this energy and creativity from ?

Arguably, this would be the most productive year from AR Rahman.

I heard the music of Yuvraaj some three times today. Must say some of them are pretty hummable. Considering AR Rahman’s earlier work, I can confidently say this is not the best from him. May be the best is still in store – Ghajini ? What say ?

Ok, coming to the review

Main Hoon Yuvraaj

If not for the background music, the rendering from Salman Khan is very disappointing. The background score sounded more like Beethoven’s masterpice – his 5^th Symphony.

My verdict – Melodramatic.

Tu Meri Dost Hain

It sounded as if the song has been lifted from the song – Aaja Gufaaon mein Aa…from the film Aks, especially the start. Shreya Ghosal was refreshing, Benny Dayal sounded more like K.K. The instrumentals in this song are also good.

My verdict – Pretty good.

Aakash Gandhi on NaachGaana.com wrote

The true beauty of music is realized when a full orchestration of acoustics, strings, woodwinds, brass, percussions, synths, and pads liquefy into an other-worldly phenomenon set to light your soul ablaze. This is how Tu Meri Dost Hai ravishes

Mastam Mastam

Very youthful, extremely catchy Mastam Mastam leaves with you a tune that is hummable till the next Rahman track is released. Sung by Sonu Nigam, the song is also supported by Alka Yagnik, Benny and Naresh.

Naresh who ?

Well, we are talking about AR Rahman and he has this knack of introducing young talents. C’mon give the youngster a chance !

My verdict – Listen for Sonu!

Tu Muskura

This song has the soul of Alka Yagnik and the metallic voice of Javed Ali. Well, I read this review on the song and I couldn’t stop myself from putting it out here.

Her vocals simply glow in exuberance as Gulzar’s metaphorically touching words kiss Yagnik’s lips with a resonating shower of aural supremacy

Sounded sensuous ? Wondering how can the vocals glow ?

Never mind – Fact is the song is good. Go listen !

Shano Shano

My two cents- “Under under, beach ka Sam-under”

An offbeat track that lacks the beats to be played in discos.. Although the number has a cool funky tune to it, Rahman fails to make this hip-hop dance number his own. Nevertheless, the song grows on you as you listen to it. AR Rahman can definitely get better.

Many artists sing this song – I will not bother to mention their names, even..

Zindagi

My pick of the album. Sung by Srinivas, this song will be remembered for its melody. It seems Srinivas is following the footsteps of Hariharan. It is a peaceful song, one that you’d love to hear while lying down in the bed.

My take – Zindagi brings Life to the album

Dil Ka Rishta

Hummable. Could have been better. Roop Kumar Rathod was a disappointment

Manmohini Morey

Meaningless. But it is AR Rahman. He can make songs out of meaningless dialogues. My points for creativity – mixing techno with classical stuff. This song was rendered by “what was his name, again ?”

Oh! Some one by name Vijay Prakash – Go Google him !

..And let me know !

Popularity: 18%

In continuation to the previous post, here is another one that will be of great interest to you..This one talks about the two great Khans – Salman & Shahrukh. If you thought I’d leave Aamir, then you are wrong. Aamir will be featured in the next one. Watch out, meanwhile take this !

Salman Khan

I have seen Salman Khan dance, emote, show his bare chests, be the good boy in reel life, otherwise in real life. But rarely did I get a chance to read what he writes. Yesterday was one such day when I read what he wrote and believe me he does write really well.

I started off thinking-when I write this article, I will probably talk the usual – all beauty no brains. But to my surprise, he changed my thinking.

Don’t believe me ? Read the below

Art is created in loneliness and exhibited in public. Aamir khan also said once that an actor’s best period is when he has no work. What he probably meant was that such time off gives an artist, ample scope for introspection and brutal self-analysis. This is what helps an actor to grow as an artist and as a human being. We movie stars are almost always surrounded by people and usually have a very hectic schedule… Loneliness is a luxury…precious to us. Continual self-analysis is a dream. We have to steal moments of loneliness or should I say being alone…to look within. This inward journey is highly rewarding.

You can read more of Salman Khan at http://duskadum.blogspot.com/. Sad, he doesn’t maintain a personal blogsite with his brand on it – something like SalmanKhan.com

Alexa Rank for Salman Khan’s blog is 194, 638 – Not so bad !

Shahrukh Khan

If Salman Khan can create six packs, so can Shahrukh Khan. If Salman pick up a fight, so can Shahrukh too. If Salman Khan can write, then Shahrukh will also not be left behind. Shahrukh thinks he is a fighter and is a winner in everything that he does.

I am not a big fan of Shahrukh Khan but the way he carries himself off screen, makes me wonder why I wasn’t one. There is a bit of professionalism displayed in his writings but not good enough to make the reader think, though. I have heard him speak several times. It seems his oratory skills have not folded well into his pen.

Another point that I have observed is that he has not updated his blog since the IPL days – from May. That is not being a professional. It seems he has created the blog only to link with his IPL pitch, very commercially driven. He has used the IPL hype to his advantage. The appearance of his blog has an IPL touch to it. Check the Knight Riders website and you will know what I am talking about.

After reading Shah Rukh Khan’s blog, all I can say he has a lot to learn to make that emotional connect to his readers.

Here’s a glimpse of his writing style.

It is you, fans, and your generous wishes and comments that have always driven the passion in us. For that, I am thankful. I know that even when we lose a wicket, you will be there to cheer us on so that the batsman heading to the pavilion can walk with head raised, so that the batsman coming in to play can feel encouraged, and so that the opponent knows what incredible force they are up against.

Was it encouraging ? Or did it look phony – as in K..K..K..K…. Kiran ! You decide…

Anyways, you can read his blogs at http://www.millanofthevillains.in/blog/home.asp

Alexa Ranking is @ 1,405,757 – Not very impressive

Popularity: 16%

Yuvvraaj – music binds love

Produced and Directed by: Subhash Ghai
Lyrics: Gulzaar
Music: AR Rahman
Audio on: T-Series
Starring: Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Zayed Khan

Image Courtesy: Wikipedia

Taal – a beat of Passion. It was the last time when Subhash Ghai struck gold. Kisna – a warrior poet, sank with traces left thanks to Rahman’s music. Now he is back with Yuvvraaj (double v and double a intended) and believes that “music binds love”. Not too sure how the movie will fare after what we have seen in Kisna, but I can tell you music will definitely bring in some wealth for the producer.

AR Rahman teams up with Gulzaar this time to deliver some soulful music for Yuvvraaj. After a perfect soundtrack for Taal, comparisons are unavoidable whether Rahman has met the standards set by him. Comparing Taal with Yuvvraaj would be inappropriate as the former is more Western music weaved into Indian and this one’s the other way around.

Usually Rahman’s music grows on you. It sometime doesn’t appeal immediately, but after a few rounds of listening, the tunes just keep haunting you. So let’s get straight to the tracks.

Track 01. Main Hoon Yuvvraaj – Salman Khan
This one is perhaps a bit of film’s background score, used as space filler. It is Beethoven no: 5 backed by Salman’s vocals (arrogant lines, would be appropriate). Serves as an intro to the album. Scores (NA/10)

Track 02. Tu Meri Dost Hain – Benny Dayal, Shreya Ghosal, AR Rahman
Right from the start, this song won my heart. This one is my favourite track in the album. Beautifully rendered by Benny Dayal and has superb closure by Shreya Ghosal. The Cello dominates the overall music and in fact the entire album. Instruments are simple, but tune is the king here. I almost repeated the track 5 times when I heard it for the first time. Scores (10/10)

Track 03. Shano Shano – Sonu Nigam, Srinivas, Karthik
At the outset the song sounded disappointing, but given the knowledge that not every tune of Rahman appeals immediately I gave it a second try. Apart from few strange vocals in between and a strange transition from disco-thequish music to Teen Maar, the song seems ok. What remains with you after you listen the song is the strange sound of Shano Shano. Having said that will have to admit, Rahman has done better disco songs (Fanaa – Yuva). Perhaps this will sound better with accompanying visuals. Scores (9/10)/

Track 04. Tu Muskura – Alka Yagnik, Javed Ali
This is another soulful track in the album. Alka Yagnik is impressive in this. Last time I was so impressed with Alka Yagnik was in “Yeh Rishta” song from Meenaxi. Rahman magically weaves the tune of this track into other tracks in the album. A fleeting tune of this song in Cello sweeps across the other songs in the album. I can bet you cannot resist the urge to repeat this song again and again. Javed Ali continues to impress after his “Jashn-e-Bahara” and “Kabhi Kabhi Aditi”. This one is my second favourite in the album. Scores (10/10)

Track 05. Mastam Mastam – Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik, Naresh, Benny Dayal
Mastam Mastam allures with variety of instruments, claps, lively singing by Sonu Nigam. Nice to hear Sonu sing again for Rahman. Track starts off slowly and moves to very delightful mood with very lively lyrics with excellent vocals from all singers. Another favourite of mine, which gives you a feel like this, is “Rang Hain” from Meenaxi. Score (10/10)

Track 06. Zindagi – Srinivas
Zindagi is a very good composition and Gulzar mark lyrics. Somehow I felt Srinivas’s voice did not suit the song, Rahman himself or Sonu could have been good. Nevertheless the song sounds very good. I can’t help but feel that the song feels like second bit of Lukka Chuppi from Rang De Basanti, where Rahman sings “Kya bataaon maa”. Overall the song feels like it would be better when seen. Scores (9/10)

Track 07. Dil Ka Rishta – Sonu Nigam, Roop Kumar Rathod, AR Rahman
Very tough to decide who was good at singing this one? Sonu, Roop or Rahman! From the sound of it sounds like the song, which culminates the movie. Not too sure who sung the English piece of it, he has done a very good job! With a simple tempo the song heightens it towards the end of it. Score (9/10)

Track 08. Manmohini Morey – Vijay Prakash
This is Indian Classical on western instruments. The song is very likeable from the beginning, my guess it is filmed on Anil Kapoor. Very well sung by Vijay Prakash, short and sweet. Scores (10/10)

Track 09. Shano Remix
Remix of Shano. It is strictly ok with rap in between. Scores (7/10)

Yuvvraaj is another success for Rahman this year after Jodha Akbar, Jaane Tu ya Jaane Na and Ada. But hey it doesn’t end here. There is Ghajni coming up and promises to pack a lot of Rahmanesque effect!

Overall Score: 9.5/10

Go for it!

Popularity: 19%