Screen Studies: Shahrukh Khan: Interview with a Bollywood Icon, South China Morning Post

In Indian cinema, there’s no one quite like Shahrukh Khan. Khan’s unprecedented hold on top of the box office remains a feat unmatched. With the advent of Rab Ne Bana De Jodi, will he strike box-office gold… again? P.Ramakrishnan was in conversation with a King. 

"I honestly don't know where I'd be if that film wasn't made," says Indian actor Shahrukh Khan, referring to Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (which translates to The Brave Heart will Take the Bride). The 1995 film was Aditya Chopra's directorial debut and it defied the skeptics' predictions in Bollywood and eventually ran in Mumbai for almost 10 years, earning a record 700 million Indian rupees (HK$110.43 million) and 10 Filmfare awards (India's equivalent to the Oscars). It also propelled Khan to phenomenal stardom. 

He would eventually become the most well-known actor to have emerged from Bollywood in recent years. His popularity has since spread far beyond India through films such as Don and Om Shanti Om. He has a solid fan-base in Hong Kong, for example, where he's been dubbed the "Andy Lau of Bollywood!". 

With the same film production unit that produced Diwale [DDLJ], Khan hits cinemas again after a year-long absence from the big screen with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (God Brought the Duo Together), in which he plays a simple country bumpkin from northern India who gets married to the most desirable girl in his village - much to the young woman's distress. It's a remarkably different role for an actor who is more well-known for playing hunks and there's no swanky cars or designer duds to be seen anywhere. 

It doesn't matter, as Khan says, it will be "one of the funniest films" he has ever done. The 43-year-old - now with more than 60 films under his belt since his movie debut in 1992 - is adamant that the all-singing, all-dancing slant of his commercial films has more value than gritty cinematic affairs. 

"You know when you see a so-called serious cinema offering and fall asleep in the theatre? And about 30 people saw it? I'm not mentioning names, but the director has then failed completely to make a compelling story. That's it. It's as simple as that," he says. 

Despite having won numerous awards, the Bollywood star says box office take is more important to him. "It's always fun and great to get awards but nothing beats box office success. If the audience hasn't been won over, then you've failed somewhere along the line," he says. "I think it's an easy excuse when directors or actors say the film could have been a big hit but it was released before its time and it would do well today. That's just bulls***. You didn't know what your current audience wanted, and made a film that didn't work." 

He adds, laughing, that his past four movies produced by him have not done so well at the box office. "I know what I'm talking about. I've cried when my films have failed." 

As for his upcoming movie, he's confident it will do well. "In a way, I'm undoing what Dilwale did. That movie created this urban, yuppie character Raj, the cool dude," he says. "This movie Rab Ne, is demystifying the character of Raj. You have to take my word for it, I'm shy, an introvert, who essays characters that are cool. I was never cool. I act cool but that's not me. I rarely socialise, I rarely party, I was never trendy. When wardrobe stylists send me clothes, I wear them. "When my character is supposed to be the popular jock, I walk the walk, but deep down, I've always been shy." 

So, as he portrays the bespectacled, white pajama-wearing, tech-nerd Surinder Sahni, is that the real him? "Yes... in many ways. It was so much easier to play that part and I had so much fun doing it," he says. "I tell everyone, don't be fooled by my image. When people ask me to go and hit a party, my reaction is, and then what? I'd rather be home with my wife and two kids. To me, a party is on the set. I was destined to play the role of Shahrukh Khan." 

Rab ne Bana Di Jodi screens in Chinachem, TST East.

Ethnic Chic: Mixing Western wear with Indian Jewellery

Perhaps it was Nicole Kidman that started it all. At the Oscars back in 1997, she wore a John Galliano (for Christian Dior) designed Cheong Sam, brocaded it with traditional Indian and Oriental jewellery, and took the audience’s collective breath away. She may not have won the Oscar that night, but she go the gold. Arguably, she began the trend of, pardon the oft repeated expression, East meets West in contemporary fashion. 

This year, perhaps re-ignited by the wonderous Ralph Lauren campaign featuring the exotic Ubah Haasan, mixing western attire with eastern accessories seem all the rage yet again. On red carpets, elegant soirees and amongst the glitterati, the most formal nights on the western front have an eastern invasion. 

• Photography: Gina Soden 
• Producer: P.Ramakrishnan 
• Hair & Makeup: Karen Yiu 
• All jewellery & Styling: Prerna Kumari for Neiman Marcus 
• Art direction & Styling: Prerna and Rama 
• Model: Bethany T 
• Special thanks to Mr and Mrs Chainani for location.

Captions 

• Satin cocktail dress from Voom by Paris Hilton, shoes by Versace, earrings and bracelet by Prerna Kumari 
• Evening gown by Stella McCartney (available at Lane Crawford), bracelets & rings by Prerna Kumari. 
• Tweed jacket by Stella McCartney (available at Lane Crawford), white shirt and embroidered black skirt by Shanghai Tang, earrings and hair accessories by Prerna Kumari 

Sequined white cocktail dress by Arrogant Cat, earrings and ring by Prerna Kumari White linen and lace cocktail dress, earrings & necklace by by Prerna Kumari Jacket and stilettos by Versace, anklet and earrings by Prerna Kumari Other images from shoot.

Consuming images: Lane Crawford goes all out for Christmas

Ace window-dressers travel to 19th-century Paris for inspiration Byline: P. Ramakrishnan 

The children of Hong Kong have never flopped back in the snow and flapped their arms and legs to make an angel, and they most certainly have never made a snowman with a carrot nose and eyes of coal. A reindeer has never grazed here nor has the city ever had a silent night, white, holy or otherwise. 

But as Hong Kong dresses itself up for the biggest shopping extravaganza of the year, the city gets snowed in with cliches. Malls deck the halls with boughs of fake holly, glitter, sparkle, tinsel, and anything green and red topped with canned "snow". 

Lane Crawford takes a shovel to the seasonal norms, and their creative team will be responsible for giving a small part of Hong Kong a well-needed makeover. Joanna Gunn, the creative and visual presentation manager for Lane Crawford, collaborates with local artist Gerard Boukle and her team of 14 staff to transform all the window dressings of their boutiques to showcase the season of giving. 

Starting with their store in Pacific Place, the Lane Crawford windows will be transformed into scenes from a Parisian life. Sitting across the large design-board, she uncovers the Lane Crawford look for the season. The theme for this Christmas is based on a 19th century romantic and chic Parisian winter. 

"We will be transforming the windows into different settings; the garden, the boudoir, the sitting room and opulent dining room. The colour theme is antique gold, winter white with accents of coffee, green and deep red. We are taking a more sophisticated approach to the festive period, concentrating upon the art of gift-giving. 

"The idea was first chosen for its mood, and then the colours were chosen for soft hues and accents to give a feeling and suggestion rather than a traditional red and green Christmas." 

The process begins months before Christmas. It takes well over six weeks to create, develop, and execute a design theme. The designers draw a story board, and then make props in their own studio, or source and buy them. The display is finally installed over a two-day period at the end of November. Throughout the design process, all the creative factions keep in close touch. 

As Joanna says: "For eleven months of the year, it's about product placement and commercialisation. Just this one time, we get to be completely creative and do what we really want to do." In a bid to get the attention of local media, the high-profile shopping centres often spend lavishly on props. But for shop windows, however, the budget is considerably more modest, and the creative team must stretch their budget as well as their imaginations. 

"We hired Gerard Boukle to work with us from concept to final execution," says Joanna. "He is providing hands-on teaching to our staff, showing them the tricks of paint finishing, antiquating and gilding, and all the skills they will need to create the theme. Other companies do borrow window space at times, we normally give the space to key brands and designers - or if there is a special launch or promotion taking place. We often have cosmetic companies request as well as some designers at the beginning of the season. Usually, though, during Christmas we often prefer to keep all the windows for the exposure of Lane Crawford." 

Designer boutiques such as Seibu, Joyce and other department stores do their bit to enliven the shopping Christmas spirit, but most retailers do not go out of their way to create a completely original look that will not ever again be repeated. "The window does not overtly suggest what merchandise is in the store. We use some elements from our own stock, but the window is more for the image and spirit of Christmas - though of course we hope it will lure people in. 

Caption: Christmas is suggested by soft hues and accents in a Pacific Place window set. 

Local artist Gerard Boukle and his team of 14 enjoyed the challenge of using a theme to signify the festive season rather than falling back on traditional red and white decorations. 

Page: 14 Keyword: christmas Magazine. Window shopping Edition: 2 Source: P Ramakrishnan Author: P Ramakrishnan Publication: SCMP Section

Indian Opus: Devdas with Indian cine icons Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit and Shahrukh Khan is heading to Hong Kong

When the blades of a storm fan flew out of control and fatally wounded a film assistant in the face, little did director Sanjay Leela Bhansali know that the tragedy would be the first of many catastrophes to hit the production of his 500-million rupee (HK$81.5 million) opus, Devdas. 

The musical's producer, Bharat Shah, a former diamond merchant-turned-financier, was also arrested for his purported dealings with the Indian mafia (the case is still pending in Mumbai High Court). There were more accidents on the Mumbai set and the death of another member of the production's crew caused India's Movies Action Dummy Effects Association (MADEA) to investigate the most expensive set in Bollywood. 

Bhansali called in the priests and pundits and a "havan" (holy pyre) was lit to appease the gods in the creation of a film the local media had long said was jinxed. Fortunately, the association's representatives and local politicians were so impressed by the Devdas set's infrastructure that they asked the crew to let it stand as a cine-monument in India's film capital. 

Weeks later, production ground to a halt when the musical's crew and cast of hundreds were not paid in time. The producer had suffered a major heart attack during his 16-month stint in prison and Bhansali was forced to borrow money from friends to pay his over-worked staff. Members of the Shah family insisted Bhansali complete his "dream project" and, with the support of his A-list cast, the film was completed in 260 shifts, two-and-a-half years after the musical's first scenes were filmed. 

On May 23, 2002, Devdas' lead actors Shah Rukh Khan, the former Miss World Aishwarya Rai and Bhansali finally had their moment of respite at the Cannes Film Festival, where the film premiered. There was a standing ovation for the three-hour-plus extravaganza and Time film critic Richard Corliss labelled it "the most visually ravishing movie ever," calling Bhansali "a young master of the medium". 

Devdas has a precarious future, however. It has been more than a decade since a tragedy struck Bollywood box-office gold in a country notoriously keen on feel-good romances and happy endings. 

Sarat Chandra Chatterjee's classic novel Devdas has inspired nearly a dozen Indian films, all of which have received the warm appreciation of the critics but only lukewarm responses from their audiences. First published in Bengali in 1917, Devdas' simple story is often regarded as the ultimate tragedy in Indian literature. 

The ingredients of the plot may seem all too familiar: there are poor girl-rich boy star-crossed lovers, a prostitute with a heart of gold, a love triangle and an unrequited love culminating in death and destruction. 

Childhood sweethearts Devdas (Shah) and Paro (Rai) wish to marry but the former's arrogant and affluent family disapprove of the match. Humiliated, Paro's mother curses Devdas' family. Devdas asks Paro to forget him as he can't go against his family's wishes but he later recognises the intensity of his love. On her wedding day to another man, Paro in turn spurns Devdas, who finds solace in alcohol and the dance of courtesan Chandramukhi (the extraordinary danseuse Madhuri Dixit). The courtesan falls for the perpetually inebriated lover who fails to reciprocate her affection and mourns instead for his lost love. While Devdas falls into an alcohol-sodden depression, Paro fails to find wedded bliss. Then the film's three main characters find salvation in their own tragic end. 

The director probably intended to highlight the tragedy of Devdas with a beautiful backdrop. Complementing the film's gorgeous cast, a coterie of the finest designers - Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla (who outfitted Dame Judi Dench and others at the Oscars) along with National award winner Neeta Lulla - created the 1930s look with richly brocaded, mirror and gold-embedded costumes for the leading ladies. 

Bhansali engaged four of India's leading dance directors for the film's eight songs but his coup was getting the maestro Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj to compose, sing and choreograph the central dance for the diva Chandramukhi. But while international critics enjoyed Devdas in Cannes, there are doubts about whether this musical melodrama will emulate India's Oscar-nominated Lagaan in finding an overseas audience. 

Defying modern trends, the lengthy romance is chaste; none of the leading characters kiss, let alone do anything else to stir the story's devastating drama. If Devdas' producers hope to make their money back on foreign returns, they face another battle with Hollywood's summer releases. 

Even in India, the year's biggest hits have been Raaz (an Indianised version of What Lies Beneath) and the Hindi-dubbed flick Spider-Man. And according to Taran Adarash of India's Trade Guide, 88 of the 101 Hindi films released so far in 2002 failed to cover their costs. 

Although Devdas is up against the odds, the musical has aroused unprecedented curiosity. Its songs have topped the Indian charts for the past month and the film's advance bookings have been staggering. Even with the best of Bollywood behind it, however, it remains to be seen whether Devdas, the costliest Indian film ever made, will be a historic hit... or a lamentable loss. 

Devdas. 

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and Hong Kong Arts Centre, July 14-18. 

Tickets $220, $180, $120, Ticketek. 

Inquiries, contact Morning Star: 2368 2947 Publication - Date: 11.07.2002 

Author: P Ramakrishman 

Publication: SCMP Column: Screen Studies

Screen Studies by P.Ramakrishnan 

Photoshoot: A Splash of Diamonds: Studio shoot with the finest bling in Hong Kong

When makeup artist Angie Pasley wanted to create a unique beauty shoot, to spice things up, we coordinated with the biggest brands in the jewellery business. 

Off the top of our heads, we rang up the sparkling offices of Cartier, De Beers, Gerrard, Harry Winston and jewellery designer Prerna Chainani (who’s range of exotic Asian inspired jewellery is sold at Neiman Marcus, New York). 

They loved the idea and sent over US$2.7 million to the humble studio of photographer James Gabbard. Inspired by the amazing range of bejeweled baubles, the artist that is Ms Pasley came up with unique looks for the magazine and styled, cast (threw bottled water at the model!) and worked her magic. 

We think the blonde might be from a bottle, but the gal's pure gold!

Producer: P.Ramakrishnan 

Photographer: James Gabbard 

Hair & Makeup: Angie Pasley 

Model: Stella

almost famous: Phoebus Chan

In a scene during the musical comedy Starry Starry Night, which ends its Kwai Ching theatre run last Sunday, Phoebus Chan Chin-hin’s character hides his face and prays that his grand piano might swallow him whole. “I played a son who loves playing the piano and the mother hates me playing because it’s not a good way of making money. In the scene, I’m trying to hide when she comes shopping in the mall where she doesn’t know I’m playing.”

It was a case of art imitating life because Chan does in fact play the piano in malls. But there is one important distinction. “The only difference between my reality and the character that I played is that my parents are supportive,” he says. “I dropped my major in biochemistry and physics to pursue my love of the piano. Doing lectures and labs 32 hours a week was not fun, so I came to Hong Kong as an exchange student (from Canada) and majored in music.”

Originally from Hong Kong, the now 23-year-old graduate has been playing professionally since Form Four and over the years, successive gigs have cropped up. Playing on soundtracks for local movies, on radio, in theatres and even malls have kept him in touch with what he loves and does best.

“I though it would be really hard to make any money in Hong Kong as a piano player, but its turned out to be pretty good. In Canada, not including radio, when I was at university, the biggest performance I ever got was playing at the library. I couldn’t stand it. Here, every other event is a big one for me whether it’s musical theatre work, composing and arranging for radio or playing in malls, it’s been good.”

During the busiest hours at the weekend, you’ll find Chan at Harbour City, playing his favourite pieces as well as taking requests form his growing fan base. He even has a bilingual website dedicated to him and a message board on which visitors leave comments on his performances. “I get young girls who come up with challenging requests. And they keep requesting songs until I don’t know one of them and then they tell me, ‘Why are you playing here? You can’t play the piano properly. Go home!’ Well, I don’t know every single piece that’s ever been composed so I don’t get too troubled.”

On August 29 and 30, he’ll be performing fusion music at Central’s Fringe Club with some friends, mixing traditional Chinese instruments with western ones, spanning from rock to Chopin. In November, he’ll be part of another local musical production and next year, he’s heading for Malaysia, where he’ll compose the entire score for a play about Buddhism.

“Playing with an international flavour is always exciting and fun. Right now the Korean music scene is really big in Hong Kong, as are the movies, so I’m listening to everything I can. Playing French music is hard, but one of my favourites because it’s different.”

Playing music for a living does, however, have its drawbacks. It can be an all-pervading passion. “I can’t sleep with music on, my brain goes on overdrive and I can see the notes like they are on paper. Whereas, when I see music sheets, I can hear the music as I read it.”

The Harbour City performances also keep him grounded. “When I’m playing, I can hear what the others are saying around me. One time, this woman with a young boy said: ‘Look at that young man playing the piano’. I was convinced a compliment was coming, but at the end of that sentence, she said: ‘If you don’t’ study hard, you’ll end up like him.’”

Dancing Queen: Hema Malini: Bollywood Dream Girl in Hong Kong for a Classical Performance

A Bollywood legend steps out in style with her daughters for a show with a difference, writes. P.Ramakrishnan. 

She was a screen goddess in the 1970s and ‘80s and irrefutably, the first Queen of Bollywood, but Hema Malini, 61, says dance, not acting has always been her true calling. “I have faithfully remained devoted to dance,” the legendary actress says. “Even when I was acting, I made sure to find time to practice and perform. I’ve always held stage shows over the years, performed in the US, Europe and Asia in various festivals. Acting in films was a career; dance was my love.” 

Malini and her daughters Esha and Ahana Deol will be in town next week for a one-night performance of Parampara, showing Bharatnatyam, the oldest dance form of southern India, and Odissi, a traditional temple dance form Orissa (eastern India), dating back more than 2,000 years. 

“It’s our national dance,’ says Malini. “It’s what our culture is about and Bharatnatyam is my first love. My mother was a classical singer and had great interest in all arts, so she made sure by the age of six, I was learning.” 

Malini initially studied under Sikkil Ramaswamy Pillai of the Triveni Kala Sangam arts school, and was later taught by the likes of Kittapa Pillai, Vempatti China Satyam and Natranam Gopalkrishnan in Bharatnatyam, and two other dance forms, Kuchipudi and Mohini Attam. Kuchipudi is the classical dance of the south-east Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, known for its graceful movements and strong dramatic characters. Mohini Attam, from Kerala, in southernmost India, is danced only by women and is known for its sensual themes. 

“Dance is a life-long commitment,” says Malini, who took up acting in her mid-teens. She also served an apprenticeship under Mylapore Gowri Ammal in the Abhinay (the art of acting and expression) aspect of Bharatnatyam, and studied the theory and practice of Carnatic music. Through films such as Geet Govind, Durga and Draupadi, Malini helped to popularize so-called dance ballet – an accessible form of classical dance marked by its simplicity, directness and grandeur. 

Malini starred in more than 150 Indian movies during four decades, but always ensured she allocated time for dancing. “There’s a world of difference between film dancing and the traditional art,” she says. “I was very strict about not doing any vulgar movements. I would first ask the choreographer to show me the steps and if I didn’t like it. I wouldn’t do it. I’d do them my way.” 

“Even today, the way Indian cinema is going, there are many good dancers, but its up to the actress how she portrays herself. You have a choice to do or not do a movement a certain way. There are some actresses who are so good they will never appear lewd. Women have to be responsible for how they are shown and projected.” 

In her heyday, Malini was known as the Dream girl, thanks to the 1968 movie that launched her big-screen career, Sapnon Ka Saudagar (the Dream Merchant). Posters carried the alluring line: “Come meet the Dream girl”. “I had no training in acting,” she says. “Dance was it. I think dancing made me more comfortable performing in front of the camera because I knew I had to express myself. In dance, there are no words. All gestures and movements have to reveal the narrative. “In movies, there’s dialogue and song and your face doesn’t have to exaggerate to display emotion as much. There were no schools for acting and training courses like there are now. I took what I learnt from my background and made it work for me.”

Although her youngest daughter, Ahana, has shied away form Bollywood, Esha, 23, is a popular star. Neither has attained the deified status of their mother, who was yet again voted as one of India’s most beautiful women. 

Unlike her own mother, Malini says she hasn’t pushed her daughters – although she certainly didn’t discourage them from following in her footsteps. 

“Everything I am is because of my own mother,” she says. “She wanted me to dance, I did. She wanted me to act, I did. I didn’t push my daughters to anything, but I did encourage them to learn dance from early on. In my early years, I was in Tamil Nadu, where you can easily learn Bharatnatyam, but my kids grew up in Mumbai and its much harder. They had to travel to their teachers and they were in school, so it was a bit much. And they did whine and complain,” she says with a laugh. “But now, it’s the most beautiful thing that binds us together.”

Malini says she’d like to team up with Esha in a film. “Eventually, I’d like to act and want to direct a film with her, but there’s a paucity of good writers and suitable subjects. I can’t do rubbish and I can’t sit at home and do nothing. We’re lucky that we have dance.” 

For the two-hour, Hong Kong show, the trio will perform solos and duets in various styles and costumes, with all three dancing a finale.

“The rhythm and harmony is perfect when we all dance,” says Malini. “We all live together, rehearse together, compose together. Daughters are like an extension of the mother, of oneself.” 

Click on any of the images to see larger pictures.