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Aug 16, 2009

Farhan Akhtar to shoot ‘Don 2’ in Europe






Farhan Akhtar is just back from his European sojourn with friend and business partner Ritesh Sidhwani. The partners had gone on an elaborate European trip to hunt for suitable locations for their sequel to ‘Don’.
According to reports, the duo traveled to London, Germany and Ireland and have already zeroed in on certain places for shooting.

While ‘Don’ was shot in Malaysia, Akhtar has decided to expand Don’s (to be played by Shah Rukh again) criminal activities to Europe.

"We selected a few places in London and then went to Ireland. Dublin is certainly on the cards. The locations are breath taking. After that we flew to Germany. We went to Frankfurt and Berlin. Our scouting certainly proved fruitful and we have decided on the places that we will be shooting", says Ritesh Sidhwani.

The shooting for the film is supposed to start in August next year.

When I do a film, I don`t think of Awards :Kareena



The reigning queen of Bollywood, Kareena Kapoor, has been appreciated for her versatility and the Bebo claims that she has always wanted to be a star actress. Kareena, who has always been appreciated for pulling off roles of different genres, apparently claims that awards are the last thing on her mind as she signs a flick.
On her films and experience in the industry, Kareena says, "See, ever since I began my career, I have always maintained that I want to be a star actress. I should give the kind of confidence to the film makers that I can carry off any role confidently. Whether it is a Geet (Jab We Met) or a Dolly (Omkara), Simrita (Kambakkht Ishq) or the character I play in ‘Kurbaan’ - I am mixing it up all".

"For me, work is like a passion and when I do a film, I don`t really think from commercial gains or awards. What is most important for me is to be engaged in some quality stuff. I sign a film because I like to enact the character that I have been offered. If Box Office success and awards come, then well, it`s great", she mentioned.

Talking about her upcoming flick ‘Kurbaan’, Kareena said, "Well frankly, this is one film where I am expecting both Box Office success and huge critical acclaim. The film is extremely well made and to add to that, quite topical.”

Salman kicks the ball in Bandra!




No, despite the swagger, the attitude and the ponytail, Salman does not play good soccer. But this is no reason for his fans to be any less enthralled when he shows up in action on the playground! So when he took to the ball for the penalty shoot-out at the Suparitalav Grounds in Bandra for a thrilling contest between Salman 9 and Baba (Siddiqui) 9, fans overflowed from the stands into the field.
Twice he failed to net the ball, and his overenthusiastic fans did not give him a third chance. Repeated pleas by the commentator and players fell on deaf ears as fans mobbed their favourite Bandra boy.

Finally, the penalty shoot-out was dropped and a draw was declared.

The match was a special feature of the Baba Siddique 9x9 Football Challenge. The final was to be played between two local teams after this contest was over, but by the time the ‘real’ match began, the ground was empty.

Salman is any day a bigger crowd-puller than a football match!

Shekhar Kapur slams Ambika Soni for comments on SRK episode


Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has criticised Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni`s remarks to give a `tit-for-tat` treatment to the Americans after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was detained at a US airport for two hours.
Giving the example of former president A.P.J. Kalam, who was also frisked in April at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here as he was boarding a flight of US carrier Continental Airlines, Kapur wrote on his blog: "I believe what happened to Shah Rukh was a huge blunder, but what happened to our Abdul Kalam was far, far worse. It happened on Indian soil."

"But I admired the calmness with which Abdul Kalam dealt with the issue himself and displayed so much humility. I expect Shah Rukh to do the same as I am sure he will. Only he can defuse the situation," Kapur posted on his blog www.shekharkapur.com/blog Sunday.

"Unlike our Cabinet Minister Ambica Soni, who said we should respond with a `tit for tat`. What are you going to do, Ms Soni? Interrogate every American citizen arriving at our shores for an hour and a half? Or wait for Brad Pitt to arrive here? Cabinet ministers need to make more considered statements," he wrote.

Shah Rukh was on his way to Chicago to attend a function to mark India`s Independence Day and was detained for two hours at the Newark airport after US immigration officials spotted the `Khan` in his name.

Reacting to it, Soni had said: "I have always felt - even when I was frisked there (the US) - that the way they frisk us we should do the same for them here."

Kapoor says to make up, US President Obama should invite Shah Rukh Khan for dinner.

"What happened to Shah Rukh is a minor incident which we should protest about, yes. Ensure that this doesn`t happen to an Indian public figure like him again and move on," Kapoor said.

"And President Obama, adept as he is diplomatically and politically, should invite Shah Rukh to a family dinner over beer and (view) one of his Bollywood films," he added.

Shah Rukh detention in US: Obama's effigy burnt in UP




Congress workers today staged a demonstration and burnt the effigy of US President Barack Obama here for detention of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan at an American airport.
The party workers, who gathered in front of the historic Anand Bhawan, raised slogans against the US administration and termed as an "insult to one billion Indians" the questioning of Khan at Newark airport.

The 43-year-old actor was detained and questioned for two hours at the Newark Airport near New York yesterday.

India to take up strongly issue of SRK`s detention




India will "strongly" take up with the US the issue of detention of Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan at an American airport, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said today, asserting that such incidents were unacceptable.\
"We will take the issue with the United States government strongly. Such incidents involving Indians due to their religion or nationality should not happen... we will not accept it," Patel told reporters here.

Khan was detained for two hours at Newark airport by immigration officials after his name matched with some names on a common checklist, sparking angry reactions in India. He was released following the intervention of Indian Consulate officials.

The Bollywood actor was in the US to take part in the South Asian Carnival on the occasion of India`s Independence Day. Khan had yesterday termed the incident as "uncalled for".

Pitt left smoking pot for kidS




Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt played a pot smoker in 1993`s `True Romance` and admits life imitated art for him until just recently.
"I certainly had my day," Pitt, 45 said in an interview to a news channel when the reporter called the actor`s role "one of the best stoner performances."

A channel`s Bill Maher recounted a New Year`s Eve party at which he says he witnessed Pitt rolling "the most perfect" joints he had ever seen to which Pitt replied "I`m an artist."

However the `Inglourious Basterds` actor said that he kicked the habit for his six kids -- Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne, whom he has with partner actress Angelina Jolie.

"I`m a dad now. You want to be alert and my eyes used to glaze over when I did that," he told Maher.

Shah Rukh`s detention prompts outrage in India




India reacted with outrage Sunday after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said he was detained for questioning at a US airport, though immigration officials denied he was formally held.
Fellow Indian film stars and political leaders condemned what they called "humiliating" treatment given to Khan, a Muslim who is well-loved in a largely Hindu country. One Cabinet minister suggested a "tit-for-tat" policy toward Americans traveling to India.

Khan said he was detained Friday by US immigration officials at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey because his name came up on a computer alert list.

The actor is in the US to promote a new film, "My Name is Khan," which is about racial profiling of Muslims after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The story was front-page news in India, where the ability to avoid being frisked at airports is seen as a status symbol. Politicians, sports celebrities and film stars often claim VIP status to avoid security checks.

"My name is Khan? Too bad. SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) feels the heat of American paranoia" said The Times of India, quoting Khan as saying he felt "angry and humiliated."

Khan later downplayed the incident. "I think it`s a procedure that needs to be followed, but an unfortunate procedure," he told reporters Saturday in suburban Chicago.

US customs officials told The Associated Press that Khan was questioned as part of a routine process that took 66 minutes. Spokesman Elmer Camacho said Khan was not detained, "but it took a little longer because his bag was lost by the airline."

Enraged fans on Sunday, however, planned to protest the incident with a demonstration near India`s Parliament.

"Shocking, disturbing n downright disgraceful. It`s such behavior that fuels hatred and racism. SRK`s a world figure for God`s sake. Get real!" actress Priyanka Chopra said on her Twitter feed.

The federal information minister, Ambika Soni, angrily suggested that India adopt a similar policy toward Americans traveling to India.

In New Delhi, the US ambassador, Timothy J Roemer, on Saturday said the US Embassy was trying to "ascertain the facts of the case — to understand what took place."

Khan, 44, has acted in more than 70 films, and has consistently topped popularity rankings in India for the past several years.

Shah Rukh tries to downplay detention by US airport police




Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was detained for two hours at a US airport sparking angry reactions back home, today sought to downplay the incident as he said it was a procedure and he would not seek an apology for it.
The 43-year-old actor was detained and questioned yesterday in Newark airport by immigration officials after his name matched with some names on a common checklist. He was let off at the intervention of Indian Consulate officials.

"I think it is a procedure that needs to be followed.

But it is an unfortunate procedure," a visibly calm Khan told PTI here on the sidelines of a function.

The Bollywood actor was here to take part in the South Asian Carnival on the occasion of India`s Independence Day.

Asked whether he would seek an apology for yesterday`s incident, Khan replied in the negative.

What happened with SRK is routine, says Harbhajan.




Star cricketer Harbhajan Singh cannot understand the fuss about Shah Rukh Khan`s grilling at the Newark airport in New Jersey, which he described as a `routine` affair.

Harbhajan said he has undergone numerous checking and screening procedure and never found anything wrong with it.

"I don`t know what exactly happened there. But I just heard that he was detained for two hours which I think is a routine procedure. You people have made it a big news," the off-spinner told reporters after laying the foundation for a cancer research institute here today.

Harbhajan said Shah Rukh deserved respect as a public figure but screening is a routine procedure followed in airports across the world.

"They check everybody. Even I was checked and screened a number of times.

Shah Rukh may have been victim of random selection parameter!




Actor Shah Rukh Khan`s two-hour detention and questioning at the Newark International Airport could well be a result of the random selection parameter built into the US immigration`s security system rather than racial profiling.
Now whether that parameter was designed deliberately to focus on people of certain names, religion, background, nationality or race is a different story altogether. On the face of it, Khan may have been randomly picked out by the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services` database. The system at the airport threw up Khan`s name for any number of variable reasons. It is hard to speculate on the algorithm that triggered it.

Someone might argue that the Khan = Muslim = possible terrorist = detention logic, although profoundly offensive, it seems to have been built into the system with the rationale that it is better to humiliate a thousand innocent Khans than let a potential terrorist Khan enter the US.

However, this explanation does not make sense because Khan has been visiting the US for many years. As a matter of fact, he only recently finished a shooting schedule of his latest film "My Name is Khan", which ironically deals with the kind of stereotyping and profiling that he just experienced.

Isn`t the Bureau`s database designed in a way where the immigration officer, who detained Khan, could have instantly pulled up the actor`s record and known about his many past visits? Apparently not, because once the system randomly selects someone it is expected of the officer in question to go through the standard procedure of detention for questioning.

At some level it is understandable that the whole security apparatus has been designed to not just take out potential terrorists in their first attempt but to disrupt their operation at any and every stage. No one at the Bureau is likely to acknowledge that the system works the way it does because of a built-in combination of intelligent and brute logic as well as preordained bias.

Forget the Bureau`s own database; a simple Google search of Khan`s name would have at the very least made the detaining officer question his action. There are 3,610,000 search results of his name on Google. Depending on when it is searched this number is sometimes even higher. Such a Google search should have stopped any reasonable immigration officer in their tracks to wonder that for a terrorist, Khan has managed a fantastic cover of being one of the world`s biggest movie stars.

Perhaps behind creating a security system that depends as much on brute and random logic as intelligent sifting was the deeply embarrassing case of Mohammad Atta, the ringleader of the 9/11 terror attacks.

In 2005, Navy Captain Scott J Phillpott, who was in charge of the Pentagon`s counter-terrorism project codenamed `Able Danger`, created a stir when he said in January 2000 his team had identified Atta as a member of an Al-Qaeda terror cell operating in Brooklyn, New York. And yet Atta was able to travel in and out of the US unmolested. Atta`s lapse was attributed to the fact that he first went by part of his name as Mohamed el-Amir and eventually travelled to the US in June 2000 as Mohammed Atta.

The result of the security churning that followed 9/11 was the compilation of a list of nearly 1.1 million names who were either terror suspects or people of interest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The list has been a subject of serious scrutiny and criticism by civil liberties groups, which believe it is sweeping in its reach and more often than not throws up those who have absolutely nothing to do with any terrorist groups.

An internal audit report recently quoted by The Washington Times underscored the failures in managing the list. It said there were at least 10 people who should have been kept out of the US according to the list but were allowed to enter while there were many more who should not have been on it but remain there.

It quoted Democratic Senator Patrick J Leahy, who as the chairman of the Judiciary Committee has oversight of the FBI, as saying "that the FBI continues to fail to place subjects of terrorism investigations on the watch list is unacceptable".

"Disturbingly, (the) report reveals that in 72 percent of the cases, the FBI has also failed to remove subjects from the list in a timely manner. ... Given the very real and negative consequences to which people on the watch list are subjected, this is unacceptable."

It is not clear whether Khan`s name is on this list or not but the fact he showed up on the immigration`s database it is conceivable that a similar name is on it. However, it should be rather easy for the law enforcement agencies to specifically exclude someone of Khan`s global recognition from such a list.

Now that every visitor to the US and even permanent residents are fully fingerprinted on arrival every time it is hard to comprehend why specific names attached to specific fingerprints and passport numbers cannot be exempted. For some reason once a person gets on the FBI watch list it is very difficult to get off. The Washington Times story said some 65,000 names were audited and more than a third of it were outdated.

Security experts say that the random selection parameter is designed to make preventive determination more effective. They acknowledge that one of the negative fallouts is that many innocent people get singled out because of this parameter. They also point out that when the national threat index is higher the system is designed to become less discriminating. In simple terms, during heightened alerts it is possible that the system will sweep up many more people with a set of specific names and backgrounds than it would normally do.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, for all domestic and international flights, the current US threat level is High, or Orange, which is just below the highest Red. That may partly explain how the actor was singled out because of his name. It is a form of profiling based on many parameters such as names, religion, ethnicity and nationality.

As Khan acknowledged the immigration officials were polite but the question is not one of etiquette but effectiveness. Khan managed to stir up those who matter because of who he is. Lesser mortals might have had to go through a more nerve-racking experience once red flags go up against their names and they are asked to step aside at the immigration counter.

Hyping swine flu not the solution, says Bollywood




Bollywood admits swine flu virus has scared it but at the same time the film fraternity stresses that undue hype is not the solution. Many among them suggest that the best way out is to alert and warn citizens.
Shabana Azmi: The swine flu has not really affected our lives at all. The hysteria it has generated can only hamper the cure. Instead of apportioning blame, we should act as responsible citizens and make sure the citizens are alerted, warned and informed about the disease.

Hema Malini: I`m not able to understand the gravity of it. I was scheduled to perform at several places for Janmashtami. But the shows were cancelled and I felt the seriousness of the situation. We shouldn`t take it lightly. We need to be very careful.

Bipasha Basu: I`m in London. But I heard about it. It`s really sad and scary. I hope things return to normal very soon.

Vidya Balan: The swine flu just got scarier because it`s in our city now. And the civic conditions and the large population make us vulnerable. Some say the media is exaggerating and creating panic, but I think it`s better safe than sorry. Let`s hope it abates sooner than later.

Shekhar Kapoor: I`m trying to differentiate between rumour and reality. My daughter`s school has shut down. And I was supposed to be back in New York this week. Now I`ve had to re-evaluate my plans.

Amrita Arora: It`s definitely shaken me. Instead of panicking, I`m following orders. I`m wearing mask. I`ve a sanitiser by my bedside. And I`m trying to instruct my staff to take precautions. We`ve to stay calm.

Minissha Lamba: It has definitely made one more cautious. Normal movement is restricted. That`s the least we can do to ensure it doesn`t get out of hand.

Kabir Khan: There`s a huge over-reaction. But the shutting of schools suits me because I`m taking the kids and rushing off to the Malaysian jungles to be with my wife Mini who`s shooting there.

Tusshar Kapoor: I`m taking precautions. Trying not to panic. Unfortunately my film this week cannot be released on time due to the flu scare.

Neha Dhupia: I`m in Los Angeles and very worried because the swine flu is all that props up on the internet every time I speak to anyone back home. The key is not to panic and to take action as soon as and only if the symptoms prop up.

Rensil D`Silva: I lost two days shooting of my film "Qurbaan" in Pune, which I`ll make up for when I shoot the climax. That apart, the flu scare hasn`t affected me.

Amole Gupte: It`s love during the time of swine flu. The family is indoors for a change. No option but to be happy bonding over varan-bhaat and televised paranoia.

Rajeev Khandelwal: There are huge warning hoardings outside the studio where we`re currently shooting. There`re doctors on the set. And that`s a tad scary.

Ranvir Shorey: The roads are deserted in the evening. People wearing masks on the streets is scary. But they don`t know the masks need to be changed every three hours to be effective.

Riya Sen: I`m taking all the precautions possible. I`ve ensured that my staff at work and at home, including building watchmen, wear masks.

Purab Kohli: It`s scary, though I do feel there`s a certain amount of sensationalism by the news channels. At home we`re just making sure our immunity is kept at a high level.

Anjana Sukhani: Mom doesn`t let me go out. And there`re people on the streets with masks. It`s definitely scary.

Why make a hero of Kasab,asks Sanjay Dutt!




Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who has had a troubled past and is still hoping to attain freedom is not happy with the glorification of 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab.Dutt is rather sad with the way Kasab is being turned into a hero, not consciously but by the very attention he is being given. In a recent interview to a news daily, the actor expressed his surprise at the same and exclaimed, "Why is the media making a hero of Ajmal? I don’t understand it. Ajmal Kasab is a terrorist! Yet, the media write about what he eats in jail, how he wishes to meet Amitabh Bachchan.... It’s so stupid. People like Kasab need to be dealt with seriously."

Sanju, who is still fighting for his freedom, is also concerned about constant invasion of his privacy as well as the discrepancies attached to the news reports. "The media has the right to report the truth, they have the right to report facts. So yes, please report everything about me, if you have to... but get the facts correct. Don’t write that I am being tried for the ‘Mumbai Blast case’ when I’m actually being tried under the Arms Act. That’s wrong information."

Sanjay has also said that it was the 26/11 attacks that made him get an urge to do something for the country.

Now Salman too speaks for Shah Rukh; criticises US for detention



Bollywood star Salman Khan seems to have changed his opinion on Shah Rukh’s detention episode in the US! When SRK was detained at the Newark Airport for as long as two hours on Saturday, Salman came out saying that SRK’s detention was no big deal and should not be given so much importance. And now, in a rather contradictory statement to the media, Salman has criticised US airport authorities for detaining and questioning fellow star Shah Rukh Khan.

"Just because of few Muslims, billions of the community members face problems, which is not right," Salman said.

Until Saturday, while almost everyone in Bollywood was feeling terrible about Shah Rukh Khan’s detention, but actor Salman Khan said the most indifferent thing that could have been said at the moment! Salman earlier said, "It is not such a big deal. When we go there, we too have to go through the security check. There haven’t been any attacks in the US since 9/11 because of their stringent security measures. I think it is a good thing (the security)."

Well, Salman seems to be a little confused about how he should be reacting on an issue as sensitive as this, considering the fact that it has everything to do with his archrival SRK!

Shah Rukh was enroute to Chicago for a parade to mark the Indian Independence Day on Saturday when he was pulled aside for questioning at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Meanwhile, Shah Rukh reacted strongly to his detention episode calling it ‘uncalled for’. Speaking exclusively to Spicezee about the incident that has left him deeply saddened, Shah Rukh said, “I am devoid; it hurts your self respect. I don’t want to make an ego issue out of it but I think I would avoid coming to this place now.”

Katie on life with Peter: ‘I lived in Lie for Five Years'

Katie Price has confessed that she tried being a different person than what she was during the five years she lived with Peter Andre.The hottie revealed that she put on a good wife act to make her singer hubby happy.

"I tried for five years to be something I suppose I wasn’t really just because I wanted the marriage to work. I was in love with Pete. But you end up rebelling," the News of the World quoted her as saying.

Now, the sexy siren is totally ready to take on her former flame after he has gone public and accused her of being a "despicable mother”, following the surfacing of her explicit pictures with new love Alex Reid.

She reportedly told a friend: "I don’t care if I ruin him. I’ve told my lawyers that. I want to bring him down. I`ve lived a lie with him for so long.

"I’m being battered but I’m not going to lay back and take it anymore. I`ve had enough. I’m playing him at his own game now. I`ve got the best lawyers in the business and he’s going to regret messing with me.

"He’s used me to make money. He’s used me to promote his single. Enough! They’re my kids, it’s my life, he can f*** off if he wants anything from me."

Price believes that she did all things necessary to help make their relationship work.

She said: "For the past two years things weren’t good. We had marriage counselling.

"And I really tried. I was never going to leave him because I believe you try and make things work. But now I’m not in that situation it’s as if a big weight has been lifted off. I think, ``Would I ever go back?`` There’s just no way I could."

MJ had died over an hour before paramedics arrived


In a major turn of events, a bombshell ambulance report has revealed that Michael Jackson was lying dead in his bedroom for over an hour before paramedics arrived on the scene.Jackson, 50, died from a heart attack after being given the sedative Propofol, following a cocktail of prescription pills, at his rented mansion in North Carolwood Drive, Los Angeles.

It is standard procedure for US paramedics to fill out an F-902M form after attending a fatality.

While the ``Thriller`` hitmaker`s report was completed over seven weeks ago, it was kept from the public as detectives were investigating his death.

The standard emergency call sheet details the actions of paramedics on site and their observations of the patient.

It will show that a series of tests proved the King of Pop was clinically dead long before medical help turned up at his LA home.

Paramedic chiefs and staff at UCLA hospital have revealed the details of the report, which was overseen by three specialist paramedics.

And the report made it clear that Michael Jackson had already got no pulse, he was Flatlined - showing no sign of heart activity and had even stopped breathing.

But most tellingly, the star`s body showed clear signs of what medics call lividity - when the blood drains to the bottom of the body after the heart stops.

The shocking revelations have questioned Jackson`s personal physician Conrad Murray`s claims that the singer had a faint pulse at the house, and so would have benefited from CPR on the way to the hospital.

But Dr Steven Hoefflin, a close friend of Jackson and who spoke with the permission of his mother Katherine, has confirmed the details on the vital paperwork.

"I`ve spoken to a chief in the fire department who told me Michael was dead when they arrived," the News of the World quoted Hoefflin, 63, as saying.

"He had no pulse and was not breathing. They gave him an electro-cardiogram but he was flatlined. They say he even had lividity, which meant the blood had sunk to the back, indicating his heart had stopped a couple of hours earlier.

"This is the most important aspect of the report as it means he must have been dead for over an hour, probably longer," he added.

Another doctor, Hilary Jones, confirmed: "A body would have been dead for a minimum of three hours for lividity to show. It is rare to see this in an ambulance report. That means Michael Jackson had been dead for some hours. Normally paramedics would never try to resuscitate a body with lividity because they would know the person is dead."

Hoefflin also revealed: "The medics wanted to pronounce him dead there and take him to the Coroner`s department."

"But I was told Dr Murray wanted to work on him - he carried on doing CPR and insisted he needed hospital treatment. He continued giving Michael CPR all the way to UCLA and even in the emergency room.

"I have spoken to a senior doctor at UCLA, who said Murray insisted they work on him there - but they knew he was dead. Murray was in a state - he was freaked out by the situation. If Michael died at home then the case would be automatically referred to the Coroner`s Office, and that would mean a lot of investigations.

"However if he passed away in hospital - that would not be the case and an autopsy might not be ordered.

"Dr Marshall Morgan, the chief of the medical staff at UCLA Medical Center, was suspicious about the case and contacted the Coroner anyway,`` added Hoefflin.

Hoefflin also said: "This F-902M form is a bombshell key to the investigation."

`This never happened to Schwarzenegger,'




Even as US officials denied accusations that they detained Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan at an airport because he is Muslim, the incident earned him willy-nilly a splash in the American media.
"This never happened to Schwarzenegger," noted New York Daily News reporting how "Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who plays a Muslim mistaken for a terrorist in his latest film, says he was racially profiled at Newark Airport and detained for two hours on Friday."

"The 43-year-old `Tom Cruise of India` - cited last year by Newsweek as one of the world`s 50 most influential men - was released only after Indian diplomats intervened," it said describing him "as the international box office sensation" who has appeared in more than 70 films.

It took note of US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer`s statement that "Shah Rukh Khan, the actor and global icon, is a very welcome guest in the United States," Roemer said Saturday. "Many Americans love his films."

"But there were no Bollywood buffs in Newark as Khan came through the airport on his way to Chicago for a celebration of India`s independence day" it noted. "I told them I am a movie star," Khan said - although the line fell on deaf ears.

The Washington Post in a report from New Delhi said "One of India`s biggest movie stars said he was detained and questioned ... causing outrage across his home country and reigniting discussion of the hardships many Indians say they face while travelling abroad.

The Post also noted the incident followed another recent example of an Indian coming under suspicion for what talk show pundits here call "flying while brown." Last month, Continental Airlines apologised to former Indian president Abdul Kalam for frisking him at the New Delhi airport.

Meghnad Desai, an Indian-born economist, member of Britain`s House of Lords and author of books on Indian cinema and globalisation, joked in an interview in New Delhi that the whole thing seemed like a publicity stunt for Khan`s new film.

"The US government was an inadvertent accomplice to 20th Century Fox, which is investing millions in this movie," he said. "This was a no-no for India-US relations."

The New York Times too took note of the incident with an agency story headlined "Bollywood Icon Detained at US Airport."

A spokesman for the US Bureau of Customs and Border Protection said Khan was questioned for 66 minutes as part of the agency`s routine process to screen foreign travellers and was not detained.

"Due to privacy concerns, Customs and Border Protection cannot disclose the specifics regarding any traveller`s inspection," the CBP said in a statement.

"Generally speaking, travelers applying for admission into the United States are subject to inspection. The inspection process may include a more in-depth interview and baggage examination."

"CBP strives to treat all travellers with respect and in a professional manner, while maintaining the focus of our mission to protect all citizens and visitors in the United States," it said, adding," inspection lasted a little more than a hour."

"Unfortunately, Khan`s checked luggage was lost by the airline which contributed to his delay during CBP processing," the statement said.

"Travellers may be referred for further inspection for a variety of reasons to include identity verification, intent of travel, and confirmation of admissibility."

Shah Rukh Khan not singled out because of his name: US


A day after the high voltage drama over the detention and questioning of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at the Newark airport in the US, the US Customs and Border Protection has come out with a statement and denied any racial angle to the incident.
Clearing the air on the racial twist to the whole episode, a cautious US Customs and Border Protection said that ‘Shah Rukh Khan was not singled out because of his name’. The department maintained that such uncalled for controversy is ‘incorrect allegation’. The department maintained that Shah Rukh was inspected because his baggage had not arrived and the entire process ended in one hour.

However, Shah Rukh Khan was released after the Indian embassy intervened.

Incidentally, the actor was in a great shock when he was detained at the airport and speaking exclusively to Spicezee said, “I am devoid; it hurts your self respect. I don’t want to make an ego issue out of it but I think I would avoid coming to this place now.”

The actor maintained, “I was made to answer silly questions which had no relation with a legal and a general interrogation. They didn’t let me use my phone for an hour. I was travelling alone as the US consulate hadn’t allowed a visa to my bodyguard who coincidentally has the same name. As it is I am quite reluctant in coming to the US and I would make sure that I avoid it in the future.”

The actor minced no words when he said, “This has happened with me before and that’s why it concerns me all the more. As it is I shy away from coming to the US because I don’t want to participate in their paranoia about religion and everything that the US has developed into over the years. I don’t want to say that it happened because I am a Muslim as it may lead to something else, but I think it had something to do with that only. We can only avoid this by not coming to the US.”

Elaborating the harrowing experience, the actor said, “I was taken to a room for questioning. They said my name kept popping up on the computer. Khan is a Muslim name, and I think the name is common on their checklist. I was waiting for my bags. I thought it was nice of them to take me to another room, but that was apparently a second check. I had my papers in order."

"I was really hassled at the airport because of my name being Khan...The couple of hours of interrogation wanting to know if I know anyone in America while all around people were vouching for me from India and Pakistan (sic)."

"Only these guys just would not let me through. Finally they allowed me to make a call, which I did and the Indian Consulate helped me through."

"It was absolutely uncalled for I think, me having just finished working there for more than a month...just a couple of weeks ago. They said I have a common name which is causing the delay...checked my bags...I felt angry and humiliated," said a deeply disturbed Khan.

Madonna turns 51 on concert stop in Poland




Polish fans joined together in song to wish Madonna a happy birthday at a concert in Warsaw Saturday evening — just hours before she turned 51.In a break between two songs, a fan held up a sign wishing her a happy birthday and audience members sang, "may you live a hundred years," a traditional Polish birthday song.

"I feel your love!" Madonna told the crowd of tens of thousands gathered on a large green field for the latest stop in her Sticky & Sweet tour.

Many of the fans near the stage also held up paper hearts. One said: "Adopt Me."

Her stop in Warsaw fell not only a day before her birthday, but also on the August 15, the Roman Catholic holiday celebrating the heavenly assumption of the Virgin Mary — timing that angered some Catholics.

Several people who objected to Madonna held up banners outside the concert venue, and a Catholic group tried to spearhead protests in past weeks hoping to force the Material Girl to change the date of the concert. It failed, however, to win support from the official church or the public. Though Poland, homeland of the late John Paul II, is mainly Catholic, young urban Poles have overwhelmingly embraced pop culture and mores.

During the concert, Madonna also paid tribute to Michael Jackson, who died in June.

A Jackson impersonator did the King of Pop`s signature moonwalk dance move while wearing a sequined jacket, white T-shirt, white glove and white socks, while a large photograph of him as a boy appeared on stage.

"Let`s give it up for one of the greatest artists the world has ever known," Madonna shouted, and then segued into a performance of her old hit "Holiday."

Kjo feels terrible on SRK detaining



Shahrukh Khan’s close friend and director of his upcoming flick My Name is Khan, Karan Johar felt extremely shocked when he heard the news about SRK being detained by immigrant authorities at Newark Airport because his surname Khan, existed on the terror suspect list they had.

Karan said, “I’m shocked and upset…feeling terrible for Shah Rukh.”

Actress and friend Priyanka also expressed her shock on social networking site Twitter, she tweeted,“Shocking, disturbing and downright disgraceful. It’s such behavior that fuels hatred and racism. SRK’s a world figure for God’s sake. GET REAL!!”

Music director Vishal Dadlani also wrote on his page, “This is plain silly!! I mean, a quick internet search would tell them what they need to know about SRK!! Paranoia breeds stupidity, I guess!”

What is your take on this issue folks?

Saif Kareena celebrate Independence Day




The most talked couple of B-Town Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor will not be in India on the eve

of Independence day, but will be hoisting a flag in Chicago at a Meet & Greet event organised for 50,000 Indians in Chicago.

Kareena turning nostalgic about Independence Day says, “As a child, she would hold elder sis Karisma Kapoor’s hand and toddle off to the RK Studios in Chembur in Mumbai where grandfather Raj Kapoor had a ceremony every Independence Day for the children in the family. Holi, rang barse and bhang, Rajji had for the elders! Then, when Karisma entered Bollywood and the sisters stayed with their mother in Lokhandwala, as a girl of nine or ten she used to attend the housing society’s Independence Day functions. But for the last five years, now, she has been out of the country on August 15. And while the patriotic surge is there, the ears strain to catch Jana Gana Mana wherever she is, it’s not the same as being in India on Independence Day.”

We wish all of you at Bollywood Celebden a very happy Indian Independence Day and a belated Pakistan Independence Day. Cheers and Peace

Happy Birthday Chote Nawab Saif




Saif Ali Khan born on August 16,1970 will celebrate his 39th birthday tomorrow.

The Chote Nawab of Bollywood who made his debut in the year 1992 with Parampara, is one of the most sought after actors in Bollywood and his recent release Love Aaj Kal is the highest grosser till date for the year 2009.

Saif Ali Khan is currently dating Bollywood bombshell Kareena Kapoor and is also filming for his upcoming flick Qurbaan with his lady love Kareena.

We wish you a very happy birthday Saifoo and a very great year ahead. :)

Shahid: Vishal is dangerous




Shahid Kapoor the leading man in Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey that hit the theatres yesterday, insists that the director brings out the best performance from his actors.

Shahid says,”Vishal is a very dangerous director. Working with him is no less than undertaking dangerous tasks because he brings you out of your comfort zone and asks you to perform stuff that has never been done by an actor in his life or career.”

“It’s a challenge for an actor to work with him but at the same time it’s very fruitful too… he brings out a new talent in you every time he takes a shot. He is multi-talented and very supportive and I’m very thankful to him.”

So folks have you watched Kaminey?


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