Actresses today have no dignity- Farah khan

FARAH KHAN, who is now getting ready to direct her third venture Happy New Year for producer Shah Rukh Khan tells that she had shot SRK like Ramgopal Varma shoots his heroines…

Was it always your dream to be a director?

I confess that I had joined the industry as Mansoor Khan’s assistant in direction on the sets of his film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander only to learn the ropes of the trade as a director, almost a decade ago. However every evening, I used to ask all the dancers to practice the steps that I had devised, to know in what way the dances were different from the ones choreographed by Saroj Khan. One evening, director Mansoor noticed the session.

How did you bag your first assignment?

I shot to fame as a choreographer with the slow motion number Pehla Nasha thanks to Saroj Khan by default. It so happened, that Saroj had left Mansoor’s unit high and dry one day and flown down South to do choreography for a South Indian film, leaving Mansoor Khan with no other alternative but to ask me to step in and rescue him by taking up the choreography for his film. A choreographer was born that day.

Is it true that your mother had acted as Salman Khan’s father Salim Khan’s heroine?

Yes. Not many are aware of the fact that my mother had actually acted as the heroine opposite Salman Khan’s father Salim Khan four decades ago. In fact I, Sajid Khan and Salman Khan had almost grown up together during our childhood and our families have known each other for donkey’s years.

Why do you say that it would be tough for you to direct a film for any other producer after working with King Khan?

I feel that Shah Rukh is the best. After working with an actor like Shah Rukh Khan, it is very difficult for me to work with any other actor. Just imagine I had to take a three second shot and I had told Shah Rukh Khan that I’d require 98 cameras for it. Shah Rukh spent 20 lakhs and got those 90 cameras flown in from London. Though I had told him not to splurge unnecessarily as we could easily do away with it, Shah Rukh told me that he did not believe in compromising on quality.

Is it true that Main Hoon Na was titled The Outsider initially?

Yes. It is interesting to note that the working title of Main Hoon Na before it went on the floors was actually The Outsider, for almost two years. I had written the script in English and every time there was any untoward incident on the sets, Shah Rukh would say Just Trust me. When Abbas Tyrewala started translating the dialogues, there was this line Main Hoon Na coming up in the place of Just Trust Me. When I told Sajid that the title of my film would be Main Hoon Na he told me that it sounded like a Sudhir Mishra film. Karan said that Main Hoon Na was a horrible title while Shah Rukh told me bahut kharab title hai. However I insisted on the title since I wasn’t into K titles like Karan and Ekta Kapoor. My gamble paid off and every one agreed that Main Hoon Na was the apt title after I went ahead and recorded the title song with Anu Malik as the composer.

What do you think about the actresses of today?

Frankly I feel that the actresses of today do not have the poise and the dignity which the girls in 70’s have had. In Om Shanti Om, Deepika fitted the role well, like Hemaji in the 70’s. To prepare Deepika for the role, we gave her voice training and dance classes, besides the three month training in acting course with Anupam Kher.

How tough was it for you to get Shah Rukh Khan to shed his excess weight and get into his six pack abs for Om Shanti Om?

Shah Rukh asked me to give him three months and he worked hard and told me that if he did not get at least six packs he would not remove his shirt in front of the camera, though I felt that at least once he should do an item song. I think it is a great change- over at the age of 42 when others become too old. I shot Shah Rukh like Ramgopal Varma shoots his heroines.

What do you like the best about being a director?

I enjoy being a director the most because as a director, I get to decide each and everything connected with the film, including recording only the songs which I want. I feel that direction is the most fulfilling job. The worst job is writing for the simple reason that it does not come easy to me.

Which episode of Tere Mere Beach Mein touched you the most?

The best thing about Tere Mere Beach Mein was that nothing in the show was actually scripted. After we decided on the theme of each episode, I asked questions randomly

I was touched by the episode on Hrithik. There is this comfort factor with each of my guests which I think will not come if they do not have a personal equation with you. Trust factor works a lot in a talk show like this. If they feel that they are uncomfortable answering any particular question, I readily offer to edit it out, because the idea is that the audiences should identify with what the stars had gone through in their lives and have a connect.

Tell me about your kids!

I have two daughters and one son. I have named my son Czar. Czar means an emperor. I have named my two daughters Diva and Anya. Diva is an Italian word for prima Donna, the main singer in the opera. Anya means inexhaustible in Sanskrit and graceful in Russian. Diva and Czar are similar looking but not identical. Its is said that one in two million triples are identical My daughters are maa ki laadlis and are chipkoos whereas my son is dad”s laadla. He is elder by two minutes.

From the catwalk, Suzanne blows kisses at Hrithik Roshan

Together they make a picture perfect couple and are very much in love. This was proved when Suzanne Khan blew kisses at Hrithik Roshan while she sashayed down the ramp at the inaugural show of HDIL India Couture Week for her sister and jewellery designer Farah Khan.
The show kicked off here late Monday night.
Contrary to recent rumours that talked about the couple's split because of Hrithik's equation with his co-star Barbara Mori in the upcoming film 'Kites', the duo looked very much together.
Dressed in an off-shoulder black gown by designer duo Gauri-Nainika, Suzanne's entry on the ramp was acknowledged by hooting and clapping by an array of Bollywood stars including her hubby and her brother Zayed Khan.
While Hrithik kept looking at her and clapped continuously while she was on the ramp, Suzanne acknowledged him by blowing a kiss and turning her head towards him till she finished the walk.
The surprise element of the show was Bollywood actress Genelia D'Souza who walked the ramp for Farah Khan.
The front row had several Bollywood stars such as Dimple Kapadia, Boney Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna, Sanjay Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Dia Mirza, Zayed Khan and Karan Johar.
This is the first time that HDIL-ICW had a high-end jewellery show that featured four jewellery designers - Devaunshi Mehta, Farah Khan, Queenie Dhody and Maheep Kapoor - who came out with their dazzling collections.
After the show Zayed Khan said that it was a wonderful feeling to have both his sisters walk the ramp.
'It feels good when you watch your sisters walk hand in hand on the ramp. Looking at Farah's collection, all I can say is that she is the best,' he said.

Asin and Farah Khan clear the air!

It was reported that Asin had refused Farah Khan’s offer to star in her next directorial venture “HAPPY NEW YEAR’. But according to Asin’s official spokesperson this news is fabricated as there was no such discussion between Farah and Asin over the movie.

Asin herself clarifies, “I am extremely upset with these rumour that has obviously been floated by vested interests. I don’t understand how such rumours crop up. Farah Khan is a close friend of mine there is no way I can refuse her. There was never any discussion over the movie. We have never discussed any work so far. This news is utter rubbish. Farah is a talented director who I look up to and above all she is a friend.”

Clearing the air completely Farah Khan says, “The rumour is a complete fabrication. I have not even written the script as yet.”

Asin will next be seen in her forthcoming release Vipul Shah’s London Dreams also starring Ajay Devgan and Salman Khan.

‘Truth is Stranger than Fiction’ says Farah

Farah Khan’s celebrity chat show “Tere Mere Beach Main’ on Star Plus is topping the charts when it comes to the weekend TRP’s. Makers of the show have given a human touch to this very sparkling show by adding a segment called “Main Hoo Naa’, where a common man’s story that is similar to the celebrity guest is presented on the show.
Everyday millions of people aspiring to be successful arrive in the city of dreams- Mumbai. The show featured a guest with similar ambitions- Iqbal who left his hometown in Andhra Pradesh and landed in Mumbai to become a cricketer at the tender age of 10.
Now, what made news here is the change in Iqbal’s life after appearing on Farah’s show. In a twist that seems straight out of a Manmohan Desai’s film, Iqbal’s family, through television, recognized him! Iqbal’s father Sufi Saab then traveled all the way to Mumbai to take Iqbal back home.
Chirpy host of the show Farah Khan commented, “If I would have made a movie based on Iqbal’s life story then audience might have not believed it, but this has happened. This incident shows that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.”
Pretty Piggy Chops and Olympic Gold medalist Vijendra Kumar were the guests of the episode that featured people who come from small towns of India and have made it big.

90 percent of my popularity is thanks to TV: Farah Khan

Choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan, who hosts celebrity chat show “Tere Mere Beach Mein”, says she owes 90 percent of her popularity to the small screen.

“Small screen is not small any longer. I think it’s a larger medium than cinema because even though a village may not have a cinema hall, the people might still have a TV set. I think if I have become a popular figure, its almost 90 percent because of my presence on television,” said Farah.

The filmmaker, who has directed movies like “Main Hoon Na” and “Om Shanti Om”, says though she enjoys working for TV, she doesn’t like getting decked up for it.

“I really enjoy television. The only part I don’t enjoy is doing my make-up and hair and sitting for hours and I also don’t like looking fat on TV. Other than that, I like everything about it,” she said.

Farah was earlier seen as a judge on shows like “Nach Baliye”, “Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa” and “Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega”.

Manoj VS Farah: Round 2

Manoj Kumar; already miffed with Farah Khan over the Om Shanti Om controversy, has been rubbed in the wrong way by her again. She commented on Manoj Kumar’s film, Clerk, and called it a “treasure chest of ham scenes’.

Manoj Kumar was upset over her remarks and felt that she is successful and has the right to have her own opinion. But just because she is successful, if she thinks she has become a master, she should think again.

He thinks she should learn to spell choreography and take a look at choreographers of the old era. He also feels that filmmakers nowadays copy old films and simply walk away with awards.

He doesn’t think highly of them even if their film performs well at the box-office. He also believes that while Farah’s Main Hoon Na was good, Om Shanti Om was simply idli, sambar and dosa of Madhumati and many other films.