Snippet 2001

At filmtvindia.com we were flooded with the e-mail. 18,790 e-mails within 48 hours! And more are pouring in. Salman Khan certainly has a following of fanatic fans that make extreme statements and are our regular surfers. The verdict, surely, is in his favor. At the last count 3,219 stated that Salman Khan can't make a come back. 15, 571 are confident that Salman Khan will be back with a vengeance. Those who believe that he will come back outnumber the balanced views of the minority.

There hasn't been much news from Salman Khan recently, and the popular actor has not had a big screen release for ages now. However that is about to change, with the much-awaited David Dhawan flick 'Yeh Hai Jalwa' almost ready to hit cinemas across the world. The all-out comedy will also star that lucky mascot at the box office, Amisha Patel, who has been paired opposite Salman for the very first time. 'Yeh Hai Jalwa' is about a large, happy family with other cast members including Rishi Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri and Rinke Khanna - all in all, an impressivecast!

Just when we thought Salman Khan was maintaining a low profile, the grapevine is abuzz with the news that the hunk has been approached by none other than J P Dutta for his next project 'Tiger Hill'. The rumour doing the rounds is that Shah Rukh Khan has declined J.P. Dutta’s offer to play one of the leads in TIGER HILL. Dutta is now believed to have approached Salman Khan for the film, besides his brother Sohail Khan. Since Salman was unavailable for comment, we contacted Sohail to find out the truth. "It's true that J.P. Dutta has approached Salman-bhai, but I am not aware whether bhai has accepted the offer. “As for me, neither I have signed the film nor has J.P. Dutta approached me with the offer. I have decided not to shoot for any film unless I finish my home-production, which will be completed in April 2002. But I am open to new projects, provided they are shot later,” Sohail disclosed.

Bollywood star Salman Khan currently shooting for his forthcoming film in Jaipur won the hearts of disabled children in the city. Salman spent a memorable evening where he thrilled these special children by singing and dancing with them and by promising to hold a charity show of his film Tum Ko Na Bhool Payenge for the institute training these children. Salman displayed a side of his personality, which has rarely been seen.
Despite the hectic shooting schedule of his forthcoming film Tum Ko Na Bhool Payenge Salman Khan spent a long time to cheer up these special children. These children are students of Prayaas, an institute that strives to enable mentally and physically disabled children to lead a life of dignity. Children at this institute are also given vocational training to make them self-reliant. Salman was clearly impressed by the self-confidence of these children. "I was dumbstruck when I met them. I have never seen so much of joy, and so much confidence. Even I don't have this kind of confidence. Today God has put me where I am but when I walked into this room, I was taken aback, I did not know how to react to all this. It was so beautiful and so wonderful." expressed, Salman.
In celebration of the 5th anniversary of this institution Salman also cut a cake for the children and delighted them by dancing and singing with them. "They have one too many problems. There is poverty, speech problems and they are all slow. However, in spite of all that they were singing my songs, which even I don't know although when we do a song in a movie we hear it a hundred times. This is something really special", said, Salman.
Besides giving joy and affection to these kids Salman has also decided to hold a special charity show of Tum Ko Na Bhool Payenge to help them. And if people at large start recognizing the ability behind the disabilities of these children, integrating them with the mainstream of society is unlikely to remain an impossible dream.

Jean Claude Van Damme, Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan and Chiranjeevi may soon be seen altogether in one film called Return of the Thief of Baghdad. The film is being directed by Slovakian born filmmaker and anthropologist, Douchan Gersi.
Chiranjeevi will play the role of Abu, the best thief of Baghdad. Aishwarya is expected to play the role of princess Reshma. The film's music director A R Rahman says, "I have recorded four songs for the film. The film is being produced by a Hollywood studio and a south producer called K Ramesh who runs Indus Inc. It is a mix of an Indian and Hollywood cast. Van Damme, Aishwarya, Salman and Chiranjeevi may form the final cast. Things are being worked out."
The film was to initially to star Manisha Koirala and Omar Sharif, apart from Chiranjeevi. Giles Masters, art director of Tomorrow Never Dies, The Mummy, Dragonheart and Robin Hood is doing the production design for Return of the Thief of Baghdad, Val Kuklowsky, who did the sound effects for Independence Day, is handling post-production sound and Dan Lester of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Relic is handling costume design.
The 10 million-dollar film takes off where Alexander Korda's 1940 Oscar winner The Thief of Baghdad left off. The Thief of Baghdad detailed the adventures of thief Abu played by Sabu. The Return of the Thief of Baghdad is based on a novel by Sabu's daughter, Jasmine.

In what turned out to be a chaotic grilling session by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its office here in Mumbai, Bollywood actor and superstar Salman Khan, who plays the lead role in the controversial film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, was summoned on Wednesday 16 May, by them for questioning in the case involving the nexus between the underworld and Bollywood. A special court set up under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) is trying Salman, who has been listed by the police as a star witness in this case. Salman is the second actor after Sanjay Dutt to be grilled by ED in this case. After a grueling session of 6 hours with officials, Salman came out looking harrowed and exhausted and was surrounded by a swarm of media persons include press photographers, journalists and camera men, all of whom were shouting out his name to catch his attention. An angry Salman who probably hated the idea of a million light bulbs flashing in his face and more questions being thrown at him rudely by the media, lunged forward and pushed away the photographers and began yelling at them. He was reported to have gotten close to violent with them in those few moments, till he was whisked away by his bodyguards. One can't blame him for that mood - over 6 hours of interrogation is strenuous enough!

Olive was where it was happening at. That's where Seema, Sohail Khan's wife, had her birthday bash. Love-birds Salman Khan-Aishwarya Rai walked around hand in hand. Then there were Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri. Hrithik Roshan too was seen in the company of his wife Sussanne. Kareena Kapoor who was having dinner with friends soon joined the revellers. She even chirpily told Sallu that they should do a film together soon.

Do you fellas know that Sweetie Salman just digs the hot-n-happening dessert, Tiramizu, and the eternal favourite, cheese cake? That he gets it specially made to order from this lady who specialises in desserts, and that it's li'l sis Arpita who's in charge of placing the order whenever bade bhaiya gets the urge to gorge on them, especially when he gets back home after his shooting? But then, Sallu sweetheart has a verrry sweet tooth.

Guess what Salman's latest love is, guys. No, we're not talking of a certain actress here. It's more on a different 'line'. On line, that is. The Internet. Yep, the hunk was recently seen busy surfing the web for all and any items/sites on himself. Now that's a change. With this particular Khan, you never know!

Here is some good news on Bollywood golden boy Salman Khan. He has a new friend. Aryan, the gorgeous little boy of Shah Rukh Khan, is currently the centre of attention for Sallu Miyan. Whenever Salman gets some free time from shooting schedules, and maybe if girlfriend Aishwarya Rai lets him, he rushes of to Mannat:picks up Aryan and both of them go bicycling around the lanes of Bandstand and Mount Mary Church. So if all you people thought Salman was something else, then you have got him all wrong. Because if you see him with Aryan, he looks to be such a baby.

HE turned up in characteristic gear, red cap placed jauntily on the head, and a black neckless t-shirt worn casually over a blue pair of jeans. Well, never mind it was a formal event he was to inaugurate, but a star’s surely entitled to his dress code, don’t you reckon? SALMAN KHAN was in his elements at the launch of Phase II of Bajaj Institute of Learning’s vocational training facilities for the disabled, though. The second phase offers free vocational training for the hearing impaired. As goodwill ambassador for the institute, Salman was all praise for the spunk its students had shown in facing up to their handicap. “The biggest problems some of us will ever encounter involve getting caught up in a traffic jam, or having the director preventing us fromm leaving early to attend an event such as this. But imagine going through life without the gift of hearing, and yet remaining cheerful and brave. The students of this institute deserve to be commended, and the institute deserves our support, even if that means having to delve into our pockets to offer relief,” said Salman, to a deafening applause.

The Salman-Aishwarya pairing is finally official folks. As you already know. But wait. Don't jump to conclusions just yet. It's just that they've said to have signed a film called 'Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha' together. And the maker is none other than Salman's brother-in-law and actor Atul Agnihotri, who is donning the directorial cap. And who better to star opposite him than his 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' co-star Aishwarya Rai? After all, with the pairing proving so successful earlier, it was only a matter of time before the duo would team up once again, to ignite the silverscreen with their sizzling chemistry.
As if that wasn't enough, Atul has also decided to rope in Salman's brother, director Sohail Khan as the second hero. After making films like 'Auzaar', 'Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya' and 'Hello Brother', Sohail is now trying his emoting skills before the camera for a change. He is also starring in another film, associate Bunty Walia's 'Maine Dil Tujhko Diya' opposite Sameera Reddy. Apparently, Atul had approached the likes of Shah Rukh and Hrithik but they couldn't give him the required dates. So their loss is now Sohail's gain.
News is that since the film is based on an army background, Atul is currently seeking permission to shoot within army premises. The storyline apparently is about two friends who fall in love with the same girl. A.R. Rahman will compose the music and the cast will also include Om Puri and Rati Agnihotri.
But inspite of all the ingredients to make a hit, Atul isn't sitting pretty. "Yes, it is true that I have signed Salman and Aishwarya for the film. And the film should go on the floors sometime in November. I am very involved right now." The actor-turned-director has already completed the script. Now let's see if he can repeat the magic of the pairing once again. We wish him all the best, though we can't see how he can go wrong with such a great looking cast.

Speculation is rife within the film industry that Salman Khan has turned producer. Though brother Sohail Khan together with friend Bunty Walia had launched G.S. Entertainments, which produced PYAAR KIYA TO DARNA KYA and HELLO BROTHER, it was a foregone conclusion that Salman would feature in every film produced by his brother. But there has been a change! With Sohail turning actor with MAINE DIL TUJHKO DIYA, G.S. Entertainments is occupied with the production of this film. Which is exactly the reason why Salman felt the need to branch out. News goes that Salman had initially signed Kailash Surendranath (LOVE YOU HAMESHA) to direct the film, but now Pankaj Parashar (CHALBAAZ, RAAJKUMAR) has stepped in his shoes. "I have no idea about Salman's project. I cannot comment on this film. We are too occupied with MAINE DIL TUJHKO DIYA at the moment", Bunty Walia clarified on this development. But we restless souls decided to probe further and spoke to Sohail Khan about Salman's project and who confirmed that Salman was indeed starting a film. "Since Sajid Nadiadwala wasn't starting his film right away and our unit was deep-neck into MAINE DIL TUJHKO DIYA, Salman asked me whether he could use Sajid's team to handle the production. I said, why not! In any case, it's the question of using manpower to execute a project, Sohail revealed. Salman's project is all set to roll on May 1.

We have heard of stars forgoing their installments so that a film is released without any hassles. We have even heard of stars cutting down their remuneration at the time of release. But ever heard of a star who not just forgoes his installments, but also opens his safe and completes the shooting schedule of the film with his own money?! Well, that's exactly what the eccentric and erratic Salman Khan did! Apparently, producer Bubby Kent was almost on the verge of canceling the shooting schedule of his new film as the distributors and financiers did not cough up the necessary installments. But Salman loaned the producer money, without any agreement, merely on trust and let the shooting schedule sail smoothly without any hiccup.

All and sundry within the film industry know that Salman will go out of his way to see the comfort and happiness of his family and near-and-dear ones. Which is exactly why not many eyebrows were raised when people spotted Salman and his 'good' friend (we all know about her, don't we?) in Goa, while Sohail embarked on the first schedule of his latest flick MAINE DIL TUJHKO DIYA, which stars Sohail and Sameera Reddy in the main lead.
The rumour mills were agog that Salman and Ash were all set to make a very special appearance in the film, which explains their presence on the sets of the film in Goa. But Sohail's partner Bunty Walia quashed the rumours outright. "Salman was in Goa because he was shooting for the Thums Up ad nearby and decided to drop in on the sets. He does not feature in the film at all," Bunty summed up Salman's presence in Goa.
However, sources close to the Khans tell us that Salmanbhai is taking a keen interest in the day-to-day progress of the film and has even given his creative inputs in the script of the film.

One couple, which makes heads turn, is Sallu and Ash. Last week, both had a brief holiday in Goa, as brother Sohail was shooting for his home production there. The entire Khan family was in Goa. Ash had taken along her Miss World companion and roommate friend who has come to visit her in Mumbai. Sallu was there at the beach every day in his colourful sarongs and sleeveless T-shirts, while Ash came in loose comfy pyjamas. Devrani Malaika came there too, for a day to join the Khan bahus Aishwarya and Seema. While Sohail shot all day, Sallu and Ash romanced in the scenic settings of the Aguada Fort.
The nights were reserved for partying. One night when they walked into Tito's (a popular nightclub in Goa), the locals were tickled to see the super-stars chilling out and having a relaxed time, relishing the tiger prawns and lobsters. Ash pigged out on the seafood and even the fitness freak Sallu decided to give himself a break and gobbled all the rich food for a change. Ash was so happy that she didn't want to come back. But, director Rohan Sippy had her dates back in Mumbai. When you gotta go, you gotta go! Star, or no star.

Late-night strollers and stragglers on Pali Hill, Mumbai rubbed their eyes, thunderstruck at an amazing sight. The Bachchans (Amitabh, Jaya) with their Kapoor clan samdhis and pals like Anil-Tina Ambani and Karan Johar, all in full evening wear and in high spirits, were zooming down Pali Hill at 2.30 am playing 'follow-the-leader'. Their Pied Piper : a sozzled, bermuda-clad Salman Khan who insisted on walking down the road with a sporting Abhishek keeping him company. Mystery unravelled: After bagging two awards in the family, the Bachchans had decided to skip the post-Filmfare awards dinner and headed with friends for Pali Hill's Italian eatery, Shatranj Napoli instead. Around 2.30 am in breezed a 'high' Salman (in bermudas!) who insisted on taking them to nearby preview theatre Ketnav (owned by Vijay Anand) to see the rushes of brother Sohail's new film Maine Dil Tujhko Diya. That's when the whole brood of celebrities zoomed/walked the short distance to Ketnav with Salman. Rushes screened, the celebrity guests thumped Sallu's back and left. Fortunately, Sallu didn't hear their verdict: that the one to rave over is not Sohail but new girl Sameera Reddy!

All roads led to Andheri Sports Complex on February 18. It was another charity show for the earthquake relief fund. Only this one had half the industry turning up without a murmur. The other half comprised, among others, Hrithik Roshan, who begged off at the last minute. Reason? Duggu was ill. Well, if he was, he didn't look it the previous day at the Filmfare Awards function. But then, when you are Hrithik Roshan, sab kuch chalta hai.

Tried of playing romantic hero in films after films Salman Khan is all set to shed his image of that of a good guy. Salman will try his hand in first ever negative role in his home production to be directed by E.Niwas ( of Shool fame). Tongues started wagging recently when director E Niwas was abruptly removed from the project by Sohail Khan. He was replaced by ace ad maker Kailash Surendranath, who makes his debut as film director with 'Love You Hamesha'. But sources close to the Khans now confirm that E-Niwas is back with the project, while Kailash has been roped in to direct two other different projects. Seems like the Khans are on a roll!

This Eid, a bunch of out-of-towners came to Mumbai, hoping to get a glimpse of some of their favourite stars and some eidi (gift money) from them. They went across to Salman Khan's house and the big-hearted Salman came out, met them and distributed eidi to all of them. Happy and hopeful with this encounter, they proceeded to Shah Rukh Khan's house, which is a stone's throw away. But they were stopped right at the gate and were given the line that every journalist hears in his nightmares - 'Saab ghar pe nahin hai.'On second thought, maybe it was the truth. Maybe the fear of dishing out eidi made SRK take flight.