My Name is Khan selected for Berlin Film Festival

In a major coup, Karan Johar's My Name is Khan has been selected in the Berlin International Film Festival. What's more, the film has been picked for the Official Selection of the festival, which takes place from February 11-21, 2010. Karan Johar is jubilant. "It will be my first time in Berlin, and I'm so excited," he says. "Of course, I'll be going with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol! There's nothing as prestigious as presenting my film at the Berlin film festival's official selection. Even more than awards, it's getting eyeballs at such a festival that is important."

Not many Indian films have made it to the official selection in Berlin the last decade except for Farah Khan's blockbuster Om Shanti Om was - it was part of the Berlinale Special. My Name is Khan will play in the 'Out of Competition' section. Johar said that Fox (which is distributing the film), is comfortable with the 'Out of Competition' slot, as it fits into their international release dates.

My Name is Khan raises the bar for a Karan Johar film, with a love story layered with two key non-romantic issues: Shah Rukh Khan plays Rizvan Khan, a Muslim living in the US post-9/11, and he suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.

"Regardless of the issues, I hope the film will find wide acceptance on the humanitarian aspect," Johar says. "Rizvan Khan makes very large points in the garb of simplicity and innocence. Only emotions connect, and they are universal, and I hope Rizvan Khan touches hearts everywhere. I try to raise the bar for Indian cinema with every film I make. I am young, I've got the infrastructure. Weekend box office numbers are no longer enough, I want to be acknowledged. My first concern will always be my domestic base. But within the parameters, we should try to reach a global audience by using our content, keeping the storytelling plausible, and syntax sensible."

As Hollywood major Fox Searchlight is distributing the film in the US, and Fox Star Studios in India, Johar had told the press, "This is the first time such a deal has been inked, where the film will release beyond the mainstream diaspora, and that is exciting."

As for Berlin, he adds, "I can't wait to be in Berlin, walk the red carpet, watch the film with the audience and interact with it afterwards!"

The Berlin film festival has already selected two more Indian films, Umesh Kulkarni's Vihir (The Well), produced by Amitabh Bachchan's AB Corp, and Laxmikant Shetgaonkar's Paltadacho Munis (Man Beyond the Bridge). Their selection is not yet closed.

Both stars were camping in the village on Tuesday as part of their clandestine promotional tour when impoverished weavers of the village sought their

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan says his upcoming film 'My Name is Khan', which pairs him with co-actor Kajol after an on-screen hiatus of eight years, does not have terrorism as its main theme and is mostly a love story.

"This film is first and foremost a love story. In fact this is one of the nicest love stories I have ever participated in – and I have participated in some of the best love stories that have been made here," Khan told reporters on Wednesday night after the first look of the film was released.

Directed by Karan Johar, 'My Name is Khan' tells the story of an autistic man Rizwan Khan (played by Shah Rukh Khan), who is caught in the aftermath of the September 11 militant attacks in the United States.

Khan, co-actor Kajol and Johar are teaming up after more than eight years, in what has been billed as one of the biggest releases to come out of Bollywood in a while.

The film is widely anticipated by fans of Khan and Kajol, whose great on-screen chemistry have helped deliver several hits in the past.

Fox Star Studios has signed a deal to finance and distribute the film, which unconfirmed media reports have pegged at 21 million USD.

However, both Johar and Fox have refused to confirm the figure, which, if true would be the highest ever for a Bollywood film.

"This film will be a step towards Indian cinema reaching worldwide," Khan said. India, home to the world's most prolific movie industry, has long tried to draw wider audiences, including by forging ventures with Hollywood studios looking to offset sluggish box-office sales with new markets and cheaper production costs.

My Name is Khan releases worldwide on February 12, 2010.

Bollywood "shocked" and "scared" over terror strike

The Indian film industry Thursday expressed a deep shock over the nightmare that unfolded on Wednesday night as terrorists targeted various importantlocations in the Bollywood capital of Mumbai.
The industry people also appealed for sanity and called for unity after one of the biggest terrorist strikes rattled the country's financial and dream city.
"Terrible! terrible situation!," a shaken Amitabh Bachchan wrote in his blog. "Mumbai under terrorist attack!! Several locations bombed and terrorist firing all over the city. Major hotels under siege. Taj hotel battle going on inside the hotel," says Bachachan, whose post reads like a doomsday account.
"I am scared! shocked! I don't have words to describe my feelings. It seems unreal to me almost like a film. I don't know who are they and why they have resorted to suchruthlessness," film director Anurag Kashyap, who is in Goa said.
"They just enter the city like that and hold it hostage. It is unbelievable. Obviously Mumbai will bounce back but it has been hurt badly and it will take time to heal,"says Kashyap, who has directed films like 'Black Friday' based on the 1993 terror strike and the ensuing riots.
Lyricist Javed Akhtar appealed for unity,"I am completely shocked and surprised. It is an unprecedented attack that the country has ever witnessed. It has turned out to be one of the most horrific attacks. "...but there is no time to blame any system or anyorganisation. It is time to stand unitedly behind our security forces and flush out these culprits," Akhtar added.

Similar sentiments were echoed by national award winning director Rahul Dholakia, "It is insane! We need to sit down as a society and understand how to prevent this."
The director of 'Parzania' also appealed for everyone to stick together in time of such crisis.
"Politicians should put aside their differences and agendas and think about India for a change. It is the time to show our grit and character ...to stand together and be one,"Dholakia added.
"I have no words. How do you describe something like that. India is such a huge country, obviously some people like to shift the blame to the security but so many of them have already been killed.
"There is no end to such things unless we find the root cause of the problem," said actor Irrfan Khan of 'Mumbai Meri Jaan', a film based on the blasts in Mumbai local trains.
The shooting of various films and serials have been cancelled as life stood still in the city. Ajay Devgan and wife Kajol were to shoot for their animation film 'Toonpur Ka Superhero' in suburban Chembur today but the programme has been called off, Devgan's spokesman said.
Shooting of several television serials have also been put on hold in view of the grim situation prevailing in the megapolis in view of the attacks that have left at least 100dead till now, industry sources said.
With a holiday declared in Mumbai Thursday, heads of television channels have asked employees to stay indoors.
"Television shootings are going slow. Many of them are not happening today," they added.