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t has the ‘K’ factor going for it. Eight years after Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar and Kajol came together for one of the biggest Bollywood blockbusters of all time – Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham – the charismatic trio are presenting the trailers of their February 12, 2010, release, Fox Star Studios’ My Name is Khan.

MNIK is the first production of Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar together. Tonight at 10 sharp, Karan, SRK and Kajol will unveil the first look of the film that will then be beamed across 70 countries worldwide on the Star TV Network.

Says Karan, “This is a first in the history of Bollywood – that the promos of a film will play across such a wide platform. And, this has mainly been made possible because of our synergy with Fox Star Studios. It is my first production with SRK, and also the first time a Bollywood company is tying up with a mainstream Hollywood studio. So, there are many firsts to this venture.”

He adds, “The idea of the launch was suggested to us by Fox Star. Both Shah Rukh and I felt that it was the best way to flag off our campaign. We wanted to create a road block and since the Star network has such a broad base globally, we both conferred that it would be an ideal way to launch our first promos.’’

So wherever you are, across the globe, you can catch the promo of My Name Is Khan for sure.For Karan, MNIK is not just his biggest professional challenge, it is also an emotional journey. One of India’s brightest talents, he says, “Shah Rukh and Kajol have never gone wrong in their pairing. For me, collaborating with these two actors is not only a professional high, it is also an emotional bond. The three of us have done two super-hit films in the past – Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G). Now, we’re hoping that we can recreate the same magic with My Name Is Khan.’’

The buzz is that MNIK is the most expensive deal to have ever gone through in Bollywood history. Unconfirmed reports say that Fox has allegedly picked up the film for Rs 100 crores. The theatrical trailers of the film have been attached to the prints of James Cameron’s Avatar, which is about to be released.

Trade specialist Komal Nahta says, “Never before has there been such an excitement over a film; nor has there been such a wide release for any Bollywood film so far.’’
Fox Star Studios will release MNIK with 600 prints overseas, making it the widest release ever for a Bollywood film on foreign shores.

Source : Times of India

• MNIK on The sets
• MNIK Stills
• MNIK – 1st Promo Caps
• Bombay Times 15th Anniversary
• Paa Premiere

Stars tripping on film sets are a common occurrence in B-Town. It is a source of both amusement (to see how the mighty can collapse) and horror (when there is no one to catch the falling star in the nick of time). 

For Karan Johar, however, it is a sign of good luck. He believes that if one of his actors trips and falls during the making of the film, then it will be a hit at the box-office. Those in the know say that deep within his heart he hopes (and perhaps silently prays) that one of his stars accidentally trips – perhaps in the maze of wires criss-crossing the sets or on one of the props. Because once the actor falls, the producer-director is convinced that his film will be a winner!

During the US shoot of My Name Is Khan, Kajol had the misfortune of tumbling down while enacting a scene with co-star Shah Rukh Khan. Says a unit source, “When the incident happened, Karan whispered, ‘Thank goodness… at last!’ and rushed to the rescue of his favourite heroine. She was okay as it was a mere stumble but the fake concern he showed, made the unit hands burst out in laughter later.”

Adds the source, “Basically Karan is not into superstitious beliefs. He would never want any such incidents to happen. But it has become a habit with  him. From his first film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, his heroines have somewhere or the other have managed to tumble on the sets. He regards this as a sign that Lady Luck will now smile at the project.”

Says Karan, “It is a Dharma Production joke. Kajol has fallen in all my films. In fact, we were towards the last days of the shoot and she had not tripped. Mickey Contractor even told me – now what? We just had a few days of shoot left with Kajol when in a scene she had climb down a portico. There was just one step but she missed it – and fell. The entire unit burst out laughing. If she had not fallen, I would have been real worried.”

MNIK premieres at Berlin film festival
My Name Is Khan will be premiered at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival that will be held from February 11 to 21, 2010. The SRK-Kajol starrer will be screened as the main film and not in any section or category. It is the first Indian film to have a premiere at the festival.

KJO’s fall girls
>> Kajol had fallen off a cycle while shooting for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and suffered a scar on her forehead
>> During the shoot of the song Sooraj Hua Madham, Kajol had stumbled while shooting in the sand dunes in Egypt during Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham
>> Preity Zinta had a fall in New York during the filming of Kal Ho Naa Ho
>> Rani had fallen twice during the shoot of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna