Quick news update today, not really new-news, mostly following up on developing stories.  Oh, and an interesting article about Shahrukh.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan just opened in Hong Kong, almost a year after it’s initial release in India and the standard markets, and it is doing gangbuster business!  Hong Kong isn’t an unheard of market for films, but it is one of the less common ones, and of course it has a very strong local industry, so it is impressive that Salman’s film is doing so well.  From what I can find, there are about 20,000 people of Indian descent in Hong Kong, so it could be just them in the audience, but I doubt it.  The total box office currently is at $99,149.  which would mean about 11,000 tickets sold.  So, every other desi in Hong Kong has seen this movie in the past 2 weeks, and I just don’t believe that’s possible.  There’s got to be some non-Indian market in there as well!

In other news, Karan Johar wrote an opinion piece about the Udta Punjab controversy (which I was first alerted to by someone in the comments, thank you joyomama!).  Here is the link if you want to read it yourself.  What struck me, and I am just going to repeat my response to joyomama’s original comment, is that he never mentioned or even implied a mention to the My Name is Khan controversy, which was certainly his biggest brush with censorship.

He makes good points and bold statements, but he also white-washes his past a little. He claims he never makes gritty movies, and he implies that the worst censorship moral police thing he ever had to deal with was the Bombay controversy with Wake Up Sid. No mention of My Name is Khan, which almost scuttled his movie studio when the Shiv Sena tried to block the release entirely, because it was so strongly anti-Hindutva/pro-Muslim.

I don’t think he is being cowardly, I think he is purposely trying to frame it as censorship over small things, an abuse of power, issues that are obviously overreactions. Which is slightly different than trying to frame it as censorship as a symptom of actual massive evil that is going on in the country, directed from the Centre. In fact, he is censoring himself, because otherwise this essay would never have been published, and fewer people would agree with it.

Speaking of that same controversy, the last thing I heard was that Balaji films is ready to settle, to make the massive cuts and changes the censors are requiring, anything to just get the film out the door.  But Phantom films, the other producer in the mix, wants to hold firm and fight the decision.  It may end up with Balaji pulling out of the partnership entirely and leaving Phantom to fight it out on it’s own.

The biggest loss for Phantom, in that case, would be Jeetendra himself, founder of Balaji and its public face.  Anurag Kashyap, founder of Phantom and its public face, has only been around the industry for about 15 years and, frankly, isn’t that well-liked.  He just seems to have a kind of abrasive personality.  On the other hand, everyone loves Jeetendra!  And everyone knows Jeetendra.  And Jeetendra can solve little issues and smooth the way for a film by just calling up an old friend and asking for help.  I strongly suspect that’s what he did here, and he heard from the horse’s mouth that the censor board is not going to change its opinion, and the only hope is to make the cuts and live with it, or take a total loss for the whole film.

(How can you not love that face!)

Oh, and finally, Bollywood Hungama put up a kind of interesting article about Shahrukh and all the people who helped him grow in the industry.  Most of them are old news (Barry John in delhi, Aziz Mirza’s TV productions, Hema Malini picking him for Dil Aashna Hai).  And they miss a few too, like Abbas-Mustan picking him for Baazigar, or Rakesh Roshan giving him Karan-Arjun.  But there is also a fascinating story I had never heard before!

It was at this stage that he needed a reliable personal staff. He found Anwar Khan and appointed him as his secretary and Khan remained his confidant and business manager till his untimely death. He bought a Pajero and needed a good chauffeur. He had heard of Kabir who had been a chauffeur to Rajesh Khanna in his heydays and then to Mithun Chakraborty and was considered a lucky mascot. He proved himself as Shah Rukh Khan started signing one big film after another and was the new star on the horizon. But, this man Kabir took his position as a lucky mascot too seriously and almost controlled every decision and move made by the new star Shah Rukh Khan. His high handed ways finally irked Shah Rukh and he was out and has never been heard of again. The last time I saw him was in a crowded BEST bus. He was in a very bad condition. The man who always wore starched white was dressed in dirty clothes and asked me to get him a job as a driver or any other job in the industry. I told him I would try, but I have not seen him after that morning.

Boy!  Don’t “irk” Shahrukh Khan!  Apparently, it will destroy your life.