Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi features in iTunes Top 10 Charts

The music of Yash Raj Films' Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi starring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has created a benchmark in the digital entertainment by featuring in the list of top 10 album sales for iTunes, the world's most popular online music store. This is the first time the music album of a Bollywood film has made it to the album download charts of iTunes.

Commenting on this achievement Neeraj Roy, MD & CEO, Hungama Mobile, said, "This is yet another example of Indian content transcending boundaries and making a significant mark in the digital music space, worldwide. Hungama would like to congratulate Yash Raj films, the music directors Salim- Sulaiman and all those associated with the film."

"While single song downloads are common, an entire album being downloaded on digital download services is rare and this showcases the great music that's been composed for the film," he added. Hungama, which owns the digital rights to Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, is the exclusive distributor of Indian content to iTunes. iTunes is available in 22 countries around the world, including USA, the UK, and the European Union. The iTunes Store is the world's most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 10 million songs, over 30,000 TV episodes and over 2,500 films including over 600 in stunning high definition video.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi featuring in iTunes Top 10 charts once again proves that SRK mania is far from over.

Awards season starts with RAB NE...!

The awards season for Hindi films usually starts off in the New Year. But viewers of one of the popular news channel have had their say at the end of the old year and their voice is loud and clear: RAB NE BANA DI JODI is the best film of the year 2008.

The year end Movie Masala awards which bases its honours exclusively on the votes of the viewers of Aaj Tak news channel, have also declared Anushka Sharma as the debutante of the year and acknowledged Aditya Chopra's return behind the camera as the best directorial turn of the year.

Clearly, the sensitivity and humour with which the film depicted the initial moments in the life of a newly married couple has struck a chord with Indian viewers. Aditya Chopra's delicate direction has not gone unnoticed and Anushka Sharma's richly textured performance has surprised viewers with its maturity, especially as this was her first acting performance of any kind in any medium. Asked to comment on her win, Anushka with humility personified. 'It is an honour enough to work with Aditya Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan and the entire Yash Raj Films team. To win any kind of recognition on top of that is just icing on the cake. I hope that my subsequent work will live up to the expectations that viewers have of me after this kind of a stellar launch that Yash Raj Films has given me.'

Knowing how much the story of RAB NE BANA DI JODI has resonated with the viewers, it should just be a matter of time before other awards start pouring in. 2008 ended with a bang for Yash Raj Films. Now it's the turn of the batch of 2009 films from YRF, starting with the unusual tale of NEW YORK to weave their magic with the viewers
.

Exclusive: Watch Adi Chopra run from Ghajini screening

Director Aditya Chopra attended a special screening of Ghajini on Wednesday night as Aamir Khan’s guest. But the reclusive Adi refused to stand and smile for our cameras like all other Bollywood celebs always do!

Read on to find out our chase to catch Adi:

Aditya Chopra arrives for the screening from the back entrance of PVR Juhu.

He tries real hard to not be caught on camera as he walks out of the screening at the end of the film.

In his attempt to run from the cameras he drops his mobile phone.

Adi runs back to get his mobile phone and then quickly makes a dash for his car.

Aditya covers his face as his driver tries to reverse the car

Still hiding his face but the signature mustache is a give away.

Chopra’s pose reminds us of Brangelina who did this to hide the faces of their kids from the cameras!

'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' The highest opening week grosser till date

Shahrukh Khan-starrer `Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' that released worldwide on December 12, has grossed Rs 90 crore in its opening week, which is on par with and in some places even higher than two of the highest opening week grossers till date, `Om Shanti Om' and `Singh Is King'.

Its producers Yash Raj Films (YRF) said `Rab Ne...' has also broken all earlier opening week collection records for Yash Raj Films, having surpassed the opening week collections of `Dhoom: 2', which is regarded as one of the highest grossing movies of all-time.

The total collections for `Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' in India are around Rs 42 crore net (gross collections were Rs 70 crore). The total gross collections for all overseas markets are over USD 4 Million (around Rs 20 crore), a YRF statement said here on Thursday.

In Middle East, `Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' has broken all previous records for first week collections, netting just under USD 1.3 million. The previous highest grossing film in the Gulf region, having a sizeable Indian population, was `Dhoom: 2', which grossed approximately USD 1.86 million across its entire run.

The Aditya Chopra-directed romantic flick, featuring newcomer Anushka Sharma, is on course to break this all-time record going into its second week, the statement said.

The film has also had a grand opening week across all overseas markets, including the UK, USA, Australia, Europe, Africa, and Asia, and features in the list of the highest grossers for the opening week in most of these territories.

"The film has the potential to finish as one of the biggest blockbusters of all-time," it said.

Adi-SRK bigger than Vipul Shah-Akshay Kumar

First things first! After a lull, when theatre managements were forced to call off shows due to lack of audiences, it was back to good old days this weekend. RAB NE BANA DI JODI, the first of the three 'Saviours' [the other two being GHAJINI and CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA], has succeeded in luring audiences back to movie halls.

Another observation! SRK's star power came to the rescue of RAB NE BANA DI JODI. A majority of those who watched the film were unanimous that the script was faulty, with loopholes aplenty. But SRK swept everyone off their feet!

Now let's talk business! RAB NE BANA DI JODI has come as a respite for the strife-torn industry, especially since everyone's talking non-stop of how the global meltdown and the terrorist attacks have hit movie business hard. The Saturday and Sunday numbers of RAB NE BANA DI JODI were excellent.

All through the weekend, the industry kept comparing RAB NE BANA DI JODI with RACE, SINGH IS KINNG and GOLMAAL RETURNS, the biggest openers of 2008. It was ahead at 'x' centre, behind at 'y' centre, they said.

If you ask my opinion, RAB NE BANA DI JODI should've had the biggest start of 2008. When SRK and Aditya Chopra shake hands, you expect the ultimate -- in terms of entertainment, in terms of numbers. Surely, the Adi-SRK combo is any day bigger than the Vipul Shah-Akshay Kumar combo [SINGH IS KINNG], Abbas-Mustan-Saif team [RACE] and Rohit Shetty-Ajay Devgan jodi [GOLMAAL RETURNS]. Come to think of it, it can't get bigger than Adi-SRK.

All said and done, RAB NE BANA DI JODI should've started with a bang, should've set new records, should set new benchmarks in business, should've been a trendsetter. Is it one?

Monday onwards, the film is sustaining well in North and parts of Central India and also South. But the severe drop at several screens cannot be ignored either. The feedback is mixed, people aren't going ga-ga or into raptures over RAB NE BANA DI JODI.

For the producers, who are also its distributors, RAB NE BANA DI JODI is a profitable venture, no two opinions on that. They will make pots of money on this venture. It's one of the biggest money spinners for YRF to date. The cost of production isn't much and the only expensive factor is SRK's remuneration. The recoveries from India theatrical, Overseas, Home Video and Satellite is sure to make the Chopras grin from ear to ear.

But as a cine enthusiast, you definitely expected Adi to push the envelope, to take Hindi cinema forward. When new/debutante directors can attempt films like ROCK ON!!, A WEDNESDAY, AAMIR, JANNAT and JAANE TU... YA JAANE NA, it inspires 20 people to take the torch forward. But if someone like Adi, the front-runner, thinks out of the box [within commercial parameters], it will inspire a whole new generation. Right?

"Why should we copy movies?" - Karan Johar

The news-report states that Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar are making films with similar subjects and shooting at the same location. Let's get more specific: The two film-makers are making different films based on the same Hollywood film - ARLINGTON ROAD. While Adi's film NEW YORK is already complete [the film has been shot in Philadelphia] and will be Yash Raj's first release in 2009, Karan has commenced the shooting of his film, also in Philadelphia.

"Just because the two films are shot at the same location doesn't mean they have similar subjects," Karan Johar [currently in the U.S.] sets the record straight, "Earlier, they said KAL HO NAA HO was ANAND. Then they said DOSTANA was I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY. Now it's ARLINGTON ROAD. Why should we copy movies? Can't we come up with original stuff?"

Karan continues in the same breath, "Adi and I are best friends. Do you think we would go to the extent of choosing the same story? Just because the two films have the backdrop of terrorism doesn't mean they are similar in content. Going by this logic, even DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAAYENGE, KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI, MOHABBATEIN and RAB NE BANA DI JODI have similar stories since they belong to the same genre."

Rab Ne opens big in North America

The one-man box office engine called Shah Rukh Khan rode into 105 movie theatres across North America grabbing a powerful $1.2 million estimated gross for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in just three days. Working with director Aditya Chopra for the third time after Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Mohabbatein (2000), the star proved once again that his box office magnetism has remained undiminished over the last decade.

The new film -- in which Shah Rukh plays a common man who devises a plot win over the love of his life -- must have easily grossed over $3.5 million in three days outside India, trade experts believe.

For producer Yash Raj, which has suffered many flops in the last two years, the big success of Rab Ne..., following the strong showing of its previous release Dostana, could be considered nothing short of a blessing. And for the trade which has watched helplessly as many big budget films like Yuvvraaj, Drona and Love Story 2050 bit the dust, the strong opening for Rab Ne... seems a nice way to end the year, with good buzz awaiting the release of other big budget films Ghajini and Chandni Chowk To China.

In North America, Rab Ne... was number 15 on the box office chart led by Keanu Reeves' The Day the Earth Stood Still, which grossed $31 million in more than 3500 theatres.

While the reviews in India have been mixed for Rab Ne..., some of the mainstream publications in America welcomed the film, saying that it made much more sense than the usual over hyped and over kinetic Bollywood films.

'In the last few years, Hindi films have become slicker and faster, full of dizzying camera moves and blink-and-you'll-miss-it editing,' wrote Rachel Saltz in The New York Times. 'The technical exuberance is almost always impressive, but it's starting to seem like its own cliche.

'How refreshing, then, to settle into Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, a love story that has a different pace and feel than the recent crop of action thrillers,' she added. 'Rab Ne..., which reteams the director Aditya Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood's reigning superstar, is 'soft, sweet and slow,' in the words of one of its songs. It deftly blends comedy, the ruling tone of the new Bollywood, with melodrama, the ruling tone of the old.'

Shah Rukh has proved to be mighty lucky for Yash Raj. He has said that being directed by Chopra is the kind of collaboration he (Shah Rukh) enjoys most.

Many reviewers have praised Chopra's direction, though some in India have also said that the film loses its focus half way and tries to do too many things .

'Mr Chopra demonstrates how a director can master technology without being mastered by it,' wrote The Times. 'For him, storytelling comes first. (The plot has its flaws, but they're not deadly.)

While some of Shah Rukh's biggest hits such as Kabhi Khushi Khabhie Gham have been multistarrers, his new film is solely driven by his star presence. Rab Ne..., which is not an expensive film (made for about $6 million while Ghajini cost nearly $9 million) is looking at least $6 million in North America, Western Europe, UAE and Australia. Even if it were to plummet by 60 percent in the second week, as it happens in the case of most Hindi films, passing the $5 million benchmark in foreign territories will not be a problem at all.

Shah Rukh was generous in praising his Rab Ne... co-star, newcomer Anushka Sharma. In video interviews made available by Yash Raj, he said he found a distinct advantage in working with new artists who happened to be much younger than him. The younger actresses brought in contemporary touch to their performances, said the actor who is in his early 40s.

Watching them emote made him think if he was doing stereotyped work, and pushed him into yet another gear, he added. His recent films have had new actresses -- Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om, Gayatri Joshi in Swades and the girls hockey team in Chak De! India.

RAB NE BANA DI JODI: YRF's highest weekend grosser ever!

RAB NE BANA DI JODI, which released worldwide on December 12th 2008, has broken all earlier opening weekend collection records for Yash Raj Films. The film has grossed approximately Rs. 60 Crores worldwide on its opening weekend, and has surpassed DHOOM:2, which is regarded as one of the highest grossing films of all–time.

In the Middle East, RAB NE BANA DI JODI has set a new record altogether as the highest opening film of all–time. The previous highest was DHOOM: 2, which grossed approximately $1.86 million across its entire run. RAB NE BANA DI JODI has grossed approximately $1 million on its opening weekend alone.

The film has also received a grand opening across all overseas markets, including the UK, USA, Australia, Europe, Africa, and other territories in Asia.

RAB NE BANA DI JODI has been appreciated tremendously by audiences across the board and the film's performance promises to continue in the same vein moving forward.

John Abraham and Katrina Kaif in 'New York' Trailer

For the first time two of Bollywood's sexiest actors, John Abraham and Katrina Kaif are coming together for Yash Raj's next offering, 'New York.' The film also stars relative newbie, Neil Nitin Mukesh. Now a film with actors as scorching as John Abraham and Katrina Kaif would be something along the lines of the skin show that was 'Dostana,' but alas that's not the case!

Actually the film is about three friends, John, Katrina and Neil, who live a carefree fun loving college life that revolves around the three of them. Everything is fine until the world is changed forever with the horrific events of September 11, 2001. The friend's lives are flipped upside down as the film investigates the touchy subject of what happened, or may have happened to Muslims living in America in the days and weeks after 9/11. In fact the trailer shows the intensity of the film with John locked up and curled into a ball naked in jail.

Now word is that due to the history between John Abraham and Katrina Kaif's boyfriend Salman Khan (the two are known to be on cold terms and do not get along) as well as the history between Katrina Kaif and John Abraham's girlfriend Bipasha Basu (it was reported the two shared cold vibes on the sets of 'Race') that John Abraham and Katrina Kaif would not get along either. Thank goodness that wasn't the case! The two got along like a house on fire! Hmmm... we're pretty sure that didn't please their respective partners very much! Oh the Bollywood drama!

Any how, watch the trailer for 'New York' below and tell us your thoughts on a Bollywood making a film about such a sensitive topic.

Rab Ne Bana De Jodi sweeps the nation

Yash Raj Films reeling under the impact of a series of setbacks in 2007-2008 is all set to make a grand comeback with his latest big-time release Rab Ne Bana De Jodi.

In spite of the terror attacks two weeks ago and the downward curve in Yash Raj's recent image, the film had a massive opening which is expected to get better over the weekend and past it.

Roshan Singh a leading exhibitor of Bihar sums up the unexpected euphoria surrounding the latest Shah Rukh Khan starrer. "It's opened to full houses, the best opening I've had for a Yash Raj Film in the last two years. I should know, because my theatre screens all the Yash Raj films in Patna. People love the film. Nobody expected Rab Ne... to be such a sweet love story. Shah Rukh as an ordinary small- town guy proves he is truly the king. And the new girl Anushka is a revelation."

What's working for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is the working-class ambience.The film delineates the dreams and aspirations of ordinary people.

"And the whole idea of putting the couple into a dance reality-show is a stroke of genius. Audiences immediately identify and connect with this new medium of getting famous overnight," says Roshan Singh.

In Mumbai, the responses on Friday ranged from exceptional to very very good. Said the Singh Is Kinng producer Vipul Shah, "I'm not surprised by the warm welcome that the film has got. After 26/11 Mumbai needed a feel good film. And the Shah Rukh-Aditya Chopra combination after eight years....Their last film together was Mohabbatein. I was really looking forward to the film. We don't get a film from the team that gave us Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge that easily."

With the heartening opening of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi the industry reeling under the twin impact of a recession and 26/11 can breathe easy.

The best reaction to the film's opening came from film's director Aditya Chopra and leading man Shah Rukh Khan's best friend Karan Johar in New York. "Rab Ne Bana Di will prove once and for all that the Adi-Shah Rukh jodi is god sent."

Don't 'Rab' that combo the wrong way.

Thumbs up to Shah Rukh's 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'

A cinema hall here resonated with the sound of applause as soon as superstar Shah Rukh Khan made his entry in 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'. It continued, reaching a crescendo towards the end of the film.

The film is a hit, the audience and members of the film fraternity say.

'It is a super duper hit', 'Shah Rukh looks so good', 'The songs are great' were just a few of the reactions of those who managed to see the first show of the film Friday.

Retired Major-General Jasbir Lacshar and his wife Triptinder watched the film and both of them felt it is a 'very clean movie'.

'You can go and watch it with your family. The movie is too good. I think it is exceptionally well-made. The overall packaging of the movie is also excellent,' Jasbir Lacshar said.

Set in Amritsar, 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' is the story of a mismatched couple played by Shah Rukh and newcomer Anushka Sharma and how the two of them find love in the backdrop of a dance competition.

The film is Shah Rukh's first release of the year. Apart from this, it is the first Shah Rukh Khan-Aditya Chopra film in over eight years. They had last collaborated for 'Mohabbatein' in 2000.

'Rab Ne?' saw a massive opening despite the recent Mumbai terror attack and the business for the film is expected to get better over the weekend.

Roshan Singh, a leading exhibitor in Bihar, told IANS: 'The film has opened to full houses in the cities, the best opening we have had for a Yash Raj Film in the last two years. People have loved the film. Nobody expected 'Rab Ne?' to be such a sweet love story.'

According to Singh, what's working best for the film is the very fact that it is about an ordinary man.

'The film delineates the dreams and aspirations of ordinary people. And the whole idea of putting the couple into a dance reality show is a stroke of genius. Audiences immediately identify and connect with this new medium of getting famous overnight,' he explained.

People from all walks of life have loved the film.

'This is a super duper hit movie and Shah Rukh Khan has proved that he is the real King,' said 22-year-old Gurmeet Singh, a college student.

For Lalita Tripathi, 20, the film was completely 'paisa-vasool' (worthwhile). 'For a change, Shah Rukh has not overacted and he looks very good,' she said.

The response to newcomer model-turned-actor Anushka Sharma is also positive.

While exhibitor Roshan Singh said she is a 'revelation', Neeraj Chauhan, a film buff, felt she has acted very well.

'The way she has danced, it seems as though she is a thorough professional,' said Chauhan.

Filmmaker Vipul Shah of 'Singh Is Kinng' fame says he is not surprised by the warm welcome to the film, as 'after 26/11, Mumbai needed a feel-good film'.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - Movie Review

Well, to start off with, Aditya Chopra spells yet another poignant dimension of pure love as in his previous ventures with SRK; DDLJ and Mohabattein. Yeah! These tales were retentive impressing everyone from 8-80yrs old men and women. Of course, we fell in love getting imbibed with those spellbinding personations in these flicks. So, guess what about Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi – a film that brings back sensational pair SRK-Aditya together after 8yrs? Does the film exceed everyone's expectations on 'Love' n 'Entertainment' factors? Or merely conks out dashing down our hopes?

Hats off to Aditya Chopra! An awesome motif of delineating a touching story of romance...

Have you ever stopped to think if the most ordinary, uninteresting, unobtrusive man you might see on the road or around you might have a love story to tell?

Maybe not! How can an ordinary man have a breathtaking, goose flesh igniting, awe inspiring love story of all things to tell?

But guess what - love does not differentiate between the ordinary and exceptional, the uninteresting and interesting, the unattractive and attractive. Because love knows no distinction. It can happen to anyone and once it does it engulfs us into it completely and gives us those heaven-sent experiences that only love can yield.

Perhaps, everything in fine and good with the one-liner…. But Aditya Chopra fails in crafting a gripping narration all throughout the show. A flimsy screenplay lacking finesse with bits and pieces of discontinuities and these attributes easily scatters audiences' attention. The best illustration goes with SRK's ducky actresses shaking legs with him for 'Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte' on theatre screen. It's completely odd for that situation and possibly, the sequences could've been switched over to latter half as a 'special round in Dance show'. Was it an attempt to deliver a replica of 'Om Shanthi Om' song of film stars dancing together?

The film is about Surinder Sahni (Shahrukh Khan) - a simple, clean hearted, honest man working for Punjab Power, leading a humdrum life, when he meets his total opposite and finds love in the flamboyant, fun-loving, vivacious -Taani (Anushka Sharma) for whom the whole world is her canvas and she paints her own life with the colours of rainbow all until unforeseen circumstances changes it all and brings them together. Sooner, its biggest dance show in Amritsar and Surinder coiffes himself as Raj what he calls 'Macho Chap'… He does it all to impress his girl Taani and what's next?

It's a journey filled with laughter, tears, joy, pain, music, dance and a lot of love. A journey that makes us believe that there is an extraordinary love story in every ordinary jodi.

The first half dawdles with sluggish narration until earlier minutes to pre-interval where SRK's soliloquy with statue takes on emotional quotients. Well, the latter half comprises of few enjoyable moments like Anushka racing on her bike with 'Dhoom Machale' on BCM and next ultimate shot of Vinay Pathak-SRK at garage.

It's a crème de la crème performance by Shah Rukh Khan as he emotes resplendently on all situations. Be it his make-over sequences adjusting his tight jeans in dance class or the performance in penultimate minutes, King Khan is awe-inspiring. A flawless performance by debutant Anushka Sharma and of course she eclipses Shah Rukh on many parts. What to say about Vinay Pathak? He's over-the-top and more emblazons to the screen. He strides sparkling smiles on our lips with his wiggeries and soaks our eyes as he gets emotional. Don't miss the great dance of SRK-Vinay for the original tune of 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'. Its emotional outbursts from every characterization that turns entire spotlights on RNBDJ…

Aditya's innovative thought is laudable on certain parts like Shah Rukh laying rose next to food and again placing it vase, pictorial of Anushka's face for the song 'Tuj Mei Rab Diktha Hai' and entire Amritsar being lit up, 'I Love You' deserves grand round of applause. Fine! Young lads and missies would hail with praise worthy comments for Adhi's ideation. Both SRK and Anushka swallowing Pani Purees followed by abrupt sequence where he has to finish of delicious Biriyani are evokes laughter.

Nevertheless, the biggest flaw is that how come a woman fails to recognize her husband with a slight-make over…. The characters of Surindar and Raj differ merely with thin moustache, hair style and costumes. Both the characters have same voice sans any modulations….

What barricaded Aditya's cognizance while dropping these lines on his paper? Indeed, it's a billion dollar question.

Ravi K Chandran's cinematography enhances visual quality and his placement of creative angles deserves special attention. The duo Salim-Sulaiman seems to have not percolated a lot for background scoring. It's again the pieces of existing numbers in album tuned and they sway on all songs.

Possibly, 'Haule Haule' and 'Dance Pe' peaked with high-promos prior to release. For sure, both the versions of 'Tuj Mei Rab Dikta Hai' capture your senses with beauteous visualizing. 'Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte' fails to make it big despites grand set decorations, costumes and top-charting actresses with SRK. Ritesh Soni's editing especially on 'Dancing Jodi' at the climax is mind blowing... Choreography by Vaibhavi and Shiamak are sumptuously ne plus ultra…

On the whole, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is enjoyable on many parts with fun, frolic, lots of music and dance, pains and emotions.

'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' set for world premiere

Shah Rukh Khan's much awaited 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' about an ordinary man's transformation into something extraordinary, is now releasing simultaneously across 30 countries this Friday.

The film starring newcomer Anushka Sharma is said to be the widest first day release of any Hindi film.

Shah Rukh Khan and Aditya Chopra have teamed up together after a gap of over eight years and the duo are hoping to recreate the magical success of 'Dil Wale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge', their first film together.

The film will be released in over 1200 screens across the country. This includes analog prints as well as digital cinemas, a source close to producer said.

The production house has also tied up with social networking site, ibibo, to launch a 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi application, where the online users can upload their video clips and win a chance to meet Shah Rukh Khan.

The film would be simultaneously released on December 12 in over 30 countries including, US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Middle East, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand as well as all major European countries.

All eyes on Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

The film industry and movie buffs are pinning their hopes on Shah Rukh Khan to deliver the next big hit of the year with the upcoming "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi", the advance bookings of which have been "terrific".

“The response for bookings is terrific,” Sanjeev Kohli, director and CEO of Yash Raj Films, the production company behind the film, told IANS.

According to a source from multiplex chain PVR, the bookings for "Rab Ne...", which has a running time of three hours and 46 minutes, are much better than the past few releases.

“The situation has been quite gloomy in the past weeks except for bookings for 'Dil Kabaddi'. So, we are looking forward to this film ('Rab Ne...'). It might be a saviour in these times and be the next hit of this year,” the source said.

Most multiplexes like PVR and Satyam have reserved multiple auditoriums and time slots for the screening of the film and are receiving a positive response for advance bookings.

This, despite the fact that advance bookings opened for all theatres just on Wednesday.

“We delayed the advance booking date to synchronise with the multiplex advance booking day, which is Wednesday,” Kohli explained.

“Rab Ne...” is a story of a mismatched couple played by Shah Rukh Khan and newcomer Anushka Sharma who find true love in the backdrop of a dance competition.

It is being released worldwide at over 1,200 screens, including approximately 300 prints for the overseas market.

Apart from being Shah Rukh Khan's first release this year, “Rab Ne...” is the first Shah Rukh Khan-Aditya Chopra combination film in over eight years. They had last collaborated for “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” in 1994 and for “Mohabbatein” in 2000.

Film critic Anupama Chopra says everyone has “great expectations” from this film.

“I am a fan of Aditya Chopra's style of candyfloss and romantic movies. I hope Aditya and Shah Rukh Khan create the same magic that they did with 'Dilwale...'. It will be interesting to see them create another iconic figure with this film after they popularised Raj (Shah Rukh's character in 'Dilwale...'),” Anupama Chopra said over phone from Mumbai.

Though the production house has tried to keep the storyline of the film under wraps, it has constantly emphasised that the film is about an ordinary man.

Anupama Chopra says she is curious to see how Shah Rukh Khan, who has mostly essayed larger-than-life roles with a stylised persona, would be able to carry off the image of an everyday man.

“He has played that look in 'Chak De! India' and 'Swades' but 'Rab Ne...' is a romantic film. I am very curious to know how he does in the film,” she said.

Two of the film's songs “Haule haule” and “Chance pe dance” are already ruling the charts.

Bangalore pitches for SRK's new heroine

She used to be softspoken, bright and studious, but model Anushka Sharma also has what it takes to reach the top in showbiz, say people in Bangalore as she makes her dream debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi".

While her mentor and fashion guru Prasad Bidappa says Bangalore girl Anushka was always a good learner and he had an inkling that she would do well in the glamour and entertainment industry, her friends say she has always "stood out in the crowd".

"Anushka showed her zeal in learning things fast. She started walking the ramp perfectly just after a few days of guidance. She was agile and had a perfect body language. She was a good learner and worked hard to reach the top. It did not surprise me when she got such a good opportunity in Bollywood," Bidappa, who also groomed Deepika Padukone, told IANS.

Well-known designer Wendell Rodricks spotted Anushka at an event in Bangalore and saw her potential. He brought her to Mumbai and made her the showstopper in his Les Vamps show at the Lakme India Fashion Week.

After making a mark as a model, Anushka did big assignments for products like Fiat Palio and Silk and Shine products.

A trained bharatanatyam dancer, Anushka is playing a dancer who gets married to a nerd in "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi".

Former model and Kannada actress Andrita Ray says Anushka's entry into filmdom brings hope for others who are trying to make it big in filmdom.

"Certainly this was the most encouraging news for many models in the city who are trying for a foot hold in the film industry," said Andrita, who forayed into the Kannada film industry with director Mahesh Babu's "Meravanige".

Andrita remembers Anushka as a softspoken girl.

"More than me, some of my best known friends who describe her as one girl who could be noticed even in a big crowd.

“Though I did not have too many interactions with her, I was very happy to see her getting such a big break. And what makes it more exciting is the fact that she was chosen after more than a hundred girls were interviewed," said Andrita.

Some of Anushka's friends who studied in Mount Carmel College with her say they were not at all surprised that she chose a film career.

"Working in films was her first ambition," said a friend.

One of her teachers on request of anonymity said she was surprised when she saw Anushka's photograph in a newspaper with Shah Rukh. "She was very studious and I thought she would complete her post graduation in economics," said the teacher.

"Adi wrote Rab Ne... in 12 days & wanted me in it. I agreed" - SRK

What's the best thing that can happen to you as a journalist when you fly down from London to Mumbai in the month of December? Attending Page 3 parties? Eating hot and spicy curries? Going to the best ever New Year's bash? Meeting celebrities on the sets? Naah! But imagine you getting a text message one morning which reads - SRK interview tomorrow at 3.15pm at 'Mannat'.

You have 15 minutes. I then call the YRF PR to confirm the message. They reply to me in positive. What once was a distant dream becomes a near reality! What happened in the next 24 hours was truly one of my most fulfilling experiences as a Bollywood columnist. Every time you come to Mumbai city and pass by the lovely Bandstand area, you just cannot move your eyes away from Mannat.

It could be 'Mannat' to the world, but it is 'Jannat'. I mean, which person wouldn't want to live there? I enter the Mannat Annexe, SRK's new multi storey office behind Mannat. Security check takes place, identification proof and then I enter. All this and I felt like I was in the Heathrow airport, checking in. Off I go to the second floor where three to four journos were waiting for their turn to meet 'Datuk' Shah Rukh Khan. He is no more a King but way beyond that. For me, he is the matinee idol look combined with the sex symbol loveliness.

That sums up SRK's pin up appeal since two decades. Whether he plays a lover boy in DDLJ or a music teacher in Mohabbatein, he possesses an all-too-nice guy charm. He's willing to put that charm to test too! In Chak De India, we didn't see SRK, we saw Kabir Khan - no pretty love interest, no wisecracking sidekick, not even a comic genius. And, such is the weight that Shah Rukh carries with a worldwide audience, such is the skill that he has developed over two decades plying his trade...he pulled it off with amazing ease.

His Friday release Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi hopefully will take this further. Sitting in his black V-neck T-shirt and jeans, he poses for the photographers, goes to the terrace on the third floor to get some more natural shots, comes down, shakes my hand and humorously asks me, "Are you the same Observer journalist who reported about the terrorist?" I say, "No". He orders a hot cup of coffee for himself, talks about the hot Anushka Sharma, talks about the hot parathas and much more in what should go down as the best ever interview of SRK in ages.

As he aptly said, "You are here to interview me and you'll hope that this one is better than your last one".

We don't start with ABC here but with SRK. So tell me what makes an extraordinary SRK ordinary?
I think the reason people become extraordinary is because their roots are ordinary. I don't think it works the other way round that you happen to be an extraordinary, and then, with humility and modesty talk about your ordinariness. First of all, I don't believe I'm extraordinary. My very good friend and writer of Chak De India, Jaideep Sahni told me yesterday that the irony of your life is that when you tell people the truth, they believe either you're being too humble or honest, which is true. I don't find anything extraordinary in what I do. It's a job like everyone else does. I wake up every morning, apply my make up and try and get my best shot possible. You are here to interview me and you'll hope that this one is better than the last one. That's what I'm doing since last 20 years and our film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is akin to that.

Is that being diplomatic or simplistic?
I always say this; I am an employee of the myth of SRK. For the first time you will see the worker behind this myth and Rab Ne's Surinder Sahni, the character, is that worker who is a little boring, hard worker, may be not good looking but he is actually the engine what drives the myth. It's being simplistic.

What characteristics do you think are most important for having a fulfilling jodi?
If you are talking about my own experience, it's the space. Allowing the space that your partner wants and still occupying it with love is crucial. Besides that, it's very subjective. It's different strokes for different folks. Overall, everybody likes to have that space. When I start making a film, I tell everyone, "Listen guys, we are hundred of us and we are going to formulate a team. There are two of us, a director and an actor. We are trying to make a film but are we making the same film? Are we both doing this film for the same reason? Are we telling this story to earn money from that or just want to tell a story? Whatever the reason, it should be on the same page. Then anything you do, whether it's your personal life or professionally, you become one fulfilling jodi.

What ideas, values or experiences did you and Aditya Chopra bring along with you from 2000 to 2008, from Mohabbatein to Rab Ne...?
What we've realised from DDLJ days is that a lot of faith has been put in our creative ability to entertain. For years, what we've tried to do is cater to what we think people want to see. They've always said that we'd like to see a cool guy singing 'Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeh Jaana Sanam' in Switzerland and we gave that to them. It's not important that we keep giving them what they want to see, but the question is, can we give them what we want to show them and ask them whether they liked what they saw. That is the difference from Rab Ne... to DDLJ. When we made DDLJ we were very anxious. We tried to show the Lamborghini or the Harley Davidson, but now we want to show them the engine that drives these things. We are now challenging the status of faith given to us by the audiences saying, 'You guys told us that you like us, now we will show you what we like and not what you like to see'.

And what is Adi going to show them this time around?
Rab Ne is a big entertaining film and the funniest film Aditya Chopra can make for the simple reason that he is not a funny guy. Even during DDLJ, I had to bring in a lot of humor. We've tried this time to bring this same humor in an ordinary way. People, when they travel abroad eat chicken in KFC or a burger in McDonalds or some grilled food in some restaurant. But when they come home after a month or two and sit down and are being served hot paratha and curd, you feel it's the best you've ever had. Rab Ne... is the best you've ever had.

Extending on what you said that there was a Lamborghini, Harley Davidson etc... all YRF films have seen rich NRIs. Since Chak De, we are now seeing an emerging trend of a middle class Indian in YRF films, more closer to our home. Is it a planned move or what?
It's not like that. As time goes, you get attracted to different kind of stories. I am still attracted to a super hero story that I still want to tell, I am still attracted to a fun film like Om Shanti Om. I was never attracted to love stories to be honest. I just do them because my friends really believe in them and I do it for them. Lately, I loved the idea of Don. I think it's really cool. There was an anti establishment time in 70's and 80's when Mr. Bachchan used to act in films. Then come 90s, our economy prospered, people went abroad, they did well for themselves and wanted to achieve their dreams of having a big house, a big car and a big family happily settled in the UK or the US. So, films like DDLJ came and made those dreams come true on celluloid and now the time has come where people don't want a big car. It's fine for them to travel in a bus. What today's people want is their status identity, whoever they are, they are heroes.

But what about today's kids, let's say...Aryan, will he identify with his extraordinary status?
When I am trying to show my son Aryan heroes of today's day and age and even heroes of our mythological era, he is not interested. For kids, a hero is a guy who is normal and ordinarily extraordinary. They don't need their hero to be in flashy clothes. But as long as he performs he is a hero for them. Like the footballer Ronaldo is a hero for kids because his actions are performance based. 'Hero toh woh hota hai jo Shah Rukh Khan hota hai', that's not true. Hero is one who does his job well. For Aryan, I might be his hero too because he knows I do my job well. I've seen that an ordinary man is very secured about his status. The purpose of life and your existence is becoming more important. I tell my kids that I did Om Shanti Om because I believe that if it's not happy, it's not the end.

What's your status then?
It's strange but the people of Malaysia knew what my status was when I went there to receive my knighthood. They were holding these huge banners which said, "The person who likes to see people smile - Datuk Shah Rukh". That's what I am. It's another thing that I get paid crores for doing that now. But I got Rs. 5,000 for my first film to do the same thing and will continue doing that in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

Chak De garnered a great deal of attention from fans and critics, especially in the overseas. Do you think Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi will tread the same path?
I don't know but I think that the film is too entertaining for the critics to like it (laughs). It'll make you laugh and cry. Honestly, critics have been really nice to me, they give me much more than I deserve. I'm sure in Rab Ne... too they will think that I've acted well. I truly believe that Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is Aditya Chopra's bravest film. So I hope he gets the feedback. We've made the film, it's our baby now and it's up to the audiences to say whether they like it or not. It's an important film for Adi and me.

It's strange to be working with a stranger. You expect the unexpected from them. How did the debutante Anushka Sharma come across?
All these girls are really wonderful. They are in a world which is very well informed, more informed than my world when I was 20. They have access to information and because they have access to information, I believe that they have access to expressions that I didn't have at that age. I've grown up with some expressions of life. I didn't know what a terrorist was; I didn't know what an internet was. I had to first access it and then learn it. So when you're working with new comers as talented as Anushka what happens is they express themselves in a language that I'm just getting to know. Over the last couple of years, I've learnt not to correct them (new comers) because I need to correct myself. When I said a line in DDLJ which went - 'Zindagi mein do raaste milte hai, ek sahi, ek galat'. Everybody told me how beautifully I had said those lines. I don't think Anushka will say the same lines like I did. But when she says it the way she says it now, it'll be as beautiful. I truly believe that new comers are great actors because they do things completely out of the box. I just thanked Anushka and her parents last night by saying, "Thank you for allowing me to do something different.

So, how different is Rab Ne as a film?
Rab Ne is very believable and different because of Anushka, more than me or Adi.

Apart from your cameo in Bhootnath this year, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is your only full length feature role and film of 2008. Is age catching up haule haule?
No, that's not true. I messed up on dates this year, big time. I was doing two films this year, Robot with Shankar and Three Idiots with Rajkumar Hirani and both didn't kick off due to some problems. Suddenly my dates got free. Now if I get to know just now that I've given up a film, I can't sign a new film next day because the people who make films with me plan their films in advance. So I started a small film with Irrfan Khan called Billo Barber which we are ready with. I postponed it because Rab Ne... was releasing in December. We are releasing it in February now. Plus, IPL was there too. I spent a good couple of months just concentrating on that. Then My Name Is Khan got postponed because of dates in America and times. Next year, I'll still do three films. I am flying to L.A on the 18th December for My Name Is Khan and will be back in February before Billo Barber's release. So if everything goes by the paper, you'll see me in three films in 2009.

Shah Rukh, you go that extra mile, for the different look, for the different style or be it a different film. You bend yourself out of the shape just to get it right. But what difference does it make?
I don't know, I guess the director wants me to do it. Everyone who wants to sign me now says that they don't want "SRK". They want me to look different and act different. Farah Khan came up to me because she wanted a six pack from me for 'Dard E Disco'. So I did it. Shimit Amin wanted me to have a beard in Chak De. I did that too. For Rab Ne... I had to shed a lot of kilos. I didn't like doing it but it was work. Now Karan Johar wants me to have short hair and a bit more weight for My Name Is Khan. I am doing it. You tell me I'll do what people want from me now.

Luck plays a significant part in everyone's life. It has played in your life and mine too. I want to know how luck has affected Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi?
Adi says that this film is made by 'Rab' and not luck. I just called him and told him that should we just postpone the release of our film keeping in mind the situation in Mumbai right now and he said, "This film is made by 'Rab' and we will let it release on time as planned. All what is happening was made to happen. Rab knows what He is doing". I never planned to work with Aditya Chopra and he never planned to make a film. It all just happened. The reason I did Rab Ne... is because Raju Hirani's film got cancelled. So Adi came to me and said that he had written a film in 12 days and wanted me to be a part of it. I agreed and we finished the film in 47 days. Rab Ne is 20% better than what we planned to make. It's all in Rab's hands!

You have people in this profession whom you trust and have made a difference in your career, YRF. What say?
Rab Ne... is the seventh film I've done with them. The last six films with YRF have never failed business wise and keeping in mind audiences reactions. They've all loved it. We started with Darr and ended with Chak De India. Now it's Rab Ne. People keep blaming us that we make similar kind of films. I doubt that. When you look at Veer Zaara, Darr, DDLJ and Chak De, the roles ranged from a 65 year old man to a villain to the romantic hero to the patriotic Kabir Khan. To have these four variations is doing something different and not similar. But the good thing about me and YRF is that we never try and work together. We always try and tell a story together which we love to tell. 90% of my stardom is because of YRF. Hopefully Rab Ne will take it to 100%.

Any parting message for all the beautiful jodis out there?
Love you all, be happy and don't forget to eat some parathas and curd as I said earlier. This goes out especially to my overseas fans (laughs).