Bollywood Hunk Shah Rukh Khan To Receive “Knighthood” In Malaysia Oct Nov 29

October 24th, 2008 BollywoodTags: Bollywood, knighted, shah rukh khan

Bollywood hunk Shah Rukh Khan will be in Malaysia on Wednesday Nov 29 to accept the Datukship award, or an equivalent a Knighthood in Britain, reports said.

The award will be conferred by the Head of State of Melaka, giving the actor the title Datuk, and will be addressed in Malaysia as Datuk Shah Rukh Khan.

Melaka Chief Mininister Mohd Ali Rustam, himself a Datuk, said that the ceremony would be teleast live at 10pm.

The award came amid outcry in Malaysia, with many questioning whether Shah Rukh Khan deserved the title. The Malaysian artistes association, however, supported the move, saying it had no objection to it so long as local artistes were also given similar recognition in the future.

Malaysia has awarded titles to local filmmakers, actors and singers, not only with a Datukship but also the Tan Sri, the second highest award in the country after the title Tun.

Former premier supports Shah Rukh Khan

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has been awarded the title Tun, is among those who supported Shah Rukh Khan’s Datukship.

“Shah Rukh Khan is a popular Bollywood star. I had been trying to woo Bollywood film companies to shoot their film here as it would introduce Malaysia not only to Indian cinema goers but also in those in Europe,” he said in his blog www.chedet.com.

“Among those whom I’ve invited,” said Dr Mahathir, “was Shah Rukh Khan. He is very much impressed with the scenery in Malaysia.”

Bollywood Heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan “Knighted” In Malaysia

October 11th, 2008 BollywoodTags: knighted, malaysia, shah rukh khan

A state in Malaysia has awarded Bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan with a “Datukship”, an award equivalent to that of a knight in the United Kingdom.

Shah Rukh Khan will receive the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM) award which carries the honorific “Datuk” in conjunction with the Melaka Head of State Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob’s 77th birthday which falls on Oct 11.

So, each time Shah Rukh Khan attends an event in Malaysia, he will be addressed as “Datuk Shah Rukh Khan”.

According to the Head of State’s press secretary, the award was given for his contribution to the entertainment industry at international level.

“Shah Rukh Khan has also contributed to our tourism industry when he acted in a movie filmed in Malaysia,” the press secretary said.

Yes, “Hari Puttar” Is Not “Harry Potter”, So Go Ahead And Use The Name

September 23rd, 2008 Bollywood

The Bollywood film “Hari Puttar” has been given the greenlight to premier across Indian cinemas after a court in the Indian capital Delhi rejected a lawsuit filed by Warner Bros against the film makers, claiming the title was too similar to “Harry Potter”.

In quashing the lawsuit, Justice Reva Khetrapal said the Mirchi Movies, the production company of the film, can use the name. The court also said that Warner Bros had known about the film way back in 2005 but had delayed making the complaint until the last moment to protest against its release.

AFP quoted lawyer Prathibha Singh as saying that, “The case has been dismissed. The court said that Warner Bros had known the title of the film since 2005 and had delayed bringing the case to court until the last moment.”

The film was intially scheduled for release across India on Sept 12 but was delayed by the court case.

“Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors”, which tells of a 10-year-old boy who moves to England with his family, is now slotted for release on Sept 26.

“Hari Puttar” Set To Premier In Indian Cinemas Amid “Harry Potter” Controversy

September 11th, 2008 Bollywood

Bollywood film “Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors” is set to premier in cinemas around India on Thursday amid controversy over the alleged similarity of the title to Harry Potter.

Last week, Warner Bros, the owner of Harry Potter trademark, sued the film producers, Harinder Kohli and others, seeking to restrain them from releasing the film under the title, claiming it was “identical and deceptive similar to popular trademark Harry Potter,” the Press Trust of India reported.

Sudhir Chandra, the lawyer for Warner Bros, contended that the use of “Hari Puttar” was to gain commercial advantage.

The producers denied the claim, saying it had no resemblance of Potter; and furthermore, Hari Puttar was a common Indian name.

[More reports and "Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors" movie trailer here.]