Bollywood Quiz Rekindles The Khan Legacy Of Hindi Cinema

By Ravichandran D.J Paul KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- 'My Name is Khan' is a 2010 Bollywood blockbuster starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. And Khan is no ordinary name in Bollywood, it is the name that has dominated the Indian filmdom since time immemorial. A recent “Quiz on Bollywood Khans” hosted by quiz master Phanindra Ivatury at The Indian Cultural Centre, here revealed the immense contribution of the Khans to Bollywood. As usual Phanindra was at his element as he took the five teams and the floor in an epic journey revealing the many interesting details on the Khans through his compelling line of questions and narration. It was truly an entertaining and highly educational quiz event for both the participants and the audience. He also highlighted the many trivia involving present top four Khans - Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan - and a long list of lesser-known Khans and of the earlier Khans who had etched their names in silver screen. THE KHANS RULE BOLLYWOOD The preliminary rounds started with the questions on the current four top Khans of Bollywood. Phanindra even went to explain the rationale behind some of his questions and elaborated eloquently on the answers. Phanindra, in the final round, took those in the room that evening back in time when another set of Khans reigned supreme. Amazingly, as early as 1940s, there was a Khan who ruled the roost but with a different name - Dilip Kumar. Dilip's real name was Muhammad Yusof Khan and he was born in Peshawar, in present day Pakistan. Subsequently it was Feroze Khan who ruled Bollywood in the 1960s and 1970s. Both Dilip and Feroze are screen legends and along with the present day Khans they stand testament to the Khans' remarkable legacy in Bollywood. In Bollywood, the only others who could come close to the Khans are the Kapoors. EITHER SEX OR SHAH RUKH SELLS Speaking of the present day Khans, Shah Rukh, who is also affectionately known through his acronym SRK, leads the pack. Bollywood heroine Neha Dhupia aptly described Shah Rukh's unparalleled silver screen enigma when she stated that; "In Bollywood either sex sells or Shah Rukh Khan". Phanindra narrated that Neha stated this while promoting her own movie "Julie", and as her statement went viral she later added Salman's name to her now immortalised phrase. Phanindra's question also highlighted the on screen magic of SRK-Kajol pairing, as their movies have recorded huge success. Shah Rukh and Kajol in fact recently celebrated the 1000 week run of the blockbuster "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" (DDLJ) in the Marata Mandir theater in Mumbai. DDLJ that was first screened in 1995 was instrumental in shaping Shah Rukh and Kajol's persona into one of the most lovable onscreen pairs of all time. SHAH RUKH'S MIXED BLESSINGS Another trivia is that Shah Rukh was once ticked off by Jeyabachan, a former actress and the wife of Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachan, that his comedy Happy New Year (2014) was the most nonsensical that she had seen. Surprisingly Jaya's own son Abhishek, was also in the cast line-up with Shah Rukh. The episode was blown out of proportion by the media, but all said and done the film directed by Farah Khan ended up as the highest grossing movie in India and overseas. Since the inception of FilmFare Awards, out of the five movies that have won all four major awards - Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Film of the Year, three were starred by Shah Rukh Khan. A sterling achievement for Shah Rukh, and a stark reminder that the Khans rule the Hindi cinema. Shah Rukh has legions of fans all over the world and even in Malaysia the Melaka state government found it fit to bestow him with the “Dato” title. Phanindra said it is worth mentioning the movie Kuch-kuch Hota Hai as it literally made Shah Rukh and co stars Kajol and Rani Mukerjee into household names. For Phanindra, Kuch-kuch Hota Hai has a special place in his heart as it is also the first movie that he happened to watch in a theater with his future wife in 1998. THE OTHER KHANS Moving on to the next Khan who started his screen career with 'Maine Pyar Kiya', just how many are aware that Salman almost always goes by the same screen name 'Prem' in the movies that he starred. Salman's physique is a great asset in luring the damsels on the screen and the fans. Before Salman chose to become an actor he wanted to follow his father Salim Khan's footstep as a screen-writer. Thus its not surprising that he had scripted three of his own movies - Baghi (1990), Chandramukhi (1993) and Veer (2010). Salman's family has contributed a number of Khans to the Indian filmdom. His brothers Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan are lesser-known actors. Also Arbaaz and his actress wife Malaika Arora are the producers of the successful Dabang series. Another interesting fact to note is that an A list Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone had recently tweeted this interest to work with Salman. Salman also had starred with Hollywood actress Ali Larter in the English film 'Marigold' (2007) made predominately in India. Phanindra also asked who was the Khan and what was the movie that had inspired Karan Johar to become a film-maker. The answer is Hum Aap Ke Hai Kaun starring Salman Khan. "After watching 'Hum Apke Hain Kaun', I realised Indian cinema is about values, tradition, subtlety and romance. There is so much soul in it," Karan among the distingusihed film-makers of today was quoted saying then. AAMIR KHAN Next comes Aamir Khan whose wonderful portrayal in the movie "Ghajni", a 2008 remake of the Tamil version that went by the same name and by the same director A.R Murugadoss, left audiences mesmerised. Aamir takes on the role of businessman Sanjay Singhania who loses his memory every 15 minutes following a brutal attack and only has photographs, notes and tattoos to remind him to kill the man who brutally murdered his sweetheart, Kalpana. Hindi movie buffs will never forget of the theatrical release posters with Aamir in an angry posture showcasing his ripped abs and biceps, and the tattoo emblazoned above his chest. Phanindra's question drew attention to the tattoo on the chest. What does the tattoo say, for diehard fans of Aamir the answer is easy 'Kalpana was Killed'. Aamir's wife Kiran Rao, a writer-director, to date has only directed one movie starred by her husband, 'Dhobi Ghat'. The movie that is also known as Mumbai Diaries is where Kiran made her directorial debut in 2011. 'Akele Hum-Akle Tum' is a Aamir Khan-Manisha Koirala starrer and was inspired by Meryl Streep-Dustin Hoffman courtroom drama Kramer vs Kramer. SAIF ALI KHAN Phanindra's questions also shed some light on the background of the rather recluse but equally popular Saif. Saif's father was the late cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and his mother is screen legend Sharmila Tagore. This easily explains how he ended up in Bollywood. Interestingly Saif is married to scarlet Kareena Kapoor and his sister in-law is Karishma Kapoor. This is a classic case of the powerful Khan and Kapoor clans uniting in marriage and what this combination provides for Bollywood in future, audiences have to wait and see. Now just how many are aware that a movie that Saif made in 2012 shared the same title with a Hollywood movie made in 1988 starring Tom Cruise? The answer is Cocktail made under his banner Illuminati Films with Deepika Padukone being among the female leads. RECOGNITION FOR THE KHANS The Khans will continue to rule Bollywood and keep the audiences entertained with their looks and acting. And Phanindra will keep rolling out his quizzes to shed light on new subjects. The quiz hosted by Phanindra ended with the winners announced and the prizes presented by Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia, His Excellency T.S Trimurti. --------------------------------------------------------------------- SIDE BAR A QUIZ MASTER WITH A DIFFERENCE Phanindra Ivatury has a Masters Degree in Public Personnel Management and Kulapati K.M.Munshi Medalist in Public Relations. Phanindra Ivatury currently works in a supervisory cadre for the Comptroller & Auditor General of India in New Delhi. Quizzing is a hobby he cultivated in 2002 and had so far hosted over 200 Quizzing events all over the world. He had hosted several Quizzing events in Malaysia on various interesting topics pertaining to India, in association with the Indian Cultural Centre, Kuala Lumpur. His unique style of quizzing coupled with the interesting anecdotes he narrates, to educate and entertain the public on the subject matter of the Quiz, has attracted a high level of audience participation and enthusiasm. -- BERNAMA