You already know about SRK Boulevard, the Dhs8 billion beachfront project Shah Rukh Khan is building on Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Dana Island, in collaboration with the UAE-based TSA Group. Now find out how he wants this project to be “unique” and “special”.
In a one-on-one with Masala! following a press conference, King Khan talks about his idea of a perfect home and more.
How will you leave your mark on this project?
I’ve been really trying to think that out. I don’t want it to be too much SRK, like any sort of image or photograph, because one day if you don’t like Shah Rukh Khan, I don’t want you not to like your home. I know finally Shah Rukh Khan will get over, but I want you to love your home all the time.
I want to design something with my wife and (architect) Tony that will be me, yet not be in your face. A thing you will look at and say, this is something Shah Rukh Khan did himself. It could even be a flower arrangement (pointing to a vase on the table), but I hope it will be more concrete and permanent than that (smiles).
What B’wood element can we expect? An Om Shanti Om disco?
Of course there will be a nightclub and of course, as you say, there will be elements of Bollywood. Now my work is beginning to define me a little and I’m beginning to get recognised.
Even if it sounds pompous, I AM Bollywood. So there has to be Bollywood themes woven in. We haven’t worked out the details yet, but it will be something significantm definitely.
What material thing is closest to you in your own home?
That’s a lovely question! It’s a Wurlitzer jukebox that plays CDs. You know, more than anything else, I like open spaces. My idea of a perfect home is where my son does a double sommersault and lands on my shoulders, without hitting a table.
How many of your famous friends have signed up already?
All my friends will come – and you will see them. I want to give them something concrete to look at first and only then will I talk to them about this.
I’ve always sold dreams, now I’m selling reality. But this project is not for Shah Rukh Khan and friends. This is for you, for everyone. A place where everyone can have a home and share a smile.
… and pass the bubble bath!
Asked a cheeky question about bathtubs at the press conference, SRK said:
“I will come free with the bathtubs. I promise you I will be in them every Saturday morning.”
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Here are the views of King Khan on terrorism, religion and a wide gamut of subject, as published in a leading weekly.
Evil is a religion of its own. There’s no such thing as a professional Muslim terrorist. There’s just a professional terrorist. Evil has become a discipline, a faith of its own. It does take, after all, a lot of planning to make explosives, do a recce of where to plant them, and then plan a way to escape.
My children are growing up at a time when a new religion has come up, which is morally, ethically and humanely against the tenets of any faith. Fundamentalism itself has become the new religion. And I fear it will take elements from every religion and create a new force if we don’t educate our children appropriately.
Every time I read of a bomb blast or watch such an incident on TV, two things strike me. One is good. That those directly affected by the attack never actually blame any particular community. But what disturbs me is this-and it really goes against my most basic belief-that education is the solution to all our problems.
Whenever I read that an educated person is behind a bomb attack, it saddens me. It could be that the degree is only a piece of paper for the person or that education really had no impact on him. It did not shape his intelligence or his mind in the way it should have.
As an Indian Muslim, how do I feel about all this? Well, for one, I would like to believe that my work has become my religion, my defining identity. Yes, when I go to a Muslim area, I am referred to as bhai. But I think even when I visit a Muslim nation, the fact that I have mostly played characters called Rahul or Raj in Hindi films is never an issue.
I have played a major Muslim character onscreen just once in my life, that of Kabir Khan in Chak De! India. I gave him a little beard, made him speak a little more Urdu, and even had a namaz scene in the film that was edited finally for its length. But I don’t recall anyone even noticing that.
Just yesterday, I was launching a business venture in Dubai and my hosts were religious Muslims. They wanted to take my entire family on Haj, even my in-laws. Having said that, I do feel belittled or shall I say irritated now that I am frisked a lot more when I travel to America.
Surprisingly though, I feel, as a nation, we have become a lot more tolerant. I remember, when Gauri and I got married almost two decades ago, our religion was an issue for both Hindus and Muslims. Both of us had to give false addresses when we registered our marriage.
And now when I was travelling recently, an air hostess was telling me how she is a Hindu, married to a Muslim in Dubai. I asked her, is that such a big deal? And she said, no, it was just something she wanted to share with me.
Everyone knows I celebrate both Id and Diwali. Yet my wife has never celebrated either in a different or less way. The children do both Id namaz and Diwali puja and mix-and-match all the time with ease.
My only prayer to everyone is that if a nun is raped in Orissa, please don’t make it a Christian versus Hindu issue, or if a blast takes place, don’t say it is a Muslim versus Hindu matter.
These are killers. Plain and simple. They have no religion. And if they do have an agenda, I would like to say to them, go get another one. Go green, be good to poor people, educate a girl child, or even be kind to animals.
I firmly believe that the country was heading towards a state of equality for all religions till a few people decided they didn’t want it to happen. Yes, Hindus and Muslims have had historical problems since the Partition, so have Christians and Muslims since the Dark Ages.
But history is quickly forgotten. I believe modern young Indians need to feel that their work should be their religion and should define them. It will be a more neutral identity, have an international acceptance and will be based on their talent, their mind, and their heart.
Source : Planet Bollywood
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TSA Group and ‘King of Indian Cinema’ launch AED 8 billion Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard on Dana Island, Ras Al Khaimah
Shah Rukh Khan in the event.
Maiden real estate venture by Bollywood superstar
3 million sq ft project located on Dana Island
World-class beachfront homes and lifestyle amenities
To be showcased at Cityscape Dubai 2008
Dubai, October 5, 2008 - Indian movie icon Shah Rukh Khan has joined forces with TSA Group, a major player in the UAE real estate market, to launch an AED 8 billion signature beachfront residential development in Ras Al Khaimah. Named after the superstar and with design inspirations provided by the globally acclaimed actor, Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard will be located on the picturesque Dana Island, Ras Al Khaimah, a project developed by master developer RakeenRakeen.
Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard marks the first time that the Indian actor, regarded as the face of modern Indian cinema, has become associated with a property development. Shah Rukh Khan will work closely with the celebrity Los Angeles based architect Tony Ashai in the design concept of a world-class beachfront community comprising 10 premium residential towers and featuring a diverse range of lifestyle amenities.
The hero of all-time hits like ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ - the longest running Indian film, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Devdas’ and most recently, ‘Om Shanti Om’ and ‘Chak De India,’ Shah Rukh Khan is respected for the energy he has brought to movies. His natural charm and wit have endeared him to billions of fans. Having proved his mettle in theatre before storming onto the dynamic world of Bollywood, the renowned actor has won numerous awards, and also further established his versatility as a television host, film producer and singer.
Announcing the project, Shah Rukh Khan said: “Indian cinema has enjoyed strong emotional ties with the UAE and Arab cine-goers for decades. The Arab world is Hindi film industry’s strongest foreign market. Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard is my tribute to the love and affection shown by the people of the UAE to Indian cinema. I believe that residential properties must be a true reflection of the aspiration of the Arab world, and my vision for the project is to make life a celebration. I have lent my name to the project and I intend to share and transfer my passion for design and living spaces into this world class community that residents will be proud of.”
He added: “TSA Group has a strong reputation in modern community developments, and when they approached me with the project, I was impressed with two aspects: their commitment to develop a truly world-class project, and the exotic location of Dana Island in Ras Al Khaimah, which gives us the freedom of space and creativity to think afresh and come up with an innovative and invigorating living concept. Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard is all about bringing people together to live in harmony - amongst each other and with nature.”
Scheduled for completion in 2012, Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard will have modern residences including specially designed studios, and one-and two-bedroom apartments and townhouses. Master planning by an international team of designers and architects will start shortly.
Shafi Toffic, President of TSA Group said: “With a fan base of over three billion people worldwide, Shah Rukh Khan is the most successful name in the movie industry globally. It is our honour to be associated with him to develop a premium, resort-style community on Dana Island, Ras Al Khaimah, a fast developing tourism and lifestyle destination offering peaceful pristine surroundings.”
Khan’s maiden real estate venture, which has been orchestrated in conjunction with Master Planners Consultants FZ LLC, also reiterates Ras Al Khaimah’s forward-thinking philosophy of supporting the development of premium lifestyle neighbourhoods and offering an address of choice.
“Proactive legislations and progressive policies on property development and ownership have helped Ras Al Khaimah to evolve as the region’s preferred investment destination. In this we are grateful of the leadership and direction of His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. Developments like Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard will help sustain growth in the property market as they bring in more variety, star power and investment. All buildings in the development will be LEED certified,” said Dr. Khater Massaad, Executive Chairman, RakeenRakeen.
Tony Ashai, Principal, Ashai Design Corporation, USA, commented: “This project is very special to me because of Shah Rukh Khan’s involvement in the concept and design.”
Offering spectacular views of the Arabian Sea, Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard gives residents a range of lifestyle amenities including health and fitness facilities and a children’s arcade. The beachfront features piers and boardwalks, and will also be a haven for marine sports and leisure.
Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard will become part of the larger, high-quality living environment of Dana Island, which will eventually house several world-class hotels, a shopping centre and commercial complexes spread across 6.3 million square metres.
TSA Group will showcase the Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard at Cityscape Dubai 2008 running from October 6 to 9 at the Dubai International Convention Centre. The project will be featured at the stand no: ZG 20.
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Mumbai, Sept. 29: The man who weaves many dreams is now building castles in the air. Literally. Superstar, entertainment mogul and sports magnate, the business-savvy Shah Rukh Khan has now decided to turn realty developer with a beachfront property on a prime plot at Al Dana, an island created on reclaimed land at Ras Al Khaimah — one of the seven emirates — on the Oman border. The actor, who owns Red Chillies Entertainment and Kolkata Knight Riders — the Calcutta cricket team in the Indian Premier League — has joined hands with the United Arab Emirates-based TSA International Investments, which has built many plush properties in and around Dubai. SRK is an investor in the project, but no one was willing to let out the numbers. Neither Shah Rukh nor anyone from his office was available for comment.
The project, christened Shahrukh Khan Boulevard, has been totally conceived by the star and designed by Los Angeles architect Toni Ashai. The formal announcement is expected to be made at Cityscape, Dubai’s real estate expo, early next month. The actor, who is not known to shun challenges, has his job cut out. The 1,700sqm Al Dana island is to be Ras Al Khaimah’s answer to Dubai’s artificially built super-posh Palm Islands where SRK already owns a palatial villa. Bollywood watchers see in this a parallel: the reigning badshah had taken on supreme deity Amitabh Bachchan by doing the Big B’s Kaun Banega Crorepati and Don. “It is a new beachfront lifestyle destination in the UAE. TSA is developing the Phase I area of Al Dana. Shahrukh Khan Boulevard is situated on a prime plot there. It will be a gated area comprising beachfront high-rises and villas. To begin with, we will launch a G+10 apartment block consisting of studios and two-bedroom apartments,” said Ali Abdur Rehman, in charge of project sales for TSA. TSA itself is going through a phase of re-branding and hopes to advertise widely in west and south Asia, Europe and the US once the exercise is over. “We have not yet launched the project formally. It will be showcased at Cityscape between October 6-9. On October 20, there will be a formal launch for which Shah Rukh Khan will be present,” said Rehman. Shah Rukh will later go to Dubai for his stage show Temptation Reloaded. Those who wish to know more about the project have been invited to send “expressions of interest” accompanied by a refundable amount payable by cheque, though sales will begin only after the official launch on October 20. Bollywood sources said with competition from “Kinng” Akshay Kumar as the country’s biggest box-office star, it is time for the badshah to reinvent himself in a new role. He currently endorses 34 brands, among the highest for any actor anywhere in the world. Red Chillies, which is a production house, has a VFX studio and also makes animation films, paid Rs 700 million in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders and made a profit of Rs 170 million. His last film, Om Shanti Om, also produced by him, has already collected over Rs 1.6 billion. SRK also owns a 10 per cent stake in the E 24 channel promoted by Bag Films owing to his proximity to the owners, Rajeev Shukla and Anurradha Prasad. The actor was always keen on entering real estate. Apart from the Al Dana project, he has also shown interest in being a part of the Delhi municipal corporation’s Rs 500-crore project Advertisement Oasis. Dreamz Unlimited, another venture owned by SRK which he had started with friends Juhi Chawla and Aziz Mirza, had sent a proposal to the civic body earlier this year for building studios to set up an advertisement hub. STAR ADDRESS Refundable amount to be paid for information on SRK’s boulevard. Figures on left are in UAE dirhams Studio* 25,000 (Rs 3.21 lakh) * Multi-purpose living space with nooks for kitchen and entertainment
source :http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080930/jsp/nation/story_9907512.jsp |
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