UNCLE YASH WANTS MR PERFECTIONIST

Chopra Sr has Aamir in mind for his next, which he will direct.

Buzz is that Yash Chopra, who celebrated his birthday last night, has signed Aamir Khan for his next directorial project.

Chopra Sr is looking to return from a five-year directorial break. His last was Veer Zaara with SRK.

Yash directed Aamir in Parampara in 1992. The director then approached him for Darr (1993). Shah Rukh finally did the film.

A source in the industry reveals, "Chopra has been working on a number of scripts but now has his heart set on one recently. He thinks Aamir is perfect for the part. He has approached the actor and will soon meet him."

Relations between Aamir and the banner improved after Fanaa. If Khan does the film, it will take their association to a new level." The source further adds, "There is an urgency in the YRF clan to make big films with established stars." Chopra Sr wants to start his film by early 2010 and release it by the end of the year.

Says Rafiq Gangjee of YRF, "Yash Chopra's next directorial script has still not been finalised. The issue of casting arises only after that."

NOW AN ANIMATED AAMIR KHAN IN COCA-COLA AD

Known for his experiments, Bollywood star Aamir Khan will now be seen in an animated avatar for the first time in a television commercial for Coca Cola.

Conceptualized by adman-turned-lyricist Prasoon Joshi along with Ashish Chakravarty, the ad has been shot by Abhijit Choudhary for the 'Coca-Cola Open Happiness' communication idea. "It is a very interesting concept as for the first time my features have been replicated as an animated character through special effects. I think the robotic animated look has really come out well in the film and I hope that my fans will like me in this new animated avatar," said Aamir, Coca-Cola brand ambassador, in a statement released here Thursday. The ad showcases two girls searching for their friend (Aamir) who is so engaged in playing videogames that he has become a part of the virtual world.

But when the girls open a bottle of the aerated beverage, Aamir starts to lose his focus from the game and is tempted to come out in real life. The ad ends with Aamir's rival from the game, another animated character, also stepping into the real world to taste the drink.

'3 IDIOTS' WILL RELEASE ON CHRISTMAS, CONFIRMS AAMIR

Actor and wife away from home, in one quiet spot. Aamir Khan, who is spending time with wife Kiran Rao after her miscarriage last month, says his much-awaited "3 Idiots" will hit the screens in December.

"Vinod (Vidhu Vinod Chopra) and Raju (Raj Kumar Hirani) tell me that the post production on '3 Idiots' is progressing well - so by the time I get back, the cut (final product) will be ready. Which means I can confirm to all those of you who have been repeatedly asking... yes, '3 Idiots' will be releasing on Christmas this year. I'll see the cut once I get back," he wrote on his blog.

He didn't reveal his whereabouts, but informed: "Kiran and I are away from home, in one very quiet spot, just lying in and resting. Reading, going for walks, watching films."

The actor says he is utilising his time to catch up on a few films and books - something that he hasn't been able to do thanks to his chock-a-block schedules.

"There are so many films to see, and books to read. One life time is not enough. Books, I read, but films I never get down to seeing.

"Strange, since, I love cinema so much. It's not as if I don't enjoying watching films. I really do, in fact when I watch a film I forget to blink and my eyes start hurting after a while. But for someone who is so steeped in films I have watched pathetically few films in all these years," he said.

Aamir is glad that he has finally managed to watch 1994 American film "The Shawshank Redemption", which was recommended to him by many.

"Just saw '(The) Shawshank Redemption'. Had heard so much about this film. It seems to be on a lot of ‘must see' lists. Really enjoyed it," he added.

BEBO GIVES IT UP FOR AAMIR

Don’t make any plans for Kareena Kapoor’s birthday this year. The actress who turns 29 on September 21, is going to be busy on her film 3 Idiots with Aamir Khan, so bechara Saif Ali Khan will have to rework whatever surprise he had in mind for his Bebo.

Originally, she had wanted to spend time with Saif, mother Babita, sister Karisma and niece Samaira around her birthday... but tragedy struck Aamir’s close and happy little khandaan, and Kareena stepped to the rescue.

You know that Aamir’s wife Kiran Rao suffered a miscarriage earlier this month, and that Aamir promised Kiran he would take time off from 3 Idiots to help her recuperate from the trauma.

What Aamir didn’t realise when he made that emotional commitment was that he had given dates with Kareena to shoot a song in Mumbai during the very same period. Hesitantly, he called up his co-star and asked if she would reorganise her own diary to accommodate him at another time. And Kareena agreed, at the cost of her own birthday plans, because she realised how big Kiran’s trauma was.

Now Kareena and Aamir will shoot the song from September 25 to October 2 in Mumbai. She was in Switzerland all the while and is expected back in Mumbai today. While Aamir is in Europe. The actor has left behind his two cell phones and prefers to be incommunicado for the period that he spends with Kiran. He wants nothing to come in the way of her recuperation.

MIND IT!

Aamir Khan jammed the new movie Quick Gun Murugun over the weekend and was surprised by the film.

Aamir, who has been absent from his blog over some weeks now, took time out to write about the film and how people shouldn't miss it. He wrote on his blog, "Just saw Quick Gun Murugun. Really enjoyed it.

I think fans of the Channel V character Quick Gun Murugan will love it. It's got so many rib-cracking instants. And a very well-pitched presentation by lead actor Dr Rajendra Prasad, and all the other cast.

It's releasing on 28th so don't miss it if you are a Quick Gun fan.... Mind it!"

AAMIR KHAN REFUSES TO COME ON FARAH KHAN'S CHAT SHOW

While nephew Imran Khan will appear as a guest of Farah Khan's yet-to-air chat show, Tere Mere Beech Mein, maama Aamir Khan has declined to be part of it.

While this is bound to spark off rumor that Aamir has refused the show because of Farah's contact to SRK, or the fact that Shah Rukh's Red Chillies Productions are the line producers of the show, truth is that AK begged off as he is busy with his two releases (Dhobi Ghaat and Three Idiots) this year.

A source from the show says, "Aamir cited date problems as the reason for not doing the show. He also claimed that he wasn't aware about the format of the show and he wasn't comfortable doing something a show, whose tone and flavour he was not familiar with." Aamir never even appeared on Karan Johar's Koffee With Karan either.

Almost all A-List actors of B-Town have already shot for the episode (see box) Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan will join that list shortly.

Even Salman, who is as allergic to chat shows, shot for the show with his mom Salma, so Farah was taken aback when Aamir excused himself. She half-expected him to say yes because she started her career as a choreographer with his film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander. But when she called the Ghajini actor, he said, 'I am sorry but I will pass.' Farah then told him, 'I was expectant you to say no but I still had to try.'

Farah confirms, "I was very keen to have Aamir on my show but he was busy. He was very polite about declining." She hastens to add, "Tere Mere Beech Mein, which airs in August, isn't just another celebrity talk show. It is based on a specific topic every week. Two guest celebrities and a common man will be interviewed in each episode."

The show is being produced by Farah and her husband Shirish Kunder under their banner 3's Company.

Stars who will appear on the show

Bipasha Basu

Shilpa Shetty

Priyanka Chopra

Vijendra Singh

Kareena Kapoor

Sonam Kapoor

Deepika Padukone

Asin

Shahid Kapoor

Genelia D'Souza

John Abraham

Riteish Deshmukh

Vivek Oberoi

NOW HILLARY DESIRES TO SEE AAMIR'S FILMS

That Aamir Khan and Hillary Clinton shared a stage during her recent visit is a well-known fact.

What very few public know is the fact that the US Secretary of State had also done her homework in detail on Aamir’s filmography.

During one of their conversations the former First Lady of the US not only spoke to Aamir at length about Taare Zameen Par, she also uttered a desire to see the film. Aamir promised to get her a sub-titled version of the special DVD with all the right bonus stuff that deals with parents of dyslexic children in a panel debate with the actor; plus other related information that helped make TZP an eye-opener.

Madam Clinton also hoped to see Aamir’s Lagaan, one hears. Even as we write this piece, a special courier could well be on its way to Washington DC with films made by Aamir.

AAMIR SWIG DOWN 3.5 CRORE

You heard it right; the purist known for his picky nature just signed a support deal with Roohafza worth Rs. 3.5 crore.

But wait, here comes the best part, the Ad won't even air on TV. The actor was paid the huge amount for the company’s commercial that will be used for business conferences in order to clinch business deals. Aamir who is the brand ambassador for Tata Sky and a couple of government ads is very choosy about endorsements.

Then again who wouldn’t be tempted with such an offer, inside sources say that Aamir is a regular consumer of the 110 year old Sherbat brand and only after a long thought did he agree to do the ad.

Roohafza has been in the biz well before any cola brand in the country and have never used any big stars for marketing. The only time they chose an actor was when Juhi Chawla was roped in for the commercial a while back. Mallika Sherawat was in their ads when she was a nobody.

Then again Shah Rukh too was roped in recently to be the face of Arindam Chaudhari IIPM Business and Marketing quiz, India's premier B-school quiz event, and allegedly charged a whopping amount for the same. The quiz is an in house contest for the MBA students testing their skills and intelligence.

We all know that stars have allowed products to not only rake in all that moolah but also stay in the public eye, but now they’d rather just do with the money and do away with the publicity, eh?

ASIN GETS TRAINED ON THE JOB

Asin may have grabbed awareness with some coveted projects after Ghajini, but the actress hadn’t done planning for her big splatter.

“I began working at a very early age. Today, newcomers come in with all sorts of training. I learnt the lot on the job and that has worked for me. Even when it came to talking in Hindi, I didn’t have much trouble because I am good with languages,” she says.

After Salman, Aamir is an artist too

Clever cookie Aamir Khan is at it another time. Though wife Kiran Rao’s Dhobi Ghat has been promoted as Pratiek Babber’s starring movie, Aamir Khan has a noteworthy role in it and not a cameo.

A base explains why this marketing policy will benefit Khan. “It is a very intelligent marketing attention-grabber to say that Aamir simply has a guest manifestation in the movie. It ensures that the spectators will go to watch the motion picture with minimum opportunity from an actor of Aamir’s calibre. What the movie makers want is for the audience to be glad to see Aamir during the movie after expecting him to play a brief role in it.

As a result, spectators will feel that they have got supplementary than their money’s worth in adding up to that will work in the film’s favour. Which is why, it has been purposely announced that Aamir only has a cameo in the action picture. Actually, Aamir plays the central character the length of with Pratiek. Even the publicity in the region of Aamir will be low-key.”

And what role does Aamir play in the movie? “Aamir shot for 30 days for the movie. He plays a painter who lives along with works from his tiny studio-apartment in a noisy along with congested Mumbai neighborhood (Bhuleshwar in South Mumbai). In our standard day-to-day life we meet so numerous people on a daily basis… say a watchman, a servant or a dhobi. Pratiek Theater a dhobi and the motion picture are about how one day such people become very remarkable in your life. That’s the story of Kiran never wanted to cast Aamir in the motion picture but Aamir insisted along with even screen hardened for the role.”

The motion picture is partial and is under going post-production in addition to will release in a combine of months. Singer Monica Dogra of Shaa’ir Func plays the feminine lead in it. It is Kiran Rao’s administrative first appearance.

Teachers, don’t left those kids lone: Aamir

Too a great deal rivalry has taken gone the caring feature from schoolchildren, who seem to be nowhere to be found in the race of numerical calculations in addition to report cards, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan said Saturday as he participated in an interactive assembly with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the 140-year-old St. Xavier’s' College for an interactive assembly here Saturday.

"Today, students are mostly focusing on memorizing their subjects for the reason that they have to face questions like 'Did you come primary?', 'How much did you score in mathematics?'" Khan pointed out.

"I would like to hear teacher’s efficient students: 'Hey, your associate is weak in this area under discussion, would you help him?'"

"This will integrate the feeling of distribution as well as caring among students in adding together to will help in making them good persons. We should teach our kids to be caring," he added.

Khan also emphasized on the fact that today's schooling system hardly encourages children to ask questions.

"Sadly, more importance is given to report cards as well as less on exploring minds," Khan explained.

"We should push those minds that are thirsting still hungry for knowledge. Children who suppose in questioning, searching, disagreeing and not just memorizing in addition to cramming are supposed to be appreciated," he added.

In his executive debut "Taare Zameen Par", the actor had essayed the story of an eight-year-old dyslexic boy in adding in somebody's company to how a teacher, played by Aamir, helps him come into view elsewhere of his shell.

"Teaching should be a high paying job so that youngsters be supposed to aim at becoming teachers. I would like to see that one day in India, teaching is the a good number highly paid job," the actor, dressed heedlessly in light blue jeans, a white T-shirt along with a black jacket said, declaiming at length about "Teaching as a profession".