Edinburgh Film Festival - 14-25th August 2002
Shah Rukh Khan Focus

The Tom Cruise of Bollywood - or perhaps that should be: Tom Cruise is the Shah Rukh Khan of Hollywood. Either way, the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2002 is delighted to welcome of the cinema world's brightest stars and to spotlight three of Shah Rukh Khan's biggest hits. The films will be screened in Hindi with subtitles so you can enjoy the original unmediated Indian experience.

REEL LIFE
Shah Rukh Khan
Saturday 24th August 15:00. UGC
Fountain Park, Dundee Street, Edinburgh EH11 1AF
Price: £10 (£4.50 conc.) Tel: 0131 623 8030

The leading man of Bollywood talks about ten yeas in front and behind the camera.

Shah Rukh Khan is a singing and dancing megastar although perhaps not in the west, but in the rush to jump the Bollywood bandwagon, he is sure to become as famous here as in India. He is an award winning actor with close to 50 films to his credit, as well as running his own production company. But he is more than this: he has single handedly changed the form by constantly challenging its rules. Shah Rukh Kahn is here to talk about his career, the new pretenders to his crown, and why he doesn't like love stories.

Asoka
Directed by Santosh Sivan/2001/180 mins
Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Danny Denzongpa, Ajit Kumar, Rahul Dev
Sunday 25th August 15:00, UGC
Fountain Park, Dundee Street, Edinburgh EH11 1AF
Price: £4.50 (£3 conc.) Tel: 0131 623 8030

Epic retelling of Prince Asoka's journey from violent warrior to remorseful Buddhist.

Asoka, who came to power in the 3rd century BC, provides a complex character and a challenge for Shah Rukh Khan's acting (and dancing) talents. Emperor Asoka waged one of the bloodiest wars in history, ravaging neighbouring Kalinga. In the afterglow of battle, rather than celebrating victory he is wracked with remorse at the destruction of life prosecuted in his name and renounces violence. With shades of Asif Kapadia's The Warrior (EIFF 2001) Asoka is a prime example of the Bollywood Historical epic.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge
Directed by Aditya Chopra/1995/192 mins
Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, Anupam Kher
Sunday 18th August 12:30 UGC
Fountain Park, Dundee Street, Edinburgh EH11 1AF
Price: £4.50 (£3 conc.) Tel: 0131 623 8030

Love against the odds in this appealing culture clash comedy from Shah Rukh Khans' early career.

An entertaining fusion of old Indian tradition and modern European ways in this comedy-romance set in London. Chaudhary Baldev Singh is an immigrant living in London with his wife and daughters, Simran and Chukti. Teenage Simran, disillusioned by her arranged marriage asks her father for a single gift: a holiday on Eurorail with friends. There she meets Raj: another London-based immigrant and a spoilt playboy. One thing leads to another and they fall in love, but as always things are never that simple.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham
Directed by Karan Johar/2001/210 mins
Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan.
Saturday 17th August 12:30 UGC
Fountain Park, Dundee Street, Edinburgh EH11 1AF
Price: £4.50 (£3 conc.) Tel: 0131 623 8030

Homegrown culture clash of traditional and modern - an Indian East is East.

A domestic drama of a someone caught between his traditional father and modern mother who wants her children to marry for love. By falling in love with Anjali, Rahul defies his father and tradition and causes the family to split. Younger brother Rohan promises his mother that he will reunited the family and seeks out his brother and reminds him at the end of the day we have to love our parents.

The Shah Rukh Khan focus continues in 'Bollywood Nights' at the George Square Theatre. Four Shah Rukh Khan's films, with English subtitles will be screened at 23:30 on Friday 16 & 23 and Saturday 17 & 24, where as well as the film there will be a range of authentic Indian cuisine to savour. Tickets will be £5 (£4 conc.). For further information please call 0131 662 8740.

Click here to visit the Edinburgh Film Festival 2002 website.