Hey everyone:

I’m really sorry for not blogging quite as regularly as I’d like to. Many reasons attribute to that. I’ve been swamped with work, with deadlines to meet and have simultaneously been combating the viral (and I will kill the next person who says "it’s in the air.")

I have been reading all the comments posted on the blog and want to address a few in particular:

Many felt that I had left out Kajol’s performance in “U Me Aur Hum” in my shortlist of specials from this year of cinema. My actions should speak for this already, because I actually think Kajol is possibly the best actor the fraternity has seen in a while and I do believe that her genius is unquestionable. Maybe I’m so absorbed by her character in my film that I’ve not been able to go beyond that and judge her other work. I apologize for having left her out but it’s quite possible that I take anything she does on screen for granted because she really is just that good!

The current status on “My Name is Khan” is that we start filming on the 15th of December in Los Angeles. The ensemble cast has recently been finalized and we have started the process of song recording. I’m going for my final location recce with my Director of Photography, Ravi K. Chandran, Production Designer, Sharmishta Roy and Costumes Designers, Manish Malhotra and Shiraz Siddique. To say I’m nervous is still understating my state of mind because there are some moments in the day where I do feel extremely incapable of handling this complex film. But I suppose venturing into new territory and tapping into the right tone is a challenge I look forward to taking on.

Rizvan Khan, the protagonist in the film, suffers from Aspergers Syndrome (high functioning Autism) and Shibani Bhatija, the screenplay writer of the film has researched this disorder very accurately and I can’t wait to see Shah Rukh portray it. The message that runs right through the film is in strong support of humanity, which at the end of the day is the only way to rise above any of the cultural or religious differences that continue to engulf us.

To give you an insight into what’s happening behind Dharma doors; “Wake Up Sid!” (with Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma) is about to start filming in a day or two (post the industry strike) and Ayan the director is heading towards a nervous breakdown. The “Dostana” website is up (http://www.dostanathefilm.com) and can also be linked via the main Dharma Productions website. Also, the music released today. Again I would love to hear what you think of the soundtrack once you give it a listen.

So that’s all for now. My steam inhalation awaits me.