New Delhi:
Shirish Kunder is a relatively obscure name from Bollywood despite being married to high profile director Farah Khan but that's changed in a matter of a day and a half.
Shirish was reportedly involved in a now infamous episode involving superstar Shah Rukh Khan that has left Bollywood divided.
Here are five facts on SRK vs Shirish:
1. Shirish Kunder and SRK were both at a high profile party at Mumbai nightclub Aurus hosted by Sanjay Dutt, fresh from the success of Agneepath. Shirish, who has taken repeated potshots at SRK and RA.One on Twitter, continued to sound off against the star and the film at the party. He left the party in the early hours of Monday morning with a swollen face and accused SRK of having assaulted him. He later said: "When someone attacks you from behind and comes prepared with a set of bodyguards to protect his own self, you don't really have a choice, do you? "All I feel is that if at all there was so much pent up anger in him, he could have gone verbal. Getting physical hasn't reflected well on either of us." SRK, on his part, has admitted to an argument but denies assaulting Shirish. He says Shirish was repeatedly asked to stop making the remarks he was making, but refused to do so. Party host Sanjay Dutt had to step in to break up the alleged fight.
2. Hostilities continued on Twitter. Shirish tweeted: "Thanks for all your concern & wishes. We are very grateful. Contrary to rumours, we have no intention of filing a FIR or police complaint". SRK was more circumspect with: "Another long nite. Shooting for a public service msg film about education peace & harmony. Feels ironic when I read & see wot is being said."
Despite Shirish's claims, SRK has found support from many other guests who were at the party who all maintain that Shirish had it coming. A tweet from Ameesha Patel reads: "Shah Rukh is supr rockin.. Good he gave it 2 shirish. People shud learn 2 b grateful to king khan, afterall he has been so supportive 2 farah. Glad@iamsrk told shirish off n put him in place. SRK has done so much 4 farah. they shud b grateful n not abusing srk (sic)." Photographer Dabboo Ratnani had this to say: "I was present at Sanju's party & Without Any Bias I Fully Support Shah Rukh (sic)"
3. Shirish Kunder and SRK go back a while. Shirish is married to director Farah Khan, once a close friend of SRK and who had cast the superstar in her first two films - Main Hoon Na (2004) and Om Shanti Om (2007). The friendship soured when SRK refused to star in Shirish's film Joker, which will release in August this year and has Akshay Kumar in the lead. Farah Khan retaliated by casting Akshay Kumar in her third film, Tees Maar Khan (2011) instead of SRK, sounding the death knell for their decaying relationship. In turn, SRK replaced Farah as choreographer on RA.One with Ganesh Hegde. Farah and Shirish married in 2004 and have triplets together. Shirish Kunder served as editor on Farah's first two films and as producer, story writer and composer on her third.
4. An uneasy truce between SRK and Farah was called when the former friends met in public, at a dance reality show and then at an awards function. Farah tried to make amends by hugging SRK and explained away her decision to cast Akshay Kumar in Tees Maar Khan as not wanting to make films solely for SRK. The superstar, for his part, said that working under Farah was "getting the finest tutelage in the country."
5. India watches: SRK vs Shirish made the front page of every newspaper this morning. The fight has also sparked a number of hashtag trends on Twitter, among them #slapgate, #shirishkunder #srk #replaceSRKMoviesWithSlap. A slew of jokes about the incident has prompted Shirish to tweet: "Some of your jokes on the incident were very funny. Including the ones on me. Keep up the humour. I'll be back soon."
Shirish was reportedly involved in a now infamous episode involving superstar Shah Rukh Khan that has left Bollywood divided.
Here are five facts on SRK vs Shirish:
1. Shirish Kunder and SRK were both at a high profile party at Mumbai nightclub Aurus hosted by Sanjay Dutt, fresh from the success of Agneepath. Shirish, who has taken repeated potshots at SRK and RA.One on Twitter, continued to sound off against the star and the film at the party. He left the party in the early hours of Monday morning with a swollen face and accused SRK of having assaulted him. He later said: "When someone attacks you from behind and comes prepared with a set of bodyguards to protect his own self, you don't really have a choice, do you? "All I feel is that if at all there was so much pent up anger in him, he could have gone verbal. Getting physical hasn't reflected well on either of us." SRK, on his part, has admitted to an argument but denies assaulting Shirish. He says Shirish was repeatedly asked to stop making the remarks he was making, but refused to do so. Party host Sanjay Dutt had to step in to break up the alleged fight.
2. Hostilities continued on Twitter. Shirish tweeted: "Thanks for all your concern & wishes. We are very grateful. Contrary to rumours, we have no intention of filing a FIR or police complaint". SRK was more circumspect with: "Another long nite. Shooting for a public service msg film about education peace & harmony. Feels ironic when I read & see wot is being said."
Despite Shirish's claims, SRK has found support from many other guests who were at the party who all maintain that Shirish had it coming. A tweet from Ameesha Patel reads: "Shah Rukh is supr rockin.. Good he gave it 2 shirish. People shud learn 2 b grateful to king khan, afterall he has been so supportive 2 farah. Glad@iamsrk told shirish off n put him in place. SRK has done so much 4 farah. they shud b grateful n not abusing srk (sic)." Photographer Dabboo Ratnani had this to say: "I was present at Sanju's party & Without Any Bias I Fully Support Shah Rukh (sic)"
3. Shirish Kunder and SRK go back a while. Shirish is married to director Farah Khan, once a close friend of SRK and who had cast the superstar in her first two films - Main Hoon Na (2004) and Om Shanti Om (2007). The friendship soured when SRK refused to star in Shirish's film Joker, which will release in August this year and has Akshay Kumar in the lead. Farah Khan retaliated by casting Akshay Kumar in her third film, Tees Maar Khan (2011) instead of SRK, sounding the death knell for their decaying relationship. In turn, SRK replaced Farah as choreographer on RA.One with Ganesh Hegde. Farah and Shirish married in 2004 and have triplets together. Shirish Kunder served as editor on Farah's first two films and as producer, story writer and composer on her third.
4. An uneasy truce between SRK and Farah was called when the former friends met in public, at a dance reality show and then at an awards function. Farah tried to make amends by hugging SRK and explained away her decision to cast Akshay Kumar in Tees Maar Khan as not wanting to make films solely for SRK. The superstar, for his part, said that working under Farah was "getting the finest tutelage in the country."
5. India watches: SRK vs Shirish made the front page of every newspaper this morning. The fight has also sparked a number of hashtag trends on Twitter, among them #slapgate, #shirishkunder #srk #replaceSRKMoviesWithSlap. A slew of jokes about the incident has prompted Shirish to tweet: "Some of your jokes on the incident were very funny. Including the ones on me. Keep up the humour. I'll be back soon."
