Fox Pauses Production on Bollywood Film ‘Bang Bang’ After Star's Brain Surgery

Fox Star Studios is suspending shooting of Bang Bang, its Bollywood remake of the Tom Cruise starrer Knight and Day, after the film’s lead, Hrithik Roshan, underwent emergency brain surgery Sunday.

India media have been reporting that Roshan, one of India’s biggest stars, suffered a blow to the head while shooting stunts for Bang Bang in Phuket, Thailand two months ago (chronic subdural haematoma is often caused by a head injury that results in bleeding in the membrane surrounding the brain). But neither the actor nor the studio has confirmed the cause of his injury.

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Roshan’s father, director Rakesh Roshan, was quoted widely in the Indian media as saying the surgery was a complete success and that his son would be discharged in a matter of days. The 39-year-old actor will need several weeks to recover, however, so a planned late July European shoot for Bang Bang has been postponed, according to leading local newspaper the Times of India.

"Hrithik's health and well-being is our top priority now. So, the shoot of the third schedule of Bang Bang has been moved forward," a spokesperson from Fox Star Studios told the Times.

The project is a joint production backed by Star TV and Twentieth Century Fox.

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Roshan, well known for his lead roles in the Bollywood blockbusters Jodhaa Akbar and the superhero franchise Krrish, was reportedly set to begin work on postproduction and promotion for Krrish 3, written, produced and directed by his father and due out Nov. 3. According to the Times, there has been no change to the release schedule of that project.

Shortly before his surgery, the actor posted on his Facebook page: “We all know that we create a life of joy using the power of our mind. I’ve had the privilege of creating wonders with this amazing gift given to us called the brain. Occasionally, one must look within and realize its value. It gives us the power to see, hear, touch, smell and taste, it allows us to conquer fear and create courage to do things we never imagined. Maybe it's time for me to feel the power literally. I am going to go through brain surgery on Sunday and want you to know that I am going in with absolute power to recover fast. My thanks to all of you for using the power of your mind to contribute to my life. Love you all.”

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Bollywood Star Shah Rukh Khan: No Illegal Sex Test for Our Surrogate Baby Boy

NEW DELHI – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, 47, and his wife Gauri recently became parents for the third time welcoming a baby boy born via surrogacy. The boy -- named AbRam -- was born in a Mumbai hospital a couple of days ago. Khan, already a father to son Aryan, 16, and daughter Suhana, 13, has been beleaguered by allegations in the Indian press that a pre-natal sex determination test -- which is illegal according to Indian law -- was carried out before his infant son's birth.

But in his first official statement on the issue, Khan said Tuesday: “Just to put the record straight there was no sex determination for our child. The baby was born much before the speculations of ‘sex determination’ and other issues. Suffice to say his coming home puts to rest completely false and at times insensitive claims of sex determination and alleged illegalities.”

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Earlier reports had led government authorities to launch an inquiry into whether a pre-natal test was conducted. Shortly after Khan's statement, Mumbai city's health department submitted its report to the state government. According to the department's additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar, the report stated the birth had happened before newspaper reports about the sex determination test.
“Amidst all the noise that has been going around, the sweetest is the one made by our newborn baby, AbRam," Khan said explaining why there was a delay in making a statement about the issue. "He was born prematurely by several months but has finally come home. Gauri and our whole family have been dealing with his health issues for a long time now.”

“Our son is a surrogate baby and the entire process is bound by strict confidentiality," he added. "We would appeal to all, to allow us to cherish this private moment as a family. It seems unfortunate that I have to explain and clarify so many aspects for our new-born baby. Wish it were just a simple message of happiness on behalf of the family. They say a baby is God's opinion that the world should go on. Post this statement, I hope we all move on too.”