Oye! It's Friday! was a short-lived Indian television show "where music, movies, masti and madness … come together every Friday night." The first episode premiered on NDTV Imagine on 12 December 2008. The show ran for 15 episodes through to 20 March 2009.
Oye! It's Friday! was hosted by Farhan Akhtar and it had a successful run. This is no surprise as Akhtar has shown he has a unique approach which audiences appreciate. He is credited with starting a "new wave" in Indian cinema through the film Dil Chahta Hai (2001) which was his writing and directorial debut. With Oye! It's Friday!, Akhtar is credited with creating a "new wave" in reality television programming.
Instep gave Oye! It's Friday! a positive review, saying:
Oye! It's Friday! is ultimate entertainment value: it encapsulates every element of Bollywood that has made Indian commercial cinema so popular worldwide. In addition to the actual interview itself, there are item numbers by foreign dancers in skimpy costumes, acts that seem straight out of a circus, a house-band, guest performances and skits enacted out by Farhan and celebrity guests and a dose of unscripted drama.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) appeared for two episodes:
- Episode Number 6 (Air Date: 16th January 2009)
- Episode Number 7 (Air Date: 23rd January 2009)
Akhtar and SRK had worked together several years before. In 2006, Akhtar directed, produced and wrote the screenplay of the action crime film Don: The Chase Begins Again starring SRK in the title role. The film was a remake of the 1978 film Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan, and became an iconic success. They would work together again on the 2011 sequel, Don 2: The Chase Continues.
The Oye! It's Friday! description for the two SRK episodes gives you a sense of what to expect:
The stars get brighter week on week on Oye! It's Friday! Host Farhan Akhtar pulls out an ace this new year with a special, double dosage of the reigning king of Bollywood. He has ruled Indian cinema for over two decades….growing from a television actor to one of India’s most popular and recognizable faces worldwide! He is the Baadshah of Bollywood; producer; entrepreneur and also the proud proprietor of the Kolkata Knight Riders… ladies and gentlemen – Oye! It’s Friday! presents a special 2-part series with the one and only Shah Rukh Khan! It’s SRK… candid and carefree, in a fun conversation with our very own dost-host Farhan Akhtar, interspersed with electrifying performances by the sexy Amrita Arora, the talented young violinist Ambi Subramanian and Kolkata popular rock band ‘Cactus’.
A ‘Fauji’ who entered the film industry as ‘Baazigar’ and went on to become the ‘Baadshah’ of Bollywood; he is today unquestioningly known as the ‘Don’ of the Indian entertainment Industry. The King is at his energetic best on Oye! It’s Friday as he reveals some very interesting facets about his life, his soul mate ‘Gauri’, his dreams and of course, his work. From the meaning behind his name and his dream of owning Mannat (his palatial Bungalow in Mumbai) to an impromptu act of his famous dialogues… SRK leaves no stone unturned in making these episodes a must watch for all his fans. As a director who he’s worked with and as a friend, Farhan persuades Shah Rukh into revealing a ‘not-seen-too-often’ side to himself!
SRK, the proprietor of Kolkata Knight Rider’s was felicitated by the singers of ‘Cactus’, the high voltage rock-band with KKR’s theme song ‘Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re’. Catch them perform this crowd favourite LIVE for SRK, Farhan and the audience only on Oye! It’s Friday!
The fun continues on Oye! It’s Friday! with a stirring performance by B-Town hottie Amrita Arora who grooves gracefully to the music of super-hits like ‘Gol Maal’ and ‘Chaliya Chaliya’. She definitely leaves you wanting more. Oye! then changes track yet again with an incredible performance by the young violinist Ambi Subramanian, who not only manages to wow the audience by King Khan as well with his amazing talent.
Thanks goes to "ljcsa1230" for posting the videos of these episodes with english subtitles. I've compiled them into a playlist so you can watch both episodes straight through.