Rumour spreads, Shah Rukh is dead!

Actor Shah Rukh Khan is not dead. He has not been shot at -- he is alive and, um, well, shooting!

Hey, wait a minute... whoever said he was dead in the first place? Whoever said he was shot at? Whoever?

The grapevine -- that's who!

Thursday morning saw Bombay abuzz with the buzz. Reporters were glued to the phone and Shah Rukh's residence must have fielded umpteen calls. By afternoon, however, the rumour was confirmed -- to be untrue.

Shah Rukh is alive and well.

"Are you mad?" screamed Shah Rukh’s secretary Anwar Khan when Rediff On The NeT contacted him.

"It is a rumour," confirmed the Bombay police, " Nothing of that sort has happened."

But who started the rumour? And why? Just for the heck of it, maybe?

"Shah Rukh has been killed at least thrice in the past three weeks," says Film Information Editor Komal Nahta, "All this is the work of some who don’t realise the implications of such rumour-mongering. When so many people are already being killed, such news is alarming."

There are at least 10 top stars and film-makers on the underworld's extortion list. Of this, director Rajiv Rai had been shot at, and music mogul Gulshan Kumar killed. Apparently, Shahrukh is also high on the list.

Meanwhile, news of Shah Rukh's 'killing' seems to have spread far and wide -- not much time have now elapsed since Rediff fielded a call from Dubai.

"No, no," we assured the anxious caller, "He is not dead. It's all a rumour..."