The director of Raees, starring Shah Rukh Khan, reveals how producers initially doubted his decision to work with the superstar: ‘When I approached Farhan Akhtar with the script…’
Rahul Dholakia’s Raees was a film that finally showcased the portrayal of Shah Rukh Khan that audiences had been longing for. The crime drama effectively highlighted SRK’s intense and brooding performance, making it truly stand out. In a recent interview, Dholakia discussed how, despite initially presenting the film to various actors, he always had Shah Rukh Khan in mind for the lead role, especially when passing by his home Mannat. He also shared how the producers initially laughed off the idea of making Raees with SRK.
During a conversation with Mashable, Rahul revealed that after sending the script to Farhan Akhtar, the project started to gain momentum.
Farhan, along with his partner Ritesh Sidhwani, showed interest in producing the film and requested Rahul to provide a shortlist of five actors he could see in the lead role.
“Ritesh asked me for five actors for the role of Raees. I gave him one… Shah Rukh Khan, and he burst out laughing. I assured him that I was serious about casting him. Once Shah Rukh Khan came on board, it was a fantastic experience. Working with him was truly life-changing,” Rahul said.
Rahul recalled a moment when he was driving to a hotel near Mannat for coffee when Sarika suggested he send the script to Shah Rukh Khan.
He believed Khan was the perfect fit for the role and could clearly envision him as Raees, despite not knowing him at the time. Surprisingly, Sarika managed to get Khan’s number, and Rahul sent him a text, although he never received a response, which he humorously shared.
The director also mentioned that he had initially approached Irrfan Khan for the role, but the actor declined due to not wanting his character to die at the end of the film.
Rahul pondered whether this was a sign of things to come, as the character of Raees ultimately had to meet his end.
When he approached Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the actor expressed interest in playing the cop instead. Interestingly, Irrfan also wanted to portray ACP Jaideep Majmudar, leading to the dilemma of having two police officers in the film.
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