Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Raees’ director REVEALS producers initially laughed off his idea to make a film with superstar

Rahul Dholakia‘s directorial ‘Raees’ released in 2017 featured Shah Rukh Khan in the titular role, alongside Mahira Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in pivotal roles. But did you know the time when producers laughed at his idea of wanting to make a crime drama with King Khan?
In a conversation with Mashable, Rahul Dholakia, he had always envisioned Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role for ‘Raees’. He recalled how the idea solidified when he passed by Khan’s residence, Mannat.Rahul Dholakia revealed that after sending the script to Farhan Akhtar, the project began to grow significantly.
Farhan expressed interest in producing the film alongside his partner Ritesh Sidhwani, who then asked Rahul to provide a list of five potential actors for the lead role. Rahul responded with just one name: Shah Rukh Khan. Ritesh initially laughed it off, but Rahul expressed that he was serious about casting Khan.
Rahul also reminisced about the time when he was driving to a restaurant near Mannat for coffee, and Sarika suggested he send the script to Shah Rukh Khan. He admitted that Khan was the perfect fit for the role and could easily envision him as Raees, despite not knowing him personally at the time. Interestingly, Sarika was able to get Khan’s number, and Rahul decided to text him. However, he humorously recalled that he never received a reply from the actor.
The director later revealed that he had initially approached Irrfan Khan for the lead role, but he declined, stating that he was unwilling to accept a script where his character dies at the end. When Rahul then reached out to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the actor showed interest but preferred to play the role of the cop. Rahul also shared that it was a life-changing experience to work with Shah Rukh Khan.