Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Rakesh Sharma biopic | Photo Credit: Instagram

Very rarely do we get to see a superstar letting go off a film for another superstar without any regrets but Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan seem to be an exception! The Rakesh Sharma biopic which was initially in talks with Aamir Khan in the lead role now has Shah Rukh Khan playing the titular role, that too thanks to Aamir who recommended SRK for the film! "Shah you should hear the script, it is fantastic. It will be right for you, if you like it", said Aamir to SRK when he decided to leave the film and invest his time in his most ambitious project, Mahabharata instead.

And now that Shah Rukh is officially a part of the Rakesh Sharma biopic and is all set to begin shooting for the film next month, he feels grateful that Aamir actually thought of him for this film. "I thank Aamir [Khan] who was to do the film for calling me and telling me about the role as it would suit me. Whenever I get the time, I will try and spend time with him (Rakesh Sharma).", said SRK as quoted by Deccan Chronicle. ALSO READ: Did Shah Rukh Khan prepone the shooting schedule of Salute – the Rakesh Sharma biopic for THIS reason?

According to a Mid-day report, the film was expected to go on floors only in the second half of this year however the makers decided to prepone it for creative purposes. “The project is expensive. In a bid to ensure that the film doesn’t exceed the budget, Kapur (producer Siddharth Roy Kapur) and Khan (Shah Rukh) find it imperative to start shooting by February. Doing so will help them wrap up the main schedule before summer. Given that certain crucial scenes must be filmed outdoors, the duo felt shooting in the bulky costumes would be impossible during those months,” the source said. The same report also suggested that the reschedule could be a way of diverting attention from Shah Rukh’s latest release, Zero, which has bombed at the box office.

For those unaware, Rakesh Sharma is a former Indian Air Force pilot and the first Indian citizen to travel to outer space. While the script is written by Anjum Rajabali, the film will be directed by Mahesh Mathai and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur and Ronnie Screwvala under their banners Roy Kapur Films and RSVP Films respectively. There were reports that Bhumi Pednekar has been signed opposite Shah Rukh in the film, but Screwvala clarified that an official announcement on casting will be made soon.

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