Our very own Mahira Khan has joined megastar Shah Rukh Khan and the rest of the cast and crew of her Bollywood debut film Raees in Mumbai.
Mahira, who is in India for a 30-day schedule, will film scenes in Mumbai and Gujarat. Raees will have Shah Rukh play a Gujarati bootlegger while Mahira plays a Muslim girl. The film is set in the Muslim ghetto in Gujarat in the ’80s.
Ace actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be seen in the movie as a tough cop. Initially Farhan Akhtar was meant to play this role but he backed out citing date issues. He is however still very excited for the film.
Earlier, Shah Rukh was quoted by DNA India as saying that no one can do justice to the film except him. “I have not yet done a rehearsal for the film, but I can assure you that no one can do the film like me. It sounds extremely pompous and arrogant, but I am being humble at the same time… I am surprised that not many filmmakers dare to make such films anymore. I wonder why more such films don’t come to me…,” he said.
Speaking about his role Shah Rukh said, “It’s a very earthy role, something that I have missed doing for so many years. Today, I have reached a stage in life where I would want to go in the morning on the sets and feel I have put my best foot forward. I was like this in the first seven-eight years of my career.”
Both lead actors of the film are exceptionally busy this year. Mahira still has some work left on two of her Pakistani films Ho Mann Jahaan and Bin Roye. Trailers of both these films have been launched and have been earned tremendous praise.
Shah Rukh meanwhile has had a busy couple of months shooting for Fan, first in Croatia and then in Mumbai. He was recently seen on the sets of his film Dilwale. The movie, which is being directed by Rohit Shetty and also stars Varun Dhawan and Heropanti actress Kriti Sanon, will bring together Bollywood’s iconic couple Shah Rukh and Kajol on the big screen after a long gap.