Shah Rukh Khan to start shooting for Rakesh Sharma biopic earlier than expected, thanks Aamir Khan for the role

Shah Rukh Khan has thanked Aamir Khan for finding him suitable for the role of astronaut Rakesh Sharma in his biopic. The actor will also reportedly start shooting for the film soon.

Actor Shah Rukh Khan was scheduled to shoot for his next film, a biopic on astronaut Rakesh Sharma, from May. However, a report in Mid-Day suggests that he has decided to begin shooting from February itself.

Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero failed to do well at the box office. (IANS)

A source told the daily that the decision was taken to avoid wearing heavy costumes during the summer months. “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 report also suggests that the reschedule could be a way of diverting attention from Shah Rukh’s latest release, Zero, which has bombed at the box office.

Rakesh Sharma is a former Indian Air Force pilot and the first Indian citizen to travel to outer space. With script 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 told PTI that an official announcement on casting will be made soon.

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