Tigmanshu Dhulia reveals how Shah Rukh Khan politely rejected him: ‘I don’t do realistic films’

Tigmanshu Dhulia reveals Shah Rukh Khan declined a lead role in his film Ghamasaan, which stars Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi.

Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia is currently busy promoting his upcoming film Ghamasaan, starring Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi in the lead roles. During a recent interaction, Tigmanshu revealed that after completing the film’s script, he had approached Shah Rukh Khan to play one of the lead roles. However, the actor politely turned down the offer.

How Shah Rukh Khan politely rejected Tigmanshu Dhulia's offer

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan rejected Tigmanshu Dhulia. (File/AFP)

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Tigmanshu revealed that he had approached Shah Rukh Khan for the role of a police officer, which was eventually played by Pratik Gandhi. Recalling their conversation, he said, “To tell the truth, when I wrote the script of this film, I went to Shah Rukh Khan first for the role that Pratik Gandhi is playing in the film. So he heard it and he is Shah Rukh Khan, his heart is like a football field. Also, we have known each other for a long time since Dil Se days and in the film Zero, I played the role of his father. So he heard the script and he told me, ‘Yaar Tishu, mein is tarah ki realistic pictures nahi karta hoon yaar (I don't do realistic films like these).’”

Tigmanshu Dhulia's controversial take on Dhurandhar

Tigmanshu has also been making headlines for his recent comments about Dhurandhar. The filmmaker dismissed the film, saying that it has “no story”. Speaking to The Wire, he said, “If someone asks you about the story of Dhurandhar, you can't tell it. There is a guy who goes to Pakistan aur vaha tabahi macha deta hai. Is this a story? The stories are finished in films. Also, those who tell the stories are also finished and those who want to tell stories aren't allowed to do so. They think that their films won't work. They follow the same pattern.”

Linking capitalism to the lack of good storytelling in Bollywood, Tigmanshu said, “This happens during extreme capitalism, people also start looking like each other. You see the fashion these days, everybody looks the same. They all have the same haircut. Even cities are looking identical to each other. The unique character of every city is finished. My city Allahabad (the name has been changed to Prayagraj) was known for so many different things but now it looks like any other city, same malls, same cars. This type of political system finishes your individuality.”

About Ghamasaan

Ghamasaan is described as a cat-and-mouse tale set in the Hindi heartland, where male friendships and rivalries unveil homoerotic tensions. Men on both sides of the law traverse arid lands, creating a strong sense of place where unexplored histories reside.

The film stars Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi and will premiere on ZEE5 on September 11.