Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; April 7, 2018)

With barely a month to go before Shah Rukh Khan wraps up the shoot of Aanand L Rai’s Zero, it is speculated that he will take on the Rakesh Sharma biopic, Salute, next. However, if insiders are to be believed, the superstar is in talks with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for his next and is keen to kickstart the ambitious film before the space odyssey.

Reveals an insider, “Not many know that Shah Rukh and Bhansali have been in talks for long. During a recent meeting, the director narrated his script to him. It is a fictional love story with a period setting. While Shah Rukh has given his nod in principle, the project is facing a roadblock by way of its female lead. Though the names of a few leading ladies are being thrown around, Bhansali is yet to zero in on an actress.”

Khan’s fondness for the auteur is well known — the two had collaborated on the 2002 hit, Devdas. It was also reported that the superstar was one of Bhansali’s first choices for the role of Maharawal Ratan Singh in Padmaavat.

The source further indicates that Bhansali is gung-ho about the project and wants it to roll later this year. If the period drama indeed goes on floors, it is likely to throw a spanner in the progress of Salute. The biopic is said to require three months of extensive training on Khan’s part before he faces the camera to portray the first Indian astronaut in space. “By the look of things at the moment, SRK will finish Zero and start Bhansali’s film. Salute will start only in January next year,” adds the source.