Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; January 3, 2019)

Unwilling to mull over the debacle of Zero, Shah Rukh Khan has decided to dive headlong into the shoot of his next, Salute. Former Indian Air Force pilot Rakesh Sharma’s biopic was to kick off in May this year. However, Siddharth Roy Kapur’s offering will now roll in Mumbai’s Film City, in February.

Even as trade insiders suggest Khan’s decision to advance filming stems from his desire to shift attention away from the failure of his latest offering, sources close to the production argue that the decision was taken after a discussion with producer Kapur.

Pointing out that a couple of space films in B-town were put at the backburner, owing to the expenses incurred in tackling the genre, the source reveals, “The project is expensive. In a bid to ensure that the film doesn’t exceed the budget, Kapoor and Khan 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 unit hopes to wrap up another leg, set to take place at an undisclosed outdoor location, by June, adds the source. Khan, on his part, will begin prepping for his role in the Mahesh Mathai directed venture soon. “Construction work for the creation of a huge set has already commenced at Film City.”