Did You Know? Shah Rukh Khan Was First Pitched The Lead In AR Murugadoss' 'Madharaasi'

As the release date of Sivakarthikeyan's much-anticipated action thriller Madharaasi draws closer, here's an intriguing backstory: the film's central character was originally pitched to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, director AR Murugadoss shared that while Madharaasi as a full-fledged film wasn't planned with Shah Rukh Khan, the core idea began with him nearly a decade ago.

“I didn't plan the whole film with Shah Rukh Khan, but I did pitch the character to him long back,” Murugadoss explained.“I told him 7-8 years ago, and even he liked it. Back then, I only had the character... just an idea, not the full script.”

The filmmaker revealed that renowned cinematographer Ravi K Chandran had facilitated his meeting with SRK.“He was so sweet and said, 'We'll do the film.' But the delay was very long, which is why it never materialised,” Murugadoss recalled.

After Ghajini, Murugadoss admitted he didn't feel motivated to pursue more projects in Hindi cinema. Combined with communication gaps, the idea eventually fell through.

Murugadoss added that Sivakarthikeyan ultimately became the right choice for the role.“SK has a certain flexibility to him, which made him perfect. That's when I began shaping the full story with additional elements,” he said.

Slated to release in theaters on September 5 in the UAE, Madharaasi is a Tamil-language action thriller set in northern India, following a man whose life spirals after a crisis.

The film stars Sivakarthikeyan in the lead, alongside Rukmini Vasanth, Vidyut Jammwal, and Biju Menon in pivotal roles. Murugadoss has teased that Madharaasi will blend romance with high-octane action, promising a layered cinematic experience.

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