EXCLUSIVE: Atlee-Shah Rukh Khan project is still on; Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions gets on-board

The internet exploded last year when it came to light that blockbuster Tamil director Atlee is in serious talks with superstar Shah Rukh Khan for an out-and-out commercial masala film. SRK fans especially were overjoyed as the actor had delivered a huge debacle in 2018 in the form of Zero. The actor then refused to speak up as to which will be his next project. Hence, they were happy to know that he’s doing a safe commercial film, that too backed by a pro, and which hopefully it will reap dividends. A few days before Diwali, Atlee at an event also admitted that he’s indeed doing a film with Shah Rukh Khan.

However, there was no update on this project after these revelations. Many felt that the film was scrapped. Meanwhile, Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK revealed that Shah Rukh Khan has signed their next film. A section of media also strongly insisted that SRK has also shown interest in master director Rajkumar Hirani’s next.

So what happened to Shah Rukh Khan-Atlee film? Is it shelved or will it be made? Well, it turns out that the project is very much on but has been put on the backburner for now. A source close to the project reveals, “When Atlee met Shah Rukh Khan, he didn’t have a complete script in hand. He had the gist of the plot ready and he had written four powerful massy sequences. These were key scenes like Shah Rukh Khan’s entry, intermission point, climax etc. Shah Rukh however was in favour of a bound script before taking things forward. Hence, Atlee decided to get the screenplay in place first.”

An interesting development also happened meanwhile. Dharma Productions, owned by Karan Johar, also got associated with the project. “Atlee is currently working with the creative writing team of Dharma Productions to develop the screenplay. Atlee, KJo and SRK want to ensure that the script has trademark stamp of the director and at the same time, has the pan-India appeal,” says the source.

The source also adds, “The writing process will take some time. Shah Rukh Khan meanwhile will finish a film or two and only then he will be able to act in Atlee’s next. So it can be said that the film won’t take off before mid-2021. However, it’s a film that’s been seriously considered as it’ll be a win-win situation for all parties involved. Shah Rukh Khan hopes it’ll give him the blockbuster that has been eluding him since years. For Karan Johar, it will benefit as it’ll most probably be a Tamil-Hindi bi-lingual film. Hence, he hopes to recreate the magic of Baahubali and 2.0 if all goes well. Finally, Atlee also stands to gain as it’ll give him a foothold in Bollywood. A clearer picture hence should emerge in a few months.”

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