Throwback: When SRK's 'control issues' shelved a film with DiCaprio-Scorsese
What's the story
Did you know there was a time when Shah Rukh Khan and Leonardo DiCaprio were in talks for a film? The project, however, was eventually shelved.
Hollywood director Paul Schrader recently the reason why the movie, titled Xtreme City never materialized.
Speaking on a podcast, Schrader shared that the film was dropped because Khan lost interest midway.
The film had initially excited everyone involved, including Martin Scorsese who was to produce it.
Role revelation
'He had never been a second banana to somebody...'
During his appearance on Pod Casty for Me podcast, Shrader explained that Khan was uncomfortable playing second fiddle to DiCaprio.
He said, "Shah Rukh is the boss. He hires directors. Sometimes he hires multiple directors...He has never really worked under the harness of an auteur, and that was starting to grate on him."
"And he had never done a film in the West before, and he had never been a second banana to somebody like Leo before," Schrader added.
Slipping away
SRK's interest in the project gradually 'slipped away'
Schrader added, "I wrote the script bit by bit and went to Mumbai several times to meet with him—I could sense the commitment gradually slipping away."
Despite Schrader's efforts to keep the project afloat, Khan's waning interest prompted a similar reaction from DiCaprio.
"So finally his commitment was provisional, and then once his commitment went from 'firm' to 'provisional,' Leo's went from 'firm' to 'provisional,'" Schrader shared.
Plot and commitments
'Xtreme City' plot and the unraveling of commitments
The director and writer also revealed the plot of Xtreme City, where Khan was to play a gangster who saves an American police officer's life in India, played by DiCaprio.
Meanwhile, speaking to Open Magazine back in 2013, the filmmaker revealed, "I don't think Shah Rukh wanted to make it. He likes to have total control over everything, and making an international film would mean giving up that level of control."
"In the end, he wasn't entirely comfortable with that."