Raees director Rahul Dholakia on working with Shah Rukh Khan again: We chat and discuss ideas

It’s been five years since Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees was released. In an exclusive chat with IndiaToday.in, director Rahul Dholakia talked about the film and working with SRK.

Director Rahul Dholakia's Raees clocked in five years of its release on January 25. The film starring Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui was one of the highest-grossing films of 2017. The action film had received positive reviews from the critics. In an exclusive chat with IndiaToday.in on the film’s fifth anniversary, director Rahul Dholakia opened up about Raees, working with SRK, and more.

Rahul, who won a National Award for his film Parzania, calls Raees a 'lifer'. He said, "Actually, I can’t even believe it’s been five years! I haven’t shot a film since then. I think this one (Raees) is a lifer - like Parzania. Even after 15 odd years, people talk about it, come and say thank you for making it. Raees draws a different reaction. People find it a sensible masala film and talk about the dialogues even today. So, Raees entertained people well and did its job. When we make films that live beyond their release, we feel happy."

Talking about Raees being one of the highest-grossing films of that year despite a clash with Hrithik Roshan's Kaabil, Rahul said, "I am happy that the film did well. It was tough making it. We had to change a lot of things along the way because of the changing situation. We had lawsuits and threats. We had boycotts to deal with, and also the repercussions of URI and elections. Also, a clash and not to forget our personal problems like SRK's busted knee, my mom in ICU and my own health issues. So, it was a very exciting time. But in the end, it all worked out well and I am so happy that worldwide there are such fans of Raees that they quote dialogues and thank us for making such an entertaining film. They do complain about the end though.”

Raees was Shah Rukh Khan's last superhit film and it also marked Rahul and the actor's first collaboration. Ask the director if there are any plans of him working with SRK any time soon and he tells us, "We chat and discuss ideas. I think we can and we will do something that excites us both."

The director concluded by revealing what he has been working on. "I am making a film on firefighters, which will begin soon. I am working or at least trying to get the same Raees crew back for the film. Also, there’s a series for Sony. That’s also very exciting. Besides these, in these five years, I have developed some interesting scripts and a docu-series for the United States police association,” he said.

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