Shah Rukh Khan’s Hollywood debut in a gangster role alongside Leonardo DiCaprio was a dream project that never happened. The film, called Xtreme City, had a lot of potential, with Martin Scorsese as the producer. However, the project was eventually scrapped, and director Paul Schrader has now explained why it was cancelled.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Film With Leonardo DiCaprio Was Scrapped As He Lost Interest Midway
In a recent appearance on the Pod Casty for Me podcast, Schrader, who was deeply involved in the project, shared the behind-the-scenes details. He mentioned that both Shah Rukh Khan and Leonardo DiCaprio were initially on board, and the team even met in Berlin to discuss the film.
Shah Rukh was supposed to play a gangster, with DiCaprio cast as an American cop who confronts the gangster after being saved by him in India.
Schrader Says Shah Rukh Khan Was Uncomfortable Playing Second Fiddle To DiCaprio
Despite the excitement of having two global superstars, the project started to fall apart when Shah Rukh lost interest. Schrader explained that Shah Rukh had never worked with a director who had a strong, unique style like his own. He also noted that Shah Rukh, used to playing lead roles in Bollywood, wasn’t comfortable playing a secondary character to DiCaprio.
Schrader also added that Shah Rukh had never worked in the West or been in a film where he wasn’t the central character. He believed that this led to the actor’s diminishing interest in the project.
“Shah Rukh Khan is a significant figure in the industry, often having the power to hire directors for various parts of a film. He began to feel that working under a director with a distinctive auteur style was a challenge,” Schrader said.
As Schrader worked on the script, he visited Mumbai several times to meet Shah Rukh. But by then, the actor’s commitment had started to fade. Once Shah Rukh’s interest weakened, DiCaprio also became uncertain about the project. With neither star fully committed, the film lost momentum and was eventually abandoned.
The project initially gained attention when Schrader, inspired by his time in India, wanted to create a film that combined Bollywood elements with international cinema. In a 2013 interview, Schrader shared that after attending a film festival in Delhi, he became interested in blending the two styles. Unfortunately, despite the exciting concept and star power, Xtreme City never came to life.
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