Shah Rukh Khan’s next project will be a biopic based on the life of astronaut Rakesh Sharma.
Sharma, an air force pilot, was the first Indian to travel to space when he became part of the Intercosmos programme. After taking off in Soyuz T-11, a Russian rocket, on April 2 1984, Sharma along with Commander Yury Malyshev and Flight Engineer Gennadi Strekalov held a joint press conference with Gandhi from the space.
Early reports said the film was titled ‘Salute’, however the film will be called Saare Jahaan Se Acha – the exact phrase spoken by the astronaut when asked by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as to how India looked like from space.
Saare Jahaan Se Acha will be directed by Mahesh Mathai and go on floors by February next year. It is being produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur who recently spoke about the rising trend of biopics in Bollywood. “I think it’s always important to see the quality of a film. So, regardless of whether it’s a biopic or a horror film or a comedy film or an action film, if it is a good film, it is going to run. So, I don’t think that there is a trend of biopics, but yes, there have been many successful ones of late, and very often people tend to gravitate towards making those films much more.”
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Saare Jahaan Se Acha is being produced on a script written by Anjum Rajbali who has in the past written movies like Rajneeti, Ghulam, and The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Mahesh Mathai, the director, has in the past helmed Bhopal Express – based on the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.
Shah Rukh Khan currently awaits the release of Zero on December 21. Directed by Aanand L Rai, the film will see Khan play the role of a dwarf.