Shah Rukh Khan probably hunts for his next; Anurag Kashyap, Sanjay Leela Bhansali to Jeo Baby, 6 directors SRK must (re)unite with ASAP

It took just one year, three massively successful films, multiple X (Twitter) AMAs, and one acceptance speech for us to understand that the phenomenon of Shah Rukh Khan is irreplaceable, and there can be no one who can even touch his legacy, forget shaking the core of it. The Badshah Of Bollywood is right now the most trending man, and as he called himself last night, ‘the Indian for all ages,’ and deservingly so. Now, as he wraps up the most successful year of his career and prepares his winning speeches for multiple award nights, he must also be looking for future projects, in case he hasn’t already.

Reports have already suggested that the director is already in talks with Vishal Bhardwaj for a movie; what can be a better way to take the momentum forward and use it to now do varied films? So now we are going to behave like Shah Rukh Khan has conversations with us before signing films and suggest to him some filmmakers he should consider working with. But it is high time the actor went back to the time when he did one film with a massive director as big as Rohit Shetty (Dilwale) and, in the very next year, went on to work with a director as niche as Gauri Shinde in Dear Zindagi.

So now, as King Khan probably juggles between scripts and filmmakers, here are 6 contenders we think Shah Rukh Khan should definitely consider working with. 

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan pitches Chaiyya Chaiyya on a plane to Mani Ratnam sending fandom into a complete meltdown – Are we all ready?

Vishal Bhardwaj

Okay, we know they are already in discussion, but this is us telling Shah Rukh Khan to not let this opportunity slip away no matter what. Imagine a film where Vishal Bhardwaj’s deep storytelling meets Shah Rukh Khan’s unwavering rhythm and Gulzar Sahab’s soul-piercing poetry. Aren’t you already bowled over by the mere thought of this movie? Now if the two are really in talks, we would be up for a big treat, and this could be one of the biggest releases whenever it comes out.

Jeo Baby

If you are one of the many who don’t know who Jeo Baby is, I would suggest going and introducing yourselves to the world of this filmmaker, who is consistently making films with a voice so distinctive that it not only touches hearts but also pokes where it is supposed to. He cast legendary Mammootty to play a gay man on the way to accepting his true self after being in the closet for his entire existence (Kaathal - The Core). Imagine a story as groundbreaking as that one and then imagine Shah Rukh Khan playing a part that is so unique. We cannot wait for this to happen.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Together, they gave Hindi cinema one of its most opulent classics, which will be remembered for as long as the industry exists. Devdas is one of the most precious movies to have come out of the Indian film industry. Now that rumours are on the rise that Sanjay Leela Bhansali is thinking of casting Shah Rukh Khan in Inshallah, it only makes us root even more for this reunion. The magnum opus that unfolds with an intense Shah Rukh Khan in the centre of it all is all we want.

Watch Kadak Singh, Chamak, Scam 2003, Duranga 2 and more on OTTplay, by subscribing to the Jhakaas monthly pack which provides access to 19 OTTs at just ₹49 for the first month.

Mani Ratnam

Dil Se is a cult classic now, and it took years for the audience to realise the magic that Mani Ratnam had woven with his Hindi debut with Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala. Now that both legends have had successful movies in the same year, it is high time they reunite for a film. It’s been so long since Ratnam directed an out-and-out Hindi movie, and what better than a film that has Shah Rukh Khan in the lead?

Anurag Kashyap

Okay, some might come at us for this one, but hear us out. Shah Rukh Khan has forever made efforts to work with maverick filmmakers, and Anurag Kashyap has all the qualities for the same. If Shah Rukh Khan now decides to tap into the darkness or a story that is far away from the generic scripts, he might just invite Kashyap over for a coffee. The man has a list of scripts ready, and SRK might definitely find something similar. However, who doesn’t want to see two completely different schools of film come together and create magic?

Avinash Arun

Shah Rukh Khan has forever been appreciated for giving words to the silence with his acting, and Avinash Arun is definitely a filmmaker who does that behind the camera. With both of them joining forces for an immersive story of humans and their conflicts while letting the silence speak louder than words, we will be up for a treat. Three Of Us was released on Netflix recently; check it out to understand what we mean.

Stay tuned to OTTplay for more content like this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan calls himself ‘Indian for all ages’ while talking about success and struggles in the past 5 years; Netizens hail King Khan