Shah Rukh Khan says VFX wing of his banner, Red Chillies, has pitched for upping the ante of both films heavy on special effects. Chatting with mid-day, SRK shares high hopes for his company
Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan
At 51, Shah Rukh Khan seems keen to shed his 'king of romance' tag and emerge as an entrepreneur. The VFX wing of his banner, Red Chillies, could easily be labelled the best in the business. After the company was signed up to do visual effects in 'Sin City 2 – A Dame to Kill For' (2014), SRK was convinced about the potential of his business. Chatting with hitlist, he shares high hopes for his company.
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"I can make visual effects in India grander than it ever has been," Shah Rukh declares. "This is my only business for which I go and ask for business. I personally meet filmmakers and pitch ideas to them. I really feel I can help them out and keep it within their budget. I am not into this to make small-time money. I have had several meetings with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Rakesh Roshan. I have no ego problem asking other filmmakers if I can do VFX for their films. I have run this for 12 years and if in the next five to 10 years I am able to do this, I am certain this company will grow by leaps and bounds. I feel I can make visual effects world-class in this country," he adds.
A still from 'Krrish 3'
Currently, the actor's team is working on the pre-production of Aanand L Rai's film tentatively titled 'Bandhua'. SRK will be seen playing a dwarf in that one. He elaborated, "We have shifted our whole unit to Goregaon. As soon as we have one big project on hand, we find it impossible to take on another movie — something we learnt while doing 'Krrish'. It will be a VFX-heavy film. The film rolls in Meerut. We can't do VFX in a real location. The plan is to shoot a big chunk of the movie there and visually recreate a lot of in the studio."
Asked what his ultimate vision for the company is and he quickly responded, "I want to make India the biggest in VFX. While working on 'Krrish 3' (2013), we realised we couldn't juggle two mammoth projects with barely 200 people. You need a minimum of 350-400 people to do multiple projects simultaneously."
Ranbir Kapoor
Expanding the business, SRK's company has now outsourced work to China to be able to take on more projects. Now, he is hoping to clinch the fourth instalment of the 'Krrish' franchise as well as Ayan Mukerji's superhero flick starring Ranbir Kapoor.
"I have spoken to Ayan about it and he had even come down to see the office and meet people who will work on it. I won't hold a grouse if some filmmakers don't choose us. But, my vision is that this company should be on everyone's go-to list. I believe technology can help Indian films match up to international standards and good visual effects is quintessential," he signs off.
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