While damage control over Pakistani artiste in 'Raees' has begun, sources say Shah Rukh Khan shot new scenes with his heroine from across the border in the Middle East
Shah Rukh Khan and Mahira Khan
Shah Rukh Khan and Mahira Khan
Earlier yesterday, there were reports of Shah Rukh Khan of having flown down to the Middle East to complete a song sequence of his next, 'Raees', with his leading lady Mahira Khan last week.
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Given the persistently tense situation in the country following September's Uri attacks, the makers felt it would be best to wrap up crucial sequences in neutral territory.
A source close to the development says, "Mahira was in New York to attend the Pakistan International Film Festival, after which she flew straight to Dubai. She and SRK shot [for the song] over three days in Abu Dhabi."
Sources close to the actress say that the public outcry against 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' (ADHM), starring fellow Pak actors Fawad Khan and Imran Abbas Naqvi, was a wake-up call for her.
"She wanted either a well-fleshed out role like the story originally had, or nothing at all. She wasn't okay with a superfluous part like Fawad's in ADHM. Though the makers tried to reason with her, they eventually conceded that she doesn't deserve a raw deal. It was a deliberate move to feature her prominently in the trailer too," the source added.
The first meeting about her screen time apparently took place last month when they were both in Dubai. He was finishing work on the Dubai tourism video, and she was shooting for an ad there. "The production team discreetly shot in Abu Dhabi for three days before SRK returned to Mumbai to promote 'Dear Zindagi'," a source informed.