Shah Rukh Khan’s gesture towards Marathi cinema has come to light after filmmaker Pravin Tarde revealed that the superstar helped Deool Band 2 overcome a major financial hurdle before its theatrical release. According to Tarde, Shah Rukh asked his production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, to waive a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) bill of around Rs 42 lakh, allowing the film to reach theatres despite the makers’ financial constraints.

When Shah Rukh Khan waived off the bill

Speaking about the situation to Pinkvilla, Tarde said the team had initially budgeted around Rs 12 lakh for the DCP, the digital format required for theatrical screenings. However, the final cost reportedly came to nearly Rs 42 lakh, an amount the makers could not afford. “The bill came to Rs 42 lakh. We didn’t have that kind of money, nor did we have any source from where we could arrange it,” Tarde recalled.