Paul Schrader reveals why Shah Rukh Khan-Leonardo DiCaprio crossover film fell apart

Leonardo DiCaprio and Shah Rukh Khan
| Photo Credit: AP/THG

Filmmaker Paul Schrader has opened up about his abandoned project, Xtreme City, which was poised to bring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Hollywood icon Leonardo DiCaprio together on screen. The ambitious project, co-written by Mushtaq Shiekh and set to be produced by Martin Scorsese, ultimately collapsed due to Shah Rukh’s waning interest, Schrader revealed during a recent appearance on the Pod Casty for Me podcast.

Schrader, celebrated for classics like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, shared that the project initially generated significant excitement. The team even met in Berlin to discuss the script, which centered on Shah Rukh as an Indian gangster saving the life of DiCaprio’s American police officer. However, creative differences soon surfaced.

“Shah Rukh is the boss. He hires directors for different parts of his films… he had never worked under the harness of an auteur,” Schrader explained. Additionally, Shah Rukh’s role as “second banana” to DiCaprio — a rare position for the Bollywood megastar — may have caused unease.

Despite Schrader’s repeated trips to Mumbai to solidify the collaboration, Shah Rukh’s commitment shifted from firm to provisional, triggering a similar response from DiCaprio. “Now you have two ‘provisional’ commitments, which means you have no commitment at all,” Schrader lamented.