Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Anand L Rai Says 'Zero' Failed Because He Didn't Harness Shah Rukh Khan's Stardom

In a new Galatta Plus interview, the director calls his oversight on Khan’s star image a key misstep that went unaddressed during production.

Overview

  • Rai says he failed to integrate Khan’s public persona into the lead character, which he now views as the film’s central mistake.
  • He recalls that both he and Khan enjoyed the shoot yet believes one of them should have flagged the need to account for the star factor.
  • The 2018 release is widely labeled a box-office debacle, with reports citing a roughly Rs 200 crore budget and about Rs 180–190 crore in worldwide earnings.
  • Zero starred Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, was written by Himanshu Sharma, and was produced by Colour Yellow Productions with Red Chillies Entertainment.
  • Reflecting on his broader approach, Rai says his films often avoid star ‘baggage,’ a tendency he now thinks undermined this project.