New Delhi: Oscar-winning actor Will Smith joins a long list of Hollywood actors who have expressed their desire to work with Shah Rukh Khan. Previously, actors including Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Jackman, Daniel Radcliffe, Kristen Stewart, Penélope Cruz, and Robert Pattinson have expressed their fondness for SRK.
Smith, who was in Dubai for the premiere of National Geographic’s Pole to Pole, also revealed that in the past, he was in talks with Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan for different projects.
“I was talking to Salman. We had things we were talking about. I was trying to get into something with Big B, you know,” Smith told Gulf News on the red carpet.
“He told me I could be Big W, so we were cool. We were sharing the title. There were a couple of things over the years… nothing panned out,” he added.
Smith also expressed his wish for Shah Rukh Khan to cast him in a Bollywood film.
“I want Shah Rukh to put me in something, Shah Rukh what’s up,” the actor said.
Smith has visited India on several occasions over the years, each time for a different purpose. His 2019 trip included cultural immersion, participating in Ganga Aarti, visiting the Taj Mahal, and connecting with Indian culture and spirituality, which he described as transformative. Smith visited Haridwar and Rishikesh during the 2019 visit.
But, one of his most notable visits was to Mumbai in April 2022, a month after the infamous Oscar incident where he slapped Chris Rock. Some reports said that the actor traveled to India for spiritual purposes, to practice yoga and meditation.
Tom Cruise-level talent
Smith’s admiration of SRK has come days after Hollywood actor Terry Crews expressed that he was swept away by Shah Rukh Khan’s charm.
The actor expressed his desire to be part of an Indian film, while praising Bollywood’s grand musical storytelling.
Speaking to an Indian media portal, Crews said he loves the drama in Bollywood.
“Everybody around the globe wants what India has simply because it really satisfies a need in so many ways. I’m a big fan of music and dance. In fact, I am a dancer first. When you look at the culture and the way they’ve incorporated big musical performances into the movies, you don’t get that in America. It comes along once in a blue moon, like a Wicked. When I watch these major stars dancing to amazing music, I miss it. It reminds me of old Hollywood,” the actor told ETimes.
Crews also called Shah Rukh Khan a super international star. Crews said that though he hasn’t met him, he is definitely looking forward to it.
“To me, he is a true example of Tom Cruise-level Indian talent that has taken over the world. His brand and his name is like those of Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s enormous,” he said.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)