'Gauri Khan’s mom suggested Mahira for Raees', reveals director Dholakia

Director Rahul Dholakia has revealed the full story behind Mahira Khan’s casting in the 2017 Bollywood film Raees, opposite Shah Rukh Khan.

In a recent interview, Dholakia disclosed that it was a recommendation from Gauri Khan’s mother that ultimately led to Mahira landing the role of Aasiya, after several top Bollywood stars were considered but ruled out.

Speaking with casting director Mukesh Chhabra in a conversation for Mashable India, Dholakia said that for the character of Aasiya, they needed an actress in her 30s who could fluently speak Hindi, ideally with an Urdu accent, to fit the setting of the 1980s.

The role also demanded an actress who could convey innocence. Dholakia added that Shah Rukh Khan, who was around 50 at the time, required a co-star who was at least 30-something for the role to be believable.

Several prominent Bollywood actresses were considered, including Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, and Anushka Sharma, but they either turned down the role due to its smaller size or were too expensive for the film’s budget. “We had a few top names in mind, but none of them seemed to fit perfectly,” Dholakia said. "At the end of the day, we realised it wasn’t working with them. Shah Rukh Khan cannot romance an Alia Bhatt!”

The director then shared how the solution came from an unexpected source. “Both Gauri Khan’s mother and my mother had seen Mahira Khan in a Pakistani TV drama and said, ‘Yeh ladki achi hai (This girl is really good),’” Dholakia revealed.

He immediately reached out to casting director Honey Trehan, who informed him that Mahira was already in Mumbai for promotional work.

Trehan arranged an audition, and after seeing Mahira perform, Dholakia knew he had found his Aasiya. “After the audition, I declared, ‘I have found my Aasiya,’” he said.

Mahira Khan, who had already made a name for herself in Pakistan through hit projects like Humsafar, was initially unaware of the scale of the project.

Speaking at the Faiz International Festival in 2016, she shared her experience of receiving a call during her visit to Mumbai. “I got a message saying ‘big film, pick up,’” she recalled. Though she initially couldn’t grasp the details, she was intrigued when she learned it was a project with Excel Entertainment, known for films like Dil Chahta Hai.

Mahira explained that she was later told the role was opposite Shah Rukh Khan, but that detail was kept under wraps until after her audition. “I was just excited to be part of an Excel film, but when they told me I was playing the lead opposite Shah Rukh Khan, I was over the moon,” she shared.