He, however, decided to cast Ranveer Singh in his latest film "Befikre", a modern take on romance as he felt the actor fit the spirit of the story.
Chopra said Shah Rukh helped him hide his flaws be it "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", "Muhabbatein" or "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" and directing Ranveer was a similar experience.
"I have directed only one leading man all my life. Mr Shah Rukh Khan. And any director who has worked with Shah Rukh knows that he is a very bad habit that you just cannon get over. He just makes your job so easy that you actually can't think of making a film with anyone else ever.
The director said he cast Ranveer because he embodies Befikre's Dharam, who is a carefree, happy-go-lucky guy. This is why even before he realised that the story will turn into a film, he based the character on Ranveer.
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"Ranveer is Dharam, Dharam is Ranveer. Even before I knew that I'm going to direct this film. I was writing it for Ranveer. He was actually the leading man of 'Befikre' even before I was director of the film."
"From the very first day that I directed Ranveer, he was Shah Rukh for me. The same energy, the same brilliance, the same intellect. I knew I was safe hands.
"It's not that Ranveer acts like Shah Rukh or his process is like him, it's just that the way Shah Rukh used to better my work and cover my flaws, Ranveer did the same for me," Chopra said, adding that he would not have made the film without Ranveer.
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