Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald has revealed that he remains interested in making a documentary about Shah Rukh Khan, one of India’s most celebrated film stars. The filmmaker previously met the actor to discuss the possibility of a documentary, but the project did not move forward because the timing was not right. Macdonald now says the idea continues to intrigue him, particularly because of Khan’s extraordinary popularity and the mystery surrounding his enduring appeal.
Macdonald has built a reputation for documentaries that look beyond the public image of influential personalities. Rather than simply presenting familiar facts about famous figures, his work often attempts to explore the people behind their carefully constructed public identities. That approach appears to be at the heart of his interest in Shah Rukh Khan, whose career has made him a cultural phenomenon far beyond the boundaries of Indian cinema.
Speaking about the possibility of returning to the project, Macdonald said, “Well, I did talk a couple of years ago to Shah Rukh Khan, one of the biggest actors in India, about doing a documentary. We talked about it, but the time wasn’t right. But he totally fascinates me. So I would like to do something about him and to understand why he is such a huge, such a huge star, beloved by so many people. That really intrigues me.”
The filmmaker confirmed that the discussions were not merely informal speculation. He had met Khan and spoken with him about the possibility of making a film. However, the project eventually remained on hold. Macdonald suggested that the door has not necessarily been closed and that circumstances could change in the future.
“He was interested. I met with him and we talked about it. But I think the time wasn’t right. Maybe in the future,” Macdonald said.
For a filmmaker interested in personality and public influence, Khan presents an unusually rich subject. His career spans decades, languages and generations of audiences, while his image has evolved from romantic leading man to global Indian celebrity and producer. A documentary exploring that journey could potentially examine not only his films but also the relationship between Khan and his enormous audience.
Macdonald’s fascination, however, extends beyond Bollywood. During the conversation, he also identified another prominent Indian figure whom he would find compelling as a documentary subject: Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His interest, he explained, comes from the possibility of looking beyond the political image and examining the individual behind it.
“I’d love to make a film about Modi. Because I think, you see, someone like him, to see the human being behind the figurehead would be fascinating,” Macdonald said.
He added that this interest reflects a broader philosophy behind his filmmaking. “And that’s, I suppose, for me, always the most interesting thing: how can you show the human being that we can all relate to in any great star or politician? I don’t think he’s going to do it.”
That perspective helps explain why Macdonald is drawn to figures who already have enormous public visibility. For a documentary filmmaker, the challenge is not simply introducing a famous person to an audience. The more difficult task is finding something viewers have not already seen. Public figures such as Khan and Modi have spent years surrounded by cameras, interviews and media coverage, making the search for a more personal perspective particularly challenging.
Macdonald is also balancing his documentary work with narrative filmmaking. His upcoming film The Runner, starring Gal Gadot, represents another move into scripted cinema. Rather than seeing documentaries and feature films as completely separate forms, the filmmaker considers them closely connected because both depend on storytelling.
“I love the variety. And I think I’m a person who’s easily bored. So variety is a good thing. I think they’re both two sides of the same coin, because they’re both about telling stories, just using different tools to do it,” he explained.
His approach to documentaries is particularly revealing. Macdonald believes that real-life stories can be structured with the dramatic tension normally associated with fictional films. The difference is that the filmmaker has to work with events and material that already exist rather than creating them from scratch.
“I think when I make a documentary, I’m trying to make it, in some ways, as much like a drama as possible, to involve you with the characters, to engage you with a strong story that you want to know what happens next, but using real material.”
That philosophy can be seen in his latest documentary project, A Beautiful Obsession, which focuses on Pep Guardiola and his final two seasons as Manchester City manager. The four-part documentary follows Guardiola during a period of major change for the club. It begins after Manchester City secured their fourth consecutive Premier League title in 2024 and then follows the downturn that challenged the team’s dominance.
The series examines the pressures surrounding a manager who had already achieved extraordinary success and the difficulties involved in maintaining that level of performance. By concentrating on the period when the winning formula began to show signs of strain, Macdonald shifts the focus from simply celebrating Guardiola’s achievements to exploring the human and professional pressures behind them.
A Beautiful Obsession is currently streaming on Lionsgate Play in India, adding another major personality-driven project to Macdonald’s documentary career. His body of work demonstrates a recurring interest in people who have reached exceptional levels of influence, whether they come from sport, entertainment or public life.
