Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma have already shot for Imtiaz Ali’s next, tentatively titled The Ring. Now, an insider tells us that the film has an official title: Rahnuma. The word means ‘guide’ or ‘leader’ in Urdu, which obviously also refers to SRK’s role in the movie.

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Through the shooting of the movie, in Prague, this project was called The Ring. And it was believed that the team would go ahead with the same title for two reasons.

One, because the film is about Anushka’s journey to trace the lost engagement ring with the help of a tourist guide played by SRK. Secondly, because Imtiaz loves English words in his titles (Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal, Highway, Rockstar). But now the team has decided on an Urdu title (if you overlook Anjaam, which is also a Hindi word). A first for Shah Rukh as well as Imtiaz.

However, the trade does have mixed feelings about the title. One source says, “Many of Imtiaz’s previous films have had an English word, but they worked the best at the box-office.”

Another trade source says, “This title may alienate a large section of the audience because they won’t know the meaning. And it may confuse audiences about the content of the movie. SRK’s last release Raees proved that he has a huge fan following among the masses. He is now attracting the mass audience with them and needs to have a title that they connect with for this to continue. If they don’t get the meaning of the title, it may affect the footfalls at the theatres.”

Other guides

Guide saw Dev Anand playing a tourist guide, who falls in love with a married woman. Shashi Kapoor, played a shikara owner, who turns guide for Nanda in Jab Jab Phool Khile. The tale repeated itself in 1996 with Aamir Khan playing a cabbie who turns into a guide for Karisma Kapoor and ends up falling in love with her in Raja Hindustani. Aamir also played a terrorist who pretended to be a guide in Fanaa that starred Kajol opposite him.