Shah Rukh Khan’s King director Siddharth Anand confesses he has no plans to follow ‘success formulas’ for movie; His vision

Shah Rukh Khan's King has been announced for Christmas 2026 release - Here's what Siddharth Anand shared as his vision for the movie

Shah Rukh Khan in King date announcement video

Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming movie King might seem to be inspired from the theme of violence, which is the current trend in Bollywood, but director Siddharth Anand strong dismisses the same by stating that he is not here to follow a success formula. While many have also pointed out that the move comes since their movie Pathaan – also an action-thriller – worked at the Box Office, the director and his superstar actor collaborated for the same genre movie. Siddharth’s recent interview states otherwise. Here's what he said…

What is Siddharth Anand’s response to following a success formula for King?

During his interview with Variety, Siddharth Anand shared that he had no success formula in mind when making King. While the filmmaker is aware about the expectations from the upcoming movie – given the hype of one of India’s biggest superstars with A-list actors, many first-time collaborations including Shah Rukh Khan’s own daughter Suhana Khan’s big screen debut – he feels that focusing on them a lot would hamper his work. “I'll go wrong in my filmmaking. Because if there were a formula for catering, then everyone would be making blockbusters,” the director shared.

“If you start following a success formula, you then start second-guessing what the audience will like. And that will kill you as a filmmaker,” he said, adding that Pathaan also started off not thinking that it is a success formula and will definitely work at the Box Office. “We never made Pathaan with that intention, or with the dream of doing the numbers it did. And I think that's where the magic lies. So, when you start doing it with that belief, that is the downfall,” he stated, signing off by saying, “We are working hard on King as if it were our first film. We need to pass the test again with the audience.”

Shah Rukh Khan has currently confirmed that King will feature Deepika Padukone as the romantic female lead, and Suhana Khan plays the role of his on-screen daughter. Other details about the Christmas 2026 release are kept under the wraps.

King FAQs:

Q: What is the release date for Shah Rukh Khan’s movie King?

A: King is officially scheduled for a global theatrical release on December 24, 2026, coinciding with the Christmas holiday weekend. This date marks exactly three years since the release of Shah Rukh Khan’s last major collaboration with director Siddharth Anand, Pathaan.

Q: Is King a remake of the movie Léon: The Professional?

A: Yes, reports indicate that King is an action-driven drama inspired by the 1994 French classic Léon: The Professional. In this adaptation, Shah Rukh Khan plays a seasoned underworld assassin who takes his daughter, played by Suhana Khan, under his wing as a protégé.

Q: Who is the villain in the movie King?

A: Abhishek Bachchan has been cast as the primary antagonist in King. He is set to face off against Shah Rukh Khan in what is being described as a high-stakes, intense rivalry. The film also features a massive supporting cast including Jaideep Ahlawat and Raghav Juyal in significant roles.

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