In what is shaping up to be one of the most anticlimactic casting shifts in recent Bollywood history, industry insiders have been set abuzz with the news that Bollywood’s own King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, is slated to take on a more substantial role in the upcoming action thriller, ‘King’.
Initially considered for a cameo appearance, Shah Rukh Khan has now been roped in to play the lead role in the film that will introduce audiences to his daughter, Suhana Khan’s onscreen talents. This major script revision has been the talking point of town, spotlighting the senior Khan not merely in a cameo but as a linchpin character in the narrative.
Suhana, following in the footsteps of her father, is making her foray into the limelight by essaying the parallel lead in the movie. This ambitious project, directed by esteemed filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh and produced in collaboration with producer-director Siddharth Anand, has led to extensive screenplay adjustments. Shah Rukh Khan’s character, serving as the young protagonist’s mentor and savior throughout the film’s plot, has now earned a pivotal status that adds to the central thrust of ‘King’.
The modifications to the script have been so relevant that producers are now setting their sights on beginning pre-production as early as the next month, with shooting expected to commence in August. Given these developments, the timeline for ‘King’ has been pushed back, with a release being considered tentatively for late 2025 to accommodate the enhancements to the movie’s scope and story.
This reveal comes alongside the broader context of Bollywood schedules being thrown into disarray due to the Lok Sabha elections, resulting in a multitude of release shuffles. Cinema comes under its share of rescheduling with talks suggesting that the dust could settle with John Abraham and Manushi Chhillar’s ‘Tehran’ looking to capture audiences on May 17. Filmmakers are looking to give the geopolitical thriller a clear runway and capitalize on a relatively quiet month in the cineplexes.
In a somewhat controversial marketing strategy, multiplexes that were unsuspectingly slated for celebration turned their promotion on its head. They announced Cinema Lovers Day for April 19, with ticket prices tempting moviegoers at just R99. This plan, unfortunately, clashed with the commencement of the Lok Sabha elections, inviting criticism from the public sphere. The skepticism around optics notwithstanding, the principle concern revolved around whether the incentivized pricing would detract from electoral participation.
The controversy reached a level where multiplex chains ultimately retracted their offer, prompting disappointment and surprise from the producers and distributors involved with the releases ‘Do Aur Do Pyaar’ and ‘Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2’.
In the realm of star-studded festivities, the Tamil film sector celebrated the 58th birthday of predominate actor Chiyaan Vikram. This occasion was hallmarked by a tribute video from Jio Studios and Studio Green Films, the powers behind his next venture, ‘Thangalaan’. This period action thriller carries significant expectation and is fueled by the thoroughly dedicated efforts of Vikram and his creative team.
The buzz also extends to the sprightly Nora Fatehi, who, coming off the success of her recent outing ‘Madgaon Express’, is in active discussions for key roles in comic cinematic pieces. Dance changes to giggles as Fatehi is eyed for ‘Bhoot Police 2’, a sequel to a horror comedy featuring an ensemble cast in its first edition. Filmmakers are reportedly dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s for her portfolio, while she already has other engaging projects in her kitty.
The landscape of Indian cinema, as vivid and unpredictable as the movies it projects, continues its narrative off-screen with shifting roles, debut teasers, and a dance between election dates and theatre marquees. ‘King’ symbolizes not just a film but the dynamism of an industry where screenplay changes can mirror real-life dramas, where stars carve out legacies, and where audiences await the thrill of the next act with bated breath.
