08 July,2026 10:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Shah Rukh Khan in King. Pic via X
Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film King is among the most anticipated films of the year. Amid the buzz surrounding the multi-starrer, recently reports emerged claiming that the film is shaping up to be the most expensive project of his career. However, after the reports started doing the rounds, director Siddharth Anand shared a social media post putting all rumours to rest.
Bollywood Hungama recently reported that the Siddharth Anand-directorial has an estimated production budget of around Rs 450 crore, surpassing the reported budgets of SRK's previous films, Jawan and Pathaan.
Notably, King marks Shah Rukh's return to the big screen after three years. The film reportedly went on floors in May 2025 and is expected to complete filming by August 2026. The team has allegedly shot for more than 150 days across multiple international locations.
King includes large-scale action sequences designed by internationally acclaimed stunt crews. The film is believed to heavily rely on visual effects. The VFX work is reportedly being handled by Shah Rukh Khan's production house, Red Chillies Entertainment.
A source quoted by the portal stated that the film evolved into a much larger project than what was initially planned. The report quoted a source saying, "Shah Rukh Khan always believes in delivering an uncompromised product to the audience. King started-off as an action thriller, but the ambition of SRK and Sid have made it a tentpole action thriller, with some of the biggest action sequences that the audience will get to witness on the spectacle."
The report also claimed that King has been mounted on a budget of around Rs 450 crore, excluding print and publicity expenses, along with Shah Rukh's acting fee.
"All the money spent is to ensure an uncompromised cinematic experience to the audience. You will see every penny spent by the makers on the screen, as it's a new Shah Rukh Khan experience," the report stated. Talking of SRK's previous films, Jawan was reportedly made on a budget of around Rs 400 crore, while Pathaan was estimated to have a budget of approximately Rs 350 crore.
Soon after the report surfaced online, director Siddharth Anand took to his official X account to post a cryptic note hinting that the report was not true. He simply wrote, "False," putting rumours to rest.
Althogh he did not mention what he was talking about, netizens were convinced it was about King's reported budget which was going viral.
