The Kahaani maker is no longer a King-maker. Sujoy Ghosh, who was supposed to direct Shah Rukh Khan in an action entertainer next year, has stepped down from the project, with Siddharth Anand, who also directed the Bollywood superstar's blockbuster Pathaan, now stepping in to helm it.
A source close to the development reveals, “Sujoy Ghosh exited from the project three weeks ago. He left the film because he realized it's no longer the same project he initially was signed on for last year. The movie became bigger and bigger in scale and scope that it began to reflect more of Siddharth Anand's vision than Sujoy's. The Badla director confronted Siddharth about this shift, suggesting that Sid himself take over directorial responsibilities to better fulfill what he and SRK want to achieve with this project. Both Sid and Shah Rukh respected his decision and amicably parted ways.”
Siddharth Anand had been involved as a producer on this project since last year and is well-versed in all of its production intricacies, making it a no-brainer for him to take over the directorial role after Sujoy’s departure. Furthermore, he is still in the early stages of scripting for his next two-hero project, allowing him the flexibility to fully dedicate himself to this Shah Rukh Khan starrer. “Given Siddharth’s deep engagement with the film's development and his current availability, it was a natural choice for him to take over. Also, King has undergone substantial scripting changes in the past few months and is now a quintessential Shah Rukh Khan film, replete with action, romance, and thrilling sequences, aligning perfectly with the hallmarks of a grand Siddharth Anand movie,” the source further added.
Siddharth directed SRK in the 500-crore blockbuster Pathaan last year, and their reunion as a director-actor has only heightened the anticipation around King. The War filmmaker plans to mount this film on an unprecedented scale, presenting what is promised to be one of his most stylish and dynamic roles to date. His daughter Suhana Khan plays the parallel lead, while Abhishek Bachchan has been roped in as the antagonist. The film is scheduled to commence filming in March 2025, with a mega theatrical release expected in 2026.
