Deepika Padukone to play lead in Shah Rukh Khan’s King? Siddharth Anand reacts, pens cryptic note

Deepika Padukone was recently rumored to be part of Siddharth Anand's upcoming film King, which features Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan, and Abhishek Bachchan. However, a mysterious post shared by the director on X has sparked speculation that her involvement may not be confirmed after all.

On Monday, Siddharth Anand posted just one word on X (formerly Twitter), “False.” He didn’t explain what he meant, but many fans guessed he was referring to the news that Deepika Padukone was in King. Some thought it meant Deepika isn’t part of the film, while others said maybe she’s not playing the role people thought. Most people believe his post means Deepika is not in the movie.

Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and director Siddharth Anand first worked together in the 2023 hit Pathaan. The action film was a huge success, earning Rs 1050 crore worldwide. It became the third highest-grossing Hindi movie ever, following Aamir Khan’s Dangal and Shah Rukh’s Jawan, where Deepika also made a special appearance.

According to a report by PeepingMoon.com, Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are set to team up again with director Siddharth Anand for his upcoming action thriller King. Deepika is said to have an extended cameo, playing Suhana Khan’s mother and Shah Rukh’s former love. Her character will reportedly be central to the story’s main conflict.

Sources say that King is inspired by the 2000 action thriller Bichhoo, which featured Bobby Deol, Rani Mukerji, and Ashish Vidyarthi. Interestingly, Bichhoo itself was an unofficial remake of the 1994 film Léon: The Professional, starring Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, and Gary Oldman.

In King, Abhishek Bachchan will reportedly play the main villain. The film is being backed by Siddharth Anand’s Marflix Pictures along with Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment. There are also reports that Abhay Verma, who gained attention for his role in the 2024 horror-comedy Munjya, might be part of the cast. However, no official confirmation on the full cast has been made yet.

The film, starring Shah Rukh and Suhana Khan, is expected to begin filming next month and is aiming for a theatrical release in late 2026. Initially, there were talks of Sujoy Ghosh directing the project, but Siddharth Anand has now taken charge as the director.