Shah Rukh Khan to begin shooting “King” soon; “Cocktail 2” filming starts in August

Siddharth Anand’s directorial “King” is set to begin shooting on May 18 in Mumbai.
Preparation for the first schedule has begun, with Shah Rukh Khan set to star as King.
The film is expected to be a unique action thriller with SRK portraying shades of grey.

The last few days have been a roller coaster ride for Siddharth Anand, as social media has been flooded with articles about his directorial “King”, fronted by Shah Rukh Khan, with Abhishek Bachchan, Suhana Khan, and Abhay Verma. From delays in the shoot to updates on casting, every kind of news took the spotlight, which Siddharth Anand eventually clarified. Now, we hear that Siddharth Anand is all set to begin shooting for “King” on May 18 in Mumbai.

According to sources, the prep work for the first schedule has already started, and Shah Rukh Khan will take charge as King on May 18. “The first schedule of the film will begin at a studio in Mumbai. This will be followed by international shoots in the UAE and Europe. The team is extremely excited to begin this magnum opus, which is expected to be a one-of-a-kind action thriller, with SRK portraying shades of grey,” the source reveals.

We hear that “King” will hit the big screen in the last quarter of 2026, between October and December. While many names have been floating around for possible cameo appearances in “King”, we can confirm that none of them are true at this point.

Multiple projects are set to kick off in the coming months, with another key one being “Cocktail 2”, produced by Dinesh Vijan and starring Shahid Kapoor alongside Kriti Sanon and another female lead. “Cocktail 2” is written by Luv Ranjan and will be directed by Homi Adajania. The casting for the parallel female lead alongside Kriti Sanon is underway, with Rashmika Mandanna being the top pick. The makers aim to take the romantic comedy on floors in August 2025,” the source reveals.

We hear that “Cocktail 2” is planned for a mid-2026 release, and producer Dinesh Vijan is working to close a chartbuster album for the film. “Vijan is confident that ‘Cocktail 2’ will win over the audience again, as the script perfectly combines humor, romance, and a relevant conflict,” the source concludes.

Shahid Kapoor is currently shooting for Vishal Bhardwaj’s next with Sajid Nadiadwala, which is set to release in December 2025.