SRK’s King drops its first song on his birthday. A ₹100-crore opener is the goal

At the stroke of midnight on his 61st birthday, Shah Rukh Khan gave his fans a present: the first song from King, the action-thriller he had been teasing for months. Moneycontrol reported the track, Tu Mil Jaye, pairs Arijit Singh with Ed Sheeran and features Deepika Padukone alongside the star. Then, hours later, the actor quietly stepped out for a late-night drive to spot a tribute to the film on Mumbai’s Bandra-Worli Sea Link, as The Times of India noted. It was a coordinated one-two punch, and it worked: King owned the news cycle all day.

King isn’t just another release. It’s SRK’s return to a hard-edged genre, a gangster drama co-starring Deepika, with his daughter Suhana Khan reportedly debuting opposite him, per News18. It’s also the film many industry watchers have picked as the big Christmas box-office anchor. If Koimoi’s projection of a ₹100-crore worldwide opener proves right, King would land among the biggest first-day grosses in Hindi cinema history.

Why drop the first song on his birthday?

Ask any trade analyst and they’ll tell you a film’s opening number is its first public personality. By syncing it with SRK’s birthday, the makers get fans, media, and even casual viewers to join a celebration that doubles as marketing. Every birthday wish becomes a King mention. That’s not an accident; it’s old-school star machinery running on fresh digital rails.

Then there’s the novelty of an Arijit Singh-Ed Sheeran pairing, which pulls in listeners who might not otherwise click a Hindi music video. The collaboration expands the film’s audience well beyond its core fan base. In the first hours after release, fan edits and reaction videos flooded social media, amplifying visibility.

Why does the music team change matter?

News18 reported Sachin-Jigar have replaced Anirudh Ravichander as King’s composers over scheduling clashes. Musicians swapping midway through production is routine in Bollywood, but the announcement tells fans what to anticipate sonically. Sachin-Jigar have handled both massy blockbusters and intimate indie films, and for a gangster drama they’ll likely craft a score that can turn urgent without sounding clichéd.

Think of the difference between a peppy anthem and a brooding theme. The clips so far suggest a moodier aesthetic, closer to the darker shades of Indian cinema than the candyfloss romance of SRK’s earlier years.

Can King actually open above ₹100 crore?

Koimoi believes a ₹100-crore worldwide opening is within reach. Put that in perspective: only a handful of Hindi films have crossed the day-one mark globally. Reaching it would strengthen SRK’s standing as the safest bet for theatrical recovery in an industry still rebuilding after the pandemic. But it raises the stakes, too. If King falls short, the debate about whether star power alone can revive cinema halls gets louder. If anything, the ₹100-crore figure is also a self-fulfilling prophecy: the more people talk about the milestone, the likelier King is to approach it.

There is something remarkable in how personal this campaign feels. At 61, SRK is not softening his hero persona; he’s leaning into it, using his own birthday as a storytelling beat. In an era when studios chase franchises over faces, King reminds you that a single, bankable star can still command the country’s attention.

What happens next for King?

The next checkpoint is the release of the film’s full trailer, ahead of its Christmas opening. Expect another round of promotional songs, public appearances, maybe even another cross-genre partnership.

For now, the birthday song has done its work: it has placed King at the center of conversation. The challenge is converting that attention into a record-breaking first week at the box office.

About The Author

Rohan Menon

Rohan Menon covers business, personal finance, markets, startups and economic developments. He breaks down complex financial and business topics into clear, easy-to-understand stories for a general audience.

See author's posts