A discussion erupted on social media after the release of the new poster for Shah Rukh Khan's highly anticipated action film 'King,' which began to be compared to Ranveer Singh's film 'Dhurandhar 2.' Users online noted similarities in imagery, aggressive background, and composition.
The poster, released on Tuesday, October 27, depicts Shah Rukh Khan with a rose between his lips and a serious expression. Although the film appears to be a blend of action and romance, the main subject of the online discussion is the external resemblance of its promotional materials to 'Dhurandhar 2.'
One user on X (Twitter) criticized the poster, stating that the imitation of the look, fiery background, and framing would not allow it to become a 'Dhurandhar,' calling the poster a 'cheap and trashy thing created with AI' for Shah Rukh Khan's #King.
Another user accused the film's script and poster of being copied from other projects. They wrote that 'the brother copied the script from 'Leon: Professional,' and now look what happened? He also copied the poster from #Dhurandhar2. #SHARKHANKING, only because he exists (sarcastically)! '
A third user accused the filmmakers of borrowing design concepts from 'Dhurandhar: Revenge,' writing: 'Shame on you. You copied the design concept of the 'Dhurandhar: Revenge' poster.'
Another user compared the film's promotional materials to two other movies, noting that the first poster was copied from Brad Pitt's 'F1,' and the second from Ranveer Singh's 'Dhurandhar 2,' suggesting that the entire film might be a 'copy-paste' from Siddharth Anand, labeling 'King' an unofficial remake of SRK.
During a special event for his 60th birthday, Shah Rukh described his role in 'King' as 'ruthless and grey.' He also spoke about the difference between hero and villain, recalling complex and dark characters from his career. Shah Rukh noted that people often draw a clear line between good and evil, but he never admitted this. He mentioned working on films like 'Deewana' early in his career, where his character could be considered a villain or stalker by today's standards. This was followed by a series of films such as 'Don,' 'Anjaam,' and 'Baazigar,' where he played villains.
'King,' directed by Siddharth Anand, is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Pictures. It will also feature Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Arshad Warsi, and Anil Kapoor, while Shah Rukh Khan will play an action-packed role.
'King' will be released in theaters simultaneously with several major projects, including 'Avengers: Judgment Day,' 'Dune: Part Three,' and the centenary film 'Nagarjuna's King100.'