King finds its ‘Rani’: Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji to reunite on-screen after 19 years for Suhana Khan-starrer King

Has the King at last discovered its queen? The response appears to be foolproof this time!

There have been hardly anything as perplexing and chaotic as attempting to determine the final cast of the King, starring Shah Rukh Khan and his daughter Suhana Khan. Although it’s evident (and significant) that the father-daughter pair will appear together on screen, there appears to be a complete lack of clarity regarding the female ‘lead’ of the film, concerning SRK’s on-screen partnership.

According to a report, King Khan is once more, after a gap of 19 years, being cast alongside Rani Mukerji. What makes this news significant isn’t solely the point that the last time these two icons truly appeared together on screen was in 2006 — the movie being Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, but also that Rani will be making her comeback to films after another brief break. To provide context, her most recent release was the 2023 movie Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway.

The Preport states: “Rani Mukerji and Shah Rukh Khan have worked together on films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna among others, and are now all set for a reunion. Rani Mukerji has been cast to play the part of Suhana Khan’s mother, and it’s a role which acts as a catalyst for the entire action-thriller in the film”.

And for anyone thinking that Rani’s role will be cameo-adjacent, know that the report also clarifies the following: “It was a no-brainer for Rani to say yes to Shah Rukh Khan and Siddharth Anand’s offer for King. She heard the part, and instantly agreed to on board the film. Rani’s track is the heart of King, leading to the emotional depth”.

Other formidable names associated with the project so far are Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Jaideep Ahlawat and Abhay Verma. The big banner film is set to go on floors next week — May 20 to be exact. Following this will be a grand scale Europe schedule. As far as the release goes, makers are eyeing a late 2026 window.

“Indian film schools help cultivate a sense of regional culture and expression in students,” explains Poddar about the depth of storytelling in Indian film school productions because of the camaraderie between students coming to the campus from the corners of the country. “We tell stories from Kashmir to Kerala and Jharkhand to Mumbai,” he adds.

“At the film institute, I can do what I imagine, whether it is drama, documentary, political, Indian or African,” says Tesfay, an international student of direction and scriptwriting at the SRFTI, who found instant support for his story of a Nigerian football player’s struggle in Kolkata from fellow students.

“We have good creative minds on the campus ready to collaborate. There are no restrictions or limits on ideas,” adds Kolkata-born Soham Pal, the SRFTI student and sound recordist for A Doll Made Up of Clay directed by Tesfay.