Can SRK Break Jinx or Will Prashanth Neel Clash Again?

After the historic success of Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan and director Siddharth Anand are set to reunite for the second time with their upcoming big ticket action film King. The project carries massive expectations, not just because of the duo’s previous success, but also due to its ensemble cast, which includes Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Arshad Warsi, Suhana Khan, and Abhay Verma, among others.

Over the last few days, there has been intense speculation around the release date of King, and the makers have now locked a major festive window. According to Bollywood Hungama, Shah Rukh Khan and Siddharth Anand have finalized Christmas 2026 as the release date. Initially, two options were under serious consideration, December 4 and December 25. After weighing box office dynamics, competition, and long-term theatrical run potential, the team decided to go with a Christmas release.

One of the key reasons for skipping the December 4 slot is Ramayana. Sources reveal that Shah Rukh Khan and Siddharth Anand consciously chose to maintain distance from the mythological epic, which is expected to post historic numbers at the box office. By opting for December 25, King ensures a gap of nearly 45 days from Ramayana. This allows both films sufficient breathing space without affecting each other’s business.

A Christmas release also gives King a clear run at the Hindi box office. As of now, no major Bollywood release is scheduled for that window. While Avengers Doomsday is slated to release a week earlier, trade experts believe Hollywood films are largely front loaded. For the core Hindi audience, a Shah Rukh Khan film during the holiday season remains a massive draw in theatres.

An official announcement confirming the release date of King is expected within the next week.

That said, the Christmas season has not always been kind to Shah Rukh Khan. Films like Zero turned into an all-time disaster, while Dunki underperformed despite high expectations. Both the times, he faced struggle due to clash with Prashanth Neel’s films KGF and Salaar. We have to see if Neel announces his Dragon with NTR around the same date to clash with Shah Rukh Khan again.

Whether King will finally break Shah Rukh Khan’s Christmas jinx is now one of the biggest questions in Bollywood trade circles. Only time will tell if the superstar can rewrite his festive box office history.