Shah Rukh Khan at Prague's Main Train Station in Jab Harry met Sejal (2017). Photo © Red Chilies Entertainment

‘King’: Shah Rukh Khan eyes return to Prague to film new Bollywood action blockbuster

Pre-production is currently underway for King, a new Bollywood blockbuster that will pair Shah Rukh Khan with his daughter Suhana Khan, and filming is expected to at least partially take place in the Czech Republic. Quoting an unnamed source, Indian entertainment platform Pinkvilla reports that the project aims to begin production in November, with shooting taking place at locations across Europe, and Prague in particular.

King is produced by Siddharth Anand, who previously worked with the elder Khan on the 2023 action hit Pathaan, and will be directed by Sujoy Ghosh (Kahaani). It marks just the second feature for the younger Khan after starring in last year’s The Archies on Netflix.

“Mentor and disciple embark on a perilous journey, pushing their survival skills to the limit against overwhelming odds and unforgiving environments,” reads King‘s sparse plot description. The father & daughter will play the lead pair, with Abhishek Bachchan (Bholaa) cast as the primary antagonist the duo presumably chase throughout Europe. Casting is underway for additional roles.

“They plan to shoot the film at multiple European Countries and a lot of action will unfold in Prague,” the anonymous source tells Pinkvilla. “Sid [Siddharth Anand] and the team have also done a recce at London, and the schedules of the shoot are being planned at the moment.”

Shah Rukh Khan is one of the biggest stars in the Indian film industry, and has often been referred to as the “King of Bollywood.” Also known under the monogram SRK, he has received numerous industry and government awards and accolades, and starred in some of Bollywood’s highest-grossing films.

Khan’s 2023 “comeback” action vehicles, Jawan and Pathaan, were the highest-grossing Indian films of the year and currently sit at fifth and sixth all-time at the Indian box office. As the actor re-teams with Pathaan producer Anand and stars alongside his daughter for the first time, expectations will be high for King.

The Bollywood superstar is also no stranger to Prague. He filmed portions of the 1998 comedy Duplicate in the Czech capital and returned to Prague in 2017 to film the romance Jab Harry Met Sejal, which included a memorable song-and-dance number set at Prague Castle Gardens.

“I am a big admirer of Prague, which is why I came here for the second time to shoot,” Khan told the Czech Film Commission during the making of Jab Harry Met Sejal.

“I really like the gothic churches and monuments. It’s fascinating that it is very old and yet a very living city. It is what you would usually create in a museum, but Prague just exists like that.”

With production on King expected to take place in late 2024 through early 2025, the film is expected to hit cinemas at some point in 2025-26.

Lead photo: Shah Rukh Khan at Prague’s Main Train Station in Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) © Red Chillies Entertainment

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Jason Pirodsky

Jason Pirodsky has been writing about the Prague film scene and reviewing films in print and online media since 2005. A member of the Online Film Critics Society, you can also catch his musings on life in Prague at expats.cz and tips on mindfulness sourced from ancient principles at MaArtial.com.

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