Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film ‘King’ has sparked a debate on social media following the unveiling of its poster on Tuesday, with several netizens drawing parallels between its visuals and those of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’.
The 60-year-old actor sports a rugged look in the poster, featuring grey hair, a beard, a distressed leather jacket and an unbuttoned shirt.
He is seen walking with a gun in one hand and a red rose clenched between his teeth, against the backdrop of what appears to be a burning aircraft.
Sharing the poster, Shah Rukh wrote, “Aaj phir yaad aaya… Qaatil nahi… Aashiq hoon…”
The tagline echoes the opening lines of the title track of his 1990 film ‘Baazigar’.
The poster received an enthusiastic response from fans, with many taking to social media to express their excitement about the film.
“The Poster is too Damn Powerfull to make sure #King Breaks the 100 Cr india Nett in its opening day Bring it on …..!!!! The King of Indian cinema is here,” wrote one fan.
“SHAH RUKH KHAN IS HERE IN & AS KING. Just the kind of intense start I was looking for, and it’s here in full force. Ab poster aisa hai, toh agla glimpse toh kya hi solid hoga! The man is being seen in an avtar where he is loved the most,” wrote another.
However, the poster also drew comparisons with Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, with some netizens pointing out similarities between the two. The film reportedly grossed more than ₹1,800 crore worldwide.
The official poster of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ featured Ranveer as spy Hamza Ali Mazari, walking towards the camera in dark clothing against the backdrop of a burning building.
“Kuch to OG kar liya karo,” wrote one user on X.
The ‘King’ poster also faced criticism, with one netizen dismissing it as “cheap AI-generated slop”.
“You can try to copy the aesthetic, the fire, and the frame, but you can never be Dhurandhar @iamsrk!,” the user wrote.
“@iamsrk Copy karna bhi theek se nahi aata.. ChatGPT Plus ya koi achha paid tool use kar lete.. #King #Dhurandhar,” read another post on X.
“Every masterpiece has its cheap copy #Dhurandhar2 #King,” another user commented.
The comparisons extended beyond ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, with some users also drawing parallels between the ‘King’ poster and the visuals of Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen’s 2021 film ‘Raging Fire’.
“Ye bhi copy kar li…,” read one comment.
Another user questioned the poster, writing, “Kya yeh sahi hai? #KING.”
‘King’ also stars Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji in key roles.
Shah Rukh was last seen in a cameo appearance in ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, the OTT series marking his son Aryan Khan’s directorial debut.
Meanwhile, Suhana Khan made her acting debut with Zoya Akhtar’s 2023 film ‘The Archies’, which received largely negative reviews from critics.
