Abhishek Bachchan has carried one piece of Shah Rukh Khan’s advice since before his acting debut: the film you are making right now has to be your favourite. In a conversation ahead of King, he said the rule still governs how he approaches a role.
Advice before the debut
Speaking to BBC Asian Network, Abhishek recalled Sundays playing cricket at Aditya Chopra’s house with Uday Chopra, Hrithik Roshan and Sikandar Kher. Shah Rukh Khan was around in those years and became, in Abhishek’s words, an “elder brother” to the group.
Before entering films, Abhishek asked Khan which film was his favourite. Khan replied:
“My favourite film is the film I am doing right now.”
The reasoning, as Abhishek remembers it, was that if the current film is not the favourite, there is no reason to be doing it. Abhishek says the thought has stayed with him, and that Khan has “literally taken personal responsibility several times now, including in King as well.”
Khan’s reply has become a simple test for any actor: if you cannot call the current script your favourite, the work itself becomes harder to defend. That test is especially relevant for a film like King, where a debutant shares the frame with several established names.
King’s cast and release date
The action thriller is directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment alongside Siddharth and Mamta Anand’s Marflix Pictures. It marks Suhana Khan’s theatrical debut as a young protege trained by Shah Rukh Khan’s veteran assassin.
- Director: Siddharth Anand
- Theatrical release: 24 December 2026
- Producers: Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Pictures
- Ensemble: Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Abhay Verma, Jaideep Ahlawat and Arshad Warsi
Recent reports also suggest Kareena Kapoor Khan could join for a dance number with Shah Rukh Khan.
Why the rule endures
The idea is both a work discipline and a reminder that audiences can tell when a film has the maker’s full conviction. For Abhishek, it connects the past to the present: he was most recently seen in Kaalidhar Laapata on ZEE5, the Hindi remake of Madhumita’s Tamil film KD A Karuppu Durai.
As King prepares for a worldwide theatrical opening on 24 December 2026, the advice lands at the right moment: the only film that can be your favourite is the one in front of you.
Source: Hindustan Times
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