Anirudh Exits Shah Rukh Khan’s King ; Sachin–Jigar Take Over Full Album

Acclaimed composer Anirudh Ravichander has parted ways with Shah Rukh Khan’s high-stakes December feature King. Constrained by a jam-packed lineup of commitments alongside an upcoming wedding break, the musician opted to withdraw from full scoring duties. Stepping into the void, composer duo Sachin–Jigar have been roped in to take over the film's soundtrack and background score.

Variety India reported that the lead track from Shah Rukh Khan’s awaited feature King will debut on November 2, strategically aligned with the actor’s birthday. The track serves as the initial promotional tease for the film, preceding the subsequent launch of its official trailer.

This release plan delivers on Khan’s September X fan interaction, where he disclosed that playback star Arijit Singh was recording the lead track. At the time, Khan shared that Singh's meticulous approach was delaying the final output, praising the vocalist's perfectionism and assuring fans that the song would drop once fully refined.

Anirudh Has Busy Upcoming Slate

Anirudh Ravichander’s exceptionally packed slate includes several of Indian cinema’s highest-profile projects, such as Rajinikanth’s Dharman, Lokesh Kanagaraj’s AA23 with Allu Arjun, the M. S. Subbulakshmi biopic, and Ajith Kumar’s Dare Devil. His lineup also features Shankar’s Indian 3, the historic Kamal Haasan–Rajinikanth reunion project (KH x RK Reunion), and Vetrimaaran’s Silambarasan TR-starrer Arasan.

Despite ceding full musical duties on King, Anirudh has not severed ties with the project entirely. Prior to his departure, he composed and recorded the feature's title track, "They Call Him King," which will be retained as the film's core theme. After his exit, the producers appointed composer duo Sachin–Jigar to helm the remaining soundtrack and background score. Building on their successful portfolio (Stree 2, Bhediya), the pair will design the remaining album tracks alongside the movie's primary action scoring.

This musical transition coincides with reports that Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are revving to resume filming for a high-energy, large-scale song sequence.

Prior to King, Anirudh Ravichander composed the full soundtrack and background score for one Shah Rukh Khan film: Atlee's 2023 blockbuster Jawan.

Helmed by Siddharth Anand, King marks his latest collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan following their 2023 blockbuster Pathaan. The star-studded project brings Shah Rukh on screen with his daughter Suhana Khan. It's her first feature film since her 2023 debut The Archies, alongside a prominent cast featuring Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Jaideep Ahlawat, Raghav Juyal, and Saurabh Shukla. King is slated for a worldwide Christmas Eve theatrical release on December 24.