Abhishek: SRK’s Advice Made King His Favourite Film

Abhishek Bachchan has long treated Shah Rukh Khan as a mentor, but in a new BBC conversation the actor put the relationship in warmer, more specific terms: an elder brother who has repeatedly made Abhishek’s career his own business.

A bond that began before the arc lights

Speaking ahead of the release of King, Abhishek recalled Sundays from his pre-debut years, when he and Uday Chopra would gather with friends including Hrithik Roshan and Sikandar Kher to play cricket at Uday’s home. Sometimes Shah Rukh would join in, and the group of aspiring actors would sit around and talk after the game.

It was in those informal conversations that the equation took root. Abhishek said Shah Rukh has always been like an elder brother, and that SRK has been supportive of his craft and has, in Abhishek’s words, taken personal responsibility for his journey several times, including on King.

The favourite-film rule that stayed with him

Abhishek also recalled asking Shah Rukh the question every film fan wants to ask: which is your favourite film? Shah Rukh’s reply has stayed with him. “My favourite film is the film I’m doing right now,” SRK told him, as recalled by Abhishek. The logic was simple if your current film isn’t your favourite, why are you doing it?

That answer gave Abhishek a working philosophy. The past is the past; the project in front of you deserves your full belief. What he is doing right now has to be his favourite, he said, and right now that project is King.

For Hindi film fans, the story is a reminder that some of the industry’s most durable equations are built off camera, and that even the biggest stars carry early advice into every new film.

Why that matters for King

Directed by Siddharth Anand, King is an action thriller produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment with Siddharth Anand and Mamta Anand’s Marflix Pictures. It marks Suhana Khan’s big-screen debut as a young protégé trained by a veteran assassin played by Shah Rukh Khan.

Here is what fans need to know:

• The cast: Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Abhay Verma, Jaideep Ahlawat and Arshad Warsi are in the ensemble, with Kareena Kapoor rumoured for a special appearance.
• The creative pairing: Siddharth Anand, known for large-canvas action, directs Shah Rukh and Suhana together for the first time.
• The date: King is set for a worldwide theatrical release on December 24, 2026, in the Christmas window.

Abhishek was last seen in the ZEE5 film Kaalidhar Laapata, the Hindi remake of the Tamil film KD A Karuppu Durai.

For readers who have followed Shah Rukh from outsider to superstar, this chapter underlines his role as a bridge between generations, producing, mentoring and now acting alongside the next wave, including his own daughter.

Source: The Times of India