SRK’s King poster ignites Dhurandhar 2 copy row

Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming action film King has landed its first big social media moment, and it is not the conversation the makers may have hoped for. The new poster, released on Tuesday, October 27, immediately sparked comparisons with Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2, with fans debating whether the fiery look and framing are too close for comfort.

The visual at the centre of the row

In the poster, Khan holds a rose between his lips while staring into the camera. The intense look and fiery styling suggest the action-romance blend the film is promising. But much of the rapid online reaction focused on a perceived likeness to Dhurandhar 2.

What social media is saying

• One user wrote, ‘Every masterpiece has its cheap copy,’ pushing the comparison with Dhurandhar 2.
• Another criticised the artwork as ‘cheap AI-generated slop’ and said copying the aesthetic could not make it Dhurandhar.
• Some posts went further, claiming the script borrows from Leon: The Professional and that an earlier King poster resembled Brad Pitt’s F1 visual.
• Director Siddharth Anand was labelled a ‘copy-paste master’ in one of the sharper posts.

These are fan allegations, not confirmed creative judgements. But the volume of the reaction shows how quickly a poster can set the narrative for a film.

SRK’s own framing of the character

At a special meet-and-greet on his 60th birthday, Shah Rukh described his King character as ‘ruthless and grey’. He also returned to some of his best-known darker roles, saying he has never believed in a clean line between hero and villain.

That is the more useful clue for fans. Before the copy debate took over, the pitch was a morally complex Shah Rukh role in the tradition of Darr, Don, Anjaam and Baazigar.

Why the poster matters so much here

A first poster is a visual promise about tone and scale. When similarity allegations arrive within hours, they compete with the film’s own message. That matters doubly for King because it is set to release in a crowded window that includes Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part Three and Nagarjuna’s 100th film, King100.

Poster controversies are not new to big Bollywood reveals. A striking visual can be read as homage, inspiration or imitation depending on the fan doing the reading. The actual question for the team behind King is whether the chatter stays on the poster or moves to the story once the trailer arrives.

Directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Pictures, King also features Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Arshad Warsi and Anil Kapoor.

What fans can take from the noise

The fair approach is to treat the poster row as early buzz rather than a final verdict. The trailer will show whether the film’s actual style stands apart. For now, the controversy is giving King extra attention before its packed release.

Source: The Times of India