The biggest competitor for King is not another superstar or another film. It is Shah Rukh Khan's own box-office history

The year 2023 was nothing short of historic for Shah Rukh Khan.

After a four-year hiatus from leading roles, the superstar returned with Pathaan, which collected Rs.

1,050.30 crores worldwide, followed by Jawan, which went a step further with a staggering Rs.

1,148.32 crores.

Together, the two films amassed nearly Rs.

2,200 crores globally, reaffirming his position as one of Indian cinema's biggest superstars.

Three years later, Shah Rukh Khan is gearing up for his next theatrical release, King, directed by Siddharth Anand and scheduled to hit cinemas on December 24, 2026.

The excitement surrounding King is understandable.

The film reunites Shah Rukh Khan with his Pathaan director, promises high-octane action and features an ensemble cast including Deepika Padukone, Suhana Khan and Abhishek Bachchan.

However, beneath all the anticipation lies an interesting question: Has Shah Rukh Khan raised the bar so extraordinarily high that even a hugely successful film might now be considered a disappointment? Before Pathaan and Jawan, a worldwide collection of Rs.

300-400 crores was considered an impressive achievement for many Bollywood films.

But Shah Rukh Khan changed the conversation by delivering two consecutive Rs.

1,000 crore blockbusters, and in doing so, possibly created an unusually high benchmark for himself.

Today, the discussion around King isn't merely about whether it will succeed.