Overview
- Multiple Indian outlets published reports on July 8–9 citing Bollywood Hungama that pegged King’s production budget at about Rs. 450 crore, a figure said to exclude print and publicity costs and Shah Rukh Khan’s fee.
- Director Siddharth Anand publicly replied 'False' on his official X account on July 8, denying the reports without offering an alternate figure or detailed accounting.
- Reporting across outlets describes King as a large, action-focused production that began filming in May 2025, logged roughly 150+ days on international locations, and is expected to wrap principal photography by August 2026.
- Coverage attributes much of the film’s scale to high-end stunts and visual effects work credited to Red Chillies Entertainment, and notes that a confirmed Rs. 450 crore budget would top the reported costs of Jawan and Pathaan.
- The budget dispute remains unresolved because the makers have not released an itemized budget; the public disagreement increases scrutiny over production costs and leaves box-office expectations and investor interest open to change before the December 24 release.