Global pop star Ed Sheeran has made his debut as a Bollywood singer, and people are assuming it’s alongside one of the biggest newsmakers—Shah Rukh Khan. The British singer-songwriter recently confirmed that he recorded a Hindi song for an upcoming Bollywood movie, which Shah Rukh Khan is involved in, and the news took off on social media.
This announcement follows hard on the heels of Sheeran’s latest single, Sapphire, featuring India’s quintessential playback singer, Arijit Singh, and an exclusive cameo from the King of Bollywood himself, Shah Rukh Khan! The music video for Sapphire was filmed while Ed Sheeran was in the thick of his ever-unfolding Mathematics Tour, so it is no surprise that the positive fan response was tremendous. On this joint project, Sheeran shared on his Instagram stories that it had taken nearly three weeks to film, certainly indicative of the collective effort put into this awesome work.Sapphire Sparks Buzz Beyond Music
The behind-the-scenes (BTS) video from the shoot, shared by Sheeran on his YouTube channel, offered fans an unexpected treat—a glimpse of him riding a scooter alongside Arijit Singh and recording in an Indian studio. Adding fuel to the fire, fans spotted what appeared to be Bollywood director Siddharth Anand, the man helming SRK’s next big action film, King, in the same BTS footage. The timing of the video, Sheeran’s Hindi song revelation, and SRK’s cameo in Sapphire have all led fans to speculate that King could be the mysterious project Sheeran has lent his voice to.
One fan club posted on Instagram, “Can’t wait for the full Punjabi version. Check out the behind-the-scenes on Ed’s YouTube channel! Ed said ‘Hindi version’ in that video, so I’m not sure if the other version of the song will be Hindi or Punjabi now!” This prompted Sheeran himself to respond, clearing the air: “The Hindi song is for a Bollywood movie that Shah Rukh Khan is doing. This is the Punjabi version of Sapphire with Arijit. I’m just doing all languages at this point.”
Ed Sheeran’s first official trip into Indian cinema was not his first experience with Indian culture. While indicating how much he was drawn to Indian music, of which there are “many different forms,” he mentioned that there may be more collaborations to discover.
This entire crossover is special in its own way, but even more so with the implications behind it: Sheeran, one of the world’s most recognized pop stars, is doing a collaboration with Bollywood’s most recognizable actor. Ed’s soulful melodies, Arijit’s emotional voice, and Shah Rukh Khan will surely create a global moment that no one that likes music or cinema will soon forget.Is King the Mystery Film?
While Sheeran hasn’t officially confirmed the film, many fans—and even industry experts—speculate that the song is associated with King, Shah Rukh Khan’s next film release. King, directed by Siddharth Anand (whose previous films include Pathaan and War), is classified as a dark action drama. The cast is enormous and full of talent, including Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Jaideep Ahlawat, Jackie Shroff, Abhishek Bachchan, Arshad Warsi, and even SRK’s daughter Suhana Khan, who is most likely making her film debut.
Though the production has been kept largely under wraps, it remains the only SRK film actively in the works. The pieces seem to fit: Sheeran’s Hindi song, Siddharth Anand’s appearance in the recording studio, SRK’s cameo in Sapphire, and the timing of these events all point toward King as the film in question.What to Expect from the Song?
At this point, we don’t know anything about the Hindi track itself. A million questions run through our minds. Will the song be part of King’s final soundtrack? Will it be released as a promotional single? Is it a separate crossover music video created solely to promote the film on a global scale? With all the A-list talent connected and with the increasing international collaborations in the Indian film industry, we are very optimistic.