SRK announces next film 'King' as a pan-world project, credits Indian fans for his global success
Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has revealed that his next film, King, is designed as a "pan-world" project, highlighting the expanding reach of Indian cinema on the global stage. The announcement came during a fan event in the city on his birthday days agi, where Khan expressed deep appreciation for his Indian fans, crediting them for his international success.
At the event, Khan responded to a question from an American fan, who praised him as a “pan-world superstar,” following the success of his recent films, Pathaan and Jawan. Khan shared his pride into representing India globally, saying, "I’m taking India to places I once thought were impossible." He highlighted how Indian audiences have supported him throughout his career, allowing him to make a mark worldwide. “The subcontinent has taken me to places I thought were impossible for me,” he added.
Khan also discussed his commitment to creating original, high-quality stories that resonate globally. "Language is no longer a barrier," he remarked, emphasising that Indian cinema is gaining international appeal as it reaches wider audiences. "We need to write stories that touch hearts while maintaining quality," he noted, adding that he hopes to play a role in furthering this trend.
The choice to title King in English was intentional, aimed at connecting with global viewers. “I now title my films in English so that people in America know what it means,” he said with a smile, concluding, "Take a message back home from India: 'The King is coming'."
Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, King is set to release in mid-2026, featuring Khan alongside his daughter Suhana Khan and actor Abhishek Bachchan.
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Chhattisgarh coal levy scam: Rs 4 crore assets of suspended IAS officer attached
Raipur (PTI): The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has attached properties of Rs 4 crore belonging to suspended IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, an accused in a coal levy scam, for allegedly amassing assets beyond his known sources of income, officials said.
The EOW had registered a disproportionate assets case against Vishnoi in July 2024, an official release said on Saturday.
During the investigation, the agency identified nine immovable properties, valued at around Rs 4 crore, allegedly acquired through illicit means in the names of Vishnoi’s family members and associated firms, it said.
“An application seeking attachment of these properties was filed before the Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Raipur. Following a hearing on April 17, the court ordered attachment of all such properties,” the statement said.
Accordingly, the Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offences Wing attached the properties. The attached properties cannot be sold or transferred, it said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier provisionally attached five immovable properties linked to Vishnoi in connection with the coal levy scam, it added.
Proceedings are also underway in cases involving other public servants, including action taken in September last year against properties linked to Saumya Chaurasia, who was deputy secretary in the chief minister’s office during the Congress government, the statement said.
Vishnoi, a 2009-batch Indian Administrative Service officer, was first arrested in 2022 by the ED in connection with the alleged coal levy scam. He was among several accused who were granted bail last year by the Supreme Court.
The case refers to an alleged Rs 540 crore racket between July 2020 and June 2022, when an illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne was being extorted by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen for every tonne of coal transported in the state.
