King Release Date: MHCU Gets Its Biggest Box Office Rival Yet, Shakti Shalini To Clash With Siddharth Anand Directorial

Siddharth Anand has finally announced the release date of the much-anticipated movie, King. The multistarrer actioner will hit the big screens on December 24, coinciding with the Christmas holiday. The movie, featuring Deepika Padukone and Abhishek Bachchan, will clash with Maddock Horror Comedy Universe's Shakti Shalini.

MHCU set to clash with King on Christmas 2026 

It is no longer uncommon for Maddock Horror Comedy movies to clash with other major Bollywood releases, especially during major holidays. This year, Christmas seems to be the hottest release date on the calendar with two biggies arriving on December 24. However, the latest release date confirmation for the Siddharth Anand directorial can be worrisome for Maddock Horror Comedy Universe.

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The production house's horror comedy Shakti Shalini, led by Aneet Padda, had earlier locked the December 24 release date. Though the official announcement of the same was not shared by the production house, it was included in the post-credit scene of their Diwali 2025 release, Thamma, which severely underperformed at the box office. 
 

Released on Diwali, the Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna movie also witnessed a clash. The film was released alongside Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat. Before Thamma, Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao starrer Stree 2 clashed with Khel Khel Mein and Vedaa on Independence Day. The 2018 movie, Stree released alongside Yamla Pagla Deewana and in 2022, the banner's Bhediya was released a week after Drishyam 2. In all these cases, the Maddock movies were able to sustain the clashes. However, this seems unlikely to repeat in the case of King releasing alongside with Shakti Shalini. 

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With King in the running, the Maddock movie has a lesser chance to shine at the box office. The star-driven actioner is one of the most anticipated movies and also marks the comeback of Shah Rukh Khan on the big screen after 2023. The movie also features Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan and Suhana Khan. More details about both King and Shakti Shalini are awaited. It is yet to be seen whether the makers of Shakti Shalini will mull over a new release date to avoid a clash with King. 
  
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