'King' lyricist reveals SRK wants songs that 'reflect' his age
What's the story
Lyricist Kumaar (Rakesh Kumar Pal) recently opened up about his latest song Tu Mil Jaaye from King. The track, featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, is his fifth collaboration with filmmaker Siddharth Anand. In an interview with Variety India, he revealed that the brief for Tu Mil Jaaye was simple: "a romantic track." The song has been composed by Sachin (Sanghvi)-Jigar (Saraiya) and sung by Arijit Singh, Ed Sheeran, and Madhubanti Bagchi.
Khan's role
'He made sure the lyrics didn't sound like they...'
Kumaar revealed that Khan is very involved in the music of his films.
He said, "Shah Rukh sir would hear my lyrics on a video call. It was fun to work with him; he never orders you around and is extremely cool."
He also revealed, "For the song Jhoome Jo Pathaan, he made sure the lyrics didn't sound like they were written for a teenager."
"He knows he is 61 and the songs should reflect that."
Song uniqueness
Lyrics need to align with Khan's 'personality and charisma'
Kumaar added, "I understand that the lyrics written for Shah Rukh Khan need to align with his personality and charisma."
"If you are confused, he will ask, 'Hero, tujhe kya accha lag raha hai?'"
The lyricist revealed, "He is extremely generous with compliments and listens patiently to suggestions."
Successful partnership
'Siddharth Anand and I have good tuning'
The release of Tu Mil Jaaye marks another successful collaboration between Kumaar and Anand, who have previously worked together on films like War (2019), Pathaan (2023), Fighter (2024), and Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins (2025).
Kumaar said, "I feel Siddharth Anand and I have good tuning. He knows I will deliver what he wants for a particular song."
Meanwhile, King will hit the theaters on December 24.