Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; April 17, 2026)

Composer Anirudh Ravichander has been a part of the south music industry for over a decade, but he entered the Hindi music space only recently. “I was always waiting for a banger debut in Hindi. Obviously, in the south, we’re doing a lot of films,” he says.

That moment arrived with Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan. “It’s always a dream for any musician to work with him. That’s something on our bucket list. And I was glad that it happened. My Bollywood debut could be nothing bigger than Sir’s film,” he says.

'I became a part of Shah Rukh Khan's family'
What followed was not just a successful collaboration but a relationship that continues to shape his journey in Hindi cinema. “The rapport that we built, and the kind of sessions that we had with respect to jamming, was really very special. And he took me into his fold. So, I became part of the family now. Sir’s been one of the kindest and sweetest people. And he’s almost a godfather to me here,” he shares.

Since then, Anirudh has also composed for Shah Rukh's son Aryan Khan’s directorial debut The Ba***ds Of Bollywood (TBOB) and is currently working on the actor's upcoming action film King.

'We want to celebrate King Khan'
With King already shaping up to be one of next year’s most anticipated releases, expectations around its music are naturally high — especially following the success of Jawan and The Ba***ds Of Bollywood. 

Addressing the pressure, Anirudh clarifies, “Sir makes sure that you don’t feel that (pressure). We just want to celebrate him. We just want to make sure that he gets the best. Sid (Sidharth Anand, director) and him have worked a lot on the film because they took some time, right, to start the film. They worked a lot on the film to make sure that it’s a banger. So, with respect to the music as well, we are giving our best. So hopefully, whenever it’s out next year, it’s another memorable time in our life.”

'Ed Sheeran was just an idea'
Talking about King’s music, there has been speculation around international singer Ed Sheeran making his Bollywood debut with the album. Ask Anirudh about it, and he says, “That was just an idea. It hasn’t been executed yet, so we can’t say that it’s going to be out. That hasn’t been finally done where… it was an idea where we should do something like that, but it’s not been done yet. But it will happen. I think it should. Either that or something big is on the cards.”