Mumbai/IBNS: Bollywood's leading actress Deepika Padukone will be collaborating with superstar Shah Rukh Khan for the fifth time oncreen, courtesy Siddharth Anand's King.

Deepika has been locked for a role, which is more than a cameo, in King, which is currently in the pre-production stage.

The filming is expected to begin on May 18.

"Shah Rukh Khan was always clear to have Deepika Padukone on board King. Initially, the dates were not matching as Deepika was taking time off to be with the newborn kid, and also hitting the gym to get back in shape. Due to a delay in schedules of King, the timelines aligned and she is back on board the film," PinkVilla reported, quoting its source.

"After all the discussions, and setting the shoot timelines, everything has aligned well to have Deepika Padukone on board the film. She will be shooting for her role in the second half of 2025. It's a full-length role, and a lot more than just a cameo as reported before. Sid and his team of writers have crafted a perfect role for Deepika, that also stands true to the hype of her pairing with SRK."

Deepika has so far featured in four films including her debut project with Shah Rukh Khan.

The four films are Om Shanti Om, Happy New Year, Pathaan and Jawan and all went on to become massive hits.

SRK made his roaring comeback into the box office in 2023 with Anand's Pathaan, where Deepika played one of the leads.

King, which is expected to release in the last quarter of 2026, features Abhishek Bachchan, SRK's daughter Suhana Khan, Abhay Verma, Arshad Warsi and Jaideep Ahlawat.