Ed Sheeran says he wrote and recorded his Tu Mil Jaaye verse for Shah Rukh Khan’s King the night Khan introduced him to composers Sachin-Jigar. He told the story in an Instagram post on 3 November, which The Times of India also covered.
Sheeran went to Mannat, Khan’s Mumbai home, to ask the actor for a cameo in the video for “Sapphire”, his song with Arijit Singh. Khan shot the cameo, and Sheeran ended up on a Bollywood soundtrack for the first time. The post includes behind-the-scenes footage of the recording, with Jigar Saraiya jamming alongside him.
When I first met Shah Rukh, he said I must make a song to be in his next movie and also be my first Bollywood song. We’ve got to know each other over the years and I love him.
Ed Sheeran, singer-songwriter
Tu Mil Jaaye, the film’s first track, was released on 2 November, Khan’s 61st birthday. Arijit Singh and Madhubanti Bagchi sing it, Sheeran adds an English rap verse, and Kumaar wrote the lyrics. The video follows Khan and Deepika Padukone through romantic getaways, cafes, and a beach. ThePrint reports it drew 36.3 million YouTube views in 24 hours, reportedly the most for an Indian film song on the platform in a single day.
Sheeran said he loves that Arijit Singh sings on it with him, “all my favourite people on one project”. Taylor Swift also wrote for a big screen recently, with her Toy Story 5 song.
King reunites Khan with Pathaan director Siddharth Anand and also marks Suhana Khan’s theatrical debut. The action thriller, from Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Pictures, launches in theatres on 24 December 2026.
