Mumbai, 12 Aug

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is set to voice the Hindi version of the upcoming Disney adventure musical "Mufasa: The Lion King" with sons Aryan Khan and AbRam Khan.  

Directed by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins and original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the film will release in cinemas on 20 December in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. In "Mufasa: The Lion King", Shah Rukh returns to lend his voice to Mufasa, with Aryan as Simba and AbRam as young Mufasa.

Shah Rukh, 58, shared the news in an Instagram post on Monday. The video featured glimpses from the upcoming animated movie and had a caption which read, "The king @iamsrk is back as Mufasa, with #AryanKhan and #AbRamKhan by his side."

While it would be the voice debut of AbRam, Aryan has previously worked with Shah Rukh in the Hindi version of 2019's "The Lion King" where he voiced the character of Simba with the actor lending his voice to Mufasa.

Shah Rukh said the character of Mufasa has an "incredible legacy" and stands as the ultimate king of the jungle, imparting his wisdom to his son, Simba. "I deeply relate to him as a father and also resonate with Mufasa’s journey in the film. ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’, depicts Mufasa’s life from childhood to his rise as an incredible king, and revisiting this character has been exceptional.

"It’s a special collaboration for me with Disney, particularly because my sons, Aryan and AbRam, are part of this journey and sharing this experience with them is truly meaningful," the Bollywood star said in a statement.

"When 'Mufasa: The Lion King' was announced, we could not envision anyone other than Shah Rukh Khan and Aryan Khan returning to our family entertainer as Mufasa and Simba. Now, with AbRam joining the cast, this movie has become even more special to us. Our endeavour here is for millions of Indian audiences to enjoy this incredible story with their families," added Bikram Duggal, head of studios, Disney Star.

According to makers, “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists mandrill shaman Rafiki to relay the legend of the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, introducing an orphaned cub called Mufasa, a sympathetic lion named Taka - the heir to a royal bloodline - and their expansive journey alongside an extraordinary group of misfits.

In the English version of the film, Aaron Pierre is Mufasa, Donald Glover is Simba and Braelyn Rankins is young Mufasa. The announcement came days after the actor became the first Indian film personality to be honoured with the Pardo alla Carriera award-Locarno Tourism, or career leopard, award at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.

Shah Rukh, who doesn't have any releases this year after the back-to-back success of "Pathaan", "Jawan" and "Dunki", will next be seen in Sujoy Ghosh's "King". There are rumours that his daughter Suhana Khan will also star in the movie.