Bollywood multi-hyphenate Farhan Akhtar is officially heading to Hollywood for his first major international feature film. The actor-filmmaker will portray the legendary sitar virtuoso Pandit Ravi Shankar in Oscar-winner Sam Mendes’ highly anticipated project, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.
The milestone was celebrated by Amul India with a signature topical doodle titled “Sitar turn for Farhan!”, showing the actor alongside the maestro. Farhan reacted to the tribute on his Instagram Stories with a heartfelt, “Aww, thank you,” accompanied by red hearts.
The Project: A Cinematic First
Directed by Sam Mendes (1917, Skyfall), this project is a historic undertaking in which four separate films will be released simultaneously, each telling the band’s story from the perspective of a different member.
- Farhan’s Role: He plays a pivotal part in the narrative, specifically within the film focused on George Harrison. Ravi Shankar was Harrison’s mentor, and their friendship famously integrated Indian classical music and spirituality into the Beatles’ sound.
- The Fab Four Cast:
- Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney
- Harris Dickinson as John Lennon
- Joseph Quinn as George Harrison
- Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr
- Supporting Cast: Includes Saoirse Ronan (Linda McCartney), Anna Sawai (Yoko Ono), and James Norton (Brian Epstein).
Production & Release
- Status: Filming is currently underway in the United Kingdom.
- Release Date: All four films are scheduled for a coordinated global theatrical release on April 7, 2028.
- Significance: While Farhan previously appeared in the Marvel series Ms. Marvel (2022), this marks his full-fledged Hollywood debut in a leading biographical role.