Farhan Akhtar on playing Pandit Ravi Shankar in The Beatles biopic: Who isn’t a fan
Farhan Akhtar opens up about playing Pandit Ravi Shankar in The Beatles biopic. She also talked about being excited to work with director Sam Mendes for the first time.
On the sidelines of the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards in London, Farhan Akhtar discussed his significant Hollywood success focusing on the upcoming biopic. the Beatles. Accompanied by his wife Shibani Dandekar, producer Ritesh Sidhwani and director Lakshmipriya Devi on the red carpet, the actor was very excited while representing the film at the event.
Farhan’s appearance follows the recent major announcement that he has been cast as iconic sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar in Sam Mendes’ elaborate project. The Beatles – a four-film cinematic program.
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talking to deadline Speaking on the red carpet in London, Farhan said, “I haven’t started filming yet, but they’ve been in production for a while. Just really excited. I mean, who isn’t a fan of The Beatles? And who in India isn’t a fan of Pandit Ravi Shankar? So, it’s incredible to be working with Sam Mendes to play him in a film about the journey of The Beatles. It’s absolutely fantastic.”
A few days ago, the actor took to his Instagram handle to confirm being a part of the Sam Mendes-directed film. He wrote, “Honored and grateful to be a part of the ever-expanding legacy of @TheBeatles and Pandit Ravi Shankar Ji. His creative genius is a legacy to listeners across generations and I could talk for days about how his music has influenced me and been a companion through good times and bad.”
He added, “Thank you, Sam Mendes… have been an avid fan of all your work and being directed by you in this film is the stuff dreams are made of… in theaters 2028. @thebeatlesmovies (sic).”
Farhan supported Manipuri film boong Directed by Lakshmipriya Devi. The film won the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) 2026 award in the Best Children and Family Film category.
