‘Daunting and Exciting’: Farhan Akhtar Opens Up On Playing Ravi Shankar In The Beatles Biopic
Farhan Akhtar made his feelings about his upcoming Hollywood debut abundantly clear equal parts thrilled and intimidated. Speaking on the red carpet at the BAFTA Film Awards 2026 in London on Sunday night, the actor-director opened up about his casting as legendary sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar in Sam Mendes’ ambitious four-film project, The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event.
“Oh, I’m really excited. It’s exciting. It’s daunting, of course. And, I mean, just to be a part of a film that’s about this incredible group of people, the Beatles, and to be directed by Sam Mendes,” Farhan told AP at the event.
Farhan walked the BAFTA red carpet alongside his wife Shibani Dandekar, producer Ritesh Sidhwani, and director Lakshmipriya Devi, representing their Manipuri film Boong at the ceremony. His appearance came just days after the official announcement confirmed he would portray the late Ravi Shankar in Mendes’ sweeping cinematic series. The same casting update revealed Lucy Boynton as Jane Asher, Morfydd Clark as Cynthia Lennon, and Harry Lawtey as Stuart Sutcliffe.
A Personal Connection to Beatlemania
Farhan also reflected on the profound influence The Beatles had in India, drawing on a story shared by his father, legendary lyricist Javed Akhtar. “My father told me the story because he was in his 20s when The Beatles really became the worldwide phenomenon that they were. And he lived in a little village just outside this place called Lucknow in the north of India. He said, even there, where people didn’t speak English at all if you asked them, ‘Do you know anybody from the West?’ they would all say, The Beatles.”
He added, “Everybody knew them. So, there is a relationship that our country has with them through their music, of course. And it feels like they’re making a film about somebody who belongs to the culture as well.”
Ravi Shankar famously shaped the band’s musical evolution, most notably influencing George Harrison and helping introduce Indian classical music to Western pop audiences.
The four-part series features Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. All four films are scheduled for theatrical release in April 2028.
Following the casting announcement, Farhan had expressed his gratitude on Instagram, writing: “Honoured and grateful to be part of the ever-expanding legacy of @thebeatles and of Pandit Ravi Shankar ji… Thank you, Sam Mendes.. been an ardent admirer of all your work and to be directed by you in this film is the stuff dreams are made of.”
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Boong Makes History at BAFTAs
The evening also marked a landmark moment for Indian cinema. Boong, produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani and directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, won the BAFTA for Best Children’s & Family Film becoming the first Indian film ever to claim the award in that category.
“Lakshmipriya Devi and I have known each other for about 20 years. This film is set in a region of India from which we rarely get to watch films. It was nice to support that as well, and it’s a very heartwarming story. So, it just felt right,” Farhan told Deadline.