Farhan Akhtar is set to make his Hollywood debut soon in Sam Mendes’ ambitious four-film extravaganza on the life of The Beatles. The Indian actor will play sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar in the films, and he recently opened up about the opportunity.
Farhan Akhtar on playing Ravi Shankar
Last week, Sony Pictures made the casting announcement that included Farhan as Ravi Shankar, in The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event. The films are being directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes, best known for American Beauty, 1917, and James Bond hits Skyfall and Spectre.
On Thursday, in a post on Instagram, Farhan reshared the casting announcement and expressed his delight at the opportunity. Honoured and grateful to be part of the ever-expanding legacy of @thebeatles and of Pandit Ravi Shankar ji. Their creative genius is a rite of passage for generation after generation of listeners… 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,” the actor-filmmaker wrote.
About The Beatles films
The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event is an ambitious project that will chronicle the band’s story through four films, each told from the perspective of one of its members.
The films star Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.
The Beatles are widely considered one of the most popular and impactful bands in the history of contemporary music. Formed in 1960 in Liverpool, the band gave iconic hits like Hey Jude, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Yesterday, and Penny Lane, before breaking up in 1970.
Ravi Shankar’s influence on The Beatles
Ravi Shankar, a legend of Indian classical music, was a friend of George Harrison’s, and his music had a profound influence on the band. Harrison even learned the sitar from the Indian maestro. The Beatles incorporated Indian instruments into songs such as Norwegian Wood, Within You Without You, and Love You To. Ravi Shankar and Harrison remained close friends and collaborated in August 1971.
The Beatles films are slated to release in theatres in April 2028.
The biopics will be Farhan Akhtar’s film debut in the West, but he appeared in a TV show in the US a few years ago. The actor had a cameo in the Marvel Studios series Ms Marvel in 2022.
