Indian actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar is set to make his Hollywood feature film debut in The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event, an ambitious project directed by Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes. Sony Pictures confirmed on Thursday that Akhtar will portray the legendary sitar virtuoso Pandit Ravi Shankar, whose profound influence on George Harrison in the 1960s transformed the band’s sound and introduced Indian classical music to a global audience.
The production, which is currently underway in the United Kingdom, consists of four standalone feature films, each told from the perspective of a different member of the \”Fab Four.\” The interconnected narrative will track the band’s meteoric rise from Liverpool to international stardom, culminating in their 1970 dissolution. This marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and the surviving members of The Beatles have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film project.
Akhtar joins a high-profile international ensemble led by Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. Other confirmed cast members include Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Lucy Boynton as Jane Asher, Morfydd Clark as Cynthia Lennon, and Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono. The technical team features cinematographer Greig Fraser and editor Lee Smith, both Oscar winners.
\”Farhan Akhtar will star as Ravi Shankar,\” Sony Pictures stated in its official casting announcement. \”He will bring to life the legendary musician whose relationship with George Harrison in the 1960s left a lasting imprint on the band\’s sound.\”
For Akhtar, the role represents a significant pivot toward international cinema following his 2022 cameo in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel. Known domestically for directing Dil Chahta Hai and starring in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, his casting as the Bharat Ratna awardee comes amid reports of production delays for his highly anticipated Indian directorial project, Don 3. All four films in the Beatles series are scheduled for a simultaneous global theatrical release in April 2028.
