Mumbai, June 9 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, whose film ‘Lagaan’ is set to clock 25 years of its release, has called it a project made with belief, passion and honesty. The colonial epic is set to be screened at BFI IMAX on July 12, 2026 at the upcoming edition of the London Indian Film Festival.
The upcoming edition of the film fest promises a series of offerings including Aamir Khan in Conversation, ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ Reunion, Europe’s first Indian AI & Film Showcase and UK premieres of indie features and shorts across five UK cities.
The Closing Gala will welcome superstar actor and filmmaker, Aamir Khan In Conversation, at BFI Southbank on July 16, as a tie-in with the 25th anniversary of Academy Award-nominated, colonial epic, ‘Lagaan’. The actor will give a rare talk about the making of this hit international film and his career to date, from child actor to one of the world’s most bankable superstars, with an international hit factory of movies mixing entertainment with social issues.
Talking about the film, Aamir Khan said, “As ‘Lagaan’ completes 25 years, it’s hard to put into words what this journey has meant. We made the film with a lot of belief, passion and honesty, never imagining the kind of love it would receive and continue to receive all these years later. I’m truly delighted that this milestone is being celebrated with a screening at the BFI. To see ‘Lagaan’ still connect with audiences across generations and across geographies is very special”.
The festival will be opened by the euphoric rites-of-passage story, ‘52 Blue’, directed by the award-winning Ali El Arabi. It stars Adil Hussain and Neha Dhupia. The director and cast will be present for the screenings of the film.
Speaking about the festival’s programme, CEO and Programming Director, Cary Rajinder Sawhney said, “We are delighted to share the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Lagaan and show this epic film on the UK’s largest IMAX screen with major actor producer Aamir Khan present to talk about its making. Other inspirational figures coming to the festival are Britain’s legendary ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ comedy team, who will make a rare appearance together. We open our 17th festival with ‘52 Blue’, a riveting and inspirational film about youth finding a way against impossible odds, which seems to wonderfully go against the grain of these seemingly despondent times”.
“There are so many impressive Indian indie features and short film premieres on show this year from different states and we even delve into the emerging world of Indian AI and filmmaking. It’s great to see the festival expanding its footprint this year beyond London to Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Bradford”, he added.
–IANS
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