Washington: Farhan Akhtar is set to portray legendary Indian musician and Bharat Ratna awardee Pandit Ravi Shankar in director Sam Mendes’s ambitious project, ‘The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event’.
The four-part biographical series, chronicling the lives of the iconic British band, has officially begun production in the UK and is scheduled for a global theatrical release in April 2028 under Sony Pictures, according to Variety.
Akhtar joins an international ensemble including Lucy Boynton as Jane Asher, Morfydd Clark as Cynthia Lennon, and Harry Lawtey as Stuart Sutcliffe. The series will explore the lives of ‘The Beatles’, with each film focusing on a different band member.
Akhtar, known for his roles in ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, ‘The Sky Is Pink’, as well as his appearances in ‘Marvel’s Ms. Marvel’ and ‘120 Bahadur’, will portray Shankar, the internationally acclaimed sitar virtuoso who shared a close musical bond with George Harrison.
The principal cast also includes Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.
Additional casting features Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, James Norton as Brian Epstein, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono, Aimee Lou Wood as Pattie Boyd, Harry Lloyd as George Martin, and Mia McKenna-Bruce as Maureen Starkey.
Behind the camera, Mendes directs all four films and produces alongside his Neal Street Productions partners, Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor, with Alexandra Derbyshire also producing. The technical team features cinematographer Greig Fraser and editor Lee Smith. Production is currently underway.
