Bollywood
Farhan Akhtar to Play Pandit Ravi Shankar in Sam Mendes' Beatles Film Series; Check Full Cast Details
Farhan Akhtar is set to make his Hollywood feature film debut in Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes' ambitious four-part biopic of the legendary band, The Beatles. According to a report by Variety, the versatile Indian actor, filmmaker, and singer has been cast to portray the legendary Indian classical musician and Bharat Ratna awardee, Pandit Ravi Shankar. New casting announced for The Beatles - A Four-Film Cinematic Event, directed by Sam Mendes.Farhan Akhtar will star as Ravi ShankarLucy Boynton will star as Jane AsherMorfydd Clark will star as Cynthia (Powell) LennonHarry Lawtey will star as Stuart SutcliffeIn cinemas… pic.twitter.com/Ls0IH5NOGs— The Beatles (@thebeatles) February 12, 2026 Pandit Ravi Shankar shared a deep musical and spiritual bond with The Beatles, particularly George Harrison, and played a crucial role in introducing Indian classical music to the Western world during the 1960s and 70s. Sony Pictures confirmed the development on Thursday, unveiling a star-studded ensemble cast for this biographical musical drama. While Farhan Akhtar was previously seen in a guest role in the Marvel series Ms. Marvel (2022), this project marks his first major appearance in a global cinematic event of this scale. Directed by Sam Mendes, known for masterpieces like Skyfall and 1917, the project is designed as a unique four-film series. Each installment will tell the story of the band from the perspective of a different member—Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The films aim to challenge traditional biopic formats by showing how the four distinct viewpoints converged to create the most iconic band in history. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})  The ensemble cast announced alongside Akhtar includes Saoirse Ronan, James Norton, Lucy Boynton , and Anna Sawai . The lineup also features Morfydd Clark , Harry Lawtey , and Aimee Lou Wood . Mendes expressed his honor in narrating the story of the greatest rock band of all time, emphasizing his excitement to explore a new style of theatrical storytelling. The screenplay for the series is being penned by a talented writing team including Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne. Produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment in collaboration with Neal Street Productions and Apple Corps, all four films are expected to wrap filming by the end of 2026. Given the extensive post-production required for a musical event of this magnitude, this quartet of movies is positioned as one of the most anticipated theatrical releases of the late 2020s.
