Farhan Akhtar to play Ravi Shankar in Beatles biopic
Farhan Akhtar is stepping into the shoes of sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar for a new four-part Beatles biopic series directed by Sam Mendes.
Sony Pictures confirmed the casting, with filming currently underway in the UK and an April 2028 release planned.
Sharing his excitement on Instagram, Akhtar said he feels "Honoured and grateful" to join both The Beatles's and Shankar's legacy—calling it "the stuff dreams are made of."
This marks his big Hollywood debut.
More about Mendes's 'The Beatles'
Each film in the series will focus on a different Beatle: Paul Mescal is Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson is John Lennon, Barry Keoghan plays Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn takes on George Harrison.
The cast also includes Lucy Boynton, Morfydd Clark, and Harry Lawtey.
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the families of the late John Lennon and George Harrison have granted Mendes full life story and music rights for the films, which will dive into their music, friendships, and how Ravi Shankar influenced Harrison's iconic sitar sound in "Norwegian Wood."