London Indian Film Festival 2026 – Aamir Khan at BFI Southbank, capital closing
Today sees one of India’s best loved stars talk about his long career and that film which catapulted him to the international stage, the Oscar nominated ‘Lagaan’… this event also brings the festival curtain down in London…
THERE is huge excitement ahead of Bollywood megastar Aamir Khan’s appearance In Conversation at the BFI Southbank today (July 16).
This a sold out event and sees Khan take to the main BFI/NFT1 screen stage to talk about his long career and the recent screening of ‘Lagaan‘ at the festival and the film – about colonial power being exerted through a cricket match – celebrating its 25th year since release.
Director Ashutosh Gowariker who currently heads India’s main film festival, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa, spoke to us earlier in the year at the Cannes film festival, outlining his vision – he told www.asianculturevulture.com, he is looking for documentaries to draw international film festival goers to Goa for the 57th edition, running from November 20-28.
Khan’s company Aamir Khan Productions was also one of the backers of ‘Lagaan‘ and he has increasingly backed films as a producer – the latest being ‘Batwara 1947‘ – a Partition drama, set to release next month.
Khan began as a child actor and has established himself as one of the industry’s biggest figures.
Any release of his still attracts huge attention and his sheer longevity is respected alongside career stalwarts of a similar generation: Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar.
Among the films that have made him a household name in India and across the wider South Asian diaspora include, ‘Raja Hindustani‘, ‘Dil Chahta Hai‘ and ‘Rang De Basanti’, right through to comedy masterpieces ‘3 Idiots‘ and’ PK‘ with Bollywood powerhouse director, Rajkumar Hirani.
Khan, like Hirani, is also widely recognised for his maverick tendencies and his ability to challenge and defy cultural and industry norms to produce work that can be seen as an anti-establishment and in favour of diversity and difference and emerging voices. Both ‘3 Idiots‘ and ‘PK‘ were comedies with something to say – about the education system and Religion, respectively, in India.
Follow/subscribe to www.asianculturevulture.com and its associated channels for more as we chronicle Khan’s first ever appearance at the 17th edition of LIFF.
