Actor-director Farhan Akhtar is set to make his Hollywood film debut in filmmaker Sam Mendes’ ambitious four-part biographical project on "The Beatles". The Indian star will essay the role of legendary sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, who shared a close friendship with the British band and famously hosted them during their visit to India in the late 1960s.

Sony Pictures confirmed the casting in a fresh announcement for “The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event”. Alongside Farhan, the ensemble includes Lucy Boynton as Jane Asher, Morfydd Clark as Cynthia Powell, and Harry Lawtey as Stuart Sutcliffe, the band’s original bassist.

This marks Farhan’s first full-fledged appearance in an international feature film. He previously made a brief cameo in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel in 2022. Details regarding his shooting schedule for the Beatles films have not yet been disclosed.

Directed by Sam Mendes, the four-part cinematic project will chronicle the lives of the Fab Four, with each instalment told from the perspective of a different band member. The films star Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.

The supporting cast also features Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, James Norton as Brian Epstein, and Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono, among others. The screenplay has been penned by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne.

When the project was first unveiled, Mendes expressed his enthusiasm about bringing a fresh narrative style to the band’s story, describing it as an opportunity to reimagine the cinematic experience for audiences worldwide.

Production on the films is currently underway, with a global theatrical release slated for April 2028.