Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Submit Guest Post

Starmer visits Yash Raj Films office in Mumbai as Bollywood announces three UK projects for next year

Rani Mukerji hosted the UK Prime Minister as YRF revealed plans for three major UK productions starting in 2026.

Starmer visits Yash Raj Films

Keir Starmer visits Mumbai studio as Yash Raj Films plans UK projects and English DDLJ musical

Reuters
Pooja Pillai
By Pooja PillaiOct 08, 2025
Pooja Pillai

Pooja Pillai is an entertainment journalist with Asian Media Group, where she covers cinema, pop culture, internet trends, and the politics of representation. Her work spans interviews, cultural features, and social commentary across digital platforms.

She began her reporting career as a news anchor, scripting and presenting stories for a regional newsroom. With a background in journalism and media studies, she has since built a body of work exploring how entertainment intersects with social and cultural shifts, particularly through a South Indian lens.

She brings both newsroom rigour and narrative curiosity to her work, and believes the best stories don’t just inform — they reveal what we didn’t know we needed to hear.

See Full Bio
Follow:

Highlights:

  • On October 8, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the Yash Raj Films (YRF) studio in Mumbai.
  • Rani Mukerji welcomed him and hosted a special screening at the studio.
  • Starting in 2026, YRF will film three major productions in the UK.
  • The move is projected to create over 3,000 jobs and strengthen cultural and creative ties.
  • The tour included visits to major UK film organisations such as Pinewood and Elstree Studios.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the bustling YRF studio in Andheri. Bollywood star Rani Mukerji greeted him warmly as they entered the screening room. The visit, part of Starmer’s India trip, centred around YRF’s future UK projects and a potential collaboration between the British and Indian film industries.

Starmer visits Yash Raj Films Keir Starmer visits Mumbai studio as Yash Raj Films plans UK projects and English DDLJ musical Reuters


What unfolded at YRF

Rani Mukerji and YRF CEO Akshaye Widhani guided Starmer through the sprawling studios. The Prime Minister attended a special film screening and discussed creative collaborations and co-productions, as well as the UK’s deep connection to YRF, home to many classic shooting locations, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

Starmer visits Yash Raj Films Special screening held at YRF attended by Keir Starmer, Rani Mukerji, and CEO Akshaye WidhaniReuters


Bollywood returns to Britain

YRF announced three major productions scheduled to be shot in the UK starting in 2026. These projects are expected to create approximately 3,000 jobs, providing opportunities for local talent and crews. Additionally, Widhani revealed that the English musical adaptation of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, titled Come Fall in Love, will also be produced in the UK.

Starmer visits Yash Raj Films Starmer observes recording setups and sound stages inside YRF during his India visit Reuters


Cultural and economic impact

Prime Minister Starmer noted that revitalising the film industry brings jobs, investment, and opportunities both in Bollywood and the UK. UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed the initiative, mentioning the positive effects on the creative industries.

Starmer tours YRF studios The UK Prime Minister Starmer tours YRF studios Reuters


The visit builds on UK-India film collaborations that began with Slumdog Millionaire, which was both a global and economic success.

bollywood filmdilwale dulhania le jayengerani mukerjiyash raj filmskeir starmer
Add EasternEye As Your Trusted Source
preferred source on google news

Related News

shalini-adnani-movie
Entertainment

Shalini Adnani’s Our Share of Sand digs into the hidden cost of India’s building boom

Sarmad Khoosat’s Lali questions traditions around marriage
Entertainment

Sarmad Khoosat’s Lali questions traditions around marriage

hollywood-bollywood-women
Entertainment

From Hollywood to Bollywood, women filmmakers 'turn smaller budgets into bigger returns'

Chithra Jeyaram's documentary explores an Indian American couple's adoption journey
Entertainment

Chithra Jeyaram's documentary explores an Indian American couple's adoption journey

More For You

Joaquin Pedro Valdes on finding his place in London and challenging stereotypes in British theatre

Filipino actor Joaquin Pedro Valdes spent nine years working in filmmaking

Instagram/ joaquin.pedro.valdes

Joaquin Pedro Valdes on finding his place in London and challenging stereotypes in British theatre

Highlights

  • Filipino actor Joaquin Pedro Valdes left a career in filmmaking and advertising to pursue musical theatre in the UK, following his first love for the stage.
  • Now playing Benny in RENT, he wants audiences to see the character as a complicated human being rather than simply the villain.
  • Valdes believes Asian representation in British theatre has improved, but says producers and creative teams still have a long way to go.

Filipino actor Joaquin Pedro Valdes spent nine years working in filmmaking, directing commercials and advertising before deciding to pursue the one passion he could never leave behind. Theatre had been part of his life since childhood, but turning it into a full-time career meant leaving Manila, moving to the UK and rebuilding his professional life in a new country.

Now performing as Benny in the West End production of RENT, Valdes is drawing on his own experiences of ambition, financial pressure and belonging to explore a character who is often dismissed as the musical's antagonist. For him, Benny's story is about more than money. It is about someone who once belonged to a community but chose a different path in the hope of building a better life.

Keep ReadingShow less