Mumbai, Oct 9 (IANS) It was a moment of cultural seeds coming to fruition as the UK PM, Keir Starmer paid a visit to the birthplace of India’s cultural and cinematic icon ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ ahead of the film’s 30th anniversary.
He was given a tour of the YRF Studio by the National Award-winning actress Rani Mukerji, who is also the wife of the YRF head-honcho Aditya Chopra.
The Prime Minister Keir Starmer also announced cultural collaboration of his country with YRF as the production house confirmed plans to bring their major productions to locations across the United Kingdom from early 2026, creating over 3,000 jobs and boosting the economy.
Talking about the same, PM Keir Starmer said in a statement, “Bollywood is back in Britain, and it’s bringing jobs, investment and opportunity, all while showcasing the UK as a world-class destination for global filmmaking. This is exactly the kind of partnership our trade deal with India is destined to unlock, driving growth, strengthening cultural ties and delivering for communities across the country”.
Yash Raj Films’ CEO Akshaye Widhani said, “The UK holds a very special place in our hearts and some of our most iconic films, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) were shot in this beautiful and incredibly hospitable country. We were honoured to host the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at YRF today to ink this pact and also had the pleasure to discuss how India and UK could come together to push the content landscape globally through landmark collaborations like this”.
The premise of ‘DDLJ’ was set in the heart of the UK, London, and told the story of 2nd generation Indian immigrants, who fall in love and take a different route, in contrast with the prevalent time in the 90s, and unite in India, their homeland. The UK PM visiting the hub of Yash Raj Films mirrored India’s growing social and cultural prominence across the world. The film featured Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in the lead.
The visit also marks the start of the 30th anniversary celebrations of ‘DDLJ’ on October 20, 2025.
–IANS
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