IN CONVERSATION AT UK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL CLOSING GALA
Renowned composing duo, Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani, will be In Conversation at the Closing Gala ceremony of UK Asian Film Festival – the world’s longest running South Asian film festival outside the Subcontinent – taking place on Sunday 11th May at Riverside Studios, London. The musical duo will be discussing the forthcoming stage musical, Come Fall in Love: The DDLJ Musical, a theatre adaptation of one of the biggest blockbuster films in the history of Indian cinema, Yash Raj Films’ Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ).
Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani (Music) (popularly called Vishal & Sheykhar in India) are among the biggest names in Indian music, with a career spanning two decades, having delivered some of the most-loved musical hits of the Indian film industry. These multifaceted musical composers are also singers, songwriters, music producers, and live performers. They have been responsible for some of the most-streamed songs in the history of Indian music and have set several streaming records. They have been nominated for and won almost every Indian music award. Their unique brand of music has had a huge and lasting influence on Indian popular music, through which they have been rightfully called “architects of the modern sound of Bollywood.”
Come Fall in Love: The DDLJ Musical, is directed by Aditya Chopra, the original director of the record-breaking, award-sweeping Hindi-language film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, also known as DDLJ. The musical is all set to premiere in the UK at Manchester Opera House from Thursday 29 May. The new musical comedy based on YRF’s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, will star Jena Pandya and Ashley Day, who will play the role of Simran and Roger respectively.
UK Asian Film Festival Closing Gala will also feature legendary music producer and composer, Biddu, in conversion onstage among luminaries from Indian cinema such as — director, Sandhya Suri, British-Indian filmmaker known for her intimate, socially resonant storytelling across documentary and fiction; Shobhaa De, trailblazing Indian novelist and columnist, known for her bold depictions of urban elite life. They will be felicitated at the Awards Gala alongside celebrated writer, filmmaker, and broadcaster whose work bridges cultures through powerful storytelling, Yavar Abbas. Onir, award-winning Indian filmmaker and LGBTQI trailblazer, known for bold, compassionate storytelling on themes of identity, love and human rights, will also be in attendance.
Running at venues across London, Leicester and Coventry, UK Asian Film Festival is presented by Tongues on Fire and is supported by the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding. UK Asian Film Festival is powered by broadcast partners Lyca Radio and Geo TV.
This year’s “Longing and Belonging” theme will celebrate cinema that explores one of the most profound human experiences—the search for connection, identity and purpose. In every corner of the world, people grapple with feelings of longing—the ache for love; the pull of home; the need for acceptance; and the pursuit of meaning. Through the lens of cinema, these universal desires come to life in stories of displaced immigrants; journeys of self-discovery; quests for love; and the tension between tradition and modernity. As society moves forward, cinema remains a powerful tool for change—one that sparks conversations, amplifies voices and builds empathy.
Website: www.ukaff.com
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