Aamir Khan To Celebrate 25 Years Of Lagaan At LIFF 2026
The London Indian Film Festival 2026 is set to return with a strong line-up of South Asian cinema, special screenings, and major celebrity appearances. One of the biggest highlights of this year’s edition will be Aamir Khan’s special appearance to celebrate 25 years of Lagaan.
The 17th edition of the festival will be held across London, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, and Bradford. The event will bring together Indian films, South Asian stories, international premieres, and special conversations with noted film personalities.
Aamir Khan To Attend Special Lagaan Event
Aamir Khan will take part in a special session titled “Aamir Khan In Conversation” at BFI Southbank on July 16. The event will mark the 25th anniversary of Lagaan, the 2001 period sports drama that became one of Indian cinema’s most internationally recognised films.
As part of the celebration, Lagaan will also be screened at BFI IMAX on July 12. The film, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, received an Oscar nomination and continues to remain a landmark title in Indian cinema.
Aamir Khan is expected to speak about the making of the film, its journey over the years, and his own growth as an actor and producer.
LIFF 2026 To Open With 52 Blue
The festival will open with the European premiere of 52 Blue, directed by Ali El Arabi. The coming-of-age drama stars Adil Hussain and Neha Dhupia and will be screened at BFI Southbank on July 9 before travelling to other festival cities.
The line-up shows the festival’s continued focus on independent cinema, diverse storytelling, and films from different parts of South Asia.
Goodness Gracious Me Cast Reunion
Another major attraction at LIFF 2026 will be the reunion of the cast of the popular British sketch comedy series Goodness Gracious Me. Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, Nina Wadia, and Kulvinder Ghir are expected to attend the special event along with writer-producer Anil Gupta.
The reunion will revisit the show’s impact on British television and its role in improving South Asian representation on screen.
Focus On AI And New-Age Filmmaking
LIFF 2026 will also host India’s AI & Film Future, a special showcase focusing on Indian films that use AI and emerging technologies in the creative process. The event will feature short films selected by an international jury headed by filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.
This section is expected to highlight how new technology is slowly changing film production, storytelling, and visual creativity.
South Asian Cinema Gets A Wider Platform
The festival will also include UK premieres of several Indian and Bangladeshi films. Titles such as In Search of the Sky, Master, Roid, All About Weddings, and Anmol - Lovingly Ours are among the highlights.
There will also be a UK premiere of the 4K restoration of In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, written by and featuring Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy.
With Aamir Khan’s Lagaan celebration, a strong indie film line-up, AI cinema showcases, and South Asian stories from different regions, LIFF 2026 is shaping up to be a major celebration of Indian and South Asian cinema on the global stage. The details are based on the source text shared from Deccan Chronicle/PTI.
