British director Peter Brook’s digitally restored ‘The Mahabharata’ will get a Central Gala UK premiere at this year’s London Indian Film Festival (LIFF).
The 1989 film with illustrious global cast is a celebration of the epic tale of love, philosophy and warfare, told as a story that encompasses all humankind. Its screening at the BFI IMAX in London on July 20 coincides with the 100th birth year of Brooks, who was awarded a Padma Shri in 2021 for contributions in the field of art. Other highlights of LIFF 2025 include Tamil-French film ‘Little Jaffna’ and Assamese teen drama ‘Village Rockstars 2’ by director Rima Das.
Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE, Director of the London and Birmingham Indian Film Festivals, said: “We are delighted to showcase some of South Asia's most outstanding new indie films across London and Birmingham in July, and to not only highlight emerging talent such as opening night director Lawrence Valin's ‘Little Jaffna’, or Indian director Lakshmipriya Devi's ‘Boong’, but to premiere the legendary Padma Shri UK director Peter Brook's spectacular ‘The Mahabharata’ at the BFI IMAX, literally the biggest story ever showing on the Britain's largest screen.
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“In our industry events at the festival we will also be celebrating the filmmaking potential of South Asians born and living in the UK, and their potential to partner with Indian filmmakers on exciting future cross-collaborations.”
‘Boong’ tells of a disobedient schoolboy's ambition to mend his broken family in Manipur, naively risking his safety to cross into Myanmar in search of his missing dad. Set in the Himalayas, ‘Pyre’ is described as a sumptuously photographed story about a deeply in love elderly couple struggling to survive in a changing mountain society.
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The annual festival, among Europe’s largest Indian film events and scheduled between July 16 and 23 across London and Birmingham this year, will also celebrate emerging British talent with a new industry event to encourage more South Asians in the country to become a part of the film industry. This new collaboration with RIFCO Theatre is accompanied by the festival’s regular programme of Brit-Asian shorts.
*Info: London Indian Film Festival
