Mumbai, Oct 10
Anupam Kher shared his happiness upon meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a special reception celebrating the UK-India partnership. The veteran actor also shared that the political leader turned out to be a great admirer of his first English language film ‘Bend It Like Beckham,’ which was released in 2002.
Anupam took to Instagram, where he shared a picture posing for a picture with Starmer, who was greeted with the love anthem 'Tujhe Dekha To' from the 1995 blockbuster “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) at Yash Raj Films.
“It was a pleasure meeting the British Prime Minister Mr. #KeirStarmer last night at the reception to celebrate the UK-INDIA partnership,†Anupam wrote as in the caption for the post.
He mentioned that Starmer’s speech was full of positive possibilities between India and the UK.
“His speech was warm and full of positive possibilities between the two countries.â€
Anupam then mentioned how Starmer is a “great admirer†of his maiden English film.
“He also turned out to be a great admirer of my first English language film #BendItLikeBeckham! Thanks to the British High Commissioner Mr. Harjinder Kang for the invite!†Anupam concluded.
Talking about Bend It Like Beckham, a sports comedy-drama film, directed by Gurinder Chadha. The film stars Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Juliet Stevenson, Shaznay Lewis and Archie Panjabi.
In the film, Jesminder Bhamra and Jules Paxton chase careers in professional football despite their parents' wishes.
Talking about Starmer’s visit, on October 9, the UK Prime Minister was greeted with the love anthem “Tujhe Dekha To†from the 1995 blockbuster “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol during his recent visit to Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai.
Taking to Instagram, the production banner shared a video of Starmer listening to the number with a smile on his face.
The video was captioned: “Incredibly honoured to have had the opportunity to host the UK Prime Minister @keirstarmer at Yash Raj Films in Mumbai yesterday!â€
“The UK & YRF’s relationship go back a long way and we were thrilled to make the PM listen to the iconic Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeh Jaana Sanam from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) as the Bollywood blockbuster celebrates its 30th anniversary.â€
The caption further read: “Our ties with the UK deepen with a three movie production pact starting 2026. YRF is currently producing the stage adaptation of DDLJ, the English musical Come Fall In Love, to entertain audiences with this beautiful cross-cultural, East meets West love story! #UKIndia #StarringGREATBritain.â€
— IANS
Reader Comments
DDLJ song playing for the UK PM - what a perfect cultural moment! Shows how Bollywood has become India's soft power. More such cultural exchanges please! 🎵
As someone who watched Bend It Like Beckham when it released, it's wonderful to see how this film continues to bridge cultures. Anupam Kher's role was memorable indeed!
While I appreciate the cultural diplomacy, I hope such meetings also focus on substantial issues like trade agreements and student visa policies that affect common Indians. The photo ops are nice but real progress matters more.
Bend It Like Beckham was my introduction to Indian family dynamics and culture. It's heartwarming to see political leaders appreciating such cross-cultural works. Great for UK-India relations!
Anupam Kher representing India with such grace! From playing father roles in Bollywood to being recognized internationally - what a journey! 🙠The DDLJ musical adaptation sounds exciting too.
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