YRF has 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 by millions of pounds, Starmer said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the Yash Raj Films (YRF) Studios on Wednesday in suburban Andheri and announced that major Indian production houses, including the YRF, will make movies across locations in the UK by next year.
The political personality met several Indian producers, including YRF CEO Akshaye Widhani, YRF chairperson Aditya Chopra’s actor wife Rani Mukerji, Dinesh Vijan from Maddock Films, Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment and Apoorva Mehta of Dharma Productions and Producers Guild of India President Shibasish Sarkar, among others.
‘Three new Bollywood films will be made in the United Kingdom from next year’ Starmer announced
“Bollywood is back in Britain, and it is 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,”
Starmer was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the British High Commission.
YRF plans in 2026
YRF has 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 by millions of pounds, Starmer said.
Reignition of YRF and UK’s filming ties in the 30th anniversary of DDLJ
“It is truly special to reignite YRF and UK’s filming ties in the 30th anniversary of DDLJ – a film that is synonymous to UK-India’s relationship. Our company is currently producing a stage adaptation of DDLJ, the English musical titled Come Fall in Love (CFIL) in the UK too….The UK’s infrastructure, technology and talent are unmatched,” said YRF CEO and Saiyaara producer Akshaye Widhani.
UK Film Industry’s contribution to the economy & how Indian productions yielded global profits
The UK film industry contributes 12 billion pounds a year to the economy and supports 90,000 jobs across every region of the country. It is a sought-after destination for international filmmakers thanks to its world-leading studio infrastructure and iconic backdrops, the British High Commission said in its statement.
Past Indian productions have yielded global hits. Cross-cultural hit film Slumdog Millionaire brought in around 300 million pounds to the UK economy, on a budget of just 12 million pounds, highlighting what’s possible when UK’s technical expertise and Indian storytelling unite, it added.
British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the UK’s and India’s film industries are truly world class, entertaining billions around the world. “Given the strength of our sectors and the deep cultural ties between our two countries, partnerships between Bollywood and British studios make complete sense. By making these Bollywood blockbusters in Britain we will be driving more growth in our world-class creative industries, as we committed to in our Creative Industries Sector Plan,” Nandy said.
How Bollywood movies shot in various countries led to a surge in tourism
Apart from making huge business across the globe, Bollywood films also leave an impact on travel and tourism.
With Aditya Chopra’s iconic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge release in 1995, the outbound travel from India to Switzerland by was increased by 30%.
Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), featuring Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin among others, led to a spike in outbound tourism to Spain and made it a popular destination among Indians. The audience was awe-struck by the beautiful landscapes of the country, which led to travel agencies designing tailor-made packages which included spots shown in ZNMD.
Another Zoya’s directorial, which had a similar effect on travel and tourism, was Dil Dhadakne Do, as we saw an increase in demand for cruise vacations following the film’s release in June 2015.
Imtaz Ali’s Tamasha, Love Aaj Kal and Jab We Met, which dwell on the subject of self-discovery, depict travel as an integral part of their storylines. Because of Tamasha, Corsica – A sun-kissed Mediterranean island- garnered eyeballs from Indian audiences and soon topped their bucket list.
With inputs from PTI
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