UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to India has set the stage for a major Bollywood-UK partnership. During his trade mission in Mumbai, Starmer visited Yash Raj Studios, which is celebrating 20 years of operations in India, and made a historic announcement – Yash Raj Films will bring major productions back to the UK from early 2026.The move is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs and bring millions of pounds into the British economy. Starmer is joined by top names from the UK film industry – including Pinewood Studios, Elstree Studios and the British Film Institute – highlighting Britain’s growing role as a global film hub.
During this he announced that major Indian production houses including YRF will make films at various locations in Britain. Stormer, who was on a two-day visit to India, was accompanied by a delegation from the British film industry, including representatives from the British Film Institute, British Film Commission, Pinewood Studios, Elstree Studios and Civic Studios.
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The British High Commission quoted Stormer in a statement as saying that three new Bollywood films will be shot in Britain from next year. Stormer, who reached Mumbai in the morning from London, reached YRF studio amid heavy security. A source said that during this period, the British Prime Minister met several Indian filmmakers including YRF Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Akshay Vidhani, YRF Chairman Aditya Chopra’s actor wife Rani Mukherjee, Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films, Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment and Apoorva Mehta of Dharma Productions.
“Bollywood is back in Britain, and it’s bringing jobs, investment and opportunity, as well as showcasing Britain as a world-class destination for global film productions,” the British Prime Minister said in a statement. “Our trade agreement with India will mark the beginning of exactly this kind of partnership – driving growth, strengthening cultural ties, and benefiting communities across the country.”
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According to the British High Commission, YRF has confirmed plans to shoot its major films in various UK locations from early 2026, which will create more than 3,000 jobs and boost the economy worth millions of pounds. A source said the meeting between Stormer and the Indian filmmakers lasted for about 30 to 40 minutes.
YRF CEO Akshay Vidhani said he was honored to host the British Prime Minister. Vidhani said, “We are honored to host UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer today at YRF, where this agreement (on cooperation in film production) was signed. “We also had the pleasure to discuss how India and the UK can together advance the global content landscape.”
Vidhani said, “It is really special to reinvigorate the YRF and UK filming relationship on the 30th anniversary of DDLJ – a film that is synonymous with UK-India relations. Our company is currently producing the stage adaptation of DDLJ in the UK in English titled ‘Come Fall in Love’ (CFIL). Film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films is known for films like ‘Kabhi Kabhie’, ‘Chandni’, ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, ‘Darr’, ‘Dhoom’, ‘Veer Zaara’, ‘Ek Tha Tiger’, ‘War’ and ‘Pathan’.
It was founded by late filmmaker Yash Chopra in 1970. He built YRF Studios in Andheri in 2005. The British film industry contributes £12 billion to the country’s economy annually and creates 90,000 jobs across every region of the country. The British High Commission said in its statement that it is a preferred destination for international filmmakers due to its world-leading studio infrastructure and prestigious background.
According to the High Commission, Indian films have achieved global success in the past. It said the multicultural film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ contributed nearly £300 million to the British economy with a budget of just £12 million, highlighting what can happen when British technical expertise and Indian storytelling come together. British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said, “The UK and India film industries are truly world-class and entertain billions of people around the world. “Given the strength of our regions and the deep cultural ties between our two countries, a partnership between Bollywood and a British studio makes perfect sense.”
“By producing these Bollywood blockbusters in the UK, we will drive further growth in our world-class creative industries, as we have committed to in our Creative Industries Sector Plan,” he said. The British High Commission said this will be further strengthened by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the British Film Institute and the National Film Development Corporation of India. It will revive co-production and enable filmmakers from both countries to share resources and talent.
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