Farhan Akhtar has been tapped to play Ravi Shankar, legendary sitarist and composer, in Sam Mendes' four films based on The Beatles singers. Netizens have been buzzing with enthusiasm ever since Sony Pictures, the films' distributor, announced the news. Funnily enough, some even mistook Ravi Shankar for the spiritual leader of the same name, wondering how Farhan would fit into the role because he hardly looks like the spiritual guru. Now that the record has been set straight, the question still remains as to what role Ravi Shankar played in The Beatles.
What is Ravi Shankar's connection with The Beatles?
The legendary sitarist had a decades-long history with The Beatles' guitarist George Harrison. He taught Harrison how to play the sitar. Interestingly, Ravi Shankar once did not know anything about The Beatles, not even about its existence. Ravi asked Harrison whether he would like to accompany him to India and learn the instrument, and he gracefully obliged. When Harrison came to India, he changed his identity to Mr Sam Wells, but he could not sustain the disguise because people here recognised him. Due to the constant attention, Harrison cut off his hair and grew a moustache upon Ravi's advice and accompanied the latter to Srinagar.
After learning how to play the sitar during his India trip, George Harrison came back to London and played it for his band's album titled Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The collaboration also helped Ravi, as it put him on the world map. The sitarist found it unbelievable, as he revealed in a documentary from BBC. At the same time, he had his fair share of detractors in India, who felt that the sitarist prioritised Western music over domestic performances and accused that he overshadowed equally skilled musicians in the country.
How was he like to George Harrison?
Amid all the rise in fame and the criticism, Ravi and Harrison remained close friends for years. He had the guitarist organise international concerts and raised millions to help the refugees in Bangladesh in the early 1970s. Harrison passed away in 2001 following a battle with lung cancer, and Ravi Shankar sat next to him on the day prior to his death. Despite staring at the inevitable, Harrison felt happy to be around his close friend. Ravi, who passed away a decade later, regarded Harrison as a combination of a friend, son, and brother.
Who will play George Harrison in The Beatles films?
As reported earlier, Joseph Quinn, known for his roles in Stranger Things and Gladiator II, among others, will play the role of The Beatles guitarist in Mendes' four-film extravaganza. With Farhan Akhtar also cast as his friend and legendary Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar, it is going to be interesting to see how Mendes will delve into the famous story of mentorship and friendship. We will have to wait until April 2028 to know exactly how the dynamic will pan out onscreen.
