Director Karan Johar to attend special screening at the Festival.
EIFF 2028 dates to be announced.
Edinburgh International Film Festival is delighted to announce a special 30th anniversary celebration of legendary Bollywood film KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI will be a part of the 2028 edition of the festival.
Partly filmed in Scotland, the beloved cult favourite will return to the big screen at EIFF to celebrate its enduring legacy as a landmark of Indian cinema, with director Karan Johar and other guests in attendance.
Karan Johar was invited to mark KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI’s 30th anniversary at the EIFF in 2028 during a meeting he hosted in the Mumbai offices of his production company, Dharma Productions, earlier this week with the First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, and Screen Scotland’s Interim Executive Director, David Smith. The meeting focused on Scotland’s potential as a destination and partner for Indian film and television production, co-production, talent development and cultural exchange.
KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI was the first major Indian production to film extensively across Scotland, including Eilean Donan Castle, Glen Coe, Tantallon Castle and Inchmahome Priory. Scottish landscapes became an important part of the film’s visual identity, and Karan Johar’s directorial debut established a lasting connection between Scottish landscapes and Indian popular cinema.
First Minister John Swinney said: ‘It was a pleasure to meet Karan Johar in Mumbai, and I am delighted that he has accepted the Edinburgh International Film Festival’s invitation to celebrate the 30th anniversary of KUCH KUCH KOTA HAI which holds a special place in the hearts of communities across Scotland and beyond. I look forward to welcoming him to Edinburgh.
During my visit to India, I met with people from the Indian film industry, including representatives from Dharma Productions, to discuss opportunities for future collaboration between Scottish and Indian filmmaking. Scotland’s screen industry has tremendous potential as a creative partner for Indian film and television, offering the infrastructure, expertise and world-class filming locations to support a wide range of productions.’
EIFF CEO & Festival Director Paul Ridd said: ‘At EIFF we are always thinking about the future and what’s next. So we jumped at an opportunity like this, to plant the seeds for a celebration of a legendary, much-loved film at our Festival, a film featuring Scotland and some of the most iconic stars of Bollywood cinema on screen. We can’t wait for what promises to be something truly special for our 81st edition in 2028. But in the meantime, watch this space for more news of our 80th next August.’
2027 marks EIFF’s 80th anniversary, building on the success of its revitalisation in 2024 under CEO & Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa.
Further details on the 2027 Festival will be announced in the coming months. Edinburgh International Film Festival is supported by Screen Scotland.
