Karan Johar joins Edinburgh’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai anniversary plans
Edinburgh International Film Festival will celebrate Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’s thirtieth anniversary in 2028 with director Karan Johar attending. The invitation followed talks in Mumbai about Scottish and Indian screen collaboration. Filmed at several Scottish landmarks, Johar’s directing debut returns to a country whose landscapes helped shape its visual identity; the festival’s 2028 dates are still to come.
Arts··Evening
An anniversary invitation accepted in Mumbai
Edinburgh International Film Festival will screen Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 2028 to celebrate the Indian film’s thirtieth anniversary, with director Karan Johar attending. Johar accepted the invitation at his production company Dharma Productions’ offices in Mumbai, India. He hosted Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and David Smith, interim executive director of the Scottish screen agency Screen Scotland, earlier this week. Other guests are expected at the anniversary screening, while dates for the 2028 festival remain to be announced.[1], [2]
Scottish locations shaped Johar’s first film
The film was Johar’s debut as a director. Shah Rukh Khan plays Rahul, a widower whose daughter draws him back toward his college friend Anjali, played by Kajol. Anjali had loved him before his marriage to Tina, played by Rani Mukerji. Salman Khan appears as Anjali’s fiancé. That cast and story return to the screen for an anniversary event tied to the film’s Scottish production history.[1]
According to the festival, no earlier major Indian production had filmed so extensively across Scotland. Johar’s team used Eilean Donan Castle, Glen Coe, Tantallon Castle and Inchmahome Priory. The castles, valley and priory became prominent elements of the film’s visual identity. The Edinburgh celebration will bring the director back to the country whose landscapes helped establish that connection with Indian popular cinema.[1], [2]
Film collaboration accompanied the invitation
The Mumbai meeting covered Scotland as a filming destination and partner for Indian film and television. Production, co-production, talent development and cultural exchange were all discussed. Swinney said his India visit included meetings with Dharma and other industry representatives about future collaboration. He welcomed Johar’s acceptance of the festival invitation and described Scotland’s locations, expertise and infrastructure as resources for film and television production.[1], [2]
Festival chief executive and director Paul Ridd places the screening in Edinburgh’s eighty-first edition. Before that, its eightieth edition is scheduled for August 12–18, 2027, with submissions opening in January. Further programme details will follow. The festival was revitalized in 2024 under Ridd and producer Emma Boa and receives support from Screen Scotland.[1], [2]
