Wembley Park’s first curated season of cultural events, Summer of Play, featuring over 300 hours of free arts and entertainment this summer, will be presenting Bollywood Nights as part of the Summer of Film segment. Taking place from 30th June to 29th July, Bollywood Nights will comprise free to attend, outdoor screenings of evergreen and contemporary classics presented exclusively by Yash Raj Films.
The specially curated film season will feature iconic and genre-redefining film titles for a family-friendly audience, namely Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), Shuddh Desi Romance, Hichki, Sultan and a tribute to Sridevi with Chandni. Members of the public will be able to enjoy the outdoor screenings from deck chair seating beneath the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium for free. The screenings will be interspersed with live dance performances from local Bollywood artists, while street food stalls will add to the cultural festival experience.
Bollywood Nights programme:
30th June, 7.30pm
Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012, Dir: Yash Chopra)
A sweeping love story that marked the final directorial of Yash Chopra – one of Bollywood’s most revered filmmakers of all time and the man behind the industry’s largest studio, Yash Raj Films. Featuring an A-list cast comprising Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, Jab Tak Hai Jaan tells the story of a bomb disposal expert that becomes bitter, lonely and unable to fall in love until he is forced to deal with his past.
7th July, 3.00pm
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) (1995, Dir: Aditya Chopra)
The longest running film in the history of Indian cinema and voted Number 1 in a BFI poll of the most romantic love stories of all time, DDLJ is one of the most iconic Bollywood films of all time, featuring the cult pairing of King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as Raj and Simran respectively, who meet on an inter-railing trip to Europe. After some initial misadventures, they fall in love but a battle ensues to win over the acceptance of their conservative families.
8th July, 7.00pm
Shuddh Desi Romance (2013, Dir: Maneesh Sharma)
Crème of new gen Bollywood film talent Sushant Singh Rajput and Parineeti Chopra star in this sleeper hit that reflects the new wave of Bollywood filmmaking, reflecting a new India for a new audience. The film tells the story of Raghu, a commitment-phobe who absconds from his wedding and meets Gayatri, who soon becomes his live-in girlfriend.
14th July, 7.30pm
Hichki (2018, Dir: Siddharth P Malhotra)
A modern classic that’s emblematic of content-driven Indian cinema, Hichki features the iconic Rani Mukherji as an aspiring teacher suffering from Tourettes Syndrome. After numerous interviews and rejections, she lands what she thinks is her dream job at one of the city’s most elite schools. However, she soon realises that she has been assigned the class comprising the school’s most troublesome pupils but tries to overcome the odds to make them realise their full potential.
25th July, 7.00pm
Sultan (2016, Dir: Ali Abbas Zafar)
Featuring King of the Bollywood Box Office Salman Khan and powerhouse actress Anushka Sharma, the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Sultan tells the story of a middle-aged wrestling champion who tries to make a comeback, facing his personal demons and painful past in the process.
29th July, 7.00pm
Chandni (1989, Dir: Yash Chopra)
One of the most iconic films of the late superstar actress, Sridevi, Chandni represents the archetypal love story synonymous with Yash Raj Films. The all-time audience favourite tells the story of Rohit and Chandni, who become engaged in spite of their families’ refusal, based on their class differences. But when Rohit loses the function of his legs in a road accident, he leaves Chandni rather than placing a burden on her. Years later, Rohit has made a full recovery and sets out to find Chandni but, when he does, she is engaged to another man.
The commencement of Summer of Play was celebrated with the unveiling of a major new commission by London-based street artist Remi Rough. In addition to Bollywood Nights, the programme includes the Mayor of London’s International Busking Day, free Encore screenings of National Theatre Live productions, a global parkour festival and other activities. Summer of Play forms part of Wembley Park’s ambitious cultural strategy, which will play a major role in the development of the borough as it prepares to be celebrated as Brent as London Borough of Culture 2020.
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