Aamir Khan is taking his defining period drama down under. The Bollywood icon is scheduled to launch the 17th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne with a special 25th-anniversary screening of the 2001 film Lagaan. The event takes place July 9, 2026, at the ACMI cinema.
The July 9 appearance officially starts the celebrations for the festival, acting as a curtain-raiser a full month before the main programming slate runs from August 13 to August 23. Khan’s attendance was confirmed in a Variety Australia exclusive released today.
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India tracks a group of farmers in a drought-stricken village who challenge occupying British officers to a high-stakes cricket match to avoid punishing land taxes. Khan starred alongside Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, and Paul Blackthorne. The project remains just the third Indian production in history to secure an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange stated that highlighting the history of Lagaan is the ideal way to open the 17th edition of the Victoria government-backed event. The festival is widely recognized as the largest annual celebration of Indian cinema outside India itself.
The Melbourne screening is part of a coordinated global circuit for the film’s 25th anniversary. Khan is also scheduled for a dedicated appearance at the 17th London Indian Film Festival in July to mark the exact same milestone with British audiences.