| Lahore 1947 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Rajkumar Santoshi |
| Story by | Rajkumar Santoshi |
| Based on | Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai (by Asghar Wajahat) |
| Produced by | |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Santosh Sivan [1] |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Music by | A. R. Rahman |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Reliance Entertainment |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Lahore 1947 is an upcoming Hindi-language period drama film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Aamir Khan under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions. Set against the backdrop of the partition of India in 1947, the film stars Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal and Abhimanyu Singh. [2] [3]
It is based on Prof. Asghar Wajahat's drama – Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai (transl. from Punjabi: Experiencing Lahore is so fundamental to a fulfilling life that not seeing it is akin to not truly living or being born). [4] [5]
Principal photography began in February 2024, and was completed in October 2025. [6] [7] Initially planned to release on 26 January 2025, it was delayed due to post-production works. [5] [8] The cinematography is handled by Santosh Sivan. [9] [10] The film's music is composed by A. R. Rahman and the lyrics are penned by Javed Akhtar.
Set in the Punjab region, Lahore 1947 is a historical tale of displacement and human connection, taking place amid the upheaval of the Partition of India. The newly independent nations of India and Pakistan are immediately overwhelmed by a flood of uprooted and devastated refugees. After suffering through horrific conditions in refugee camps, a lucky few of the displaced people are being allotted houses that were deserted by their former owners who fled the country.
The story follows Sikander Mirza as he migrates with his Muslim family – his wife Hameeda, their son Javed, and daughter Tanno – from Lucknow in United Provinces, India to Lahore in West Punjab, Pakistan. After living for some time at a refugee camp in Lahore, they are allocated a big haveli, whose Hindu owners had been forced to leave and migrate to East Punjab in India, following the division of the Punjab province, due to partition. The drama intensifies when Sikander discovers an elderly haggared Punjabi Hindu woman still living in the haveli. She accuses Sikander and his family of trespassing. The old matriarch, known only as Mai (or Ratan’s mother), claims to be the rightful owner of her ancestral haveli. Sikander is determined to get rid of the old woman, but she defiantly refuses.
This is a period when enemies of humanity are spreading the virulent disease of communalism, and against the backdrop of India's brutal partition, this forced cohabitation explores themes of rising tension, emotional complexity, and the difficult navigation of a violently reshaped reality.
| Actor | Role | Description | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny Deol | Sikander Mirza | [11] | |
| Preity Zinta | Hameeda Mirza | Sikander’s wife | [11] |
| Shabana Azmi | Mai (a.k.a. Ratan's mother) | [12] | |
| Karan Deol | Javed Mirza | Sikander and Hameeda’s son | [13] |
| Ali Fazal | Nasir Kazmi | A refugee poet from Ambala in East Punjab, India | [14] |
| Abhimanyu Singh | Yaqoob Pehalwan | [15] |
The production of the film involved extensive research to accurately depict the historical period of India’s partition. The sets were meticulously designed to recreate the streets and atmosphere of Lahore during the 1940s. The film marks the reunion of Rajkumar Santoshi with Sunny Deol and Aamir Khan, who have previously collaborated on successful projects. [16] This will also mark the first time that Deol and Khan are working together on a film. Deol resumed filming in Punjab on 10 October 2025, focusing on newly incorporated sequences. The production underwent modifications based on suggestions from Aamir Khan. [17] [18]
The film's music is composed by A. R. Rahman and the lyrics are penned by Javed Akhtar. [19]