Karan Johar’s debut feature Kuch Kuch Hota Hai will return to the country that gave it some of its most memorable landscapes. The Edinburgh International Film Festival has invited Johar to attend a special screening marking the film’s 30th anniversary at its 2028 edition, and he has accepted, according to a report published by Variety.
The invitation was extended earlier this week during a meeting at Dharma Productions’ Mumbai office. Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and David Smith, interim executive director of Screen Scotland, used the meeting to discuss the anniversary screening and a wider production relationship between Scotland and the Indian film and television industries. Their conversations covered co-productions, talent development and cultural exchange.
Why Scotland still matters to this film
Released in 1998, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was Johar’s first credit as director. Shah Rukh Khan starred as Rahul, a widower whose young daughter pushes him to reconnect with Anjali, played by Kajol. Rani Mukerji played Tina, and Salman Khan appeared as Anjali’s fiancé.
The film’s visual signature was unusually dependent on Scotland. The production travelled to Eilean Donan Castle, Glen Coe, Tantallon Castle and Inchmahome Priory. Before it, no major Indian production had filmed as widely across Scotland, giving the film a distinct place in the relationship between Hindi cinema and Scottish locations.
Anniversary as industry signal
The 2028 screening is not being framed as a one-off retrospective. Swinney said the film “holds a special place in the hearts of communities across Scotland and beyond,” and added that Scotland can offer “the infrastructure, expertise and world-class filming locations” to Indian productions.
- For audiences, it is a revisit of a defining 1990s blockbuster in the landscape that shaped its look.
- For producers, it is a sign that Scotland wants to be a partner, not merely a backdrop.
- For the festival, it ties a high-profile Hindi film to EIFF’s larger rebuilding story.
What the calendar looks like
The exact dates for the 2028 edition have not been announced, and other guests are expected to join the screening. Before that, EIFF will hold its 80th anniversary edition from August 12 to 18, 2027, with submissions opening in January.
That timeline creates two consecutive moments: an 80th festival edition in 2027 and a globally recognised Hindi film’s 30th in 2028. The practical takeaway is to watch the January submissions window and the 2027 edition as a preview of the pitch Scotland is making to Indian filmmakers.
The film’s legacy was always tied to landscape. Thirty years later, that connection is being converted into an institutional invitation.
Source: The Times of India
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