‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ to Screen at Edinburgh in 2028 for Its 30th Anniversary

Karan Johar's debut film 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' will screen at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) in 2028 to mark its 30th anniversary, with Johar confirmed to attend in person.

The invitation was extended earlier this week at a meeting Johar hosted at the Mumbai offices of his production banner, Dharma Productions. His guests were Scotland's First Minister John Swinney and David Smith, interim executive director of Screen Scotland, the national screen agency that backs EIFF.

The talks went beyond one anniversary screening. They covered Scotland as a location and partner for Indian film and television, including production and co-production, talent development and cultural exchange. Swinney said that during his India trip he had met members of the country's film industry, Dharma among them, about future collaboration.

"It was a pleasure to meet Karan Johar in Mumbai, and I am delighted that he has accepted the Edinburgh International Film Festival's invitation to celebrate the 30th anniversary of 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' which holds a special place in the hearts of communities across Scotland and beyond. I look forward to welcoming him to Edinburgh," Swinney said.

He added: "Scotland's screen industry has tremendous potential as a creative partner for Indian film and television, offering the infrastructure, expertise and world-class filming locations to support a wide range of productions."

Why does this film matter to Scotland specifically?

The 1998 romance changed how Indian cinema used the Scottish landscape. No major Indian production before it had shot as widely in the country. Johar's unit filmed at Eilean Donan Castle, Glen Coe, Tantallon Castle and Inchmahome Priory, and the Scottish scenery became central to the film's look. The film then forged a lasting link between those landscapes and mainstream Indian cinema.

The plot is classic 1990s Bollywood. Widower Rahul, played by Shah Rukh Khan, is steered by his young daughter back toward Anjali (Kajol), the college best friend who quietly loved him before he married Tina (Rani Mukerji). Salman Khan plays Anjali's fiancé.

What does the 2028 edition look like?

EIFF will celebrate its 81st edition in 2028 with the anniversary screening, and other guests will join the event. Dates have yet to be announced.

"At EIFF we are always thinking about the future and what's next. So we jumped at an opportunity like this, to plant the seeds for a celebration of a legendary, much-loved film at our festival, a film featuring Scotland and some of the most iconic stars of Bollywood cinema on screen. We can't wait for what promises to be something truly special for our 81st edition in 2028. But in the meantime, watch this space for more news of our 80th next August," said EIFF CEO and festival director Paul Ridd.

Before the Bollywood milestone, the festival reaches its own: the 80th edition runs Aug. 12–18, 2027. Submissions for that edition open in January, with further details promised in the coming months.

The milestone follows the festival's revival in 2024 under Ridd and festival producer Emma Boa, with backing from Screen Scotland. For a festival rebuilding its calendar, anchoring 2028 to a film that put Scottish castles into millions of Indian living rooms is a shrewd piece of programming — and it pairs a cultural anniversary with a live industrial pitch for co-production.