AR Rahman’s daughter Khatija Rahman to make her international debut as a music director with the UK-India co-production Lioness

A poster was unveiled at the IFFI Film Bazaar Knowledge Series Panel.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

November 22, 2023 - 11:40 AM IST

Lioness, the first official UK-India co-production film by writer-director Kajri Babbar, revealed its first poster at the IFFI Film Bazaar. The event was attended by Mr. Prithul Kumar, Joint Secretary Films and NFDC; Agnieszka Moody, head of International Relations at BFI; and actress Aditi Rao Hydari during the Knowledge Series Panel discussion on the co-production journey of both countries.

AR Rahman’s daughter Khatija Rahman to make her international debut as a music director with the UK-India co-production Lioness

"Thrilled and honoured to be a part of Lioness. I connected deeply with the film's values from the moment I heard its compelling story and the reason behind bringing her story to life. Our aspiration is to ensure that Princess Sophia's struggle receives the long-overdue recognition it truly deserves" said Khatija.

Lioness narrates the story of two women who lived a century apart. The first chronicle revolves around the Suffragette Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, the granddaughter of Maharajah Ranjit Singh and the god-daughter of Queen Victoria. This role will be portrayed by the prominent British-Asian actress Paige Sandhu. The second story introduces a fictional character, Simranjeet Kaur, living in Southall in the early 1990s, to be played by renowned Indian actress Aditi Rao Hydari.

Apart from Aditi Rao Hydari and Paige Sandhu, the cast of Lioness features an impressive lineup of established actors from both India and the UK. Highly experienced professionals from both countries form a formidable team for the film. Lioness will commence principal production in the first quarter of next year, aiming for a global release in early 2025.

Lioness is actively backed and supported by both NFDC in India and BFI in the UK. The film is produced by Shahnaab Alam, an established producer from India credited for several acclaimed films, and Vaishalli Paatil, an established producer from the UK. It is backed by Executive Producers Clare Cahill and Peter Bance.

The international debut of Khatija Rahman as the Music Director is marked by Lioness. In 2020, Khatija released her first independent single, 'Farishton', a meditative and mesmerizing piece promoting solidarity, cultural harmony, and the acceptance of diversity. This single was composed and produced by her father, the renowned maestro A.R. Rahman. Khatija's past collaborations include featuring alongside various artists on Grammy Award-winning composer and environmentalist Ricky Kej's song Iltaja, conveying a message of sustainability. Recently, she collaborated with Arivu for the widely circulated hit track 'Sagavaasi' for Coke Studio Tamil 2023 edition.

Currently, Khatija Rahman is working on scoring her Tamil feature film titled Minmini.