Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting British counterpart, Keir Starmer, on Thursday enjoyed a musical rendition of hit single Sapphire.
The song, a cross-cultural collaboration between UK singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and Indian playback star Arijit Singh, was reinterpreted by local musicians who gave a classical Indian touch, with instruments like the Sitar, tabla, and others.
The performance, which instantly became a viral moment online, featured traditional Indian instruments such as the sitar, tabla, violin and harmonium. The musicians deftly infused the pop track's melody with a soulful, classical essence, much to the visible delight of both world leaders.
Modi later shared a video of the rendition on X, praising the effort as a celebration of bilateral friendship. "Wonderful rendition of Ed Sheeran & Arijit Singh's 'Sapphire,' which is a great example of India-UK cultural partnership!" he wrote.
Wonderful rendition of Ed Sheeran & Arijit Singh's Sapphire, which is a great example of India-UK cultural partnership! pic.twitter.com/aLtx5WyiXT
October 9, 2025Released in June 2025, Sapphire is a fusion track blending Western pop sensibilities with distinct South Asian, including Punjabi, musical influences. The song was released as the third single from Sheeran's eighth studio album, Play, in June 2025.
Keir Starmer Visits YRF
Starmer on Wednesday visited the Yash Raj Films Studios in suburban Andheri and announced that major Indian production houses, including the YRF, will make movies across locations in the UK by next year. Three new Bollywood films will be made in the United Kingdom from next year, he announced.
The British PM, on a two-day visit to India, was accompanied by a delegation of his country's film industry, including representatives of the British Film Institute, British Film Commission, Pinewood Studios, Elstree Studios and Civic Studios. Flying in from London earlier in the day, Starmer drove to the YRF Studios amid heavy police security.
He met several Indian producers, including YRF CEO Akshaye Widhani, actor Rani Mukerji, Dinesh Vijan from Maddock Films, Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment and Apoorva Mehta of Dharma Productions, and Producers Guild of India President Shibasish Sarkar, among others.
YRF has confirmed plans to bring their major productions to locations across the United Kingdom from early 2026, creating over 3,000 jobs and boosting the economy by millions of pounds, Starmer said.
The film production and distribution company, known for movies such as Kabhi Kabhie, Chandni, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Darr, Dhoom, Veer Zaara, Ek Tha Tiger, War, and Pathaan, was founded by the late filmmaker Yash Chopra in 1970. He built the YRF Studios in Andheri in 2005.
The UK film industry contributes 12 billion pounds a year to the economy and supports 90,000 jobs across every region of the country. It is a sought-after destination for international filmmakers, thanks to its world-leading studio infrastructure and iconic backdrops, the British High Commission said in its statement.
Past Indian productions have yielded global hits. Cross-cultural hit film 'Slumdog Millionaire' brought in around 300 million pounds to the UK economy, on a budget of just 12 million pounds, highlighting what's possible when UK's technical expertise and Indian storytelling unite, it added.
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