Ed Sheeran’s fondness for India is no secret. From spending time with Bollywood stars to teaming up with celebrated Indian singers, the global music sensation has built a warm connection with the country.
Recently, the Shape of You hitmaker made headlines again when he shared a fascinating comparison between Shah Rukh Khan’s blockbuster Om Shanti Om and George Lucas’ legendary franchise Star Wars.
The British singer-songwriter sat down with Zane Lowe on his YouTube channel, where he spoke about travelling across cultures and his experiences filming in India. During the conversation, he brought up his admiration for Indian cinema, particularly Om Shanti Om, which he likened to the thrill of being introduced to Star Wars for the very first time.
Ed Sheeran On His Indian Tour And Filming Sapphire
Reflecting on his recent trip, Sheeran revealed that he spent a month in India shooting the music video for Sapphire, a track from his eighth studio album Play. He and Arijit Singh explored multiple locations across the country, capturing India’s vibrant diversity.
“What was interesting about doing the whole India tour was that the only reason we were there was to shoot the music video. We thought that we needed to go all over the country and shoot a little bit everywhere. I love that every hundred miles, the culture, language, food, fashion, rhythms, and all of it changed,” Sheeran explained. He went on to praise the artistic richness of India, saying, “Everywhere we went something was more interesting. There are also talents there that have existed for decades that you would not know about.”
During his trip, Sheeran was spotted taking auto rides, wandering through West Bengal with Arijit, and even surprising locals with street performances in Hyderabad. He described the experience as some of the “most amazing days” of his career.
Om Shanti Om Compared To Star Wars
The singer’s praise didn’t stop at his travel experiences. Sheeran turned his focus to Bollywood’s storytelling power, citing Shah Rukh Khan’s 2007 film Om Shanti Om. “It’s a wealth of discovery of movies, and someone going like, ‘Oh, have you seen this movie?’ Have you seen Om Shanti Om? It’s like a really big Shah Rukh Khan movie, and it has amazing songs and dances in it,” he said.
Drawing a parallel with Hollywood’s cult classic, Sheeran continued, “This is a weird analogy, but it is almost like introducing Star Wars to someone for the first time, and they just go like, ‘What the f** is this?’ There are superstars in the same country singing in different languages.”
Directed by Farah Khan, Om Shanti Om featured Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone (in her Bollywood debut), Arjun Rampal, and Kirron Kher. The film became a cultural milestone with its mix of drama, romance, and reincarnation, cementing SRK’s legacy as Bollywood’s biggest star.
