We Bring Light Documentary

The Diwali celebrations in Leicester are the largest in the world outside of India, attracting crowds of over 50,000 people. For over 40 years, they have been a dazzling spectacle of community, culture and enduring light, and Diwali 2025 saw the release of our new film We Bring Light: Leicester’s Diwali Legacy.

We Bring Light captures the history of where the celebrations began, the scale of what they have become today, and the importance of preserving these traditions for future generations.

Directing this short documentary has been a labour of love, supported by the amazing teams at Inspirate and Rendah Films — and, of course, our incredible producer, Jasmine Man. We travelled the length of Leicester’s Golden Mile, filming at well-known locations such as Akash Odedra Company Studios and Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre, and drawing on historical archives from Leicester City Council. In recent years, uncertainty has surrounded the festival, following the cancellation of the switch-on event in 2024 and the removal of the renowned stage entertainment and fireworks display from the 2025 programme. This feels like a crucial moment to release the film and shine a light on how the festival connects generations and continues to shape Leicester’s cultural identity.

The Golden Mile – Beth Walsh Photography

As with much of my work, I aimed to bring a storytelling feel to the documentary, and Ranjan Saujani does a beautiful job of transporting us back in time. Near the end of the film, Ranjan talks about South Asian people arriving in this country, not knowing whether they were British, Indian or African, and how festivals like Diwali have made Leicester feel like home. It’s a sentiment that resonates with me profoundly as a second-generation immigrant and someone with a mixed ethnic background.

We Bring Light is about community, heritage, legacy, identity. Everyone who has been part of the Diwali celebrations over the years has contributed to something incredibly special and I hope that we’ve captured a little slice of history, and a little bit of that Leicester Diwali magic with this film.