No Crowe ’s feet in Bollywood!

It couldn’t have got better than this! Russell Crowe doing a Bollywood movie titled Amrit Kumbh. And that too with Kolkata’s very own Paoli in the lead.
Soon as the reports were out, TOI got in touch with Russell Crowe’s agent, George Freeman’s office at William Morris Endeavor in the US, on the star’s reaction to being a part of a Bollywood film.
On Thursday morning, we received an e-mail from Jack Donaldson, office of George Freeman, William Morris Endeavor, saying that the report was ‘unfortunately erroneous’.Next, we got in touch with director Sudipto Sen about his claims of directing Crowe. Says Sen, “We were trying to approach him. But we didn’t get the dates since he is busy for the next two years. Besides, I don’t think we can afford him either. Crowe was on our wishlist. He was just right to play the film’s protagonist John Wonders, who is a German-born American writer in search of immortality at the Kumbh Mela. We are now zeroing in on German actor Thomas Kretschmann. But as of now, he is still not on board.”
As far as his film goes, Sen says it’s a remake of Dilip Roy’s Amrita Kumbher Sandhane based on Samaresh Basu’s work. Roy’s film had Subhendu Chatterjee, Aparna Sen, Bhanu Bandopadhyay, Samit Bhanja and Ruma Guha Thakurta in the cast. “Last July, I had paid Rs 5 lac to buy the copyright from Samaresh Basu’s son. My first choice is Paoli to play the role that was essayed by Aparna Sen in the original. I’m also considering Padmapriya for this role. While Divya Dutta has been finalised to play a hooker (Putul), Prem Chopra will play a zamindar. Raghubir Yadav will play the baul and Farida Jalal has been considered to play ‘dimma’.”
Says associate director Abhinav Shiv Tiwari, “Subrat Dutta is playing the role that was played by Samit Bhanja in the original. That apart, there is Yashpal Sharma who is playing Subrat’s uncle. Tisca Chopra will be playing a lady whose husband has deserted her. Piyush Mishra is playing the role of a dying man who has lost his daughter. Shooting for the film will begin end-May. Two camerapersons are already in Haridwar to shoot some portions of the film. Christo Bakalov, cinematographer of Rang Rasiya and Samsara, is the DOP of AK.”
While Divya Dutta has confirmed that she’ll be doing the film, Subrat says, “I was offered the role and given the script in November. But I don’t know the final status of the project.” Tisca Chopra too admits to being approached. “I was texted recently. Though I like the script, I haven’t signed on anything yet. All I know is that they are trying to get the project off ground,” says Tisca.
Though it might still take some more years for Bollywood to get imprints of Crowe’s feet, it remains to be seen who slips into his shoes.
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