Showing posts with label Mixed-Bag. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mixed-Bag. Show all posts

Rushdie wants Imran Khan as his Hero

Thursday, January 15, 2009 |

Now here's something interesting. If reports are to be believed, Imran Khan is all set to play the role of Saleem Sinai in the adaptation of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children.

Photo - Imran Khan

Deepa Mehta is to direct the movie.

"My friend Rushdie will take an active part in casting for the film. He will also look into who plays Saleem, and quite approves of Imran. He is yet to meet Imran though, to take a final call," Deepa was quoted by Mumbai Mirror as having said.

Saleem Sinai, arguably one of Rushdie's most memorable characters, is snot-nosed and the choice of the chocolate boy Imran is bound to ruffle many feathers.

But Rushdie, known to be one to stir the hornet's nest, seems taken in by Imran's glam quotient.

"… if an actor is good and suited to the role he plays, then his popularity will only add to the film's equity," Deepa told the paper.

Interestingly, this is not Rushdie's first attempt at adapting the book. Decades ago he was hoping to produce a series but could not shoot in India. A very young Rahul Bose and Ayesha Dharker were supposed to play the lead roles.

Tapan Sinha, the much awarded maker of critically acclaimed films like ‘Uphaar’ and ‘Sagina Mahato’, died in Kolkata on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He was 84.

http://www.bollywood.com/files/images/tapansinha.jpg

Sinha, who won 19 National Awards in various categories and was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievement last year, passed away at the Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in south Kolkata where he had been admitted Dec 6.

"Sinha died early Thursday at the hospital. He was suffering from acute bronco-pneumonia and was on life support system," a hospital spokesperson told reporters.

"His pulse rates were very low and he had stopped responding to medication since Wednesday night," the spokesperson added.

Apart from winning laurels at home, the veteran filmmaker also won several awards in international film festivals like those in Berlin, Venice, London, Moscow, San Francisco and Locarno.

His films include "Ankush", 'Ek Doctor Ki Maut', 'Safed Haathi' and 'Kabuliwala'. May his Soul rest in peace.