Mahabharat revisited

[Guest guest]

"Ashok Chowgule" <ashokvc@g...> wrote:

 

Mahabharat revisited

Author: Afsana Ahmed

 

Publication: The Times of India

 

June 11, 2005

 

URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1139055.cms

 

 

 

Filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh plans to rope in actors Dimple Kapadia and

Shabana Azmi for his film based on the epic

 

 

 

>From the relative obscurity of regional films, filmmaker Rituparno

Ghosh

has entered the very heart of Bollywood. He has signed on actors

Aishwarya Rai, Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan and Soha Ali Khan for

his

films. Now, the National Award winning director has staged a coup of

sorts. He's making a bilingual film based on the Mahabharata.

 

 

 

Ghosh has come up with an ensemble cast. If everything goes well,

Ghosh

will sign two seasoned actress, Dimple Kapadia and Shabana Azmi, to

play

the blind-folded Gandhari and Pandav's wife Kunti respectively. "I

have

always wanted to make the Mahabharat. It will be a simple story, seen

through the eyes of the women in the epic. So women play an integral

part in this film," he explains

 

 

 

And is Aishwarya Rai, his favourite actor, playing Draupadi? "No, I

am

planning to scout an Asian actress from abroad. Most of my cast will

be

from Asia," he says.

 

 

 

Though Ghosh is busy with Dosar, a Bengali film with infidelity as

the

theme, starring his two favourite actors, Prosenjit and Konkona Sen,

he

has his team busy with the research work of Mahabharata. "It takes a

lot

to put things together for such a film. A lot of research is going

into

it. I plan to begin shooting in less than a year's time. I'll be

focussing on the personal relationships of the characters in the

epic. I

won't be judgmental about the characters. There won't be any heroes

or

villains in my film," he explains.

 

 

 

On his choice of actors, he says, "I'm very fond of Dimple. I

approached

her and she seemed keen. So she asked me to get my script in place

and

show it to her. I am doing that. And as for casting Shabana in

Kunti's

role, I think she fits the bill perfectly."

 

 

 

Dimple, on her part, is gradually getting back to doing more films.

In

all probability, she'll give the green signal to this mega project,

as

she has wanted to work with the likes of Ghosh. When contacted,

Dimple,

who's out of the country, said, "I need to speak to him before I

talk to

anybody."

--- End forwarded message ---