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From Jeppody at Johnny Depp Reads found at Gulf News
(excerpt)
On discussing Shantaram with the director, Mira Nair.Will the movie have songs?
Johnny is a good singer, and I have him singing a Hindi film song in a scene. Based on the story, he will also do an "item number" as a Bollywood extra.
From the Times of India
Shantaram is definitely on: Mira
17 Dec 2007
“The problem with us is, the minute we’re nominated we act like we’ve already won an Oscar,” says Mira Nair.
(excerpt)Q: There are reports that your other ambitious project, Shantaram , with Johnny Depp and Amitabh Bachchan, has been shelved. What happened?
A: It’s all untrue and I found it funny when reports said the film has been shelved because we couldn’t afford Johnny Depp. In fact, it was Johnny who came to me suggesting we make a film together and he’s the actual producer of the film. So, Shantaram is definitely on, but it’s on-hold at moment because of the on-going writers’ strike in Hollywood. We were supposed to get going on February 2, but now I guess it’ll take some more time to get started.Q: A lot of fans are excited about Shantaram , so can you tell us more about the project?
A: Yeah, a lot of people have been pleased with the idea of seeing two mega stars together on screen. So now, in spite of all the problems, we’ve doubly resolved that no matter what, Shantaram will hit celluloid. Johnny will be playing Shantaram, who goes on to become an extra in Bollywood. We’re also making him do a Hindi number in the film, because Johnny has an amazing singing voice. There’s also an item song. Let me also clarify that Amitabh is still very committed to the film. We’ll be shooting the film in India and New Mexico.Q: Indian films, including your own, are being nominated to the Oscars. So have ‘Indian films arrived on the global scene’ as most people say?
A: The problem with us is, the minute we’re nominated we act like we’ve already won an Oscar. Arrey, the Oscars ask for a film from every country, so just send a film — that doesn’t mean it’s the chosen one for the award. Half the people here don’t even realise the meaning of being chosen to represent your country at the Oscars! Back in 1989, when my film Salaam Mumbai was selected, I was literally running around with a typewriter telling people, “ Bhaiyya zara yeh form tho bharke de dijeye .” And they’d sit over it without even realising its importance! In India, you have to pander to the egos of people choosing films and I don’t play that kind of politics. We’ve got to wake up and realise that it’s not about sending any damn film — you’ve got to choose the right horse.
From Variety
'Shantaram' latest strike casualty
By MICHAEL FLEMING, MICHAEL FLEMING, ANNE THOMPSONThe writers strike claimed another casualty Monday as Warner Bros. called off a February production start on "Shantaram," the Mira Nair-directed adaptation of the Gregory David Roberts novel that was to star Johnny Depp.
Depp, who is producing the film with Graham King, hoped to spend the winter playing an Australian heroin addict who escapes a maximum-security prison, reinvents himself as a doctor in the slums of India and eventually uses gun-running and counterfeiting skills to fight against the invading Russian troops in Afghanistan. Abhishek Bachchan was also set to star.
Though Eric Roth was rewriting right up to the start of the writers strike in an attempt to bring down the pic's pricetag, insiders attributed the postponement partly to script considerations, but also to other factors, such as the onset of monsoon season in India, and a snag over how much time Depp would spend shooting there versus New Mexico, where part of the film will be shot.
"Shantaram" follows the Ron Howard-directed Tom Hanks starrer "Angels & Demons" and the Oliver Stone-directed Bruce Willis starrer "Pinkville" as high-profile films whose imminent production starts were postponed because their sponsoring studios decided they couldn't overcome logistical or script problems that are exacerbated by the Writers Guild of America strike and looming expirations of the Directors Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild contracts next June.
Several other films were rumored to be on the bubble.
WB, Nair, King and Depp plan to make "Shantaram" as soon as they can, sources said.
Pic has been a top studio priority since Depp's zeal prompted WB to pay $2 million for the book. The project has survived several bumps on the development road, including the exit of director Peter Weir because his vision didn't match that of Depp and King.
From Dnaindia
Depp’s date with Bachchan
Soumyadipta Banerjee
Friday, September 28, 2007 03:56 ISTIf ‘true rumours’ are to be believed, then Hollywood actor Johnny Depp will be in town in a few weeks for a hush-hush sojourn of Mumbai.
But before him, Gregory ‘Shantaram’ Roberts is slated to touch down. “I’ll be back in Mumbai on October 15 and will be there at Leopold’s for a couple of hours,” Greg told After Hours by email.
Gregory is the author of the acclaimed bestselling autobiography ‘Shantaram’ which has caught the imagination of filmmaker Mira Nair. The movie version will have Amitabh Bachchan playing ‘Kader bhai’, an underworld don.
Johnny Depp will be cast as Shantaram, the hero of the movie, who comes to India after fleeing a jail in Australia. The film revolves around Shantaram and his ‘true’ adventures in Mumbai which also takes him to the underworld and get him arrested.
Depps first visit is basically expected to be an acclimatisation tour — to get introduced to people and get a feel of the locations. The actual shooting, say sources, is likely to start only later.
According to Greg, the official date for the muhurat of the film has been set for early next year. “The official date for the start of the movie version of ‘Shantaram’, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Johnny Depp has been set for January 19, 2008,” he says.
According to sources, the itinerary of Depp will include visits to the café which Greg used to frequent and the slum where he used to stay.
Depp is also expected to be a guest of Bachchan at his bungalow, Jalsa. Even though Mira Nair was not available for comment, it is believed that she too will be in town during the same period.
The cost of the movie has been pegged at $100 million, making it one of the costliest film ever done by Bachchan. Depp will be flown to Mumbai and Goa for the shoot, which also includes “some shots in the slums”. Mira Nair has reportedly scouted and fixed some locations in Goa and Mumbai.
From Emma found at Screen Daily
Screen DailyAfter whirlwind Toronto, Nair heads to Mumbai for Shantaram
Wendy Mitchell in Toronto
09 Sep 2007 09:00New York-based director Mira Nair left Toronto Saturday night after a short 24-hour visit to the festival – she’s now in Mumbai preparing for her largest film yet, Shantaram.
The $100m project, for Warner Bros with Graham King’s GK Films producing and Plan B on board, starts shooting Jan 19 for what she estimates will be at least 75-80 days.
The book is set in Australia, India and Afghanistan, and Nair says that India is the only confirmed location so far. “In America I have to orchestrate the chaos, in India I just film it. It’s so visceral and lively.”
Johnny Depp and Amitabh Bachchan will star. Eric Roth adapted Gregory David Roberts's book about a former drug addict who works with children in Bombay.
Nair was in Toronto for the world premiere of the AIDS JaaGO project, comprised of four short films about AIDS and HIV by Indian directors Nair, Vishal Bhardwarj, Santosh Sivan and Farhan Akhtar. Each film features top Indian stars.
The project was pulled together by Nair’s Mirabai Films and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
“Toronto is a great way to launch it, but I’m also really looking forward to launching it in earnest in India on World AIDS Day, December 1,” Nair said. The multi-strand release in India will include a trailer shown in most Indian cinemas, a TV broadcast and DVD releases.
She says the star power of the shorts should help draw awareness to the AIDS problem on the Indian subcontinent. “Movies are like temples and actors and actresses are like God, people eat and drink movies in India."
“They are entertainment, not a bore, and they have stars, so we’re investigating the commercial viability,” Nair told Screen. “I’d love to finance another four and then release those eight together as a feature.”
The project has been a personal passion for Nair. “I spent part of my year in New York, and part of my year in Uganda, so I have direct encounters with AIDS. With India’s population, we’re headed for a pandemic in 12 years if we don’t do something.”
Also, Nair’s first film as executive producer, Little Zizou, is in post-production now for delivery by December.
