Rajeev Masand – movies that matter : from bollywood, hollywood and everywhere else

HERE FIRST!

If Ranbir Kapoor harbors any crossover ambitions, Mira Nair might be his means to fulfill them.

I have it on good authority that the Monsoon Wedding director has approached Ranbir to star as the lead in her next film, an adaptation of Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid’s acclaimed book, The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

The film will be produced by a Hollywood studio and will be shot in English.

Ranbir meanwhile, is yet to get back to Mira about his interest in the project. The actor has been asked to read the book so he can decide if he might be interested in starring in the film.

Lahore-based author Mohsin Hamid’s novel was published in 2007, and deals with a Pakistani protagonist’s love affair with, and eventual abandonment of America.

Mira has revealed that she was drawn to the project for a very specific reason: “There have been many films made post-9/11 about the War, about Iraq, about Afghanistan, about this part of our world, also about terrorism… But they’re always seen from the Western point of view, almost never from our point of view. And this film seeks to look at that, but from this part of the world, from Pakistan’s perspective… About how America can be re-examined.” She has explained: “We always used to think that America was the dream, that was the promise, but this film seeks to look at what is happening in the world today in a different way.”

The filmmaker, of course, is no stranger to personal stories about identity, and more specifically, the American dream. Her 2006 adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s book, The Namesake earned strong reviews both in India and the West, and became Irrfan Khan’s calling card to international success.

Ranbir Kapoor, meanwhile, appears to have his plate full in Bollywood. Following the release of Anjaana Anjaani on October 1, the actor will go back to completing Imtiaz Ali’s musical (tentatively titled Rockstar) which is scheduled to release next year. He is committed to starring in Anurag Basu’s Silence in which he plays a deaf-mute character opposite Priyanka Chopra’s mentally challenged character. That film will begin shooting in November. He will also start Wake Up Sid director Ayan Mukherji’s road-movie early next year.

The actor is currently sifting through offers, which include Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milka Bhaag, a biopic of athlete Milka Singh; and Sajid Khan’s superhero film.