MUMBAI: One of Hollywood’s most distinguished producers Barrie M Osborne who has produced the ‘Lord Of The Rings’ series, is all set to produce a film starring and directed by Kamal Haasan.
The Osborne-Kamal collaboration was initiated when Osborne watched Kamal Haasan’s latest film ‘Vishwaroop’ and apparently fell in love with the film. That’s when Osborne proposed that Kamal Haasan do a film for him.
Says a source, “Right after the screening in LA earlier this month Barrie asked Kamal to find a script , direct it and star in it. Initially Kamal brushed it off. But Barrie was persistent, so much so that Kamal had to consider the offer very seriously. He has now zeroed-in on a subject which he will make for Barrie. The producer known for his big-budgeted Hollywood productions such as ‘Dick Tracy’, ‘The Big Chill’ and ‘Fandango’ (the film that apparently inspired ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’) has liked the script suggested by Kamal Haasan. Details for the production including locations are now being worked out.
Interestingly Barrie Osborne is a producer on The Great Gatsby, the new adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel where the Big B in all his modesty, claims to have done a cameo. But Kamal Haasan who has known the Big B well when they worked in Geraftaar together, brushes off the the senior actor’s claim. “His role in The Great Gatsby is certainly not small. Bachchan Saab has a pivotal role. He plays the conduit between the two heroes . It may be small in terms of footage but it’s a prominent part in the terms of impact , far more so than my friends Om Puri in ‘Wolf’ or Anil Kapoor in ‘Mission Impossible’.”
Says Kamal Haasan, “It’s really not the right time to talk about it. But yes Osborne saw ‘Vishwaroop’ and suggested we do something together. I’ll talk about it after ‘Vishwaroop’ is released.” Osborne on his part, can’t stop raving about Kamal Haasan and Vishwaroop. Says the Hollywood moghul, “I love Kamal’s acting, writing and directing.I loved the integrity of the film.The story is surprising and exciting.It gets you right into the movie and then keeps you off-balance.”
The Kamal-Big B-Osborne project could be the biggest Hollywood-Bollywood tie-up yet.
