More stars from Bollywood continue to break barriers.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Bollywood actors are continuing to make their way into mainstream Hollywood features. Last week, actor Madhavan of 3 Idiots fame, signed on to co-star in a 3D prequel to the 1968 horror classic Night of the Living Dead, while actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor auditioned for a key role in the next Pirates of the Caribbean film.
The Night of the Living Dead prequel is being produced by Simon West, a producer/director who’s well known for the relatively low-budget but high-grossing action films Con Air (1997), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), and the two The Expendables films, both of which became massive hits in the past couple of years.
Madhavan said in a statement: “It’s a great introduction to American cinema, working with Simon West and his team. He’s made and continues to make some of the most exciting and thrilling films out of Hollywood. I am honored to be working alongside him. I am also thrilled to be in this 3D re-imagining of the cult-classic Night of The Living Dead.”
Sonam Kapoor, on the other hand, was apparently asked by her father to audition for the Pirates role. The producers of the film, Jerry Bruckheimer (Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Armageddon) and Walt Disney Studios, reached out to Indian talent agencies since they are apparently seeking a south Asian actress for a particular role. When word of this reached Anil Kapoor, he immediately notified his daughter about the fantastic opportunity.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has become one of Hollywood’s most lucrative. Based on a Walt Disney World theme park ride, 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl became a surprise box office success and earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for Johnny Depp, whose career the film essentially revived. The film spawned three sequels – 2006’s Dead Man’s Chest, 2007’s At World’s End, and 2011’s On Stranger Tides – which were all blockbusters despite not receiving the same critical adoration that the first film did. Despite star Depp’s apparent hesitance to return to the franchise, it appears that a fifth installment, as yet unnamed, is scheduled for release in 2015.
Other recent Bollywood actors to make a splash in Hollywood include Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi) and Tabu (The Namesake, Life of Pi).
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com