Shyam Benegal wants Bebo for film on Noor Inayat Khan

Feb 11, 2014 - Pramita Bose

"Initially, we acquired a producer from Europe but that unfortunately backfired in want of a right kind of budget. So we are now working out the logistics to probably pitch in as a co-production unit and tie up with a big distribution company," he says.

Asked if he has zeroed in on any actress who he thinks can fit the bill to essay an author-backed role like Noor's, the director promptly replies: "Yeah, there have been several people on my mind from Britain, France and India too. But one face that can perfectly suit the character to the tee is Kareena Kapoor. That would be an apt casting in my opinion. For Noor was a beautiful, slender girl with nice features. Kareena looks a lot like her." Quite a casting coup that'd be. Interestingly, 12 years ago her sister Karisma Kapoor had essayed the title role in Benegal's much critically-appreciated movie Zubeidaa.
Also slated to reel an epic musical titled Chamki Chameli, inspired by George Bizet's classic Spanish opera Carmen, Benegal saab informs that "at the moment, the subject is yet again sitting as a script on my desk. But that doesn't mean the film has been shelved forever. Fact is, movies like these do cost a fortune. Look, I wanted to make this almost a dozen years ago and had come quite close to laying down its spadework. But it could never get off the ground. While a certain genre of films will always find takers to be funded on a hefty budget, projects like these suffer much difficulty in procuring a producer. But this particular film I feel should cater to the interest of a large section of audience."
The story revolves around Chamki, a beautiful gypsy girl with a fiery temper. Written by Shama Zaidi, the music is scored by A. R. Rahman and lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar.