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Is The Lunchbox's Ritesh Batra working with Johnny Depp?
Ritesh Batra, the director of The Lunchbox has apparently been in talks with a few film studios in the US for his upcoming project. Reportedley, he has even met Johnny Depp. Irrfan Khan clears the air.
After making a widely acclaimed directorial debut - The Lunchbox - in India, looks like Ritesh Batra is now set to create waves internationally. The director of the Nimrat Kaur and Irrfan Khan-starrer has apparently been in talks with a few film studios in the US for his upcoming project.
Rumours suggest that he even had a meeting with Hollywood star Johnny Depp, who watched his debut film and loved it.
Although Ritesh couldn’t be reached for a comment, Irrfan — who also co-produced The Lunchbox — confirmed that the director is on to "something big".
"Ritesh has been travelling to Hollywood; he has been offered many films. I don’t exactly know whether he has had a word with Johnny Depp, but he has definitely been offered a big film with huge stars," says Irrfan.
After getting a small release in India, Ritesh’s film was screened at several festivals — such as the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival — where it went on to grab the attention of the international media and film fraternity, and earn global acclaim.
Irrfan adds, "I don’t know who those people are, but Ritesh is in talks with a big studio. He has got a lot of recognition in the west. Having said that, if we lose Ritesh to Hollywood, it will be our loss. We won’t be able to cash in on his talent."
Meanwhile, back home, insiders have been suggesting that Ritesh’s next is a drama set in Mumbai. Other reports have claimed that he is in talks to direct an adaptation of the award-winning novel, The Sense of An Ending, by Julian Barnes.
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