Sold on India

Oscar-winning documentary film-maker Jeffrey D Brown gets the best of Bollywood and Hollywood together for a film on Mumbai’s brothels.

It may well be the next Slumdog Millionaire. Oscar-winning film-maker Jeffrey D Brown is heading to India in March 2011, to make a film on the life of sex-workers in the brothels of Mumbai. And it’s no run of the mill documentary.
Co-produced by Oscar-winner Emma Thompson, the film will star Bollywood actors Nandita Das, Om Puri and Shabana Azmi along with Hollywood actors David Arquette and Gillian Anderson. Also, stars such as Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Edward Norton have agreed to do cameos.

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According to a film official, Indian film-maker Anurag Kashyap will also be working on Sold. “Our budget is around $4 million (Rs 18 crore) and Jeffrey is really excited about filming in India. In recent times, many films based on India have received International recognition, so we are trying our luck,” says a source from the film.

Newcomer Anant Narrayan, who has been signed on for the film, says, “Yes, I am doing the project. Jeffrey told me about it and I fell in love with the script.” However, he refuses to divulge any details, as all the cast members are currently bound by contract.

Based on a novel by Patricia McCormick of the same title, Sold tells the story of a 13-year-old girl from Nepal, who ends up in a Mumbai brothel. “We’re still looking for the lead, we plan to hold auditions in India and Nepal early next year. The film will be shot extensively in Mumbai, Darjeeling and Nepal next year,” the source adds.