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Danny Boyle-Anurag Kashyap film on course
Bombay Velvet could start after 2012 Olympics, Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle also wishes for a Slumdog Millionaire musical.
Slumdog Millionaire
(2008) made him a household name. And in the two years since this little film swept the Oscars, everyone in India has been waiting for Danny Boyle to return to the City of Dreams. Boyle was reportedly in talks with director Anurag Kashyap and actor Aamir Khan for
Bombay Velvet
that he was to produce. Quiz him on the project to be filmed in Mumbai and he says, “I want to work with Anurag but I got busy with
127 Hours
. It’s a challenging film for a big studio and only the phenomenal success of
Slumdog Millionaire
allowed us to make it.”
Now, till July 2012, he’s tied up with
28 Months Later
and the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Only after that will Boyle start working on anything new and one of those projects is
Bombay Velvet
.
“Anurag is working on the script. I haven’t heard from him in a few weeks. Once things are settled, I’ll come down to Mumbai to talk things over,” says Boyle.
His
Slumdog Millionaire
star-host, Anil Kapoor, wants Boyle to direct a film for his production house too. While he admits he’s not good with business, Boyle would definitely like to collaborate with Kapoor on another project. “He’s a talented, knowledgeable and a phenomenally-successful actor who knows about market swings. I’ve made 10 films, he’s made 200,” Boyle reasons.
AR Rahman is another favourite. Boyle insists that his double Oscar-winning composer should have won a Golden Globe this year for his
127 Hours
score. “What’s heartening is that our film has been nominated for eight Oscars,” he exults. Is there the possibility of a
Slumdog Millionaire
sequel happening? “More than a sequel, a musical would be more feasible. All those songs would make for a terrific show and a wonderful evening,” he enthuses.
Boyle would like to work with Rahman on more projects. Is there a likelihood of them coming together for the 2012 Olympics? “That would depend on the how busy AR is then, you can’t book him so much in advance. At the moment, we are only working on preliminary ideas. By the summer, we should have some clue of what we want,” he says.
For now, Boyle’s focus is
127 Hours
, the real-life story of a mountaineer, Aron Ralston, injured during a climb and his incredible fight for survival. Boyle describes his muse as “supportive and gracious” and says that while they stayed true to the emotional details, Aron was noble enough to let them experiment and is now promoting the film.
What is the most courageous thing Boyle’s ever done? “For me it’s important to bring up my kids well, the way my dad did. Today, dad’s old, ailing and in a nursing home,” he sighs. “You don’t need courage only when trapped by a boulder. With family you need it more.”
