It could be the ultimate street-to-silverscreen tale. A production company is searching Mumbai's railway platforms, flyovers and chawls for four street urchins, aged between 16 and 22, to star in a Bollywood thriller.
"We wanted to make a film about the travails of street children. In order to make an authentic movie we wanted to use four among them," said Mahesh Ramanathan, chief operating officer of Percept Picture Company, which has also produced Malamaal Weekly and Home Delivery.
Thousands of youngsters run away to Mumbai every year just for a job or dreaming of becoming the next Shah Rukh Khan. Ramanathan said they were drawing up a shortlist of about 15 youngsters and should identify the chosen four by the end of April. They will play the lead roles in Kabootar, a story about street children's daily lives, their struggle for survival and their run-ins with criminal gangs. The movie is expected to be completed by September.
"Kabootar will be a commercial film," said Ramanathan. "It is not cinema with a cause. It is going to be a very gripping thriller."
{{/usCountry}}"Kabootar will be a commercial film," said Ramanathan. "It is not cinema with a cause. It is going to be a very gripping thriller."
{{/usCountry}}He declined to say how much the youngsters would be paid but added: "We will ensure that they don't live on the streets anymore."