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[Tim007]

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In April 2003 CommanderBond.net reported the first time thatt Indian actress Ashwarya Rai was going to play a Bond girl in Bond 21. The rumours were denied by both EON and Ashwarya Rai's agent some weeks later.

In today's "Times of India" and several other Indian news sources the rumour mill is opened again:

Aishwarya Rai has agreed to appear in the next James Bond film if its producers agree to use a body double for the sex scenes with Pierce Brosnan, who plays secret agent 007. Rai was asked to play Brosnan's romantic interest in the still untitled film, the 21st in the Bond series, but she has insisted she will take the role only if a look-alike is drafted in for the inevitable sex scenes. She told the British press that her strict upbringing meant there was no question of her doing anything saucy. "I've said I will do the film if there is a body double. The producers have said they will have to ask Pierce," she said. She said the Bond offer came after she bumped into Brosnan at a party. "He walked over to me and said he had seen me on the cover of Time magazine," she said. "I could hardly say anything at first but then my friend started talking and told Pierce how much he loved his trademark intro, 'The name's Bond, James Bond'. "Pierce kept looking at me and the next thing was the casting agent for the film got in touch and asked if I would like to be a Bond girl." Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is said to be keen to cast a Bollywood actress to increase Bond's appeal in Asia. Reports said two other Indian actresses Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta had been approached to appear in the film should Rai's demand rule her out. The British media has been speculating about Rai playing a role in the next Bond outing since early last year.

These rumours seem very like to be untrue, as the "Pierce Brosnan stumbled into me" story was used by several wannabe Bond girls in the past. We shouldn't also forget the denial of EON

[Tim007]

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[Sensualist]

Pierce, *ahem*, probably wanted some delicious 'company' for the night and tried his best to get her up to his hotel bedroom.

We all know that most of Pierce's director and lead actress ideas have fallen on deaf ears. Rarely has Eon let him have any say in terms of who helms a movie or who his leading lady is.

Sensualist would like to point out that the Indian box office for James Bond is a teeny-weeny fraction of global box office. Barbara knows that her main markets are the US, the UK, Germany, France, Canada, Japan and Australia.

Eon and MGM/UA know that hiring an American, English, Europrean or Far Eastern girl would pay-off in a much bigger way than a beautiful girl from the Indian Sub-continent.

p.s

This prudish body double b.s. is ludricous and the article is obviously targeted for consumption in the Indian marketplace. James Bond films, as we know, are family-oriented films.

Edited by Sensualist, 05 January 2004 - 05:15 PM.

[Sensualist]

What are the chances they begin casting 6 months before pre-production?

Berry and Pike were cast 2 or 3 months after the pre-production process began proper.

Edited by Sensualist, 05 January 2004 - 05:29 PM.

[Loomis]

What are the chances they begin casting 6 months before pre-production?

Depends on whom they're after. If they're thinking about an in-demand actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones, for instance), they'd have to get cracking pretty early, since negotiations for a big name tend to be protracted, and such people are often heavily booked-up.

Obviously, Berry is a huge star, but perhaps she had a sudden and unexpected gap in her schedule that allowed MGM/Eon to pounce on her more quickly than might otherwise have been the case. I believe Salma Hayek was their original choice for Jinx, anyway.

Perhaps Rai is beating producers off with a stick in India and MGM/Eon are anxious to snag her before she's too snowed under with offers and commitments.

[zencat]

All I can do is shrug and say, "Whatever." I don't know what to think of these rumors, but they feel bogus. Any professional actress seriously in the running wouldn't be blabbing about it. The one thing that could be true is she met Pierce at a party and he said she'd make a good Bond Girl. What do you want to bet that Pierce says that to ever actress he meets at a party?

And who needs a body double in a Bond film? Like we see anything. She's already a pain in the a**.

[Loomis]

Sensualist would like to point out that the Indian box office for James Bond is a teeny-weeny fraction of global box office. Barbara knows that her main markets are the US, the UK, Germany, France, Canada, Japan and Australia.

Eon and MGM/UA know that hiring an American, English, Europrean or Far Eastern girl would pay-off in a much bigger way than a beautiful girl from the Indian Sub-continent.

I hope the Aishwarya Rai/India rumours are true, though. The Bond series needs to atone for OCTOPUSSY, which treated India as though it were still under the jackboot of the British Empire, the Indian characters being exclusively henchmen, waiters, waitresses, receptionists, fire-eaters, sword-swallowers and peasants. And they were nearly all portrayed as extremely stupid and greedy, too. Let's have an Indian main villain and an Indian main Bond girl, both with class and intelligence.

[Triton]

Interesting article to read because of its escape clause:

...she has insisted she will take the role only if a look-alike is drafted in for the inevitable sex scenes.

She told the British press that her strict upbringing meant there was no question of her doing anything saucy.

This is just priceless. I can just see the headlines when the cast of Bond XXI is announced and Aishwarya Rai or the other Bollywood actresses are not hired: "Hindu Values Prevent Casting of Bollywood Actresses"

The article could state that Aishwarya Rai was the favorite for the Bond girl role in Bond XXI but the producers, or Pierce Brosnan, rejected the to use of a body double for the sex scenes and Rai being such a good Hindu girl had to refuse the part.

The article could even mention that Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta also rejected the role because of the immoral demands of the producers.

At least the article got Barbara Broccoli's name correct.

[Bryce (003)]

Zencat accurately summed up my opinion with "whatever". Two friends made mention they had heard this over New Years thinking they were giving me some hot scoop. They were both somewhat deflated when I told them that this is the second time this rumor (I stressed that word) had come up.

The treatment may or may not be done and until there's a solid finished first draft, I doubt there will be any serious casting decisions made. I'd say by May early June, the Eon casting wheels will begin turning. Especially since Brosnan will be doing PR for his next two films "Laws of Attraction" and "After the Sunset".

Still, she does appear to be quite an exotic beauty.

[Sensualist]

Sensualist would like to point out that the Indian box office for James Bond is a teeny-weeny fraction of global box office. Barbara knows that her main markets are the US, the UK, Germany, France, Canada, Japan and Australia.

Eon and MGM/UA know that hiring an American, English, Europrean or Far Eastern girl would pay-off in a much bigger way than a beautiful girl from the Indian Sub-continent.

I hope the Aishwarya Rai/India rumours are true, though. The Bond series needs to atone for OCTOPUSSY, which treated India as though it were still under the jackboot of the British Empire, the Indian characters being exclusively henchmen, waiters, waitresses, receptionists, fire-eaters, sword-swallowers and peasants. And they were nearly all portrayed as extremely stupid and greedy, too. Let's have an Indian main villain and an Indian main Bond girl, both with class and intelligence.

The Bond series does NOT need to 'atone' for Octopussy or any other movie. I disagree with your premise.

And why have an Indian Villian and Indian Bond girl just for the sake of it? To be 'politically correct'? Screw that. Sensualist want's the old James Bond back, not the p.c. variety.

Edited by Sensualist, 05 January 2004 - 06:57 PM.

[Tim007]

As my English class is doing "India" the whole year as a topic, we've watched "Gandhi" and have read two novels on India (the one I'm reading right at the moment ("Heat and Dust") is the most boring thing I've ever read) and so I am a little into India.

We've also had the topic of "Bollywood" and watched some extracts from movies and in two of them Ashwarya Rai played the female protagonist. My teacher couldn't believe that I knew her

Anyway, she's talking bull[censored]. She's had a lot of love and sex scenes in those Bollywood Hindu movies, so I don't get why she's now talking such a crap!?!

[Xenobia]

This girl needs to give her agent a bonus. He's been able to use the same rumor TWICE to get her a lot of press.

Nice work.

-- Xenobia

[Loomis]

The Bond series does NOT need to 'atone' for Octopussy or any other movie. I disagree with your premise.

My post was slightly tongue-in-cheek, but I'm sure that I might be royally pissed off about the treatment of my country and compatriots in OCTOPUSSY if I were Indian.

Mind you, OCTOPUSSY doesn't just insult Indians. It insults everyone, since it is so mindblowingly inane.

And why have an Indian Villian and Indian Bond girl just for the sake of it? To be 'politically correct'?

No, to be interesting. We've never had an Indian villain or an Indian Bond girl.

[Triton]

The thing about Octopussy (1983) was that it was made at a time when India was the flavor of the month and followed closely on the heals of Richard Attenborough's Gandhi (1982). In 1984, David Lean's A Passage to India and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which featured Sri Lanka substituting for India, were released. It seems like the producers used India in Octopussy like they jumped on the black-ploitation bandwagon of the early 1970's with Live and Let Die.

In 2003, is there still significant public interest in India like there was in the early 1980's to justify it as a location for a Bond film? I presume that the popular image of India today is as a place to outsource programming and IT support jobs.

PS -- Forgot to mention the film version of Heat and Dust (1983) and The Jewel in the Crown television mini-series (1984) of Paul Scott's Raj Quartet.

[Loomis]

It seems like the producers used India in Octopussy like they jumped on the black-poitation bandwagon of the early 1970's with Live and Let Die.

There seems to be a bit of a Japan bandwagon going on at the moment, thanks to KILL BILL, THE LAST SAMURAI and LOST IN TRANSLATION. I wonder if MGM/Eon will jump on it for BOND 21. I really hope they do.

[zencat]

It seems like the producers used India in Octopussy like they jumped on the black-poitation bandwagon of the early 1970's with Live and Let Die.

There seems to be a bit of a Japan bandwagon going on at the moment, thanks to KILL BILL, THE LAST SAMURAI and LOST IN TRANSLATION. I wonder if MGM/Eon will jump on it for BOND 21. I really hope they do.

I would love to see Bond back in Japan (The Man With The Red Tatto anybody?), but I think with DAD and TND we've sort of done the Asia thing too much in the Brosnan era already. He's due for a trip to the USA.

[Loomis]

I think with DAD and TND we've sort of done the Asia thing too much in the Brosnan era already. He's due for a trip to the USA.

Couldn't disagree more. Japan is so radically different to Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea, etc. that it wouldn't matter. Absolutely nothing about it would recall previous Brosnan films (and he's only actually in Asian countries for about five minutes in his other outings, anyway, and even then mostly indoors).

The last Bond film that, IMO, really "did Asia" in any meaningful way was THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.

I want to see Bond in BLADE RUNNER-style Tokyo! Actually, here's a thought: how about a 100% urban Bond movie?

[zencat]

Yeah, you have a point, Loomis. And if they send him to Japan I like him to stay there for the whole movie, YOLT-style. 100% urban? That could be cool.

[Loomis]

And if they send him to Japan I like him to stay there for the whole movie, YOLT-style. 100% urban? That could be cool.

Yes! Bring on Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions Presents Pierce Brosnan as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in Raymond Benson's THE MAN WITH THE RED TATTOO!

With Takeshi Kitano as Goro Yoshida, and a really great director like John McTiernan or Phillip Noyce. Oh, how that would rock!

[zencat]

And if they send him to Japan I like him to stay there for the whole movie, YOLT-style. 100% urban? That could be cool.

Yes! Bring on Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions Presents Pierce Brosnan as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in Raymond Benson's THE MAN WITH THE RED TATTOO!

With Takeshi Kitano as Goro Yoshida, and a really great director like John McTiernan or Phillip Noyce. Oh, how that would rock!

Yes, that WOULD rock!

Now I'm in the mood to re-read RED TATTOO.

[Loomis]

Now I'm in the mood to re-read RED TATTOO.

Me too. A really good, fun read with a wonderful "travelogue" feel. I'm re-reading "Zero Minus Ten" at the moment, actually, and have come to consider Benson's first and last Bonds as his best.

[Triton]

I think with DAD and TND we've sort of done the Asia thing too much in the Brosnan era already. He's due for a trip to the USA.

Couldn't disagree more. Japan is so radically different to Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea, etc. that it wouldn't matter. Absolutely nothing about it would recall previous Brosnan films (and he's only actually in Asian countries for about five minutes in his other outings, anyway, and even then mostly indoors).

The last Bond film that, IMO, really "did Asia" in any meaningful way was THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.

I want to see Bond in BLADE RUNNER-style Tokyo! Actually, here's a thought: how about a 100% urban Bond movie?

Didn't Ridley Scott already do that with Osaka with Black Rain (1989)?

[Loomis]

[quote name='Triton' date='5 January 2004 - 19:55'] how about a 100% urban Bond movie? [/QUOTE]
Didn't Ridley Scott already do that with Osaka with Black Rain (1989)? [/QUOTE]
Not quite sure what you mean. BLACK RAIN's not a Bond movie (obviously), and neither is it Bond-esque, IMO. I don't like the way Scott shot Japan, anyway - he made it look a bit silly, to my mind. I'd like to see Bond in a Tokyo that was shot "normally", i.e. without filters and smoke machines all over the place. Scott just went in for ridiculous visual overkill.

[Triton]

What I mean is that Scott already filmed the Pachinko parlors, the Japanese neon, the crowds of people, the motocycle gangs or bosozoku I believe they are called in Japanese, and the yakuza.

[thuffner]

Interesting news. It definitely seems that an Indian actress is being eyed for the role, regardless if it's Rai or not.

[Qwerty]

Dear, dear. Someone's ego has landed! A body double for the sex scenes? Get over yourself girl.

So we're seeing this rumor again, huh? Hmmm, I really don't know what to think of it, it doesn't seem entirely accurate, why she'd be talking about appearing in the film this early, if it's true anyway.

Very interesting though. We'll have to see what comes of this.

[Triton]

I understand that the India film industry is very conservative and that kissing scenes in films are considered scandalous and indecent.

[Loomis]

What I mean is that Scott already filmed the Pachinko parlors, the Japanese neon, the crowds of people, the motocycle gangs or bosozoku I believe they are called in Japanese, and the yakuza.

Sure. I'd love to see all that again, though, in a Bond film (without Scott's pretentious visual excesses, but with an enthusiastic directorial eye for local colour, which has been lacking in the Bond series for a heck of a long time). Scott really didn't capture Japan very well at all, IMO - he created his own version of the place. Fair enough - he's an auteur director, after all, so that's his prerogative, but his vision of Japan is not one that impresses me, or one that I think would be suitable for a Bond flick.

[Qwerty]

I understand that the India film industry is very conservative and that kissing scenes in films are considered scandalous and indecent.

Well, yes, I see, and I completely understand, but I don't think that big a deal need be made over a Bond film, where the idea is to make it for the whole family to watch. Although, not being in the Indian film industry, I do not have the right to say what is or isn't acceptable, so I'll just leave it at that.

[TheSaint]

If she needs a body double for the tame sex scenes, why bother casting her? Pathetic!