Rob Cohen, the director of movies The Witches of Eastwick and The Fast and the Furious, is closing in on his casting for his new action adventure The Jewel of India. The film will be made worldwide in Hollywood, Dubai and Bollywood and the plot revolves around the Kohinoor diamond, the magnificent jewel that may have been discovered in India as long as five thousand years ago and which now forms the centerpiece of the British Crown Jewels – or does it? The movie’s script begins with the tantalising suggestion the jewel that sits in the Tower of London is in fact a fake. Rob states that his movie will be along the lines of The Mummy and Indiana Jones series – so hold on tight to your hats!
In India last week, Rob spoke to potential cast members Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham on the male side – and on the female side, he also spoke to Katrina Kaif. But it appears to have been Deepika Padukone who has caught his attention even though he has yet to meet her. “I love Deepika Padukone!,” he exclaims, “I think one of the characters may be a dancer and we may find her in a club or something, which would incorporate some Bollywood dance sequences. I saw her in Chandni Chowk to China and I thought she was, in both characters, perfect. She’s gorgeous! I think she is more beautiful than Angelina Jolie.”
Rob is at pains to point out that whilst all sorts of rumours have been flying around about the cast, including Robert De Niro and Eva Mendes, nothing has in fact been decided and won’t be until both the script and budget have been finalised. However, it is true that the lead role has been discussed in principle with John Abraham. “Though John has agreed in principle, to be part of the cast, the other details are still being worked out,” says a source, “The film is being made on a whopping 300 crores budget and will also have stars from Hollywood.”
