Mumbai: US-based Indian director Mira Nair, who had initially considered Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor for a role in her film "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", says she dropped him because she was looking for an experienced wordly man.
"I did speak to Ranbir for 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist'. He is a wonderful boy, a great actor. He can do anything. But I needed someone who has actually lived in different parts of the world. I needed worldliness," said the director.
Nair shared the information during a discussion with 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' fame director Zoya Akhtar at the third day of FICCI Frames 2013 Thursday.
The director of acclaimed films like 'Salaam Bombay!', 'Monsoon Wedding' and 'The Namesake', Nair later roped in Riz Ahmed for the film, based on Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid's novel 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist'.
"He is a popular actor in England. I finally found my protagonist in him," said Nair, who also roped in Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland, Liev Schreiber among others for her ambitious project.
Making 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist', which will release in India next month, was a refreshing experience for the director.
" 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' was refreshing because I was tired of films in the last decade. There is a scene where the protagonist smiles for a second, the complexity of it is awe inspiring. The protagonist is also caught between the two worlds," said Nair.
Nair is working on a film with Disney and says the narrative focuses on slum girl who becomes a chess player.
"I am working on a film with Disney. The film is about an eight-year-old slum girl in Uganda who becomes a chess protege. She has learned to play chess with bottle caps. We are just starting to develop that," said Nair.
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