Universal shelves Indian Summer, director blames govt

Agencies

Posted: Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009 at 0951 hrs IST
Updated: Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009 at 0951 hrs IST


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New York: 'Indian Summer', the much-hyped Hollywood project about the alleged romance between Edwina Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru, has been cancelled with the director blaming the wrangling between the Indian government and the studio as the reason.

Universal Pictures has put the film, which was to go on the floor in India early next year, on hold, 'Variety' magazine online reported.

"We were in between a rock and a hard place. The Indian government wanted us to make less of the love story while the studio wanted us to make more of the love story," said director Joe Wright.

Starring Hugh Grant and Kate Blanchett as Lord and Edwina Mountbatten, the film was troubled from the start after the Indian government voiced concerns over the plot, which focused on Edwina's romance with the country's first Prime Minister.

Officials demanded copy approval of the script and eventually gave the film the green light, but the project continued to be plagued by money problems, with bosses at Universal reportedly fretting over the estimated USD 30-40 million costs.

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» Why does Universal need Government approval?
Posted by Ashok on 2009-10-22 09:58:40.37377+05:30
No movie studio has ever asked for any Government permission, so why does Universal need Indian Government approval? Congress definitely wants to hide Jawaharlal Nehru's affairs. It runs in the family. Motilal Nehru even sired an out of marriage child (hence the Nargis connection). You cannot hide history. There is no need for a holiday studio to seek a Congress government's approval.

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Universal shelves Indian Summer, director blames govt
Movie bosses have stalled the project over concerns about the estimated $30-40 mn budget.