James Bond's India journey scrapped

James Bond is no longer coming to India. Despite a green signal from the Indian railways ministry, plans to shoot a few action sequences for the British super spy film have been shelved.

"The production company, India Take One Productions, have communicated to the railway ministry that they are not shooting the next Bond film in India, and that they are looking at other places," sources from the railway ministry confirmed to.

"The production company has thanked the railway ministry for their co-operation in the past few months," added the sources.

The producers of the movie, tentatively titled "Bond 23", wanted to shoot high-speed stunts on the Indian Railways.

There was a request to shoot on the rooftop of a moving train, as well as inside a tunnel. However, they were having trouble getting permission due to safety and security issues.

Though the ministry gave the go-ahead to the film's January-March 2012 shooting schedule, officials were worried about the production team's demand of "locking off the lines for seven-eight hours a day for seven days in a row".

The crew of "Bond 23", starring Daniel Craig, had also short-listed Goa's Dudh Sagar waterfalls as one of the locations.

Now, the shooting is likely to move to South Africa, according to media reports.

James Bond: The New Face of Indian Railways?

If you thought flying cars, a submarine hybrid and a fleet of Aston Martins were James Bond’s only vehicles of choice, you may be in for a surprise.

Daniel Craig, who will star in “Bond 23,” the next James Bond sequel, is likely to be signed as the official ambassador of Indian Railways, Dinesh Trivedi, India’s railways minister, said in an interview. He hopes that having Mr. Craig as brand ambassador will revamp the reputation of India’s rail network, which he says is in urgent need of an “image makeover.”

Indian Railways, a state-run mammoth organization, is better known for running behind schedule than for its cutting-edge technology. Its trains are generally packed, old and slow. This is in sharp contrast with the suave image cultivated by James Bond, who typically cruises in sleek, high-speed M16 vehicles fully kitted with gizmos and gadgets.

It is unclear how sluggish Indian trains fit with the James Bond persona. So what’s in it for Mr. Craig? The new Bond movie’s production company – the London-based EON Productions – is keen to shoot part of the film in India and this would include a train-based action sequence, Mr. Trivedi said. Last week, members of the film’s production team met ministry officials to get permission to film on India’s trains and tracks. Among the conditions set by the ministry to allow them to film: that Mr. Craig lend himself to an Indian Railways television ad.

Since the partnership is at a nascent stage, the ministry is yet to contact an advertising agency. Nevertheless, they are already brainstorming possible taglines for the ads. Mr. Trivedi mentioned one of them: “The name’s Bond, James Bond. But Indian Railways is stronger than James Bond!” While this hits all the key words, it may need a little fine tuning.

Safety concerns were another issue. Though the original screenplay required Mr. Craig to fight on the roof of a moving train, the railway ministry said he persuaded the producers to modify the scene. “The ministry raised concerns because travelling on train rooftops is illegal. We didn’t want the global community to have an unrealistic picture of the Indian Railways” said Mr. Trivedi.

No final agreement has yet been signed between the railway ministry and the production house, though Mr. Trivedi expects it to be reached soon.

EON Productions and their Indian partners, India Take One Productions, declined to comment on whether Mr. Craig will participate in an Indian Railways commercial nor on whether they agreed to tweak the screenplay as per Mr. Trivedi’s suggestion.

The train sequence is likely to be filmed near Ahmedabad, in India’s state of Gujarat, in January. According to local media reports, other Indian locations the movie may be shot in include Goa and Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar, a market known for its knock-off high street clothing. The production company confirmed that they are planning to shoot parts of the movie in India but did not elaborate further.

Directed by Sam Mendes, Bond 23 is slated for worldwide release in 2012. Source

India orders James Bond train stunt rewrite

NEW DELHI, Sept 3, 2011 (AFP) - India has asked the makers of the latest James Bond movie to change a stunt showing people travelling on train rooftops, saying it would depict the state-run railway in a poor light.

"Rooftop travel is illegal in India and it cannot be encouraged," Indian Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi told AFP on Saturday. Many Indians seek to avoid paying for tickets by travelling on the roof.

Daniel Craig, who plays the world's most famous secret agent, was supposed to jump from a motorcycle onto a moving train roof packed with travellers and then leap to another equally crowded train top, according to the script.

Trivedi said 007 could perform the stunt — but only if there is nobody on the top of the trains.

"Rooftop travel will not be shown," he said, adding that the government has also stipulated the filming "has to be safe and passengers should not be inconvenienced."

The railways minister said that the original movie script could have led to an impression that rooftop travel was common in India.

"There are many trains in India and not all trains have people travelling on the rooftops," he argued.

The makers of the as-yet untitled movie — known currently only as "Bond 23" — had agreed to the conditions, Trivedi said in a telephone interview.

The film is to be directed by Oscar-winner Sam Mendes and will be shot in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and the resort state of Goa. Shooting is planned for February and March next year and the film is slated for release in November 2012.

Trivedi also said he is plugging for the James Bond character to be used to promote the sprawling Indian Railways, still the country's main form of long-distance travel despite fierce competition from new private airlines.

"I have proposed that the spy says something like: 'Indian Railways is as strong as James Bond.' It is my suggestion," the cabinet-ranking minister said.

The state-run railway is the country's largest single employer, with 1.4 million workers, and runs 11,000 trains carrying 19 million passengers daily.

The world's second-largest railway offers some adventurous journeys where trains chug through arid deserts, snowy Himalayan regions and across rickety British-built bridges spanning mountain gorges and fast-flowing rivers.

Trivedi declined to say if the film-makers had agreed to give Bond licence to become cast ambassador for the creaking railway system, which is plagued by frequent crashes.

The last time a Bond film was on location in India was for the 1983 hit "Octopussy", with actor Roger Moore in the lead role. It was shot in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

"Bond 23" is one of nearly two dozen films by foreign studios which have been cleared to shoot in India recently.

Others include a film adaptation of Mohsin Hamid's novel "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", "Trishna", British director Michael Winterbottom's version of Thomas Hardy's classic "Tess of the d'Urbervilles", and Yann Martel's "Life of Pi". Credit : 

'James Bond' Shoot stuck in India

The shooting of a new "James Bond" movie in India has been stalled after the production house couldn't get the permission to shoot.

The makers of the movie, tentatively titled "Bond 23", wanted to shoot high-speed stunts on the Indian Railways.

However, they could not get the permissions due to safety issues and as a result director Sam Mendes is now looking for alternative locations.

"It has been one thing after another. The scenes are very ambitious and we're all just desperate to get started but there have been obstacles at every stage," mirror.co.uk quoted a production insider as saying.

India's railways minister Dinesh Trivedi has now decided to "look into the matter", but added: "I can't jeopardize the safety of passengers."

The shooting is likely to move to South Africa, where producers already have permission to shoot some scenes, but not until January.

James Bond taught me how to shoot my gun: Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde has revealed that while starring in her latest movie 'Cowboys and Aliens' she got a lesson on how to shoot a gun from her co-star and the current 007 star Daniel Craig.

The 27-year-old actress plays Ella Swenson in the sci-fi thriller, where she had to fire a weapon.

And she was glad that Craig, who currently plays the lead role in the 'James Bond' movies, offered her the much-needed support.

"Daniel taught me how to shoot my gun. Which was cool 'cos now I can always say that James Bond taught me how," Stuff.co.nz quoted her as telling Cover Media.

"It was cool, the guns were really beautiful. I'm not a big gun person - I'm a pacifist, I don't really love guns in general.

"But I love these antique guns, they were so interesting but not easy to shoot," she added.

I would star in a Bollywood movie,"Daniel Craig"

Daniel Craig has said that he would consider starring in a Bollywood film.

The James Bond actor, who is promoting his forthcoming release Cowboys and Aliens, said that he recognises the potential of cinema in India, Mid Day reports.

Craig said: "I think it's a huge market. My last two Bond movies did good business in India."

The actor confirmed that some scenes from Bond 23 will be shot in India.

"Yes, that's true," he said. "And I am absolutely thrilled about it."

When asked if he had any preference for a Bollywood actress who might be cast as a Bond girl, he replied: "I don't know any Bollywood actress personally, but Indian women are very beautiful and they will surely make wonderful Bond girls."

Craig added that while he has an interest in Bollywood, he has not been approached by a producer.

"Nothing has come my way yet, but if things work out then why not?" he said.

Craig will appear as James Bond for the third time in the 23rd instalment of the series.

The film is due for release on October 26, 2012 in the UK and November 9, 2012 in the US.

'Bond 23' is my best Bond adventure so far, says Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig has said that the script of his upcoming Bond movie is better than his debut flick 'Casino Royale'.

The actor first played the famous super spy in the 2006 hit, and reprised the role for the sequel, 'Quantum of Solace'.

While the latter film under performed with critics, Craig is adamant the upcoming, unnamed 23rd instalment of the franchise will be his best Bond adventure so far.

"I read the script the other day and I'm more excited about this than I was about Casino because we've kind of got a classic Bond movie plus lots of other things," the Daily Express quoted him as saying.