The reason given for rejecting the Harry Potter offer is a very valid one. You need a group of space, rocket and computer scientists to help you make the movie. Can we imagine that anybody else could have brought life to his characters as R.K. Narayan did. He took all the readers to Malgudi village. We all could feel the pain of Swamy when his friend was to leave Malgudi permanently as his father was transferred to Madras. Still worse was he was not able to give his friend a gift as a memento. Swami missing the important Cricket Match, Swami was dismissed by the school authorities due to the rigid laws created by those who do not know how a child will think are some of the instant flashes one get the moment you think of Swami & Friends. How can we forget Jagan, the Vendor of Sweets struggled between love and dogmas. How deepest we shared his feelings when his son and his wife decided to go back to US. R.K. Narayan did not do anything for commercial consideration. Had he marketed his stuff the way many famous authors do nowadays, he could have been known throughout the world and he would be to the novels what Samuel Johnson is to the Dictionary.
I am really surprised she dropped it, but then, each has their own preferences, and I can't really comment on it. However, she is right about it being difficult to make such a rejection! Harry Potter Rules! :-)
"Despite of her financiers' requests, Nair stuck to an Indian lead cast; she felt a Hollywood line-up would not do justice to the protagonists, a 1960s Bengali family."
The use "despite of" is wrong -
Why doesn't the REDIFF stick to a proper standard of English language ?
Well fans everywhere can now breathe easy. The next Harry Potter film will not be a brooding, sentimental or silly "arty film". 99 % of movie fans want some nice wholesome entertainment - and "creative directors" like Ms Mira Nayar are best left with "seriuos movies"
