Film Dates for 'Shantaram'

Times of India has a brief article about the pre-production of the upcoming film Shantaram. The filming schedule is reportedly set for January through May, 2008, with Johnny Depp tentatively arriving in India after Christmas:

Mira Nair’s cast for Shantaram is almost through -- it includes Big B and Hollywood star, Johnny Depp, while the music will be by Vishal Bharadwaj.

Will Vishal Bharadwaj make Johnny Depp do another Beedi jalaye le?

The buzz going around is that the director-composer has got the music assignment of Mira Nair’s Shantaram. The composer has been asked by Mira to compose four Sufi numbers, and a masala Bollywood item number for the film. “It’s learnt that the item number will be picturised on Depp,” a source said.

Apparently, Nitin Desai’s Studio in Mumbai is getting ready for the shoot. The art director’s team is busy recreating Dharavi, where Shantaram lived while in Mumbai.

“Most of the shooting is likely to take place in the studio and very little of it may happen at actual locations. Depp may arrive in India after Christmas for the shooting of the film. Mira Nair has asked Amitabh Bachchan who plays a pivotal role in the film to block his dates for the film at that time,” adds the source. Bachchan will be playing a kind-hearted gangster in the film. When contacted Amitabh Bachchan said, “Yes, they have asked me to block my dates from January to May 2008.”