Lord of the Rings producer Barrie M. Osborne and actor-director Kamal Hassan are coming together on an international project, the two filmmakers announced here on Saturday.
The project is still in a nascent stage, with just the ideation happening, said Osborne, who flew down to Singapore to announce the association with the Tamil thespian, on the sidelines of the IIFA weekend here.
“I have been interested in working with Indian artistes in the past, but a story is what compels me to make a film. Kamal's concept inspired me and the discussions we've had convinced me that it would be something worthy for us to pursue,” Osborne told PTI.
The Hollywood producer said he met Hassan several times in the past, and decided to work together on a film after seeing his work on Vishwaroop.
“I am impressed by what he has accomplished on Vishwaroop . After that, we started talking on ideas and the possibility of working together. His knowledge of history, literature, and films is encyclopaedic. Kamal presented an idea to me that was so compelling that I couldn't resist working with him,” he said.
Osborne hopes that their collaborative effort will focus on Indian history and culture.
“Everybody wonders who we are, where we came from. We could tell a story on the history and culture of India, but on a Hollywood template,” he said. Hassan, 57, said he was honoured to work with Osborne.
The film is yet to be titled, and Hassan's role in it, be it that of a director, writer or actor, is yet to be decided.