GHAI’S LATEST DISCOVERY EYES HOLLYWOOD!

Subhash Ghai’s latest discovery Antonia Bernath has taken her first step towards Hollywood stardom. The British actress has been signed to play the lead role in an updated version of Lewis Caroll’s classic children’s tale – Alice in Wonderland, to be directed by Jeremy Tarr and distributed by MGM.

Apparently, the producer and director of this upcoming venture were so bowled over by seeing Antonia’s work in Ghai’s upcoming epic Kisna that they chose her to play this prestigious role over many major Hollywood actresses. Antonia will be cast opposite a host of Hollywood stalwarts including English actor Jonathon Pryce (Tomorrow Never Dies, Evita and Ronin) and sultry actress Daryl Hannah (Kill Bill vol.
1 &2, Steel Magnolias and Splash). Also cast is American rock star Marilyn Manson.

The film is an UK-German co-production, to be shot extensively in Berlin and South Africa. Antonia was picked by Subhash Ghai straight from Drama School to play the female lead role in Mukta Arts' ambitious period epic Kisna, alongside Vivek Oberoi. She flew down to India in January and shot for the film over 7 months in various parts of North India such as Haridwar and Ranikhet, as well as Mumbai. In the film Antonia plays a young British aristocrat in 1940s colonial India who undergoes a personal and political transformation with the collapse of the British Raj and is rescued by an Indian villager Kisna (Vivek Oberoi).

Kisna’s star cast also includes Isha Shravani, a renowned dancer from Kerala in the lead roles along with British actors Michael Maloney, Caroline Langrishe and veteran actress Polly Adams.

The cast is supported with a talented team of Indian actors including Hrishita Bhatt, Amrish Puri, Om Puri and Rajat Kapur. The award winning technical team includes music composers AR Rahman and Ismail Darbar, lyricist by Javed Akhtar, Director of Audiography Dilip Subramaniam, renowned Cinematographer Ashok Mehta and National Award winner Samir Chanda as Production Designer and Art Director.

Kisna has been simultaneously shot in both Hindi and English languages to reach out to a wider audience across the world. The film created a stir at the Cannes Film Festival where Ghai released the publicity campaign this year. The Hindi version is scheduled to release this December.

Written by Qamar Zaman