New Delhi: Director Shekhar Kapur, who is known for making cult movies like ‘Elizabeth', ‘Mr.India' and ‘Bandit Queen', is looking for an actress to essay the role of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra in his TV series. The director feels Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence fits the bill and her looks are the closest to the queen's.
Talking to a leading daily on how difficult it is to find the right face, he said, “I'm travelling all over the world. I may have to change my email id soon with all the pictures flooding in. It took me eight months to find Cate Blanchett to play Elizabeth. I hope I find my Cleopatra sooner."
Citing why he has his eyes fixed on Lawrence, he said, “She was not Egyptian but of Greek descent. From her statues, Cleopatra looked a little like Jennifer Lawrence which is not to say that we'll be going to her, she would be too busy.”
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For his mega project Shekhar Kapur is looking for an actress between the age of 18 to 39. The director aims to repaint Cleopatra's image with this series. He asserted that whatever people know of the Queen is from what the Romans said. The Romans saw her as an evil seductress who wooed powerful men like Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. Shekhar however doesn't agree. He said, "I see her as a powerful woman, a conqueror, like my Elizabeth and Bandit Queen. The series will retell her story."
When asked what his opinions are on her death, he added, “It was suicide. Octavian Augustus, the Caeser then, defeated her in battle and wanted to take her to Rome in chains to destroy her myth. But before he could do so, she died with a snake—the symbol of spirituality, infinity and motherhood— at her breast. Even in death she stole the show from Augustus. He was a great ruler but no one remembers him. They remember Cleopatra and the myth she created.”
The series on Cleopatra isn't the only thing on his cards right now. Before that the award winning director will be helming another TV series on William Shakespeare, about which he said, “It's the Bard's life story. I have Baz Luhrmann's screenplay writer, Craig Pearce, who worked with him on The Great Gatsby, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!, collaborating with me.”
Paani, which is another movie to be directed by Kapur, is expected to begin shooting this October. Won't he find it difficult to handle three projects? Shekhar has a solution. "Only two episodes of the TV series, House Of Cards, playing on Netflix was directed by executive producer David Fincher. After that, it's a new director every week. I will direct the first two episodes, then, since I have conceived and worked with the writer, I will oversee the two series and focus on Paani," he said.
