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Author’s Site Gregory David Roberts
Beijing Olympics
The Shantaram Forum Shantaram Forum
Welcome to my Shantaram novel and movie site
is a novel of epic proportions written by Gregory David Roberts. It tells the story of his break from a Melbourne prison in Australia and escape to New Zealand followed by India where much of the novel is set. In India he lives in the slums of Bombay and opens a medal clinic. After a harrowing experience of getting caught and spending time in an Indian prison he becomes involved with the local mafia.
The novel, however is much greater than a prison break story. It is a novel embelished with all of the human emotional traits: love, hate, friendship, enemies, life and death.
Warner Bros. Pictures bought the movie rights for the novel and are making a movie starring Johnny Depp due to be released in 2007. It will directed by Mira Nair.
Also by Gregory Roberts: Roma
23rd February 2009
Shantaram could be the next slumdog millionaire 13 replies
Slumdog Millionaire, the movie that has surprised everyone around the world with its international success has won eight Oscars.
Slumdog Millionaire has certainly created a benchmark for movies set in India. I wonder if producers of Shantaram are now thinking whether their movie will enjoy a similar success. There is no doubt if Shantaram is produced any time soon or the near future, it will be compared to Slumdog Millionaire.
1st March 2008
Johnny Depp talks about Shantaram and the writer’s strike 13 replies
In an interview posted on YouTube, Johnny Depp talks about how the Shantaram project was put on hold due to the writers’ strike.
10th January 2008
Madonna and Gegory Roberts in Mumbai 1 reply
Madonna and her husband are now in Mumbai.
“Madonna seemed to want to maximise her every moment in the maximum city and so with husband Guy Richie and Shantaram author Gregory David Robert by her side the Kabbalah practicing star first stopped at one of the city’s Jewish synagogues.”
9th December 2007
Could Shantaram be shelved? 19 replies
Can the rumors be true? Is Shantaram the movie going to be shelved?
According to this site Depp was asking too much to do the movie.
Depp loved the novel by Gregory Roberts. He even invited the author to visit him in London. Gregory Roberts did go and meet him. Everything was going fine until Depp quoted his price. All activity related to Shantaram came to a screeching halt after that.
6th December 2007
What’s happening with Shantaram
It seems that Johnny Depp is not happy with the script causing further delays to the beginning of shooting of Shantaram.
From Variety: “Depp became available after Warner Bros. postponed “Shantaram” due to concerns about script, costs and the prospect of shooting in India with monsoon season approaching.”
From Hindustan Times: Johnny Depp found certain similarities between Shantaram and Captain Jack Sparrow, his character in The Pirates of the Caribbean series. He pointed this out to Mira and suggested she revert to him after reworking the script,” the source adds.
Similarities with Captain Jack Sparrow? What is he talking about? I really wonder if Johnny Depp is the best choice to play the leading role. Russell Crowe might not be the better actor, but I believe he would have understood the role better.
20th November 2007
Strike delays production of Shantaram 1 reply
Variety reports that a writer’s strike is delaying the start of production of the movie Shantaram.
The strike and the onset of India’s monsoon is delaying plans to start production in February.
30th September 2007
Johnny Depp to visit Mumbai 3 replies
Johnny Depp will be visiting Mumbai soon on an “acclimatisation tour “. Author Gregory Roberts will also be making an appearance at the bar he made famous “Leopolds”.
“The official date for the start of the movie version of ‘Shantaram’, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Johnny Depp has been set for January 19, 2008,” Roberts said.
13th September 2007
Big B won’t be going bald for Shantaram 1 reply
Despite some rumors floating around the internet, Amitabh Bachchan won’t be shaving his head for his role in Shantaram. Amitabh Bachchan is to play mafia boss Kader Bhai in the movie.
Shooting for the movie will begin towards the end of this year.
20th June 2007
1000 minutes of film 1 reply
Typically one page of a script equates to one minute of film. Shantaram being over 1000 pages long is going to be a marathon of a movie!
Of course the movie is not going to be that long, but I think we can safely expect it to be at least 2.5 hours.
So I think, no matter how good (or bad) the movie is, it is pretty much doomed from the beginning. Is the movie going to satisfy any fans of the book? I doubt it, but at least it will bring a new readership to the book. Although, I kind of wonder what Johnny Depp fans will make of it.
22nd March 2007
Mira Nair talks on Shantaram
Mira Nair says she is now “deeply immersed” in the Shantaram project and is currently working on the script now with scriptwriter Eric Roth. Shooting is planned to begin in November and go through to March the following year.