Comments on: Could Shantaram be shelved?

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:05:26 +0000

i’m reading the book now and i love it =) i wonder who will play prabaker?

By: Q

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:43:39 +0000

personally i think most Australians have completely overlooked Guy Pearce. There could be great actors staged around him but the only Linbaba could be Pearce. Unfortunately most people do not realise how amazing and diverse Pearce is. Much better than Crowe could of been in this role.
I wish Depp the best and hope he will play the role true with the physical prescence and pasion for the role

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:22:40 +0000

Being a Melbourne boy myself, I believe all those people who suggested Russell Crowe for the role of Lin were spot-on and I personally cant believe no one thought of him before. ok, i get Depp is a wonderful actor (and yes, he’s very pretty and complicated) but Lin (and lets face it, Roberts) obviously sees himself as a tough guy. That being said, Crowe is also a fairly multi-dimensional character and could at least pull off looking like Lin. Wats more, there was talk that Depp was apparently drawing supposed comparisons between Captain Jack and Lin? did he even read the book..?

As for the director I think it would have been nice if Gurinder Chadha (Bend it like Beckham, Slumdog, etc) had been considered. Think she’d give it all the colour it deserves without too much of the B’wood overacting and melodrama.

Also not sure why no one seems concered about who gets to play Abdulla? This is such an important role and a well cast actor would have the potential to steal the show.. any suggestions people..??

By: metty

metty — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:46:13 +0000

russel crow? no way! – that has to be a joke. crow is too ugly and uncouth.

depp would be good, so would guy pierce.

if the movie is 10% the fantasic journey the book was, then it will a great movie!

hurry up and make it please!

By: Allie

Allie — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:57:12 +0000

Russell Crowe? He’d ruin it for me. I thought Johnny Depp was the perfect choice as I had pictured Lin as being very scrawny but with wiry strength. Madonna as Carla????? Hahahahahaha! Ugh! Karla was young and attractive. I picture her as someone dark and mysterious.
What an amazing book this is to be sure.

By: Melanie

Melanie — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:35:09 +0000

I loved this book. MOST important question is who will portray the heartbreaking Prabaker? This character shattered me with his open heart. What a great person/character! I think Guy Pearce would make a better Linbaba than Depp, but I like Depp’s work also. Just make the movie already.

By: Austin M

Austin M — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:06:23 +0000

Shantaram is a riveting story. Roberts is a dedicated writer who expertly allows circumstance to evolve characters and develop plots. The swirling humanity of Bombay’s population is poignantly juxtaposed by the slum clinic where Linbaba learns once again that it is painful to love and absurd not to, immersed, as he was, in all the minutia of community and character inherent in this happy slum. The recurrent ‘criminal on the run’ theme threads through the often pastoral narrative. This movie has enormous cinemagraphic scope and we can only hope the director recognises the potential.
As for Depp, he might suprise us all. Still, Crowe casts well,is a believable criminal, and capable of taking beatings (Depp looks too frail for such massive beatings). Slumdog, although a fabulous film, simply can’t compare to a properly cast and produced Shantaram. Also, I hope Madonna isn’t sucking-up to the role of Karla, who I think would be well served by Scarlett Johanson or her type. Casting aside, whoever directs this will have a tough time intertwining the philosophic sandbars in the story flow of the book. Lindsey embraces a sort of benign detachment regardless of circumstance that is ultimately heroic. He is above or below, sneaking around, taking great risks as he etches out an underworld living while concurrently providing free health care in a slum. I can’t wait, folks, hurry TFU, get er goin’!

By: Andre Benoit

Andre Benoit — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:31:51 +0000

Johnny Depp is a fantastic actor but I simply cannot picture him as Lin – he’s too scrawny to begin with. In the indian prison, Lin is supposed to lose a ton of weight; how could Depp ever pull that off without looking like a Holocaust victim. Besides, to be credible, the character of Lin must be played by someone with enough physical build to make us believe that he can be lethal. The best actor for the part would be none other than James Bond himself – Daniel Craig.

By: Irene

Irene — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:52:32 +0000

I think the book is a masterpiece with all the incredients to completely mesmerize the reader. The only person I could possibly imagine in the role of Linbaba is Russell Crowe. He has the talent and
ability, the look -like Gladiator-and perhaps a better understanding to become Linbaba.(I think Depp is an incredible actor, but just not right for this role.)

By: Saj Ebrahim

Saj Ebrahim — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:07:16 +0000

I too loved the book and was sad when it ended. Although I think Johnny Depp is a fantastic actor – I personally think that he does not fit the profile of Linbaba. I also agree that Amitabh Bhachan is the absolute wrong choice for the role of Kader Khan – he is too commercial and in every second movie these days. When I was reading the book then another Kader Khan came to mind as being the perfect actor for this role – the real life Bollywood actor – though maybe he is a little too old. As much as I loved the young Bachans movies – he will totally ruin Shantaram for me.