''Buddha'' director yet to be finalised: MCorp Global

Mumbai, Oct 8 (UNI) Hollywood based MCorp Global has clarified that Shekar Kapur is not directing its ambitious project ''Buddha'' on the life and teachings of Lord Buddha for the mainstream audience worldwide.

''The director of the movie is yet to be finalised. This will be finalised by the MCorp Global Office based in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Los Angeles. The media will be informed as and when the decision is finalised,'' a press release issued here said yesterday.

The 120 million dollar epic feature film ''Buddha'' was launched by MCorp Global chairman Dr B K Modi under the banner of M Films in the presence of the Dalai Lama in Los Angeles recently.

The release said ''Buddha'' is an initiative towards world peace and has received the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has offered his continuous guidance and support to the movie.

Among the guests present at the Los Angeles luncheon organised at Peninsula Hotel, Beverley Hills, on the occasion of the anniversary of the World Trade Towers terrorist attacks, were noted Hollywood film actors, directors and scriptwriters including Sharon Stone, Goldie Hawn, Laurence Fishburne, Robert Downey Jr, Chris McGurk, and Carol Mendelsohn.

''We intend for 'Buddha' to be a major event film across the globe,'' said Dr Modi. ''Acquiring the rights to world-renowned Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's book 'Old Path White Clouds' is the first step in making this happen in a fashion that remains true to the extraordinary life story of Buddha. We are confident this will be every bit the exciting epic Hollywood film we envisioned from the start.'' He said ''Buddha'' is a large-scale commercial bio-pic for mainstream audiences worldwide and will be shot in the US, Japan, China and Thailand as well as India, where it will make history as the most expensive film ever to be shot in the country. Casting for the film, which will be in English, will begin immediately, with producers currently considering a short list of A-List stars for the lead roles. Principal photography is slated to begin in 2007 for the film to be ready for worldwide release in 2008.

''Old Path White Clouds'', the guiding base for the epic movie, is a universally acknowledged book on the Buddha and His Teachings, having sold over 2 million copies and printed in numerous countries across the globe.

The author, Thich Nhat Hanh (author of 87 books), nominated for the Noble Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr, currently offers Mindfulness Retreats at his monastery in France, Plum Village. He has also been called upon by major leaders of the world including Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev.

M Films has roped in Hollywood Producer Michel Shane, Executive Producer of Hollywood blockbusters like ''I Robot'' and ''Catch Me If You Can'', who was present on the occasion, to share his enthusiasm for the project.

UNI MR MAZ SI HT0922