Anil Kapoor to romance French star Julie Deply in Ritesh Batra`s romantic drama

In June, mid-day reported that filmmaker Ritesh Batra of The Lunchbox (2013) fame was developing a cross-cultural romance featuring a mix of Indian and international cast (Shuddh videsi romance, June 28). Now, it looks like the acclaimed filmmaker has found the leads to bring alive his love story. Mid-day has exclusively learnt that French actor Julie Delpy, known for the wildly popular ‘Before’ trilogy, is likely to star in the yet-untitled film. This news comes on the back of months-long rumours that Anil Kapoor has been zeroed in on to play the male lead.

A source says, “The film is a love story between an Indian man and a foreigner. In Julie, who is naturally charismatic on screen, Ritesh has found the perfect actor to lead his sensitive romantic drama. It aligns with the cinematic sensibility of the actor, who is known for her films that balance humour, love, and realism beautifully.”

Ritesh Batra. Pic/AFP

What makes the international co-production — which has Guneet Monga Kapoor’s Sikhya Entertainment serving as one of the producers — all the more exciting is the fresh pairing of Kapoor and Delpy. Another insider shares, “Anil, who is pursuing novel stories, is keen to be a part of Ritesh’s world. He has loved the director’s previous works, and is eager to creatively collaborate with him.” With the cast in place, the movie is expected to go on floors by the month-end.

Julie Delpy not only led the ‘Before’ franchise, but also co-wrote the screenplay of ‘Before Sunset’ (2004) and ‘Before Midnight’ (2013) with co-actor Ethan Hawke and director Richard Linklater