The world's most famous secret agent, James Bond (with actor Daniel Craig) will have to make some changes in his action plan in India, when he jumps from a speeding motorbike onto the roof top of a moving train and while on the run, will jump from one moving to train top to another. But the earlier plan to show both the moving train tops crowded with travellers, will have to be done away with, to comply with conditions put out by the railway ministry.
"One of the conditions for allowing the shoot is that they cannot show India or Indian Railways in bad light and the assurances will have to be given to us in writing. The film will be viewed across the world where it will seem as if all trains here have people travelling on roof tops, which is not true. Also, travelling on the roof of a train is prohibited by law and that cannot be encouraged," railway minister Dinesh Trivedi said, while confirming that the shoot will happen in Goa and in January next year.
While there are other conditions that the filmmakers have to comply to, and are likely to abide by like, keeping the "safety issue" as priority and causing "least inconvenience to passengers," Trivedi has struck a deal for allowing the railways to be used for the Bond film, tentatively titled " Bond 23". He has asked James Bond to be brand amabassador for Indian Railways, for which Trivedi also came up with punch line for a two-minute spot, where 007 will have to say something on the lines of "Indian Railways is stronger than James Bond."
Trivedi, who replied to an email that he recieved from Indian representatives of the Hollywood producers of the Bond film, after which he met them last Monday at his railway ministry office. They had asked for Sabarmati in Gujarat or Goa for a site to shoot in, since the film has to show Bond jumping into a sea or a big water body from the train top. Trivedi assured "all possible help from the railways" for the shoot as long as conditions he has mentioned were met with.
"Octopussy" was the only other Bond film which had an Indian connection, before this, when part of the film was shot in the Uadipur Lake Palace Hotel and in the streets of the city, with Roger Moore starring as the MI6 agent, in the film that was released in 1983.
"One of the conditions for allowing the shoot is that they cannot show India or Indian Railways in bad light and the assurances will have to be given to us in writing. The film will be viewed across the world where it will seem as if all trains here have people travelling on roof tops, which is not true. Also, travelling on the roof of a train is prohibited by law and that cannot be encouraged," railway minister Dinesh Trivedi said, while confirming that the shoot will happen in Goa and in January next year.
While there are other conditions that the filmmakers have to comply to, and are likely to abide by like, keeping the "safety issue" as priority and causing "least inconvenience to passengers," Trivedi has struck a deal for allowing the railways to be used for the Bond film, tentatively titled " Bond 23". He has asked James Bond to be brand amabassador for Indian Railways, for which Trivedi also came up with punch line for a two-minute spot, where 007 will have to say something on the lines of "Indian Railways is stronger than James Bond."
Trivedi, who replied to an email that he recieved from Indian representatives of the Hollywood producers of the Bond film, after which he met them last Monday at his railway ministry office. They had asked for Sabarmati in Gujarat or Goa for a site to shoot in, since the film has to show Bond jumping into a sea or a big water body from the train top. Trivedi assured "all possible help from the railways" for the shoot as long as conditions he has mentioned were met with.
"Octopussy" was the only other Bond film which had an Indian connection, before this, when part of the film was shot in the Uadipur Lake Palace Hotel and in the streets of the city, with Roger Moore starring as the MI6 agent, in the film that was released in 1983.
