James Bond's Aston Martin has an Indian connection

There is an Indian hand in James Bond's favourite car Aston Martin DB5 that appears again in the latest Bond movie Skyfall, which is turning out to be a big hit.
Since the 1960s, Aston Martin has been the fictional spy's favourite car and it is so in Skyfall, 23rd of the Bond movies.

The latest model has brakes by NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul's Caparo group. "My company, Caparo, put the brakes into his Aston Martin," Lord Paul said.

Equipped with interesting gadgets by Q, Aston Martin DB5 was first driven by Sean Connery's Bond character in third 007 movie Goldfinger in 1964.

Since then it showed up in five more films -- Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale and in Daniel Craig-starrer Skyfall.



Source: PTI

Roger Moore enjoyed doing sex scenes as James Bond

Washington: Former Bond star Roger Moore has revealed that he loved doing bedroom scenes when he played the 007 and wished more intimate moments had been written for him.

The 84-year-old actor, who appeared as the British spy in seven films in the franchise between 1973 and 1985, wished he had been able to get up close and personal with more actresses in the iconic movie series.

“I always rather liked the bedroom scenes,” Contactmusic quoted him as telling Hello!.

“I felt we didn’t have enough of those really.

“I very much enjoyed being the debonair hero, but I did find it hard to believe Bond could be a spy and yet be so well known by barmen all over the world,” he added.

ANI

Indian Railways gives James Bond licence to thrill

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.

Latest James Bond film to be shot in India

After shooting in exotic locales across the globe, the world's most famous spy has taken a fancy to desi destinations like the humble Sarojini Nagar market in Delhi and relatively unknown Navagam town near Ahmedabad. Other possible locations that the latest James Bond flick could be shot in include the sun-kissed beaches of Goa and business hub Mumbai.

The I&B ministry has given permission to India Take One Productions to shoot the latest Bond film. 'Bond 23' is likely to be shot at the cheek-by-jowl streets of Daryaganj, Sarojini Nagar market and Ansari Road in Delhi. The film, to be directed by Sam Mendes, will be released in 2012. This also marks the 50th anniversary of the successful 'Dr No' and the Bond franchise.

The producers have been given permission to shoot in North Goa with the exception of the tunnel at Dudhsagar (south-eastern railway) and Zuari rail bridge over Zuari river (Konkan railways) due to security concerns. Sources said talks with the railway ministry were on regarding these particular locales.

In Ahmedabad, the producers had sought permission to shoot near the Navagam area that is close to installations like Torrent Power limited, ONGC and IOC. The ministry has asked them to ensure that permissions are taken from the railway ministry and the state government. "We have suggested that these vital installations be avoided during the shoot in this area,'' a source said.

The Bond film will join an increasing number of foreign films that are being given permission to shoot in India. At last count, 22 films including big ticket productions like the Tom Cruise-starrer 'Mission Impossible', 'Life of Pi', 'Singularity' and 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' had been given permission. Among reality shows that have been cleared include the World's Strictest Parents' Australia and New Zealand productions.

James Bond shoot stalled in India

The shooting of a new James Bond movie in India has been stalled after the production house couldn't get the permission to shoot.

The makers of the movie, tentatively titled Bond 23, wanted to shoot high-speed stunts on the Indian Railways. However, they could not get the permissions due to safety issues and as a result director Sam Mendes is now looking for alternative locations.

"It has been one thing after another. The scenes are very ambitious and we’re all just desperate to get started but there have been obstacles at every stage,” mirror.co.uk quoted a production insider as saying.

India’s railways minister Dinesh Trivedi has now decided to “look into the matter”, but added: “I can’t jeopardize the safety of passengers.”

The shooting is likely to move to South Africa, where producers already have permission to shoot some scenes, but not until January.

Daniel Craig: 'I'd be a disaster in a rom-com

Daniel Craig would be a "disaster" in a romantic comedy.

The 'Cowboys & Aliens' star - who is best known for appearing as British spy James Bond in 'Casino Royale' and 'Quantum of Solace' - doesn't think a good film can be restricted by genre, but believes it would be a bad idea for him to appear in a hilarious love story.

He said: "I'm not about to do a rom-com. It would be a disaster.

"Good moves aren't just funny. Good movies aren't just sad. Good movies aren't just serious. They're all of those f**king things.

"In good movies, you should be involved in the characters. Not getting deep about it but I think that's more interesting."

However, Daniel admits he would like to see a little more humour in the forthcoming 23 James Bond film, which will be directed by Sam Mendes.

He said: "The humour has to come from truth, at how ridiculous the situations are. If it's just gags for the sake of gags, I'm not interested in that. I want to get the wryness back into it.

"It's a balance, because you've got to believe that he's going to be alive at the end of the movie. That's a James Bond movie."

Bond star Daniel Craig has B'wood on his mind

Come Friday, and Daniel Craig a.k.a James Bond will be seen in yet a new avatar. This time, as a cowboy fighting aliens in Jon Favreau's science fiction movie Cowboys And Aliens. In a candid chat with Hitlist, he talks about his professional and personal escapades.

Tell us something about Cowboys And Aliens? And about playing a cowboy fighting with aliens?

I play a stranger who stumbles into the hard-bitten town of Absolution. He wakes up in the middle of the desert with no memory and a fancy metallic bracelet on! It's brilliant what the writers did because the part was always very sort of enigmatic. Any dialogue we felt we didn't need, we just cut out. Because it's all about a character that doesn't have to explain what he's doing, he just does it.

How was your experience working With Harrison Ford?

This is the first time I have worked with Ford. I feel very lucky indeed. He's a really nice, generous and funny man. And he is an actor who just wants to get it right.

What prompted you to do this movie?

I've always wanted to play a cowboy. It's as simple as that. And I kind of got it. I saw the title Cowboys and Aliens and I thought, 'Okay, it's going to be something funny'. And actually the script read straight. It's funny, but it isn't gags every minute and all that, it is a straight cowboy movie and then suddenly the aliens turn up. I found the concept very interesting, so I spoke to my agent and said, ''I'd love to see this film because it will be a lot of fun.' And he said 'Well, they want you in it...' And we went from there.

What about your upcoming films? Also, when do we see you back as Bond?

My next is David Fincher's screen version of Stieg Larsson's international bestselling novel, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I will back as Bond soon with Bond 23.

You just got married to Rachel Weisz! It was so impromptu, what do you have to say?

Well, yeah, it was. We were in love and we got married.

What's your take on India as a market for Hollywood productions?

I think it's a huge market. My last two Bond movies did a good business in India.

What about doing Indian films? Has anything come your way?

Nothing has come my way yet, but if things work out then why not?

Some scenes from the next Bond are to be shot in India.

Yes, that's true and I am absolutely thrilled about it.

If ever a Bond girl were to be selected from Bollywood, would you any preference?

I don't know any Bollywood actress personally, but Indian women are very beautiful and they will surely make wonderful Bond girls.