Never been offered a Bollywood film: Nicole Kidman

Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman fell in love with Indian movies while working on Baz Luhrmann's musical Moulin Rouge!, which was inspired by Bollywood dramas.

 "I have never been offered," Kidman said when asked whether she would like to do a Bollywood movie. "We stole a lot from Bollywood on Moulin Rouge! I watched a lot of Bollywood films when we did Moulin Rouge!. I remember Baz Luhrmann would screen all these Bollywood films and that's when I fell in love with them. We tried to do a little bit of it in the movie but it is very hard. It is an incredibly hard art form to emulate," Kidman said during a session at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2015.

Kidman, 48, played the role of a terminally ill cabaret actress and courtesan in the 2001 Oscar nominated movie. Kidman feels Bollywood should not lose its uniqueness by emulating Hollywood movies. "I don't know why as a country you would want to emulate Hollywood. It is very important culturally for countries to maintain their identity through their art. You can go and see a Hollywood movie but the most important thing is to make movies that are your own, that represent you and the power of your culture."

Though she is not working in a Bollywood movie, the actress is a part of a film, which is partially set in Kolkata. The movie is titled Lion and also stars Dev Patel."Half of the film is set in Calcutta and the other half in Tasmania, which is small island in the tip of Australia."Tasmania is very beautiful. The film is about a young boy, who is actually from Calcutta and adopted by an Australian woman. It's an emotional story about finding his birth mother, " the actress added.

The actress also believes that the world is still dominated by males even though there is a need for the equality of sexes. "It is a male dominated world. That's just a fact. When people say there is no need for feminism anymore because there is equality we know that's not a true statement. The world is changing in the sense of the need and desire for equality between sexes. But there is still an enormous way to go," Kidman said while replying to a query at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2015 here.

"I don't think it is a controversial statement at all. This is why there is a need for female equality. I am not saying that the female is not valued but it is still male dominate. Equality of the sexes, if that can be achieved, it can be a very different world."

The 48-year-old actress said education and a humanist approach is important in protecting the family unit. "Female dynamic is such an important dynamic in the world to exist. We nurture. We are the contributors to the family in a way the male is not and without the family unit surviving and becoming stronger, the world does not work. Primarily, we have to take care of family, men women and the both sexes of children." The actress said she learned about women's issues from her feminist mother. "I always speak passionately about women's issues because my mother is a feminist. She is 75-years-old and she is still passionate..."

Kidman, who got married to musician Keith Urban after her divorce from Tom Cruise, credits her partner for helping her achieve a quiet family life despite her Hollywood fame. "I live a very quiet family life. I have created a very tight intimate family. I have a wonderful partner-husband, who is just very open hearted, engaged and wonderful father and husband. We create a very close family. I have this life and I have that life as well. They are parallel to each other."

 
Kidman with her husband Keith Urban. Image Credit: Getty Images