Mumbai is beautiful: Brit filmmaker Duncan Kenworthy

With films like Notting Hill, Gulliver’s Travels and Four Weddings and a Funeral to his credit, British film and television producer, Duncan Kenworthy is a name to reckon with.

Kenworthy made his first visit to India recently, to promote his upcoming film The Eagle and admitted to be in complete awe of the place. “Mumbai is so different. It’s much more beautiful than what I had expected it to be. I thought it’d be insane,” says the film-maker who started his Indian journey from Jodhpur where he stayed at a fort and was treated to some sumptuous food.

“The food was so impressive,” he adds. “Besides, there was a sufi music festival going on…it was simply an amazing experience.”

“Clearly, I will come back to India. This was just a start,” he adds. The maverick was introduced to Indian cinema with the movie Lagaan, which happened to be “quite a rage in the UK”. “Aamir’s performance was breathtaking. I also happened to watch Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna…I realised Indian movies are so much full of emotions, while people in England are so reticent.” Kenworthy’s Indian connection doesn’t just end there. He had also made a film with Om Puri previously. Talking about his Indian favourites and expressing his desire to do some Bollywood collaborations, Kenworthy says, “Between Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan…it’d be difficult.”

 “I did talk to Shah Rukh Khan about doing a film together. He was keen on working with Keira Knightley. I feel the seriousness in Aamir makes him more Western, but Shah Rukh is a big glam star.”

A contrast to his usual romcom style, The Eagle is based on the historical novel by the same title, and stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland. “It’s not like some Hollywood film —fake and with extensive use of special effects. I wanted it to be as close to reality as it could get, using the least of visible effects. I do not shun technology altogether but like it to be invisible,” he signs off.