Ashutosh Gowariker had signed certainly one of America's most distinguished and popular screenplay writers and directors David S. Ward to jot down the now-shelved bio-pic on Gautam Buddha.
Ward has now been roped in to write down the bio-pic on Rajiv Gandhi to be directed by Bhavna Talwar on the end of this year.
Ward has to his credit the screenplay of such Hollywood masterpieces because the Robert Redford gems The Sting and Milagro Beanfield War. In fact, Ward's association with Redford is long and hugely productive. Ward has also written such evergreen Hollywood flicks as Sleepless In Seattle and Major League. He has also directed the blockbusters King Ralph and Cannery Row.
This brilliant screenplay writer will now be spending the following twelve months of his life in Delhi tracking down the life and times of 1 of our most charismatic politicians, Rajiv Gandhi for Bhavna Talwar's film.
Says a source, "If not Buddha then Rajiv Gandhi...Bhavna had met Ashutosh Gowariker who recommended Ward after Buddha was shelved. That's how David Ward came into the Rajiv Gandhi film. Ward arrives in a month and can research and write on Rajiv from Delhi while Bhavna Talwar will do something about pre-production."
When contacted Bhavna Talwar confirmed, "Yes, it's David Ward who will write my Rajiv Gandhi film. Initially I BELIEVED of scripting it myself. But I MADE UP MY MIND against it for 2 reasons. One, I WISHED an outsider's perspective at the brilliant someone and statesman that was Rajiv Gandhi. I DO KNOW Ward's work. He possesses the sensitivity to drag it off effectively. Secondly, if I focused on writing the film, I'd haven't any time for the entire other vast preparations required to start out the film."
