Stephen Frears boards Bengali Detective

by Naman Ramachandran

18/11/2011 - Veteran British director Stephen Frears (pictured) will direct the feature adaptation of acclaimed documentary The Bengali Detective.

Writer D.V. DeVincentis, who wrote High Fidelity and Lay The Favourite for Frears, will adapt the script. The source film, directed by Philip Cox, follows pudgy Indian detective Rajesh Ji who takes the time out to solve cases in Kolkata’s murky underbelly while pursuing his obsession with dancing where he and his dance company hope to make a splash on a nationally popular dance reality show. It also looks at the issues facing a newly rich India.

The documentary was in English, Hindi and Bengali and the remake will be in English.

Ridley and Tony Scott’s Scott Free Productions alongside Fox Searchlight are producing Frears’ feature version of The Bengali Detective. Fox Searchlight has prior experience of India, having produced the globally successful Slumdog Millionaire [trailer, film focus].

Fox Searchlight’s President of Production, Claudia Lewis said while picking up the rights, “We adored this film and are delighted to have the chance to work with such entertaining, funny material. We were charmed by this story of a dedicated husband and self-made detective who dreams big.”

Cox added, “We are thrilled that Fox Searchlight has fallen in love with our leading man Rajesh and his wild adventures as a detective in Kolkata. Fox Searchlight has an amazing track record of bringing stories set in India to a worldwide audience, and we are excited to be sharing this journey with them.”

Frears’ Lay The Favourite, based on Beth Raymer’s memoir about a young woman who gets involved with a gang of elderly betting aficionados, is due in 2012.