Casting coup : International

By Saibal Chatterjee

Cannes, May 27 - For some in the Indian media contingent in Cannes this year, the most sought after personality was Preity Zinta, who wasn't officially part of the 59th Cannes Film Festival but was present at virtually every Indian bash in the first week of the event.

Having seen Japanese actor Koji Yakusho's brief but impressive role in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's 'Babel', Indian director Bharatbala has made up his mind to cast the star in his upcoming samurai-kalaripayuttu period drama, 'The 19th Step'.

The 50-year-old Yakusho is in Cannes as part of the large 'Babel' entourage, providing the Chennai-based filmmaker the opportunity to offer him a role in the upcoming Indo-Japanese co-production.

Yakusho, one of Japan's most admired actors, shot to international fame for his role in the smash hit, 'Shall We Dance?' (1996). He was more recently seen as Nobu in the Oscar-winning 'Memoirs of a Geisha'.

Incidentally, Inarritu decided to cast Yakusho in 'Babel' for the very reason that Bharatbala has zeroed in on the gifted Japanese actor. In the Tokyo segment of the Mexican film that is in Competition in Cannes this year, Yakusho plays a father who cannot emotionally connect with his deaf-mute daughter.

Says Inarritu: 'That father appears in just a couple of scenes, but we had to find an actor who has so much presence and gravity that you remember him long after his scenes have passed.' So watch out for Koji Yakusho.