Rakesh Roshan, who was looking for an international face to cast opposite his son Hrithik Roshan in his next film 'Kites', has signed top Latin actress Barbara Mori as the leading lady.
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"The girl's role is extremely bold. Actually, we've decided to cast someone international because that's the personality and profile of the leading lady in my film," said Anurag Basu, who will direct the film. Roshan and Basu recently returned from the US after having signed up the 30-year-old Mori, who was born in Uruguay.
Barbara Mori has appeared in over a dozen movies and TV shows and is best known to North American viewers for her work in the steamy romance La Mujer de mi hermano (2005). She got her first leading role as Azul in the series Azul Tequila, co-starring with Mauricio Ochmann. A year later she filmed the series Me muero por tí in Miami, with Peruvian actor Christian Meier.
The actress has her own lingerie line, and uses her image to support charitable causes such as the fight against breast cancer in Mexico.
Several names had been put forward for the leading lady's role. Apparently, Rakesh Roshan, who is very close to Anil Kapoor and quite fond of Anil's daughter Sonam, wanted to cast her. Sonam, who is conscious of her conservative image, excused herself because the role required the girl to get `seriously sexy' with Hrithik.
Bruna Abdalah was also considered for the role but the Brazilian model did not pass muster though she didn't have had any problem with the 'bold' scenes.
Roshan and Basu had short listed three to four Hollywood actresses for the role, one of them being Penelope Cruz, and made a trip to Hollywood for talks with their agents.
The film also stars Kangana Ranaut while Rajesh Roshan will score the music for it. The remaining cast and credits are currently being finalised in Mumbai and Los Angeles.
Kites is to be shot in New Mexico, Las Vegas and Los Angeles in the US. The film is another Film Kraft Production's presentation and is scheduled to go into production by the end of July this year.