Irrfan Khan to play Raghu Rai in foreign film ‘Behind the Bodice’

Spicezee Bureau

Mumbai: Hollywood’s favourite Bollywood actor, Irrfan Khan, has landed himself yet another meaty but controversial international project. Known for his fixation with the West and passion for alternative cinema, Irrfan Khan is bound to stir many passions as he has given his nod to a foreign project that will re-ignite the debate surrounding depiction of nudity in art and photography. With Indian art as its background, the film is set to showcase the controversies that embroiled MF Husain and Raghu Rai, who depicted nudity in their artwork. Talking about the project, the fabled actor said, "The movie, ‘Behind the Bodice’, is actually based on a short story by Mahasweta Devi but there are instances quite similar to those faced by Husain and Raghu Rai. Some of it may be purely coincidental, but the director of the film, Italo Spinelli, is very close to Raghu Rai and has studied his life and works.” As for the film, Irrfan in his candid manner stated that it attempts to show the hypocrisy practiced by society when it comes to nudity in art. "We are all fascinated by the human body -- it is beautifully made by God -- but when someone shows it through art, people take offense," the actor told a news daily. In an attempt to get under the skin of his character, Irrfan will even visit Raghu. "I will be doing some homework in photography. I will also visit Raghu to see his work and draw observations for my research," he said. And the man who is at the centre of this entire hullabaloo, Raghu Rai, is more than just aware of the fact that the film is inspired by his own life. "Italo is a good friend. He was quite fascinated by my work in Rocks, Clouds and Nudes and knows my style. He also knows about the trouble I went through when a publication printed nude photos from my series," said Raghu.