Colin Firth to appear in `The Railway Man`

London: Actor Colin Firth has signed up to take on the lead role in the World War II drama `The Railway Man`.

Directed by Jonathan Teplitzky, the film is is based on former army officer Eric Lomax`s book with the same name. Teplitzky was sent to a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in 1942 and the book features his experience before, during, and after the war. "`The Railway Man` is an amazing story and to have the chance to make it with Colin Firth as Eric is really the best gift any director could hope for," contactmusic.com quoted Teplitzky as saying. IANS