25 June,2011 07:10 AM IST | | Jyothi Venkatesh
Italio-Ukranian Nataliya Kozhenova to play role of 15-yr-old British national Scarlett Keeling in movie titled Anjuna Beach
After No One Killed Jessica, yet another female oriented real life story has been made into a film. Italio-Ukrainian model Nataliya Kozhenova is quite excited that she has been roped in by producer Sikandar Khan to play the controversial role of the 15-year-old Scarlett Keeling, the unfortunate young foreigner who was brutally raped and murdered in Anjuna Beach on February 2, three years ago. The film titled Anjuna Beach will be directed by Shakeel S Sai.
From real to reel: Nataliya Kozhenova will play the role of Scarlett
Keeling and claims to have prepared thoroughly for the role
In connection with this case, two locals Placido Carvalho alias Shanaboy and drug dealer and barman Samson D'Souza, were arrested and charged with drugging, raping and leaving Scarlett to die on the shore. The case was later handed over to the CBI after her mother repeatedly accused the local police of a massive cover up.
Nataliya confesses that she considers herself extremely lucky to be chosen to play a challenging role based on the real life story of Scarlett.
"Since I have been in India only since the last two years, I confess I was not aware of the real life story of the British girl Scarlett that I am playing in the film, so I started my preparation after a lot of research."
The movie is being made not only in Hindi, but also in English, Tamil and Telugu and had to keep the various audience in mind, says the model.
Nataliya reveals that since the local government in Goa was not in favor of letting any film unit tarnish the image of Goa, lest it affect the prospects of tourism in the State. Officially permission was not granted but the producers had stealthily managed to shoot the portions of Nataliya for ten days, in the same beach, where Scarlett was raped and murdered. Though Nataliya is happy that the director had shot the brutal rape and murder scenes in an aesthetic manner, she is upset that she was asked to dab layers of make up.
She felt that as a 15-year-old, Scarlet should have been presented without make up. "I have had experience as an actor thanks to my stint in Ukrainian theatre and am not a movie as far as acting is concerned," she adds Besides Nataliya, the film Anjuna Beach also boasts of a cast comprising veteran actors Kiran Kumar (who plays the role of the public prosecutor), Amita Nangia, Ramesh Goel and the Iranian actress Farhanaaz (who plays the mother of Fiona Scarlett).
The movie is being made not only in Hindi, but also in English, Tamil and Telugu
