I wanted Indians to see James Bond before Americans: Daniel Craig (Interview)
By Robin Bansal

New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) "Quantum of Solace" is opening in India a week before its US release. Lead actor Daniel Craig says "Bond films have been a huge hit in India and that's why we wanted to give Indian audiences the thrill of seeing the spy movie before the Americans do".

"Nov 7 will see the biggest rollout for any Hollywood film in India as we would like to give our Indian audiences the thrill of seeing 'Quantum of Solace' even before the US does. India has got really enthusiastic movie lovers," Craig told IANS in an e-mail interview.

"Bond films have always been a hit here (India) and the character of James Bond is hugely popular in India, so keeping his Indian mass fan following in mind, the producers decided to release the movie in India a week before even the United States," he said.

Asked about Indian movies and actors, he said: "Personally I don't know any Indian actor since we are very apart from each other in terms of subjects and scripts. But we do get to meet our counterparts from other countries at film festivals. Most definitely I would love to work in an Indian movie but till now I have not received any offers.

"No, I have not been to India, but I certainly think that it's a fabulous country with lots of colour and diverse cultural backgrounds. It would surely be a great experience if I get a chance to come to India."

Directed by Marc Foster, "Quantum of Solace" is the 22nd edition of the James Bond franchise and stars Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arterton, Judi Dench, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright and Giancarlo Giannini, apart from Craig.

The spy thriller has already broken the record as the highest grosser on the first day in Britain, where it opened Oct 31.

Craig got himself injured a number of times during the shoot, as he performed his own stunts. But he has no regrets.

"When you are a part of a Bond film the whole experience is very exciting. I truly enjoy performing stunts on my own. Using a body double would not have given me the excitement which I got from doing stunts myself," said Craig, who calls Bond movies the "biggest money minting machine".

"The most difficult scene was that of slamming the door on my co-actor Mathieu's face during which I hurt my finger a bit seriously," he said.

Craig also had to undergo a rigorous workout regime for his role - hitting the gym and doing yoga.

Craig succeeded Pierce Brosnan as Bond in the 2005 film "Casino Royale" that sparked much controversy but earned him rave reviews for his portrayal of the British super spy in its original embodiment as "ironic, brutal and cold".

However, the actor credits Sean Connery to have "genuinely made James Bond a memorable character among the people".

Asked if he is scared of being typecast as James Bond, Craig said: "James Bond is a character who has a really versatile enigma attached to him. Playing him doesn't limit my acting, rather it gives a unique edge to it and I am comfortable to be recognised as James Bond. However, I would surely like to do different roles."

Craig's future projects include "The Jacket" and "Vengeance" apart from the next three instalments of the Bond franchise.