A new film based on true events, set in the world of “honor killings” in India, has picked up steam today as two talented actors have signed on for principal and supporting roles.
Variety reports that Toni Collette and Dev Patel have joined “Defiant,” a thriller written and directed by Bill Burnett, and produced by the Australian-based Anupam Sharma. The film centers around the Islamic law that permits Muslim men to wed non-Muslim women, but denies women the same rights with men. Patel will play Hari, one half of a couple in love on the run from their parents, all of whom want to kill them for wanting to marry. Collette will play an Emmy-winning reporter who follows the story, but soon finds herself living it after becoming involved and fighting for the couple’s lives.
Patel will next be seen in the fantastic-looking Aaron Sorkin show “The Newsroom,” and this new film, along with the TV show, represents a new step forward into dramatic territory for the young actor, one that he hasn’t dabbled in since “Slumdog Millionaire.” Collette (who's a busy bee at the moment, having signed on to "The Way Way Back," "Miss You Already" and "A Long Way Down" in the last week alone) is of course an ever-reliable addition to any project, so it’s no doubt she’ll bring an excellent performance to her supporting role. Keep your eyes peeled for this one.
Principal photography on “Defiant” will begin late-October in North India.