When James Bond Makers Were Rejected By The Indian Government For Shooting In India, “Daniel Craig Should Be Railways Brand Ambassador, No Passengers On Roofs…” Conditions Were Implied!

Daniel Craig is one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry in the world. The actor became the 7th James Bond in 2006, bringing life to the character and how. While all the James Bond instalments starring Craig have done fairly well at the box office, the 2012 movie Skyfall was set to be shot in India. Here’s why the then-Railway Minister did not let it happen.

Craig has had a connection with India for a long time. Before bagging the role of 007 and proving he was indeed the best actor to play the spy, the actor auditioned for a small part in Aamir Khan-starrer Rang De Basanti.

Helmed by Sam Mendes, a part of the 2012 action adventure Skyfall was initially set to be filmed in India. In order to film the movie, the makers reached out to the Indian Railway Ministry for certain permissions in 2011. The ask was to let the production shoot a scene with Bond atop a moving train.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, former Indian railway minister Dinesh Trivedi put forth three conditions for the makers to film the scene. Trivedi said, “I put three conditions: that they will not show that passengers in India travel on roofs of trains; that there will be no compromise with safety during the shoot; and that James Bond [played by Daniel Craig] would sign up as a brand ambassador for Indian Railways.” The third condition required Craig’s Bond to say, “Indian Railways is stronger than James Bond.”

While the makers agreed to the second and third conditions, they refused to agree to the first one as they had planned a scene which required passengers to travel on the train’s roof. The film’s officials told Trivedi, “There will be a scene where James Bond is going to fight on the roof of a train. Otherwise, why would we come to India?” The former railway minister refused to allow the makers as the scene would show India in a “poor light.”

Skyfall makers planned another fight sequence in India but later shelved it. Director Sam Mendes once told the publication that it was too dangerous to shoot a scene in the narrow streets of Mumbai.

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