Irrfan Khan photo

With the principal casting more or less complete – we are not sure if Hugh Grant will play the role of Lord Mountbatten, though – what we have is a sterling crew.

Indian Summer will be directed by Atonement director, Joe Wright, and penned by Gladiator writer William Nicholson.

Now that the Indian government has cleared the script of the film, on the condition that it is subject to approval, the movie is likely to go into production in early 2010.

Indian Summer will be produced by Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan with Hilary Bevan Jones.

Indian Summer is based on Alex von Tunzelmann’s book Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire.

The movie will revolve around the relationship between Lady Mountbatten, wife of the last governor general of India, and Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister.

Jawaharlal Nehru’s niece Nayantara Sehgal and the Mountbatten family have denied that the Nehru and Lady Mountbatten had an affair, in 1947.

Irrfan Khan was last seen in the 2009 Billu and New York. The actor has an impressive bibliography with movies like The Warrior, Namesake, Slumdog Millionaire, Maqbool, and Haasil.

The actor’s next release is Acid Factory, in October 2009, followed by Hisss with Mallika Sherawat in 2010.

Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator

In March 2009, Variety had reported that Joe Wright (Atonement, The Soloist) will direct Indian Summer.

Indian Summer will be written by William Nicholson (Gladiator). The producers of Indian Summer are Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan with Hilary Bevan Jones.

The movie is based on the book “Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire” by Alex von Tunzelmann.

Indian Summer will portray the summer of 1947 when India won Independence and the British were evicted.

It was in 1947 that Lord Mountbatten, the last governor general of India, came to India, accompanied by his wife Lady Edwina Mountbatten, to hand over power to Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister.

Photo: Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire cover

There have always been rumors about the alleged love affair between Lady Edwina Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru. It is likely that Indian Summer will explore the relationship between the two as well.

While the Mountbatten family denied the allegations of the romance, later Lady Mountbatten’s daughter, Lady Pamela Hicks, did confirm the relationship in her book – India Remembered – that she co-wrote with her daughter, India Hicks.

She has written in the book that the alleged love affair between Jawaharlal Nehru and Lady Edwina Mountbatten started in 1947, during a trip to Mashobra, a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, in India.

She also clarified that the two did not have a physical relationship.

Indian Summer will go on the floors in 2010.

Academy-award winning actress Cate Blanchett will be next seen in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood (it was earlier titled Nottingham) starring Russell Crowe.

Hugh Grant who was last seen in the rom com Music & Lyrics will be next seen in Did You Hear About the Morgans?, which will released later in 2009.

Vanessa Redgrave will star in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood movie as Queen Eleanor of Aquitane

In an official statement, Universal said that Vanessa Redgrave, Oscar Issac, and Lea Seydoux have joined the cast. Vanessa will play the role of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, mother of King John, Oscar Issacs will be King John, and Lea Sedoux will play French princess Isabella.

Lea Seydoux will play Princess Isabella in Ridley Scott's upcoming Robin Hood movie

Then titled Nottingham, the Robin Hood movie was first announced in June 2008. The movie, written by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, was said to be a spin-off of the original story, told from the point of view of the Sherrif of Nottingham.

Russell Crowe was to play the Sheriff of Nottingham, Christian Bale was in talks to play Robin Hood, and Sienna Miller was to play Maid Marian.

The Robin Hood movie will now be a conventional retelling of the story. The script has now been rewritten by Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris, and Brian Helgeland (co-writer of LA Confidential).

The full cast of the movie now is:

1) Robin Hood: Russell Crowe
2) Maid Marian: Kate Blanchett
3) Queen Eleanor of Aquitane: Vanessa Redgrave
4) King John: Oscar Issac
5) Little John: Kevin Durand
6) Sir Godfrey: Mark Strong
7) Princess Isabella: Lea Seydoux
Will Scarlet: Scot Grimes
9) Allan Adayle: Alan Doyle

Russell Crowe will now play Robin Hood in Ridley Scott's movie

Robin of Loxley, a brilliant archer, sympathizer of the poor, and supporter of King Richard the Lionheart, is driven out by the malevolent King John, brother of Richard. When Richard dies, Robin moves to the village of Nottingham that is laboring under the burden of high taxation and a tyrannical sheriff.

Robin falls in love with Lady Marian, who does not quite warm up to his outlaw ways. Robin sets up his own band of outlaws to take on the sherrif, save the town, and win the hand of the fair Maid Marian.

The Robin Hood movie will go into production in April 2009 on a budget of $130 million.

The legend of Robin Hood has fascinated filmmakers for a long time. The first Robin Hood movie, titled  The Adventures of Robin Hood, was made in 1938, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland as Robin hood and Maid Marian.

In 1991, came the Kevin Costner -  Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio hit, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, followed by the satirical Robin Hood: Men in Tights, in 1993.

Russell Crowe has starred in many Ridley Scott movies like Gladiator, American Gangster, A Good Year, and the recent Body of Lies.

Cate Blanchett was last seen in the 2008 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.