A biopic on the 13th-century Persian poet Jalal al-Din Rumi, was announced by Oscar-winning screenwriter David Franzoni. David said that he would like to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as Rumi and Robert Downey Jr. as the poet's spiritual mentor. He added, “The biopic will challenge the stereotypical portrayal of Muslim characters in western cinema by charting the life of the great Sufi scholar. Rumi is hugely popular in the United States. I think this film will give him a face and a story.”
The director informed sources that he already went to Turkey with producer Stephen Joel Brown to interview Rumi scholars in Istanbul and has also visited the poet’s mausoleum in Konya. Franzoni is being criticised for choosing a white actor to portray Rumi. Many people took to Twitter to react, a user Tweeted, “White people ruin Ramadan 2016 by announcing their ‘Rumi’ movie #RumiWasntWhite.”
The film is still in it’s early stages and the shooting might begin next year, reported telegraph.co.uk.
