Leonardo DiCaprio Reportedly Considered to Play Mevlana Role
Hollywood is set to produce a film about the life of Mevlana, a Persian-speaking poet. Leonardo DiCaprio is reportedly expected to play the role of Mevlana. The casting of a white actor for this role has drawn criticism.
David Franzoni, an Oscar-winning screenwriter, announced in an interview with The Guardian that he is writing a screenplay about the life of Mevlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, the renowned seventh-century Hijri Persian-speaking poet.
Franzoni told The Guardian that in this screenplay he is attempting to “challenge stereotypical images and prejudices” about Islam and Muslims, and to portray the life of this “great Sufi” for a Western audience.
Praising Mevlana’s character, Franzoni said: “He is as important as Shakespeare. He was one of the most talented human beings of all times and was a highly valued figure in his own society and among his people. Such rare and exceptional figures always have the potential to be depicted on the cinema screen.”
The screenwriter told The Guardian that he intends for Leonardo DiCaprio, a renowned Hollywood star who won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role this year, to play the role of Mevlana.
Franzoni’s decision, however, immediately faced significant criticism on social media and in the press.
Most criticisms center around why Franzoni, who claims he wants to “challenge prejudices” about Muslims, is turning to a white actor?
Social media users quickly created a hashtag titled “Rumi Was Not White” and expressed their anger at Franzoni’s choice of actor for the role of Mevlana.
Hollywood cinema and the most important American film awards, including the Oscar, have faced this criticism for several years—that they are disproportionately awarded to white artists. For this reason, the protest campaign “OscarsSoWhite” was able to gain support from some prominent figures in American cinema.
Mevlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi is known in Western countries and English-speaking nations by the name “Rumi” and is one of the most popular poets. Translations of this great Persian-language poet’s works have repeatedly appeared on bestseller lists in America and several other Western countries.
Source: DW
