Dawn Images

the drama "Mein Abdul Qader Hoon" was shot in Istanbul pretending to be showing night clubs in england, they look quite similar, no big deal.

Both are great actors. They mush sign up to do this film.

Leo can easily pass off as an Afghan, many of them are blonde with blue eyes

He should play Nelson Mandela.

Rumi is not what he looks..rumi is words and sound which has beauty and fragrance.Rumi is Farsi.Even if you make leo looks like Rumi would he bring beauty of the language and words.Can he pronounce words of Farsi in poetry..no he can't.

Expecting/demanding that all Muslim characters be played by 'brown' actors is actually also stereotyping! If Rumi was a Persio-Afghan then I don't see an issue. Not all Muslims, Middle-Easterners or South Asians are 'Brown'! Most of Afghans & some Persians are caucasian-looking with blond hair and blue/green eyes! I just hope it's a good film!

Doesn't seems a bad option provided they do pay close attention to personalities likes Shams Tabraizi.

It would be better than a desi actor talking in English in a desi accent. Mind you Rumi did not speak English at all. Unless the movie will be in Persian, there is no need for desi accent. Or better yet get a gora desi who has no accent at all.

Please dont forget the persian people have fair complexion not dark. So both of the Hollywood actors will be perfect for the parts.

Well. I thought Rumi was Persian. And they are white. Why the big deal? Pakistanis would have been just as mad of an Indian actor had been cast.

what's the big deal ... Rumi was Afghan and Afghans are blue and blond, majority of them. as far as the actor playing Rumi is concerned, I think Leo will make a great Rumi in the film. since we don't know the script yet, so can't comment on how true the presented facts will be in the film.

Pakistanis dont believe in Sufism

I found the comments funnier than the concept of one of the greatest actors of our times playing a complex great man from history. I am also surprised to learn that many/most afghan are blond. Light haired yes, but I have yet to see a blond afghan.

Well he has dark hair and dark beard, he even looks like a northern Persian, now the eyes are a problem which can be made darker with colored contacts, plus he is a damn good actor.

WHy did they choose an Englishman to play "Lawrence of Arabia" ?

@Khalid Farooq : very few Afghans are blue or green-eyed and blonde.

Rumi can be played by Afghan-American actor Donnie Keshawarz and Shams can be authored by Peyman Moaadi, who starred in Oscar winner, A Separation. Unfortunately, actors that actually speak Persian/Dari cannot draw an audience like DiCaprio and Downey Jr. Critics need to understand that Hollywood studio executives won't bankroll big budget movies with unknown actors and it is all about the color of money, not color of skin. I certainly wouldn't mind watching DiCaprio and Downey play Rumi and Shams respectively. They are great actors that can do justice to Rumi and Shams. @ Shereen You must live under a rock if you have never seen an Afghan with light hair and green eyes. The iconic Afghan girl on the cover of National Geographic magazine from the 80s represents a typical Afghan look. Look up Afghan cricketers Rokhan Barakzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Mirwais Ashraf, Noor Ali Zadran, Sharafuddin Ashraf and actor Donnie Keshawarz to sample the Afghan look.

@Anniyah Look up Afghan cricketers Rokhan Barakzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Mirwais Ashraf, Noor Ali Zadran, Sharafuddin Ashraf, actor Donnie Keshawarz and singer Farhad Darya for proof of Afghans with light eyes and a microcosm of the Afghan look.

@Anniyah Because he was an Englishman Duh.

if the movie is made for western audiences, it makes sense to have big western names like Leo and Downy. It does not make sense to have an unknown name in a movie that is based on a persian poet. The movie might only find audiences in Iran. good choice by the movie makers. twitter sometimes is nuisance.