He seems an odd choice to be playing an aged Hindu holy man. India has (and had, then) many excellent actors. The only reason I can think of why David Lean chose Alec Guinness was personal affection - in which case the "trivia" comment about them rowing seems out of place.
Any one know the story? I remember when the film came out this was also commented on.
Thought that the first time I saw the film, still think that, even though I like Guinness. It typically annoys the living poop outta me when some out-of-ethnicity actor is cast in such a part and darkened up, given the accent, etc., and for precisely the same reasons--first, you lose credibility, and second, it's a slap in the face to all the actors from that particular nation or culture who could've handled the part at least as well. But I suspect you're right--it was Lean's history with Guinness.
shareYeah, having this Inspector Clouseau doppelgänger around added little besides unintentional humor. The character itself was an interesting touch though with his shallow, deluded callousness often mistaken for some kind of spiritual profundity.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
Guinness' casting in the role is silly, but I never took it seriously. The way I see it, Lean only put Guinness in his movies as a sort of good luck charm. I mean think about it: Ryan's Daughter is the only film from the 1950's onward that *doesn't* have Guinness in it, and it's by far the least successful.
I basically see Guinness' casting in the part as Lean's way of humiliating the poor guy. Was it unprofessional of Lean? Absolutely. But also undeniably witty.
I think he wanted to have a Peter Sellers type moment and be thought of in the same light
shareHe was my favorite thing about the film.
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