The pursuit of Sandalwood’s Jaden Smith

If your child fits the bill, take advantage of the crew's open invite and walk right into their office

The pursuit of Sandalwood's Jaden Smith

If your child fits the bill, take advantage of the crew's open invite and walk right into their office

A Kannada crew looking out for the next Jaden Smith has been flooded with over 2,000 applications. But they are still looking.

Makers of Muttu Nammappa, the Kannada version of The Pursuit of Happyness, have advertised for a 6- to 7-year-old to play the role of Chris Gardner Jr. Shivraj Kumar will play the father Will Smith's role in the English version.

"We are looking for a child who can perform Chris Jr's role," said producer Manjunath M. "The role is challenging and needs a very talented child."

The movie

The team has advertised, asking parents to send their children's profiles.

"It's an open invite. Any parent can walk into our office with their kids," said Manjunath.

Producers have already received over 2,000 applications including one from producer Soundarya Jagadish.

Training

The lucky child will be chosen in May based on his command over Kannada and English and the ability to deliver on screen.

"The child will then undergo training by experts," said Kote Prabhakar another producer.

The movie, to be shot in India and Hong Kong, is being directed by Ravi Shrivatsau00a0 and produced under the banner of K K Films by Manjunath, Kote Prabhakar and Srinath. K V Raju, who has worked with Bollywood stars including Amitabh Bachchan, will write the screenplay.

Shooting will begin in September.

The original
The Pursuit of Happyness, directed by Gabriele Muccino and released in 2006, was a runaway hit and earned $27 million during its opening weekend.

The movie is based on the life of American millionaire Christopher Paul Gardner, who overcame all odds to become the CEO of the $165-million stock brokerage firm Gardner Rich and Co. Besides showcasing Gardner's spectacular journey, the movie also describe his relation with son Chris Jr and the days when they were homeless for over a year, living in flop houses, locked bathrooms and parks. Will Smith and his son play the lead roles of father and son (above).