Gulshan Grover, Bollywood Badman has been cast as the villain opposite Daniel Craig in Casino Royale - the next Bond movie. He will play the legendary role of Le Chiffre in the film based on Ian Fleming’s first James Bond book.

Grover, 50, said, “To be in Casino Royale would be a real honour to me and my country. Shooting is due to begin in February in Prague and although I do already have commitments I will drop everything if necessary.”

Grover - a big fan of Bond films says, “In India the character of the villain is so integral to our storytelling. I have always enjoyed playing memorable ‘bad men’ and what villains are more memorable than the Bond villains such as Blofeld from You Only Live Twice and Scaramanga from The Man With The Golden Gun.”

Aoen production which owns the Bond franchise, has been trying to boost 007’s popularity in the Asian market for several years. In 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies they cast Michelle Yeoh as a Bond girl, and also reportedly considered Indian actress Aishwarya Rai for 2002’s Die Another Day.

Addind drama to the move he said, “I have played so many negative characters in my time that people in India are often too scared to talk to me.” The actor met Prince Charles yesterday at Clarence House and was honoured to meet him. He said, “It was great to meet the Prince, he is a man who I have much admiration for and his commitment to the Prince’s Trust is excellent.”