March 10, 2002	Sunday	Zilhaj 25, 1422

LOS ANGELES, March 9: Oscar favourite, “A Beautiful Mind” was on Friday at the eye of a media storm over the makers’ decision to leave out controversial themes of the hero’s life story, including alleged anti-Semitism.

The film starring Australian Russell Crowe in the role of real-life schizophrenic maths genius turned Nobel laureate, John Forbes Nash, is favoured by many for the best picture Oscar.

But just 10 days before the ballots for cinema’s most prestigious awards were due to close, producers’ Universal Pictures have found themselves defending their decision to offer Nas’s life story without references to his alleged dislike of Jews, homosexual encounters and adultery.

“We never set out to sugarcoat his life, but I don’t think it’s a misrepresentation of that life to have concentrated on the facts that try to get to the essence of his life,” said the studio chairman Stacey Snider.

Snider, in an exclusive interview with industry daily The Hollywood Reporter, slammed reports that picked out alleged anti-Semitic comments by Nash.

“I’ve never met John Nash,” she told the daily. “But a 73-year-old man who has gone through hell and who agreed to entrust us with his life shouldn’t have to go through these attacks.”—AFP