Diana Movie Based On "gossip" Could Be "hurtful - Royal Expert

Producers of a new film about Princess Diana are bracing themselves for an angry backlash from audiences and critics.
The film, which has its world premiere in London's Leicester Square tonight, claims to shed light on her two-year romance with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.
In a recent newspaper interview Mr Khan said he disapproved of the movie, which stars Naomi Watts as the Princess of Wales.

"It is based on gossip and Diana's friends talking about a relationship that they didn't know much about," he said.
"This includes some of my relatives who didn't know much about it either. It is all based on hypotheses and gossip."

Director Oliver Hirschbiegel and Naomi Watts, who plays Diana

His comments raise questions about the authenticity of the film as an accurate account of their affair.
The relationship between Diana and Mr Khan is said to have broken down shortly before her death in Paris alongside Dodi Fayed in 1997.

But director Oliver Hirschbiegel told Sky News: "The film is actually based on the accounts of several people, and the inquest in which there were hundreds of pages discussing their relationship.

The film recreates the years leading up to Diana's death in 1997

"It is not a documentary but a dramatic interpretation. In a love story you have to create four or five dramatic scenes that make it work."

The film is based on the 2001 book Diana: Her Last Love by Kate Snell.
It is a story that Watts says she was unfamiliar with before taking on the role: "I certainly didn't know about it. I can't speak for everyone but I believe a lot of people didn't know about the love story between her and Hasnat Khan, even people who lived in Britain."
None of the Royal Family is portrayed in the film, except a brief moment when a young William and Harry climb into a helicopter.

Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty Magazine, believes the princes will not watch the film.
"It would be incredibly hurtful," she said.
"They met Hasnat - well, certainly Harry met Hasnat - and I feel that once again their mother's memory has been hijacked."

Watts says she spent many hours attempting to perfect the voice, style and mannerisms of Princess Diana, but Ms Seward believes audiences will struggle to accept her in the role.

Critics have suggested the film could be 'hurtful' to the Princes

"The first thing I said when I saw the trailer was 'it's just so not Diana'," she said.
"Diana at that time in her life had worked so hard on her body and she was very, very tall. She had this athletic body.

"Of course, no one is going to look exactly like her. I think Naomi Watts has worked on sounding like her but I think she also looks an awful lot older than Diana did at that time."
The film recreates many of the famous moments in the years leading up to Diana's death - including her trip to Angola for her campaign against land mines.
Mr Khan is played by Naveen Andrews, who is probably best known for his role as Sayid Jarrah in Lost.

From Sky News