The Diana film rows begin

It's been a controversy simmering in the background for sometime now but tonight the big budget biopic of Diana, Princess of Wales gets its London premiere.  Stars including Naomi Watts will walk the red carpet at Leicester Square before the first showing of the film but before the curtain has even gone up on this showing, the rows over the film have begun.

 

Naomi Watts in a promotional shot from the film based on the last two years of the life of Diana, Princess of Wales

 

Putting aside the debate on whether Naomi Watts looks anything like the princess - and the general consensus is that doesn't - the latest dispute centres on the man who inspired the film.  The movie shows the relationship between the princess and Hasnat Khan, a heart surgeon in London who was linked to Diana for several years before her death.  He has said that the film is based on gossip provided by people who don't know him well enough to comment on the relationship.  In the film he is portrayed as the great love of Diana's life and their relationship is shown as going on until just before her death in Paris on August 31st 1997.  He has said he will never watch the film.

 

 

 

Naomi Watts as Diana and Naveen Andrews as Hasnat Khan in the biopic about the princess

 

Meanwhile, Naomi Watts walked out of a promotional interview about the film being conducted by Five Live's Simon Mayo.  The reason still isn't clear but the full chat will be played on his show on Friday afternoon which might throw some light on the matter.  But critics are already expressing concerns that the film will be too rose tinted to make any sense of the story of a woman who made a massive impact on the House of Windsor and the way royalty is viewed around the world.