Johnny Depp hails directing Modi to be 'fulfilling and transformative'

Johnny Depp has found directing 'Modi' to be an "incredibly fulfilling and transformative experience".

The 60-year-old actor has stepped behind the camera for the first time in 25 years to work on the biopic of painter Amedeo Moigliani - which stars the likes of Al Pacino, Sally Phillips, Stephen Graham, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Antonia Desplat - and now the project is wrapping production, the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star has shared his "profound gratitude" to everyone who he has worked with on the movie.

He said in a statement: "“Embarking on this cinematic journey as the director of Modi has been an incredibly fulfilling and transformative experience. I would like to express my profound gratitude to the entire cast, crew, and producers for their unwavering commitment and creativity.

"To Al, who requested that I make this film—how could I refuse Pacino? A sincere acknowledgement for generously contributing his talent and dedication to this project.

"Modi is a testament to the collaborative spirit of independent filmmaking, and I am excited to present this unique and compelling story to the world.”

Most of the movie was shot in Budapest, but 'Godfather' actor Al filmed most of his scenes recently in the US.

The movie is based on a play by Dennis McIntyre and tells the story of the famous painter and sculptor Modigliani during his time in Paris in 1916.

The film chronicles the life of the artist across a turbulent and eventful 48 hours that sees him on the run from the police through the streets of the war-torn French capital.

His desire to leave the city and end his career is dismissed by other bohemians, including the French artist Maurice Utrillo, Belarusian-born Chaim Soutine and his English muse and lover Beatrice Hastings.

Modi seeks advice from his Polish art dealer and friend Leopold Zborowski but the chaos reaches a crescendo when he is faced with a collector who could change his life.