British director John Madden discusses his films The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2011 and its sequel The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2015. He talks about not knowing if it would find a particular audience especially outside the UK but to his surprise it was a huge hit in America as well as UK. Madden praises the star of the film Dev Patel and his versatile talent. Both films were modelled on a Shakespearean comedy, something that Madden has vast knowledge and experience of. Mrs Brown 1997 Madden talks about the film being about an intimate and unlikely connection between Queen Victoria and her servant. This was his calling card for his next film Oscar winning Shakespeare in Love 1998. A love letter to the theatre, Madden conveyed all his experience and knowledge of Shakespeare and brought it to life in the film starring Gwyneth Paltrow. A genius script that was bought to him by Harvey Weinstein, who put a lot of money into it and then passed the film to Madden to make it a success. He talks about the controversy at the time of casting two Americans in the film (Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck), but they both were hugely convincing and nailed their performances. Proof 2005 Madden directed the play in London originally, Weinstein then bought the rights to the film and offered the film to Madden. A drama mystery starring Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins. Captain Corelli's Mandolin 2001 Madden describes coming on board after the ‘peculiar casting’ had been decided, he praises Nicolas Cage for being professional and always well prepared. The Debt 2010 Madden describes the picture as a complex 'thriller with a moral conundrum at its core a fantastic film to make'. It took off in America but had a bad start in the UK on opening weekend down to an unusually hot spell of weather and people flocking outside and not to the cinema.