When Zoya Akhtar unveiled the first teaser and poster of her upcoming OTT film The Archies, it created quite a buzz among netizens. While some were pleasantly intrigued by the Indian adaptation of the comic, others were quite conflicted as they found it not-so-relatable and Western in the context of the Indian milieu. Now, the director has come forward to quash such speculations.
In a conversation with the CEO of Archie Comics, Jon Goldwater, the Zindagi Na Milega Dobara director shared, “We have set it in the Anglo-Indian community in India and can’t wait to transport you to the magical, fictional town of Riverdale.”
Elaborating more on her experience of working on the Indian adaptation, Zoya Akhtar who has produced the film jointly with Reema Kagti under the aegis of their banner Tiger Baby revealed, “It’s been an absolute honour to be asked to make an Indian adaptation and the first-ever film for this very iconic Archies franchise. This is a surreal experience since Archie Comics was a part of my childhood. It is super exciting to take these beloved characters and introduce them to a new generation but still keep the nostalgia of the original comic alive.”
During an event on Monday, Zoya Akhtar also gave a gist of the story. She shared, “The story revolves around the interpersonal relationship within the seven characters and their shenanigans. I tried to retain the original vibe of the comic, but did feel a lot of pressure since Riverdale had already come out. It is super exciting to take these beloved characters and introduce them to a new generation but still keep the nostalgia of the original comic alive. We have set it in the Anglo-Indian community in India and can’t wait to transport you to the magical, fictional town of Riverdale.”
Archies would also mark the debut for Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan, Janhvi Kapoor’s sister Khushi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nandan. The coming of age film would also introduce fresh faces like Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Dot and Yuvraj Menda. The film is slated to release in 2023.
