Director Zoya Akhtar has dropped hints about the plot of her next Bollywood film The Archies, based on the Archie Comics. During the Netflix India Films Day screening on Monday in Mumbai, she was joined in conversation by Jon Goldwater, CEO of Archie Comics. Ankur Tewari, music supervisor for The Archies, and his band, The Islanders, also performed live during the occasion. Akhtar and Goldwater discussed bringing the classic characters to a new audience in India. The Archies is the first feature film based on Archie Comics characters and the first adaptation of the property in India. Before Riverdale on The CW, which was seen by the majority of the world’s population on Netflix, there was the animated series.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, based on the Archie Comics character Sabrina Spellman, was also made available on the streaming service. The new trailer provided some intriguing insights into the movie. According to Akhtar, “the Anglo-Indian community of India” will serve as the backdrop for The Archies, which will take place in a “beautiful, imaginary hill station town” named Riverdale. The majority of today’s Anglo-Indian population are the offspring of British subjects who called India home before the country gained its independence in 1947. Rarely have members of the community been portrayed in cinema; the most recent instance may be Konkona Sensharma’s psychological thriller A Death in the Gunj, which is based on the actual Anglo-Indian village of McCluskiegunj. Over the years, Akhtar has earned a reputation as one of the most celebrated popular directors in Hindi cinema. Her profile rose after her rap drama, Gully Boy, was chosen as India’s Oscar submission for 2019.
The opportunity to helm The Archies was something she called an “honour,” as she is a fan of the comics on which the film is based. Here are her words: It’s an incredible privilege to direct the first feature film in the long and storied history of the Archies in India. Since I grew up reading Archie Comics, I find this quite weird. It’s thrilling to bring these classic characters into the spotlight again, this time for a whole new audience that can enjoy them without losing any of the charms that made the original comic so special.
We’re excited to take you to the enchanting town of Riverdale, but we’ve decided to situate it in the Anglo-Indian neighbourhood of India. Goldwater expressed his delight upon hearing about Akhtar’s desire to direct the picture and his subsequent resolve to “make it happen.” The 1960s, he claimed, were “the doorway” between the original Archie Comics and the modern Archie Comics company. He also shared that themes of “friendship, love, conflict, and community” will be explored in the musical drama. The cast of The Archies will be comprised entirely of newbies, including the offspring of some of Bollywood’s biggest names. Along with Mihir Ahuja, Dot., Yuvraj Menda, and Vedang Raina, the likes of Suhana Khan (daughter of Shah Rukh Khan, perhaps the most famous actor in the world), Khushi Kapoor (daughter of the late film legend Sridevi), and Agastya Nanda will be participating (grandson of acting royalty Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan).