The name Archie brings nostalgia for the generation X people in the subcontinent. Running since the ‘40s, this comic series had a major hype among teenagers and young adults.
The fame of Archie is also incorporated into various animated shows and live adaptations, notably the most popular teen drama Riverdale running since 2017.
One of the most successful Bollywood directors, Zoya Akhtar, released the cast and the first look for the Indian live-action adaptation of the comics, giving the Archie fans of the subcontinent another level of hype.
The most debated fact about this film is the main cast. The casts are pretty young and new, but most of them are the children or grandchildren of the famous stars of the Indian film industry, such as Khushi Kapoor, daughter of the late actress Sridevi; Suhana Khan, daughter of the famed superstar Shahrukh Khan; Agastya Nanda, grandson of one of most famous Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and so on.
The inclusion of these young stars sparks questions among audiences, is this film’s cast promoting nepotism? Does the director seek box office success through this strategy? Only time can tell.
Zoya Akhtar has been an accomplished director in Bollywood for over a decade. Some of her films, such as Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Bombay Talkies, and Gully Boy, have been popularly successful and critically acclaimed in the Indian subcontinent.
The Archies is her latest project, a musical film set in 1960s India. She is ‘super-excited’ to be the director behind the movie as she said in a statement, “It was a large part of my childhood and teenage years. The characters are iconic and globally loved, which is also why I am a little nervous.”
“I have to make sure the film stokes the nostalgia of a generation that grew up on the comic and yet resonates with the young adults today.”
The first look of The Archies shows the audience the attempt to perfect the costume design.
As it is set in the 1960s, the costume is designed to match the upper-class youngsters of India during that period. As a result, the costume design gives off a vintage vibe that deserves praise.
As nepotism is frowned upon among the audience, the new stars have the daunting task of proving their acting talents.
One of the cast, Suhana Khan’s father, Shahrukh Khan is aware of that. He encouraged his daughter to be herself, advised her not to take the pressure, and pay heed to negative criticisms on social media.
“And remember Suhana you are never going to be perfect….but being yourself is the closest to that. Be kind and giving as an actor….the brickbats and applause is not yours to keep….the part of you that gets left behind on screen will always belong to you….u have come a long way baby….but the road to peoples heart is unending…..stride forth and make as many smile as you can,” he said in a recent post on social media.
Recent promotions of this upcoming movie created major publicity and a chance for nostalgia among the Archie fans of Bangladesh and India, both young and old. Set to be released on Netflix in 2023, only the movie itself can prove its current hype.
