Netflix India revealed its slate of Hindi original films in a showcase event in Mumbai. The streamer has high-profile titles like Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies, Ali Abbas Zafar’s Jogi, Vasan Bala’s Monica O My Darling, Vishal Bhardwaj’s Khufiya, Prosit Roy’s Chakda Express and Yashowardhan Mishra’s Kathal in the offing. Netflix also made fresh announcements like the comedy Plan A Plan B, the heist thriller Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga and the musical family drama Qala (Babil Khan’s acting debut).
In all, nine original titles were showcased, with sneak peeks and official teasers played for the press. The event was graced by the casts and creative teams behind each film. The attendees included Netflix Content VP Monika Shergill, actors Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi, Riteish Deshmukh, Yami Gautam, Babil, Shefali Shah, Vijay Verma, directors Vishal Bhardwaj, Ali Abbas Zafar, producer Guneet Monga and others.
Set in the 60s, The Archies is an Indianisation of the iconic comic series. The film stars a host of newcomers, including Agastya Nanda as Archie, Suhana Khan as Veronica and Khushi Kapoor as Betty. A video message from director Zoya Akhtar in conversation with the CEO of Archie Comics, Jon Goldwater, was played at the event. Ankur Tewari, singer and music supervisor of The Archies, with the band The Islanders, presented a live musical showcase of the show.
“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,” Zoya shared. “This is a surreal experience since Archie Comics was a part of my childhood. 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.”
Vishal Bhardwaj’s Khufiya is an espionage thriller starring Ali Fazal and Tabu. The film is based on Amar Bhushan’s 2012 novel Escape to Nowhere.
“Our Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) is an over-secretive agency,” Vishal said about delving into the world of Indian intelligence. “When I read (Amar’s) novel, I found it quite unique. It transported me to the R&AW offices. It’s based on a real story that happened in 2004, where they had a mole in R&AW.”
Backdropped on the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi in 1984, Ali Abbas Zafar’s Jogi is a story of ‘resilient friendship and courage’ in the times of adversity.
The film is headlined by Diljit Dosanjh, Zeeshan Ayyub and Amyra Dastur. Joining in from the UK, Diljit Dosanjh said, “Jogi holds a special place in my heart and I say it with pride that this has been told on a global platform... this is my first film on Netflix and the subject is very important to me as you will see in the trailer.”