'Kahaani' gets Hollywood remake as 'Deity'

Vidya Balan-starrer 'Kahaani' is getting a Hollywood version in 'Deity' with Niels Arden Oplev of 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' fame attached to direct the Yash Raj Films project for international audience

Vidya Balan-starrer 'Kahaani' is getting a Hollywood version in 'Deity' with Niels Arden Oplev of 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' fame attached to direct the Yash Raj Films project for international audience.

Vidya Balan in 'Kahaani'. Pic/Santa Banta

Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries) and Richard Regen (Tehran) have adapted the Sujoy Ghosh-directed 2012 film.

"It's an incredible step by YRF. Years back Aditya Chopra had said he wanted to make 'Kahaani' for a global audience... I thought he was kidding. But obviously not. YRF has left no stone unturned on making the English version.

"The new script by Jose Rivera and Richard Regen is perfectly suited for the Western audience and what I am really looking forward is to see Niels direct this version," Ghosh said in a statement.

The new movie is a thriller about an American woman who goes to Kolkata in search of her missing husband. As she gets closer to the truth, she finds herself at the centre of a dangerous conspiracy. The story unfolds in the context of a colourful, week-long festival.

"Niels is the perfect director to transform the appeal of 'Kahaani' to 'Deity'," said Uday Chopra, CEO, YRF Entertainment. Oplev, who directed the Swedish version of 'Tattoo', aims to make a "neo-realistic" story.

"'Deity' will be a compelling and exciting thriller with complex and interesting characters. A neo-realistic style to story and images will take the audience deep into Calcutta s many different levels. A fascinating clash between American and Indian culture," Oplev said.

The film begins production in February 2015 and will be shot on location in Kolkata. The international arm of YRF has been quite active in recent times.

The production house recently financed Cannes-opener 'Grace Of Monaco', starring Nicole Kidman, which it produced with Pierre-Ange le Pogam's Stone Angels and Arash Amel.

Though the film did not receive positive reviews from the critics, YRF is reteaming with Amel to focus on the life of another Hollywood legend with the adaptation of Chris Greenhalgh's novel 'Seducing Ingrid Bergman'.

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