This team of filmmakers aims to recapture the magic of yesteryears’ cult films
Virendra K Arora and Syed Ahmad Afzal
Producers Virendra K Arora and Arjun N Kapoor, and associate producer Mohit Kukreti are men on a mission. The trio has now collaborated with a leading production house as they plan to bring back the era of the cult Hindi entertainer with their films. These are filmmakers who draw inspiration from films such as Khatta Meetha (1981), Angoor (1982), Chupke Chupke (1975), Baton Baton Mein (1979) and Katha (1983).
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Virendra K Arora and Syed Ahmad Afzal
The idea is to produce a ‘clean’ multi-starrer film that can be enjoyed by a family together. And the masters they look up to include Basu Chatterjee, Gulzarsaab, Sai Paranjpye and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. “Our upcoming film aims to remind the audience of those classics. Of course, in keeping with the times, we will treat the film in a contemporary manner,” says Arora.
Their as yet untitled film has an ensemble cast that includes senior actors and new kids on the block, though the filmmakers refuse to divulge more now. “We will reveal names when the time is right and people will be pleasantly surprised,” Arora adds.
Dialogues for this upcoming film have been written by Syed Ahmad Afzal, the writer and director of the critically-acclaimed film, Youngistaan, which incidentally is in competition to be selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. The screenplay is being co-written by Afzal and Varun Douglas Anderson. Afzal says, “We may explore the space of a family entertainer reminiscent of that era, but we need to treat it in a way that is more relatable to the young and more evolved audience of today. Only then will we achieve the kind of success that films like Chupke Chupke and Angoor enjoyed.”
While a shroud of secrecy envelops the names of the film’s cast and crew, come October, much more will be revealed. Watch this space for more.