Zoya Akhtar directed the teen musical comedy The Archies in 2023. With Reema Kagti under Tiger Baby Films and Sharad Devarajan under Graphic India, It stars Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi “Dot” Saigal and Yuvraj Menda as a fictional music band produced by and related to Archie Comics.
Since March 2018, the film adaptation of the comics has been in the works. It was not until November 2021, when Akhtar came on board as both director and producer, that the project was officially announced. After a thorough pre-production and casting process, filming took place from April to December 2022 in Ooty and Mumbai simultaneously.
Nikos Andritsakis served as cinematographer, while Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and Jim Satya composed the original score. Additionally, Shankar also collaborated with Ankur Tewari, The Islanders, and Saigal on the film’s songs. he Archies premiered at the 54th International Film Festival of India on 22 November 2023, and it will be released on Netflix on 7 December 2023. As a beloved park is threatened by developers in 1960s India, Archie and the gang must navigate romance, friendship, and the future of Riverdale.
According to a March 2018 report by Variety, an Indian adaptation of Archie Comics was announced with Sharad Devarajan as CEO of Graphic India overseeing the project. The film would feature an Indian cast and revolve around the fictional music group. Three years later in March 2021, it was reported that Zoya Akhtar would be directing the film.
It was officially confirmed in November as a Netflix original with Akhtar also producing under her production company, Tiger Baby Films. This would be their first independent project, despite having previously collaborated on Gully Boy (2019). As a fan of the comics herself, Akhtar aimed to create a film that would evoke nostalgia for comic fans while also resonating with younger generations who may not have been familiar with the source material.
She described it as a blend of reality and dreaminess. Additionally, Reema Kagti shared similar thoughts on making the film relevant for those who had not read the comics.
In an interview to Vogue, Akhtar said that she initially met Devarajan for a different comic adaptation, and during their conversation she confessed her interest in the Archie comics, whose adaptation has been owned and leased to Netflix. Eventually, Devarajan agreed to be involved in directing the film after contacting Netflix executives.
It was important for them to have a culture of music, fashion, and food. They had a culture of dating. There was a history of how they were placed in India… the hill stations, the architecture… there were many similarities in the values. This story lent itself to a lot about the community.” The Archies was a collaborative effort between Akhtar, Kagti, and Ayesha Devitre Dhillon. To maintain the authenticity of the characters from the comics, Akhtar chose to place the storyline within the Anglo-Indian community.
Along with her creative team, they conducted extensive research and reached out to members of the community for old photographs to capture their unique style.[10][15] The story is set in the 1960s, a time marked by various notable events such as anti-war protests and civil rights movements in America, as well as the rise of hippie culture and iconic musicians like The Beatles and Bob Dylan. As Akhtar explains, “There was a sense of idealism that we could make the world a better place.
It was an era filled with hope and belief in instigating change. There was also an air of rebellion, peace, and love. And let’s not forget the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. We really wanted to capture this essence of the era.” In addition to Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan and Boney Kapoor’s younger daughter Khushi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda would make their debuts at the Archies. In May 2022, a video announcement revealed the other principal cast members, [18] Mihir Ahuja, Aditi “Dot” Saigal, Yuvraj Menda, and Vedang Raina. The former also made his debut with this film. The casting of the film received backlash for its perceived nepotism, as three of the main cast members came from established film families. In addition, some critics argued that having light-skinned actors play the lead roles added to the authenticity of the time period. However, Akhtar defended his choices by pointing out that many Indians do have fair complexions. He also addressed the nepotism accusations by clarifying that the comic books only featured a love triangle between Archie, Betty, and Veronica, and not necessarily three equal leads.
Despite this controversy, the film ultimately showcased a talented ensemble of seven lead actors. Akhtar also mentioned that the audition process for finding young actors lasted over a year, as she was specifically looking for fresh talent without any prior experience.
All individuals interested in acting were given a chance to audition, however not everyone was willing. Nanda, Suhana and Khushi were among the many that auditioned before ultimately being chosen. Other notable cast members included Saigal, who had a background in music, and Raina, who was previously a model and musician but had never considered acting.
Unlike them, Suhana and Khushi expressed interest in acting and even had some experience through short films. Interestingly, Saigal initially met with Akhtar for a music related opportunity but ended up auditioning due to her request, while Menda caught Zoya’s attention on Instagram and earned his role. Prior to filming, all cast members underwent acting workshops to fully embody their characters. The test shoot for the film started in March 2022, with the main cast in attendance. In April of the same year, principal photography began in Ooty and was completed within two months. The crew then returned to Mumbai in July to film the second schedule, including a skating song choreographed by Ganesh Hegde.
Towards the end of the month, another song sequence and a few scenes were captured at the Royal Palms in Mumbai over a period of 10 days. After a two-month break, filming resumed in October 2022 across various locations before concluding on December 19th of that year. Throughout all these shoots, strict adherence to COVID-19 safety regulations was maintained by both the cast and crew.
On May 14, 2022, the first look poster and teaser for the film’s cast were released. During promotions, the cast members performed a dance at São Paulo’s Tudum 2023 fan event on June 17, 2023. The teaser trailer was launched at the same event and later shared on social media platforms.
Additionally, in late-June 2023, a promotional advertisement featuring visual effects was created, showing a plane flying over the Gateway of India to promote the film’s release.
The cast promos and posters were released on Instagram by Akhtar throughout August and October 2023. On 30 August 2023, a huge billboard was set up on the Western Express Highway in Mumbai, indicating the number of days until it is released. On 9 November 2023, the official trailer was released.
On 22-23 November 2023, the cast members paid a visit to Delhi’s Hindu College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, and Miranda House. Later on 25 November, they attended a promotional event in Mumbai’s Film City. On 6 December 2023, they also made an appearance on the fifteenth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. Along with these events, the team partnered with various brands such as Starbucks, BoAt, Vistara, Flipkart, Maybelline, Skybags, WhatsApp and Tinder to launch merchandise for promotion purposes.
