Mumbai: For someone who grew up reading 'Archies Comics', director Zoya Akhtar said it is a 'pleasure and honour' for her to bring the Indian adaptation of the iconic comic to life.
The filmmaker is directing Netflix's live-action musical film 'The Archies' based on the characters of the popular American comics.
"It's such a pleasure and an absolute honour to be asked to make the Indian adaptation of this very iconic comic. It's a huge part of my childhood. I've grown up reading it. It's very exciting to be able to take the characters and introduce them to a new generation and at the same time, keep that nostalgia and the essence of the comic alive for people like me that grew up on it," Akhtar said in a video message which also featured Archie Comics' CEO, Jon Goldwater.
The clip was played at Netflix's 'Films Day' event, touted as the streamer's first film showcase, in Mumbai.
Billed as a coming-of-age story, 'The Archies' is set in the 1960s and follows the life of popular fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and others.
The upcoming movie marks the acting debut of superstar Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan; superstar Sridevi and film producer Boney Kapoor's daughter Khushi Kapoor, and megastar Amitabh Bachchan's grandson Agastya Nanda. Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Yuvraj Menda and Vedang Raina also round out the cast of 'The Archies'.
The filmmaker made it clear that the movie is set around the 'Anglo-Indian community'.
"We've set it in the Anglo-Indian community of India and it's in our magical fictional hill station down in our country. The town is called Riverdale, it's fictional," she added.