Zoya Akhtar Responds To Criticism For 'The Archies' Being 'Unrelatable, Western'

Zoya shared, "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 Akhtar Responds To Criticism For 'The Archies' Being 'Unrelatable, Western' ( Image Source :YouTube/Screengrab from @Netflix India )

New Delhi: Zoya Akhtar directorial 'The Archies' has been headlining news ever since it was announced. From facing criticism around nepotism for it's casting, the film has now come under fire for being an 'unrelatable' subject. Ahead of it's release, Zoya Akhtar opened up about Netflix film in conversation with the CEO of Archie Comics, Jon Goldwater.

Zoya shared, “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. This is a surreal experience since Archie Comics was a part of my childhood. It is super exciting to take these beloved characters and introduce them to a new generation but still keep the nostalgia of the original comic alive.”

In the same interaction that Netflix India shared on its YouTube channel, Jon Goldwater shared how important the music was for 'The Archies' franchise. For the Zoya Akhtar film, Ankur Tiwari will be producing the music.

While 'The Archies' has created the maximum controversy because of its cast members- Bollywood star kids- Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan, Amitabh Bchchan's grandson Agastya Nanda and Sridevi's daughter Khushi Kapoor, the film has recently been targeted for choosing a 'western' and 'unrelatable' subject at its core.

Zoya in the same interaction shared how the team of the film has adapted the genre for a new generation while keeping the essence of the comics alive. "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,” Zoya added.

The Indian adaptation is set in the 60’s in a fictional hilly town of Riverdale. For the unaware, ‘The Archies’ has been shot in Ooty.

'The Archies' stars Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Yuvraj Menda, Agastya Nanda and Vedang Raina. It is produced by Tiger Baby, Graphic India and Archie Comics and will release next year on streaming giant Netflix.