The Archies director Zoya Akhtar: ‘If I believe Agastya is the best Archie, I’d be a fool to not cast him’

Zoya Akhtar and a still from 'The Archies', which will release on Netflix on December 7.

Much has been said and speculated about the new Netflix film The Archies that dropped on the OTT platform on December 7. From the choice of the script which is the movie adaptation of the much-loved American comics of the same name to the choice of casting which includes starkids Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan and Khushi Kapoor, director Zoya Akhtar has heard it all. Ahead of the release of the film written by Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Ayesha Devitre Dhillon, the filmmaker sat down to reflect on her choices. Edited excerpts from the conversation:

This film comes after Gully Boy (2019) but it is so far away from the world of that film. Were you looking for a shift post that film?  

No film I have done is something I have looked for. What I am looking for has not happened — which is a crime story — so, I think I should just stop looking and it might appear! Gully Boy just happened and so did The Archies. You come across something which blows your mind and you are compelled to take it up. The Archies has such a massive place in my heart because it was a huge part of my childhood and it stayed with me. I happened to meet Sharad Devarajan who is the founder of Graphic India. They do a lot of comics here and in America. He asked me to direct another comic and my love for The Archies came up in the conversation. He said they had just leased it to Netflix and the next thing that happened was that I got a call asking me to direct it. I jumped on it because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is the first Archie movie ever made and it will come out of India for the globe. These are not opportunities that come often.

What are some things you had to keep in mind while adapting the comic book to the screen?

The comic is episodic, so firstly we had to create a narrative. We adapted it into the Anglo-Indian community in the 1960s, so we worked on the parents’ jobs, the kind of lifestyles they had etc. Places such as Simla and Landour have those kinds of cafes, schools and landscapes which we wanted. So we took those qualities and in the story, we created things that resonate with kids today. We had to resonate with Gen Z who doesn’t know the comics but it had to be packaged in nostalgia for people like me, who are Archie fans. We had to balance these two things.

Tell us about creating the world of The Archies and the kind of research and detailing it involved?

I work with an amazing team. I cannot say this enough — a director is not alone. You are as good as your crew is. Whether it is Suzanne Merwanji doing production design, Nikos Andritsakis who shot the film, Namrata Singh who did costumes, Ankur Tewari and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy who did music, my brother (Farhan Akhtar) who wrote the dialogues — every single person understood what I was trying to create and they took it to another level. I am not an expert at any of the jobs I have mentioned. If I had to do it, the film wouldn’t be this. You have to work with the correct people on the correct project.

Over the years, there has been criticism that your films cater to an urban audience.

Is that criticism? We are the largest film-producing country in the world and as an industry, we have to make every type of film. Why should everyone make the same film? It will be so boring! There are so many films that may not be my cup of tea but I am super happy they exist and that there is an audience for them. If I didn’t have an audience, I wouldn’t have a job; it’s as simple as that. For someone watching my film, I am making my film for them. We are such a diverse industry that we will have diverse work and we must!

Do you think that might alienate some people?

Everyone is not watching everything. You’re adding a human experience and if people want to bite into another world, they will. If I try to include everybody, I will lose the integrity of the story. Every film has an integrity, authenticity and truth. If you stick to that, that audience will grow.

The cast of 'The Archies'.

In a recent interview, you said the media did not give enough attention to the other four actors who are not starkids. Were you at any time sceptical about casting Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda or Khushi Kapoor because you knew that the limelight would be on them or you would be trolled for nepotism?

I would be lying if I told you that I didn’t think people will say things, but I am a filmmaker. I have to do what’s best for the film and if I believe Agastya is the best Archie, I’d be a fool to not cast him because ‘some people’ might troll me. The film has to speak for itself. My job and the reason I was hired is to do the best by the film. Nothing is bigger than the film.

We heard that Suhana and Khushi had tested for each other’s’ roles. Is that so?

Everyone tested for all the roles because they are all new. We didn’t know what they were like on camera. We have tested many kids for all the roles. The only people we tested specifically for the role was Aditi Saigal for Ethel. I used to follow her on YouTube and I was talking to her about the music and thought she would be perfect for the role. We tested Yuvraj Menda for Dilton, but everybody else tested for all the roles.

With all the seven main actors being newcomers, how much handholding did they need?

They are very hardworking and they are very smart. We did an extensive workshop with them with a six-month bootcamp. We trained them so that they do not feel inhibited or awkward, so by the time they came to work on set, they were pros. They are all friends now.

Filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti of Tiger Baby Films production house.

What’s next for you and Reema Kagti at Tiger Baby Films?

We are looking to take it a little easier next year because after the pandemic, everything came all together at us whether it was Dahaad, Made in Heaven season 2 and The Archies. We have another film Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan dropping before the end of the year. Next year also there are a few releases, including Reema’s film and two docu-series, so we want to take a break, rest, replenish and then see what we’d like to do next.