On May 14, Netflix announced the cast of its upcoming Indian adaptation of the Archie Comics, titled The Archies. The identity of the central trio of young actors—who are presumably playing Archie, Betty, and Veronica—was an open secret among Bollywood fans, and the elaborate announcement video confirmed what many already knew.
Directed by Zoya Akhtar, The Archies will star the offspring of Bollywood legends, along with a handful of newcomers. Mihir Ahuja, Dot., Yuvraj Menda and Vedang Raina will be joined by Suhana Khan (the daughter of Shah Rukh Khan, perhaps one of the most popular stars in the world), Khushi Kapoor (the daughter of the late screen icon Sridevi) and Agastya Nanda (grandson of acting royalty Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan).
The one-and-a-half minute video, set to the tunes of an original track by Ankur Tewari, teases the 60s setting of the film. The Archies, which entered production last month, has been described as a “musical drama bursting with youth, rebellion, friendships, and first loves.”
While the announcement video doesn’t identify who’s playing who, the actors are in full costume, so connecting the dots shouldn’t be too difficult for fans of the comics, or even the show Riverdale. Nanda appears to be playing Archie, with Khan appearing as Veronica and Kapoor as Betty. A shot of Ahuja eating what is popularly known in India as a “Gupta Burger” suggests that he’s playing Jughead.
Akhtar has previously directed segments in the Netflix anthology films Lust Stories and Ghost Stories. But she is perhaps best known for the rap drama Gully Boy, which was selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars in 2019. She is also the co-creator and co-director of the International Emmy-nominated Amazon Prime Video series Made in Heaven. For The Archies, she reunites with her longtime creative partner Reema Kagti, who will co-produce under their Tiger Baby Films banner.
She said that she hopes the film “stokes the nostalgia” of the generation that grew up with the characters. In her own words:
“I am super excited to have the chance to bring The Archies to life. It was a large part of my childhood and teenage years. The characters are iconic and globally loved, which is also why I am a little nervous. I have to make sure the film stokes the nostalgia of a generation that grew up on the comic and yet resonates with the young adults today.”
The Archies will arrive on Netflix in 2023. You can watch the announcement video here, and read the official synopsis down below:
“A musical experience bursting with youth, rebellion, friendships, first loves and everything young adult, it still promises to have something for every generation. The film has the iconic gang of The Archies’ at the center of it, and perfectly matches the youthful energy, hope and excitement of the sixties era