If you have been waiting for The Archies — Netflix’s Bollywood adaptation of the Archie Comics characters — then the wait is over. Today, the film is streaming on Netflix around the world. The Indian adaptation of Archie’s adventures with the Riverdale gang was developed by Tiger Baby and director Zoya Akhtar. It centers on a more traditional version of Archie and company than seen in Riverdale. For a relatively modestly-budgeted international comedy, it’s impressive how present it has been since they started a “100 days” ad campaign back in August, and the cast and filmmakers seem to be committed to keeping the project in the spotlight up until its global release date. The film, inspired by the band Archie Andrews heads up in the Archie Comics, is unrelated to the planned Archie in Bollywood, which was announced in 2018 and would have seen a version of the American Riverdale gang head to India. Instead, this version is set in 1960s India, and features a cast of Indian performers.
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According to Netflix, The Archies is a musical set in the 1960s. Seen through the lens of the unique Anglo-Indian community, The Archies explores friendship, freedom, love, heartbreak and rebellion. If you look at the trailer, the story is pure classic Archie: Archie is trying to juggle fledgling relationships with Betty and Veronica, while Veronica’s dad is threatening to destroy a local park in order to build a hotel in town.
“Having spent a lot of my childhood living in an Archie Comic, I’m thrilled to introduce Riverdale to this generation,” director Zoya Akhtar said in a statement. “The characters are iconic, their teenage life innocent, the world simpler, a time when less was more. Archie Comics, Netflix, Tiger Baby and Graphic India were in complete sync and wanted the adaptation to be as wholesome as the original comic was. It’s clean young adult content and was very fresh for Reema and me to work on. It’s also very exciting that a global IP chose the India film industry to make its first feature. Excited to get it out there.”
In the context of the movie, after the adults in Riverdale tell Archie and the gang that resisting Lodge’s development is futile, the teens decide to take the music of The Archies to the air via a pirate radio station to have their voices heard.
The Indian adaptation of the beloved comics will see Dot play Ethel Muggs, Agastya Nanda as the charming and talented Archie Andrews, Khushi Kapoor will take on the role of Betty Cooper, Mihir Ahuja as the always hungry Jughead Jones, Veronica Lodge will be portrayed by Suhana Khan, Heartthrob Reggie Mantle will be showcased by Vedang Raina and Yuvraj Menda will play Dilton Doiley.
“I am super excited to have the chance to bring The Archies to life,” Akhtar said when the project was announced. “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.”
“It’s a huge source of pride that the Archie Comics characters and stories resonate with fans globally, and especially in India, for more than 50 years,” said Archie Comics CEO/Publisher Jon Goldwater. “We are thrilled to partner with Netflix and trust Zoya Akhtar and her creative team to deliver a truly unique and exciting take on Archie and friends through the lens of Indian cinema. We know that these characters have global appeal and translating them into other settings and cultures is just the start of what we have planned for future multimedia adaptations.”
“The characters, adventures and friendships in Archies have found fans across the world for generations,” Pratiksha Rao, Director, Films and Licensing, Netflix India, said. “With Archie Comics, Graphic India and Tiger Baby, we have an extraordinary opportunity to recreate the world of Archie comics, this time as a live action musical. Zoya has an incredible and unique ability to make stories and the characters in them relatable, making them feel like they are an extension of our own self. We are thrilled to partner with her in bringing to life the world of Archies to fans and our members in India and around the world.”
