Netflix, Tiger Bay announce “The Archies” cast, directed by Zoya Akhtar

Netflix and Tiger Baby have announced the cast of their upcoming project, The Archies, an Hindi-Urdu film based on characters created for Archie Comics, which will be released next year.

Set in the 1960s, this musical drama, written by Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar and Ayesha Devitre, is being directed by Zoya Akhtar. Filming began last month.

It’s headlined by seven young actors, who will play the much loved characters from the comics in key roles. They are Mihir Ahuja, musician, songwriter and singer Dot, daughter of late Indian rock musician Amit Saigal, Khushi Kapoor, the daughter of top Indian actress Sridevi, playing Betty, Suhana Khan, daughter of actor and producer Shah Rukh Khan, playing Veronica, Yuvraj Menda, Agastya Nanda, grandson of delighted Indian superstar actor Amitabh Bachchan, playing Archie Andrews, and Vedang Raina.

Suhana Khan and Khushi Kapoor in The Archies. Photo: Netflix

The Indian Express reports Suhana’s acting debut has long been rumoured. She first spoke about her ambitions in a 2018 Vogue interview. “I don’t think there was any one moment when I decided,” she said. “Since I was young, I’d do all these accents and impressions. But my parents only realised I was serious about acting when they saw a performance of mine for the first time. I was playing Miranda in a school performance of The Tempest.”

Zoya Akhtar is an award-winning Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. Her previous films include Luck by Chance (2009), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) and Gully Boy (2019) She also co-wrote Talaash (2012) alongside Reema Kagti, with whom she founded the film and web studio, Tiger Baby, in October 2015.

An announcement featuring the cast and a catchy music track by Ankur Tiwari and the Islanders, serves as a glimpse into the world that Akhtar promises to bring to life for audiences around the world.

Meet the cast of Zoya Akhtar’s upcoming 2023 film “The Archies”

The film has the iconic gang of The Archies’ at the centre of it, and perfectly matches the youthful energy, hope and excitement of the 1960s.

“A musical experience bursting with youth, rebellion, friendships, first loves and everything young adult, still promises to have something for every generation,” an Archie Comics spokesperson enthused. “We can’t wait to see the new kids on the block!”

It has to be noted that reaction to the announcement in India on social media appears to be mixed, despite the longstanding popularity of Archie Comics there. Reflecting concerns that Indian film makers have become increasingly westernised, following suggested hashtags on the film producers Twitter streams returns accusations that Netflix India is spurning Indian culture in favour of American melodrama, part of wider concerns about the direction of some Bollywood films.

But there have been plenty of positive comments, too.

“Zoya Akhtar, you are a genius,” enthused Dr. Shruti Kapoor, the founder of Sayfty, a foundation empowering women against violence in India. Enthused by childhood memories, she added: “Can’t wait to watch this new generation of actors in Archies.”

“From renting the Archie’s Digest for 25 paise per day from book rental stores to see Zoya Akhtar make this come alive on screen… is just incredible,” commented proud father, Shah Rukh Khan. “Wishing all the little ones the best as they take their first little steps into the most beautiful of professions.”

Meet The Producers

Netflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service with 222 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

• Follow Netflix India on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Archie Comics is the leading mass market comic book publisher in the world and the home to a wide array of the most popular humour, action-adventure and superhero characters in entertainment, including Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica, Reggie, Kevin Keller, Josie and the Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Afterlife With Archie, the Dark Circle Comics superhero characters (The Black Hood, The Fox, The Shield, Sam Hill and more), Li’l Jinx and many more.

Archie Comics have sold over two billion comics worldwide and are published around the world in a number of languages. In addition to comics, the Archie Comics characters are spotlighted weekly on The CW’s Riverdale and Katy Keene TV series and the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and have been featured in animation, television, film and music.

Follow Archie Comics on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and the Archie Comics Official Site at archiecomics.com

Helmed by filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, Tiger Baby is a film and web studio that aims to tell stories that can shape social narratives and inspire viewers to forge a new reality. Tiger Baby believes that stories have the power to shift consciousness while they entertain. With the goal of impactful engaging storytelling guiding the studio’s vision and acclaimed projects like Gully Boy, Made in Heaven, Lust Stories and Ghost Stories already in its kitty, Tiger Baby has emerged into a leading launch platform for a diverse pool of artists who have something fresh to say.

• Web: www.tigerbaby.in | Follow Tiger Baby on Twitter

Graphic India’s Chakra The Invincible was created with Stan Lee

Graphic India is a leading character entertainment company focused on creating superheroes, comics and stories through mobile and digital platforms. Led by media entrepreneur Sharad Devarajan, Graphic has produced over 200 episodes of animation and developed over a dozen live action film and TV projects across Hollywood, and Bollywood.

The company’s characters and animated shows include The Legend of Hanuman, which became the number one most watched streaming show in India upon launch on Disney+; Chakra The Invincible, created with Stan Lee; Astra Force, an award-winning animated series created for Disney with iconic actor, Amitabh Bachchan; and Baahubali The Lost Legends a 70-episode animated series, created with Arka Mediaworks and based on the most successful film franchise in Indian history.

Graphic believes that India is home to some of the most creative talent in the world, with more than 600 million people under the age of 25 and more than 850 million mobile phone users in the country. The Company’s mission is to create new enduring stories and heroes that connect global audiences and ideas through the power of story.

Check out Graphic India at www.GraphicIndia.com

The Archies
Producers: Tiger Baby/ Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti/ Graphic India/ Sharad Devarajan/ Archie Comics
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Written by: Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar & Ayesha Devitre

Cast: Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Yuvraj Menda, Agastya Nanda and Vedang Raina



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