Back to the Future With Nepo Babies: Zoya Akhtar’s Indian Adaptation of Archies Comics Receives Mixed Reviews
- While many critics called it a good-looking nostalgia piece, “The Archies,” which features children of Bollywood actors, several of them bashed the director for destroying the all-American classic.
When Zoya Akhtar was initially approached by Netflix to produce a film based on the classic all-American comic “Archies,” she told them that the material was “too precious” and she would direct it herself. So she co-wrote the adaptation with her partners Reema Kagti, and Ayesha Devitre.
The result is “The Archies,” which Deadline called “a story presenting an innocent, but also more realistic, view of a group of young people.” The film released on Netflix on Friday (Dec. 7), is reimagined and presented through the lens of the unique Anglo-Indian community of the 1960s, transplanting Riverdale to India, in a fictional North Indian hill station. “The setting may be a little different, but the milkshakes are just as tasty,” says Netflix about the film.
Produced by Akhtar and Kati’s Tiger Baby Films, “The Archies,” which follows the same arc that’s shown in the comics, marks the debut of Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana, Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda, and Sridevi’s younger daughter Khushi Kapoor, along with Vedang Raina, Dot, and Yuvraj Menda. It also stars Mihir Ahuja, Vinay Pathak, Koel Purie, Tara Sharma, and Dehlnaaz among others.
The story revolves around Archie (Agastya Nanda), whose affections flip-flop between the wealthy, self-confident Veronica (Suhana Khan) and the kind, reliable Betty (Khushi Kapoor). When they see a threat to one of the key parts of their home, the group rallys around to raise awareness and thwart a plan detrimental to their environment. Archies is the leader and is joined by Betty, Veronica, Jughead (Mihir Ahuja), Reggie (Vedang Raina), Ethel (Dot.), Dilton, Moose (Rudra Muhavkar) and Midge (Santana Roach). They are supported by Luke Kenny as Ricky Mantle and Tara Sharma and Suhaas Ahuja as Archie’s parents, as well as Mr. Weatherbee (Deven Khote), Miss Grundy (Salone Mehta), Pops (Nikhil Kapoor) of Pop Tates.
The film has received mixed reviews from both international and India media. The New York Times says “the “inessential Bollywood-tinged fantasia is two and a half hours of soda shops, chaste dates, candy-colored petticoats, and athletic musical numbers choreographed to a mix of modern-ish new tunes and classics.” Noting that Akhtar is “fearless in her fanciful reorientation,” The Times calls the film “an extravagant stunt perked up by moments of absurdity.” A review on RogerEbert.com says the film “celebrates its protagonists’ character-defining youth by letting them be cute, doofy, and mostly self-absorbed.”
Meanwhile, many in the Indian media gave Akhtar some flak for casting three Bollywood star kids, many lauded their performance as well. According to NDTV, the three leads do not seem to “be raw as actors,” and “deliver the goods with remarkable elan.” It also lauds the other actors in the film, who impressively “complete the young cast that fleshes out Archie comics characters with distinct individual traits without letting any of them sink into predictability.”
The review also points out that “the most striking aspect” of the film “is the manner in which blends the flip (not flimsy) with the solemn (not self-conscious) as a group of teenagers deal with each other’s angularities, their parents’ desires, and the impositions of powerful people bent upon robbing their city of something its denizens hold dear.” It concludes that it “celebrates the restless, kinetic spirit of the young even as it skewers the skullduggery that is afoot in the name of redevelopment of the town square with the construction of a shopping plaza and a grand hotel aimed at boosting Riverdale’s tourism potential.”
Filmfare notes that the film “isn’t just a launch vehicle for starkids like Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor and Suhana Khan but brings the others – Mihir Ahuja, Vedang Raina, Aditi Dot and Yuvraj Menda into the limelight as well.”
Scroll describes the film as “a good-looking nostalgia piece.” Reviewing individual performances, it notes that Khushi Kapoor is “a bit stiff in her dance moves and speech, while Suhana Khan, “who gets to skate, sulk, preen and be playful, fits as the pampered Ronnie.” It calls Agastya Nanda as “likeable, though a touch diffident in his timbre,” while Vedang Rainabrings the right amount of swag to the rakish Reggie.
According to India Today, “the adaptation faithfully captures the essence of the original characters, with newcomer actors delivering compelling performances.” However, it adds that despite the film’s “strength,” to “falls short in its central conflict.”
Similarly, film critic Anupama Chopra said that the “triumph” factor of the film are the seven actors that “bring alive the silliness and vulnerability of youth.”
Some reviewers didn’t hold back on their criticism. Well known film critic Khalid Mohamed chided Akhtar for “ruthlessly” destroying his “precious memories of Archie and gang.” Reviewing the film in an Instagram post, he called the newcomer actors “indigestible,” and begged her not to “touch” other classic comics like Lil Lulu n Tubby, Dennis the Menace, and Tweety, among others.
“The musical, an adaptation of Archie comics set in India in the 1960s, is too bland to make much of an impression,” writes Uday Bhatia in Mint. Although Akhtar is “one of the few Indian directors who writes fun English dialogue, the challenge of taking these archetypal American characters and making them interesting in an Indian context seems to defeat her,” he continued. “Where the increasingly batshit Riverdale pushed the boundaries of what an Archies narrative could be, Akhtar’s film plays it incredibly safe.” He credited the lead actors though. “The young leads aren’t bad; there’s really not much you can do with this material.” He expressed his disappointment in seeing “Akhtar settle for chirpy blandness after the fire and crackle of ‘Gully Boy.’”
Reactions on X were mixed as well. Some lauded the film for casting age-appropriate characters, while others said they expected more from Akhtar, and called the film “the weakest films to premier on OTT this year.”
So I dared to watch The Archies but I couldn’t after this scene. 😭 #TheArchies pic.twitter.com/IDSlj7bnAL
— Akanksha (@Nyctophilic___) December 9, 2023
Among those who enjoyed the film was journalist Ishmeet Nagpal. “I enjoyed #TheArchies and I will re-watch,” she posted on X. “I get this kind of escapism. In fact, more please. It’s so soft and fluffy and almost inconsequential. I’ll take this over whatever BS Bollywood has lately been shoving in our faces.”
Meanwhile, a X user named Gita offered some wisdom to all those who bashed the young actors. “There are a couple of young adults trying to carve out a career,” she wrote. “If you have nothing good to say maybe keep shut !vThe obvious envy about their antecedents is glaringly obvious. Give the kids a chance !!!
