The Archies: Zoya Akhtar reveals she didn’t like how Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Vedang Raina, and others were ‘almost bullied’

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2023’s The Archies film showcased a number of promising newcomers within the entertainment industry. This teenage musical comedy featured Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi ‘Dot’ Saigal and Yuvraj Menda. More recently, Zoya Akhtar shared her thoughts on the movie’s reception and admitted that she found it disheartening to see the cast subjected to a degree of criticism or even bullying.

During a chat with Komal Nahta on Game Changers, Zoya Akhtar pointed out that The Archies didn’t receive any accolades. When asked about her feelings towards its OTT release rather than in cinemas given the response, Zoya expressed that she didn’t feel relieved. The director clarified that it wasn’t because people were kinder to her due to the OTT launch. Instead, she suggested that the film would have been different if it had been a theatrical release.

Zoya revealed that she felt ‘terrible’ and ‘responsible’ at the time but she did her best. 

During the discussion, Zoya Akhtar was queried about whether she felt remorseful as the film may have impacted the lives of numerous newcomers. She openly expressed her conviction that the actors would continue to thrive in their careers due to their inherent talent. Additionally, she mentioned her desire to collaborate with them again in future projects.

Zoya went on to explain that she personally chose the new actors and worked with a skilled team to prepare them for the project. She also emphasized that well-known individuals were involved. In her own words, “I rehearsed them, I filmed them. I approved the scene, so it’s my work. They followed my instructions. I wasn’t comfortable seeing them being treated harshly.” Zoya admitted she felt a sense of guilt but her cast encouraged her not to.

In “The Archies,” actors like Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi ‘Dot’ Saigal and Yuvraj Menda portrayed characters from the well-known comic books with the same title. The plot unfolded in the imaginary town of Riverdale during the groovy rock n roll era of the 1960s. It centered around a circle of friends, and the movie premiered on Netflix on December 7, 2023.

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2025-02-23 12:52