Life comes full circle for Sanjay Gupta, who's taken inspiration from international films in the past; his thriller is picked up by 20th Century Fox
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; July 18, 2017)

 Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has often faced flak for making a career out of allegedly "copying" Hollywood and Korean productions. Ironically, his latest flick, the Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam-starrer, Kaabil, is set for an official Hollywood remake. The actioner had been produced by Roshan's filmmaker-father, Rakesh.

Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox has approached the actor to procure the remake rights of the thriller. Coincidentally, the actor headlined Bang Bang (2014), the official Bollywood adaptation of the Hollywood studio's film, Knight And Day (2010).

Confirming the developments, Gupta says, "It's true that Fox, through Tomas Jegeus [president, Fox International Productions], has approached Hrithik. Even though the developments are too premature to talk about at this moment, it is an honour for the team. What is also exciting is that Kaabil has been declared the best film of [the first half of] 2017 via an online poll. So, it's a double win for us."

An insider spills the beans on what transpired in a hush-hush meeting between the actor and the Hollywood studio last week. "Before he jetted off to New York, Hrithik was pleasantly surprised to get a call from Tomas, who wanted to buy the remake rights of Kaabil. They feel the film is a pure entertainer and has all the ingredients for a great Hollywood film. Hrithik will discuss the matter with his father when he is back."

When mid-day contacted Roshan Sr, he seemed excited to explore the opportunity. "The screenplay was hard-hitting, and the drama, gripping. It would make for a wonderful Hollywood adaptation, given that it has all the necessary emotions. It struck gold at the box-office because it was about a visually-impaired lover seeking revenge."