Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 7, 2017)

Mirror (August 31) was the first to inform that Ajay Devgn is producing a film featuring Sanjay Dutt and Farhan Akhtar in the lead. It will be directed by Nishikant Kamat and will roll by December- January.

Last month, Farhan confirmed the news (Mirror, September 9) revealing further that it’s a big action-comedy-drama. “I liked Nishikanth’s last film, Drishyam, very much and I’ve known Sanju for a really long time. Interestingly, we have similar tastes in music but we’ve never discussed working together. He’s a great chap,” Farhan had pointed out.

Now, Mirror has learnt that like Drishyam, the Hindi remake of Jeethu Joseph’s 2013 Malayalam hit of the same name which had Ajay take over from Mohanlal as the leading man, Ajay and Nishikant’s next is also a remake. It adapts the 2014 National Award-winning Tamil black comedy-thriller, Jigarthanda.

The film’s title is inspired by a cold beverage available in Tamil Nadu. The original was written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj. Producer Kathiresan had been scouting for a filmmaker for the Hindi remake after the Kannada and Telugu rights were sold. The film will now be produced by Ajay and his collaborator-producer, Abhinav Shuklaa, under their joint banner. “Nishikant is closely working on the film’s creatives with Farhan and Ajay,” a source informed.

Farhan will play a struggling filmmaker while Sanjay is a gangster. The original was set in Madhurai but the adaptation will be based in Maharashtra. South star Siddharth had played an assistant director who, after being thrown out of a reality TV show, decides to make a film on real-life gangster, Assault Sethy, played by Bobby Simha, who bagged the National Award for Best Supporting Actor for his quirky yet gritty portrayal of a don. “There were several other characters in the original. Casting for the Hindi remake is presently underway,” the source added.