Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 5, 2018)

Arjun Kapoor may have his hands full with Vipul Shah’s romcom Namastey England alongside Parineeti Chopra and the soonto-roll Ashutosh Gowariker period-war film, Panipat, also featuring Sanjay Dutt and Kriti Sanon, but that hasn’t stopped the actor from greenlighting yet another project.

The 32-year-old actor is gearing up to play the titular role in the Hindi remake of the 2017 Telugu blockbuster, Arjun Reddy. Producer duo Murad Kherani and Ashwin Varde, who had bankrolled the 2017 comedy Mubarakan, featuring Arjun with uncle Anil Kapoor, and directed by Anees Bazmee, have purchased the remake rights to the film. While the original had marked the directorial debut of Sandeep Reddy Vanga, director for its Hindi remake is yet to be finalised.

“Discussions have been on for a long time as Arjun has his date diary full. He is planning to kick off the Hindi remake in 2019,” a source close to the development told Mirror, adding that the film is being remade in Tamil as Varma. “The protagonist’s first name will remain intact in the Hindi remake,” the source informed.

Arjun Reddy tells the story of an unconventional, free-spirited medical student who tries to break away from societal norms. “It follows Arjun’s anger issues after he suffers a heart break. The film was widely acclaimed and earned cult status in Telangana. Now, the premise will be adapted to a North Indian setting,” the source added. The original had featured Vijay Devarakonda, best known for the National Award-winning 2016 film, Pelli Choopulu.