Vikram Malhotra to adapt film which features 86 newcomers
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 9, 2018) 

Continuing Bollywood’s love for South films, the most recent being the Hindi adaption of the 2017 Telugu drama Arjun Reddy featuring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani, Mirror has learnt that Airlift and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha producer Vikram Malhotra has bagged the Hindi adaptation rights of 2017 Malayalam crime-drama Angamaly Diaries. The film is expected to roll early next year.

Confirming the news, Vikram says, “I am delighted with the opportunity of taking this gem of a film to the Hindi audience, in their language. It’s a true genre-breaker which reaches out and grabs you by the collar, with a strong word-of-mouth even among non-Malayalis. Angamaly Diaries is a masterclass in filmmaking as it had 86 debutants, a disruptive narrative and a 11-minute one-take climax.”

Prod him on the casting and he says the idea is to cast from scratch. “But we may repeat a few names from the original. We are in the process of finalising the director first after which we will start scouting for actors. The lead role can be played by either an established name or a newcomer but the actor will have to do a lot of prep with the main focus on his look,” adds the filmmaker.

The original revolved around gang wars in a small Indian town, depicting the madness, mayhem and the methods of a group of people who are trying to come up in life by using every means possible. Actor Antony Varghese, who played the lead role, took home several awards for his performance as Vincent Pepe including the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut in Malayalam cinema.

Director Lijo Jose Pellissery, who will be on board the remake as a creative consultant, is ecstatic. “I couldn’t be happier that Vikram, who is known to marry socially relevant cinema with entertainment, will adapt it in Hindi. This story now has the opportunity to transcend to a larger audience,” he says.