New blood is gearing up to claim its place in Bollywood. Zoya Akhtar has taken the onus of launching Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor and Agastya Nanda with her next, an adaptation of the Archie comic book series. The project signifies the perspective shift in Hindi entertainment as the three youngsters have traded a grand Bollywood launch vehicle for a Netflix series.

One hears that Akhtar kicked off the shoot last week in Ooty. “Suhana plays the popular Veronica Lodge to Khushi’s Betty Cooper, with Agastya joining them as Archie Andrews. Khushi will reportedly be seen sporting a fringe to look the part of the preppy Betty. The filming will take place for the next 40 days in Ooty and areas surrounding the hill-station. The production has hired local cast and crew on the project, with only the principal actors and core members of the team flying in from Mumbai,” reveals a source.

Akhtar has reimagined the popular comic book series as a live-action musical. The source adds, “The team shot an important set-piece over the past week.” 

The musical will be co-produced by Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Sharad Devarajan. The unit is expected to return to Mumbai in June, to kick off another extensive schedule.