As the trailer of Big Band Aamir’s Thugs Of Hindostan releases, director refutes rumours of film being adapted from 1839 novel
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; September 28, 2018)

As soon as the trailer of Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan’s Diwali offering, Thugs Of Hindostan, was unveiled yesterday, netizens went into overdrive drawing parallels between the film and Johnny Depp’s popular franchise, Pirates Of The Caribbean. Interestingly, during the making of the Vijay Krishna Acharya-directed venture, buzz suggested that the period drama was based on Philip Meadows Taylor’s 1839 novel, Confessions Of A Thug. However, the director rubbished the rumours.

“The movie isn’t based on any story. Since the film’s title has ‘thugs’ in it, people assumed that it is adapted from a book that was written several years back. However, this isn’t true. The script is written by me,” said Acharya of the Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh starrer.

Set in 1795, the action adventure traces how a band of pirates rebels against the British Raj. The writer- director reveals that he was most satisfied with Khan’s character sketch of Firangi. “Whenever we have made a period film, it has been reverential. I thought, if we could have an irreverent film in which a character was not noble or righteous, it would be an interesting change.”

The film, which will be presented in IMAX format, is being touted as a visual extravaganza. Acharya revealed that given how integral the visual effects were to the narrative, it was imperative that they be up to the mark. “It was a tedious journey, but we have tried to do something that has probably not been attempted before. We faced a lot of challenges, right from the technical department to the logistical aspect.”

Having wrapped up the film, Khan was seen sporting a new look, sans his long hair and nose ring, at the event.

DNA (July 6, 2016)

Hrithik Roshan’s next film called Thug is said to be based on the novel Confession Of A Thug, written by Phillip Meadows Taylor in 1839 about the thuggee (an organised gang of professional robbers and murderers who killed travellers for money and valuables) cult in British India. The novel is based on the life of a real thug called Syeed Amir Ali and his father whom the author knew. A few years ago Sanjay Leela Bhansali was to start a film, Jhirni, based on the same novel, but that didn’t materialise. Amitabh Bachchan is playing Hrithik’s father in the film. Both Bhansali favourites. SLB would approve.