Actor Shahid Kapoor will star in the Hindi remake of the 2017 Telugu hit Arjun Reddy, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga confirmed to Firstpost. Vanga, who is also directing the remake, said the project is likely to begin rolling in July.
Arjun Reddy, starring Vijay Deverakonda, centred on the protagonist’s self-destruction and decline into alcoholism and drug addiction after heartbreak.
“As an actor, he [Shahid Kapoor] has no inhibitions,” Vanga said. “Arjun Reddy is a character with a lot of rage and I think Shahid can convincingly bring it alive on screen. I was clear from the beginning that I wanted to work with him.”
The rest of the cast is yet to be finalised. Vanga said the untitled Hindi remake, bankrolled by Murad Khetani and Ashwin Warde, could be “more hardhitting” than the original.
“Telugu audiences loved the core emotion of Arjun Reddy and we don’t want to tamper with it,” Vanga told the publication. “The newness and shock value that worked in favour of the original will be retained. When I made Arjun Reddy, I wasn’t sure where to draw the line in terms of representation of certain things. I don’t think I’d have to restrict myself when it comes to the Hindi version. I believe I’ll have more freedom in Bollywood. We can make it even more hard-hitting.”
A Tamil remake of Arjun Reddy, titled Varma, is also in the works. The film stars Dhruv, the son of Tamil actor Vikram, and is being directed by Bala.
Shahid Kapoor was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat (2018).
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!