3.5/5
The period is 1964. The setting is a quaint little hill station, teeming with Anglo-Indians, someplace in North India, known as Riverdale. Archie (Agastya Nanda), Betty (Khushi Kapoor), Veronica (Suhana Khan), Jughead (Mihir Ahuja), Reggie (Vedang Raina), Ethel (Dot) and Dilton (Yuvraj Menda) are highschool college students of their final yr of faculty. They’re on the cusp of maturity and like most youngsters, are fighting the problems that include this age. Archie and pals, who’ve their origin in some of the broadly learn American comics, discover themselves transplanted in India in a novel means. To have them as Anglo-Indians is a pleasant contact. Let’s not neglect the Indian in the neighborhood’s title. The folks of Riverdale love India and wouldn’t consider dwelling anyplace else. In the event that they hearken to The Beatles, then they’re additionally conscious of Mohammed Rafi, Shammi Kapoor is as a lot a sex-symbol for them as Elvis and masala chai feels as refreshing as soda pop.
The Indianisation is fantastically finished. The essence of the Anglo-Indian neighborhood – their love for music, for dance, baking, working within the railways, adaptation of the western fashion of clothes and coiffure, in addition to their accents is dropped at life in nice element.
The movie follows the identical arc that’s proven within the comics. Archie can’t determine between Veronica and Betty, Jughead likes to eat each minute and Dilton likes to invent quirky issues. Betty is proven to be an excellent baker, Ethel is a superb hair-dresser and Reggie desires to be a journalist. Veronica, in fact, is just too wealthy to really perceive the issues of her middle-class pals.
Adulting is tough. Whereas the children are busy with their final yr of carless dwelling, additionally they get to know that their city may be altering, and never for the higher it appears. Within the title of progress, the previous locations, just like the bookshop of Betty’s father or the city’s favorite cafe, Pop Tate’s, are getting purchased over and giving technique to glitzy storefronts missing a soul and there are rumours that their favorite place, Inexperienced Park, which lies on the coronary heart of the city and is sacred to the neighborhood due to its nostalgic worth, too is marked for improvement. They determine to lift their voice towards it and within the course of, realise their strengths and weaknesses.
The movie’s cinematographer, Nikos Andritsakis, has given Riverdale a picture-postcard high quality, filling it with brilliant colors and heat hues. The manufacturing design and the costume design groups too have finished a beautiful job. The movie has been designed as a musical, with songs changing dialogue in key scenes. Whereas the songs are catchy and do complement the movie, they don’t make an influence exterior of the movie’s narrative. Whereas the plot is predictable, the writing, particularly the parts which revolve round friendship, has been recent and breezy. They smack of actual relationships between a gaggle of youngsters. One other good factor is that whereas the movie does tilt a bit in direction of Archie, Betty and Veronica, the others too get their second within the solar. It showcases correct group dynamics, with some being extra dominant than the others however on the finish, everyone seems to be a pal.
It isn’t only a launch car for starkids like Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor and Suhana Khan however brings the others – Mihir Ahuja, Vedang Raina, Aditi Dot and Yuvraj Menda into the limelight as effectively. The director will need to have taken numerous workshops with them as a result of they not solely appear to be actual pals on display screen but additionally come throughout as seasoned performers, relatively than newbies. Suhana grows on you because the movie progresses and so does Vedang. Yuvraj has a extra layered position to play and does it effortlessly. Dot makes for a advantageous Ethel as effectively. Khushi comes throughout as a pure on display screen and so does Agastya. Whereas he could be stated to be the discover of the movie, every of those tremendous assured youngsters have an amazing future forward of them.
Watch the movie for the dose of nostalgia that it supplies. It makes you yearn in your faculty/school days and for a life which was easy but excellent.
Trailer : The Archies
Dhaval Roy, December 7, 2023, 5:00 PM IST
3.0/5
The Archies story: Set in 1964 in a fictional hill station known as Riverdale in India, the coming-of-age story follows Archie and his pals navigating friendship, romance, and social accountability as their cherished park faces a risk from builders demolishing it to construct a lodge.
The Archies evaluate: Director Zoya Akhtar adapts the adolescent-favourite Archies Comics for the large display screen and ensures the Bollywood outing is vibrant, youthful, and candy. However above all, she creates it as a teen musical comedy. That is the place her newest enterprise stands aside. There have been few high-school musical dramas in Hindi cinema earlier than. Add to that the nostalgia worth – the movie’s solid have a novel canvas. Proper sufficient, the display screen is splashed with a dreampop-like sequences and an endearing retro feel and look. And at its coronary heart are the 90’s youngsters’ favorite youngsters — Archie Andrews (Agastya Nanda), Veronica Lodge (Suhana Khan), Betty Cooper (Khushi Kapoor), Jughead (Mihir Ahuja), Reggie Mantle (Vedang Raina), Ethel Muggs (Dot), and Dilton Doiley (Yuvraj Menda).
Whereas the comics are all in regards to the group’s goofy shenanigans, the film falls in need of being as irreverent. The characters are virtually adulting and making powerful decisions between ardour and practicality or progress. The theme of healthful friendship is infused with activism, because the gang tries to save lots of the cultural hub, Inexperienced Park, from being torn all the way down to make means for a grand lodge. The film works effectively and charms as a musical. The tracks by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Ankur Tewari, The Islanders, and Dot (Aditi Saigal) are foot-tapping and enjoyable, particularly ‘Dhishoom Dhishoom,’ ‘Sunoh,’ and ‘Va Va Voom.’ Gautam Hegde’s choreography within the songs is one other spotlight that provides to the movie’s visible attraction.
The Archie world’s cute characters are its strongest level, and it is the identical with the posse of recent faces right here. Suhana Khan, because the wealthy and spoilt Veronica Lodge, pulls off the candy and sassy lady act torn between her businessman father’s shrewdness and loyalty to her pals. Agastya Nanda is charming because the confused Archie, who lives life only for the kicks however should perceive that ‘the whole lot is politics’ and may’t select between Veronica and Betty. Khushi Kapoor impresses as Betty, and has scope to carry out together with her emotional scenes, which she pulls off with aplomb. Whereas Vedang Raina as Reggie and Dot as Ethel are spectacular, Mihir Ahuja because the cute Jughead is sweet, too. Yuvraj Menda as Dilton, because the nerdy and cute teenager, deserves particular point out. All of the newcomers get their second to shine.
The film loses steam within the second half and will have been extra participating because the battle escalates. Options are handy, and the decision is trifling. Total, whereas the period, the appear and feel have been created effectively, the film finally ends up a tad underwhelming. What’s pleasant is watching a bunch of recent new faces put their finest meals ahead – whether or not for emoting on display screen or performing some rock n roll the 60s tunes.