Set in the North-Indian town of Riverdale, predominantly populated by Anglo-Indians, Zoya Akhtar's The Archies made its debut on Netflix on December 7. This Indian adaptation draws inspiration from the beloved American comic, intending to evoke nostalgia while providing social and contemporary commentary on political and environmental issues, particularly for an Instagram generation unaware of these concerns.
Featuring seven budding talents including Agastya Nanda, Aditi Saigal (aka Dot.), Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, and Yuvraj Menda, the movie provides a poignant exploration of the friendships among these characters. It delves into how their destinies become entwined with the forces of industrial capitalism when the beloved park they cherish is threatened with demolition to make way for a hotel.
Upon the commencement of the movie's streaming on Netflix at 1:30 PM IST, Twitter became alive with users sharing their varied sentiments and feelings as they watched the film. While a portion of the audience was captivated by the universe crafted by Zoya and maintained their trust based on the filmmaker's previous works, others felt disappointed due to what they perceived as a lack of a compelling plot. Nonetheless, there were also numerous individuals who expressed encouragement and appreciation for the young talent showcased in the movie.
One user wrote for Suhana, who plays Veronica Lodge, stating, "Just watched #TheArchies, I just loved itttt..#SuhanaKhan you just nailed ittt.. A new star has come to give tough competition to Alia Bhatt in Bollywood who is soon going to become a Superstar!♥️ #TheArchiesOnNetflix"
Another user commented about how they were reminded of Abhishek Bachchan, everytime Agastya came on-screen as Archies. "Ok be honest because I don't believe it that I'm the only one who every time I see Agastya I see Abhishek"
Check out more tweets below:
The Archies has been co-written by Ayesha Devitre Dhillon and Reema Kagti, besides Zoya. The music of the film has been composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Ankur Tewari and The Islanders.
