Three Hindi film classics, Gulzar’s Koshish (1972), Hrishikesh Mujherjee’s 1975 film Mili, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, and the Rajesh Khanna headliner Bawarchi (1972), are set to be remade.
As per an Indian Express report, the remakes, currently in various stages of development, will be jointly produced by filmmakers Anushree Mehta and Abir Sengupta of Jaadugar Films and Sameer Raj Sippy of SRS Productions.
While Koshish was a moving love story starring Jaya Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar, Bawarchi, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, was a musical comedy featuring Jaya and Asrani apart from Rajesh Khanna. Mili, also directed by Mukherjee, is a timeless classic and starred Ashok Kumar apart from Amitabh and Jaya.
Anushree Mehta, director of Radhika Apte starrer Mrs Undercover, and Abir Sengupta jointly said in a statement that they are thrilled to be setting upon “this magical journey of making three of our all-time favourite movies in a new form and mold”.
“It is a huge responsibility as Koshish, Bawarchi and Mili are celebrated in India and across the globe. The films have been made by the legendary Gulzar Saab and Hrishi da who have set the standards of filmmaking for generations to come. These are the films we have grown up on and they are the stories that the new generation should also witness; to know our rich cinematic legacy. We endeavour to put our best to live up to the expectations,” the filmmakers said.
Sameer Raj Sippy, grandson of producer NC Sippy and son of Raj Sippy, said the classics will be revisited with a modern outlook.
“I feel movies are about defining moments, interesting enough to share with people, and that’s why I think it’s time we take classic stories and bring them into today’s scenario, with a newer and modern outlook. And that’s the intention behind revisiting Bawarchi, Mili and Koshish,” he added. The makers said the cast and crew of the films will be announced soon.
