You have been working—writing, directing, producing—together since 2010. How do you resolve creative differences?
ZA: We have rules. Whoever directs the film has the last word. Earlier we used to fight a lot, but now we have matured and realised that the better idea wins the argument. I handle social media, and Reema is better at accounts. RK: Zoya writes and I edit. I remember telling her to go through my script of 100 pages. She sent me back 120 pages. I need to hold the strings, or else, she can go on and on.
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a team?
ZA: Our stories are our strength. Reema is great at screenplays and her editing is on point. I am good at layering narrative, developing nuances, dialogue etc. I love ensembles. RK: Zoya is observant and analytical of human behaviour, which helps with characterisation.
How did you arrive at the decision to adapt an American comic like Archie?
ZA: We have grown up reading Archie comics. It was our favourite. So, when it fell into our laps, we knew we wouldn’t get another chance to do it.
RK: Archie is massive American IP, and they approached India to make their first feature film for the international audience. What other reason could one ask for?
The Archies is set in the 60s. What was it like to build that world?
ZA: The idea of adapting the Archie comics was challenging in itself. They didn’t want it to be a typical Riverdale, or be contemporary or edgy. They wanted it to be idyllic, old school and wholesome, steeped in family values. Yet, the original characters could not be tampered with. Because it had to be the Christian community, the biggest challenge was the location. With Goa being over exposed, India doesn’t have many locations that fit the bill. We did a lot of recce and realised that their architecture still exists in hill stations such as McLeodgunj and Landour. These locations capture the community’s tone and texture perfectly. The characters looked magical there. Once we cracked the setting, it was easy. RK: Only one set was recreated in Mumbai, and we shot some scenes in Ooty as well.
The lead cast has a lot of newcomers, including three star kids—Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda and Khushi Kapoor. Who do you think makes for a surprise package?
ZA: That is for the audience to decide. For us, they were all surprising. Stars come with baggage, and these characters had to be fresh. New actors are always excited, and raring to explore.
RK: Each one was special. They add their own nuances to their parts. We trained them for six months before beginning to shoot. They had teen acting workshops, which included lessons in dancing, singing, skating and swimming. So, by the time they were on the sets, they knew how to face the camera, set the track on sets, what it is to catch the light or hitting the mark; they were good at all the technical aspects of filmmaking.
With so much discourse going on about star kids playing the three lead roles, tell us about the casting process.
ZA: Casting took a lot of time. We looked at youngsters who wanted to act. We found Aditi ‘Dot’ Saigal, Vedang Raina and Yuvraj Menda on Instagram. We took around five to six rounds of auditions for each kid.
RK: All the kids auditioned. For instance, Agastya was tested for Reggie’s role as well. The original characters have a certain physicality, and we had to match that.
Did you feel that The Archies deserved a big screen release?
ZA: A big screen release would have been amazing, but this was a Netflix project right from conception. Besides, with OTT, it has been released in 190 countries. RK: The Archie comics was always a global idea.
What is your take on OTT?
ZA: We are storytellers. We don’t really care about the platform. RK: The process is more or less the same and we want to work on every medium. All formats should be able to co-exist.
What’s next for Tiger Baby?
ZA & RK: We have another project in the pipeline—Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, starring Ananya Pandey, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav.
