Entertainment
The Archies Review: Zoya Akhtar Brings The Perfect Christmas Movie Date That Is Contemporary And Replete With Messaging
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Cast: Agastya Nanda, Aditi Saigal aka Dot. Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Yuvraj Menda, Santana Roach, Rudra Mahuvarkar, Alyy Khan, Luke Kenny, Vinay Pathak, Koel Purie, Tara Sharma Saluja, Sheena Khalid, Delnaz Irani
Where: Streaming now on Netflix
Rating: 4 stars
Experiencing Zoya Akhtar’s sincere tribute to our cherished childhood comic feels deeply personal and, to some extent, cathartic. Having attended an Anglo-Indian institution and with my closest friends hailing from the community, Akhtar’s cultural portrayal resonates with remarkable accuracy.
In the initial stages of the film, a significant character recites a quote from William Faulkner: “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Throughout Akhtar’s promotional campaign, she was often presented with a question that implied she had the freedom to create any film with desired actors and technicians, since she is well-positioned at the top of everyone’s wishlist. However, the filmmaker certainly understands how to enjoy the process and at times, prioritize art for its inherent purpose rather than solely for profit—an ethos that radiates throughout The Archies. As another character aptly notes, “to make art, you must go in, not out.” This clarifies her intention to establish a captivating world, with seven new faces taking centre-stage.
It is the year 1964, and Riverdale, a picturesque town nestled in the hills of North India, bears the traces of English influences in its essence. Inhabitants of this town carry the heritage of English ancestry in their veins, yet their hearts resonate with India as their true home. The beating heart of this town is the community garden known as Green Park. It is the very spot where Archibald ‘Archie’ Andrews (Agastya Nanda), Ethel Muggs (Aditi Saigal aka Dot.), Betty Cooper (Khushi Kapoor), Jughead Jones (Mihir Ahuja), Veronica Lodge (Suhana Khan), Reggie Mantle (Vedang Raina), and Dilton Doiley (Yuvraj Menda) took their initial steps as infants, following their birth in 1947. The resilience of their friendship and the future of the town are put to the test when a suggestion is put forth to construct a hotel instead of the park. Amidst the challenges, they navigate matters of the heart on the threshold of adulthood.
Co-written with her collaborators Ayesha Devitre Dhillon and Reema Kagti, Zoya incorporates multiple themes and concerns, and let me tell you, it’s a delicate path to navigate. Yet, it’s an ingenious move to employ cinema in the form of a musical to convey a message to a new generation that appears to be lost in the pursuit of validation through meaningless reels and endless scrolling on Instagram. The fear of maturing and taking on adult responsibilities, the shared social responsibility, the need for free press and critique, conflicts between humanity and nature, and the imperative need to engage in politics seamlessly align within the narrative, without any element standing out conspicuously. Incorporating all these elements, the film takes a sweeping journey down memory lane to a time when our lives were brimming with innocence and idealism. It harks back to an era where our eyes sparkled with aspirations and ambition. The melodies crafted by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Ankur Tewari and The Islanders perfectly capture the essence of The Archies. From the attire to the production design overseen by Suzanne Caplan Merwanji, to the cinematography skillfully executed by Nikos Anaritsakis, you’ll find yourself irresistibly pulled into this world as it unfolds in front of you. One aspect that the film might be criticized for is its length, an aspect where editor Nitin Baid could have exercised more consideration.
Setting that aside, there isn’t a single false note that can be pinpointed in the performances delivered by the film’s young cast. Agastya effortlessly embodies Archie, a character that occasionally flirts, infusing idealism with his charm. Dot., as Ethel, is delightfully ambitious, and her character resonated with me the most. Vedang effectively portrays the neighborhood heartthrob Reggie, while Mihir, as Archie’s bro-dude Jughead, is hilariously on point. Suhana is aptly yet unconventionally cast as Veronica, a daddy’s princess with a heart. Khushi embodies the perfect girl-next-door who loves to bake. However, my favorite performance has to be Yuvraj as Dilton, the genius whose moment of truth will leave you deeply moved.
The Archies arrives on Netflix as an early Christmas gift, one that will leave you with a heartwarming feeling. It’s a film that you’d cherish revisiting with your friends on lazy Sunday afternoons.
Bollywood
Akshay Kumar & Tiger Shroff flaunt picture perfect abs during their Juhu Beach edition of ‘Ocean’s 9’

Mumbai, Nov 18: Bollywood hunk Akshay Kumar joined Tiger Shroff and other ‘Desi Boys’ as they all made heads turn during their Juhu Beach edition of ‘Ocean’s 9’.
The video posted by Akshay on social media had all of them walking in the water at Mumbai’s Juhu Beach. Going bare-chested, both Akshay and Tiger were seen flaunting their chiseled physique and perfect abs.
“Ocean’s 9: Juhu Beach edition (sic),” Akshay captioned the post.
Awestruck by Akshay’s fitness even at 58, an Insta user penned the comment, “Body physique in this age unbelievable (sic).”
Another one shared, “Six pack Akshay Kumar ki 58 age me v wow”.
The third comment read, “Ohh my god Look at the Akshay Kumar fitness at this age”.
One of the cybercitizens wrote, “Make some noise for the Desi boyz.”
Akshay is often seen turning cheerleader for Tiger, with whom he shared the screen in the 2024 science fiction action entertainer “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan”.
Helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar and backed by Pooja Entertainment, the project is a modern adaptation of the 1998 classic of the same name.
Over and above this, Akshay collaborated with Tiger for the second time in Rohit Shetty’s cop drama “Singham Again.”
Enjoying a strong bond, Akshay and Tiger keep entertaining the netizens with their fun banter on social media.
In 2024, the ‘Airlift’ actor shared a heartfelt note for Tiger, lauding his unwavering dedication to fitness. Akshay revealed that the ‘Baaghi’ actor inspires him to push the envelope.
“Tere saath yeh shoot karke badiya feel aa rahi hai, Tiger. We are doing amazing stunts, we talk fitness, we work out, and then we play volleyball till we crash. I feel rejuvenated, I feel young from inside and this surge of fitness is making me realise that 55 is the age just on my birth certificate. (sic),” he said.
Bollywood
Mahima Chaudhry & Sanjay Mishra’s ‘Durlabh Prasad Ki Dusri Shadi’ to be out on December 19

Mumbai, Nov 17: The makers of Mahima Chaudhry and Sanjay Mishra’s forthcoming romantic entertainer “Durlabh Prasad Ki Dusri Shadi” have finally announced the release date for the film. The drama has been locked to be out in the cinema halls on December 19 this year.
The announcement poster showed groom Sanjay lovingly looking at Mahima, who is dressed as a bride, with a garland in his hand.
Both Mahima and Sanjay were seen blushing in a post captioned, “The wedding bells are ringing! (Bell emoji) Get ready to celebrate love, family, and second chances. #DurlabhPrasadKiDusriShadi is coming to the big screen on 19th DECEMBER. (sic).”
“Durlabh Prasad Ki Dusri Shaadi” has been made under the direction of Siddhant Raj Singh. The project shares the tale of a young man who embarks on a desperate mission to find a new bride for his widowed father, after facing immense pressure from his prospective in-laws to have a woman in the house before they send their daughter.
The core cast of the drama also features Vyom Yadav, Palak Lalwani, Pravin Singh Sisodia, and Shrikant Verma in key roles, along with others.
Sharing why this character holds a special place for him, Sanjay revealed in a statement, “Durlabh Prasad is a character you’ll love for his simplicity and innocence. Comedy with emotion is always special, and this film has both in abundance. I’m excited for audiences to meet this unique dulha and his equally unique journey.”
Previously, Sanjay took to social media and posted the first look poster from the movie, along with the caption, “The bride has been found, get ready now, because the barat will be coming soon, from theaters near you or far. #DurlabhPrasadKiDusriShadi releasing in cinemas soon! (sic).”
The poster features a close-up of Mahima as a glowing bride, while Sanjay poses as an unconventional Dulha. He is seen holding a photo frame of the bride instead of the real bride herself.
Bollywood
Farah Khan says ‘enjoy this beautiful phase’ as Rajkummar Rao & Patralekhaa welcome their baby girl

Mumbai, Nov 15: Filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan congratulated the new parents on the block, Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa, as they welcomed their first child, a baby girl, on Saturday.
Dropping a couple of lovely photos from Patralekhaa’s baby shower on social media, Farah advised Rajkummar and Patralekhaa to enjoy this beautiful phase of their life.
Taking to her official Instagram handle, Farah wrote, “The Baby is here!! Congratulations @patralekhaa n @rajkummar_rao .. enjoy this beautiful phase of life (sparkling heart emojis) n remember for any baby advice.. main hoon na.. (winking face with tongue emoji) (sic).”
“p.s.- @iamhumaq luckily we just about did the baby shower in time (face with tears of joy emoji),” she added.
The images show the couple twinning in yellow as they posed in the middle of a cake, balloons, and a giant teddy bear.
Rajkummar and Patralekhaa made the happy announcement on social media with a sweet Insta post that read, “We are over the moon God has blessed us with a Baby girl…Blessed parents Patralekhaa and Rajkumaar(sic).”
“(red heart and folded hands emoji) The greatest blessing God has given us on our 4th wedding anniversary. (sic),” they captioned the joint post.
Several big names from Bollywood congratulated the new parents in the comment section.
Actor Varun Dhawan commented, “(red heart emoji) welcome to the club guys@(red heart emoji)”
Actress Neha Dhupia said, “Congratulations you guys (red heart emojis) welcome to the best hood … parenthood(red heart emoji).”
Actor Ali Fazal shared, “Oh my goddddd!!!! So so happy to hear this . Congratulations you two beautiful people. Mubaarak…(red heart emojis).”
Rajkummar and Patralekhaa announced their first pregnancy back in July this year.
The couple uploaded a joint post on their official Instagram accounts saying, “Baby on the way – Patralekhaa & Rajkummar (sic).”
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