Ekta Kapoor to remake Telugu hit ‘U Turn’
Premium- Kapoor will produce the film under her banner Cult Movies, the new division of her company Balaji Telefilms that will focus on edgy and bold content
New Delhi: Ekta Kapoor will remake southern hit U Turn in Hindi with actor Alaya F who was last seen in comedy-drama Jawaani Jaaneman. The Kannada original featured Shraddha Srinath in the lead role and was later remade in Telugu with Samantha Akkineni.
Kapoor will produce the film under her banner Cult Movies, the new division of her company Balaji Telefilms that will focus on edgy and bold content. Balaji is known for TV soaps and films such as Udta Punjab and Love Sex Aur Dhokha.
To be sure, the covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift of specific language industries into eyeing pan-Indian audiences beyond their native zones through massy, universally appealing films. Bollywood, so far primarily sticking to niche, urban narratives directed at multiplex audiences, is lining up more remakes of massy south Indian films than ever before.
Banijay Asia-owned production house EndemolShine India has acquired the rights to two Tamil hits, Vijay-starrer Master and romantic fantasy film Oh My Kadavule. Meanwhile, Rajkummar Rao will feature in the Hindi remake of Telugu cop thriller HIT. Ajay Devgn too has announced the remake of Telugu hit Naandhi.
Filmmakers and studios point to the universally appealing genre of these films, irrespective of language. “It is not really about south Indian or Hindi films, but good content which will entertain audiences. The two films that we have recently acquired Hindi rights for, are very different, in terms of narrative style or genre but appealed on a mass level to the audience," Abhishek Rege, CEO, EndemolShine India had said in an earlier interview.
Massy content has always seen strong demand and that will continue, Rege added, as is evident from the impressive box office numbers that Master had garnered this January.
“The box office will continue to demand popular films like this, especially in this post pandemic era, where cinemas are straining to get back on their feet and require strong footfalls," Rege added.
Trade experts point out that while Bollywood has looked to south Indian films for inspiration earlier, and with much success, be it Kabir Singh (a remake of Arjun Reddy), Ajay Devgn's Drishyam or Shahid Kapoor’s upcoming sports drama Jersey, filmmakers down south are far more keen to push their original films up north now.
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