Traffic set for Hindi remake

Acclaimed Malayalam film set for Hindi remake, actors Sunny Deol, Irrfan Khan, Nana Patekar in the running for major roles in ensemble cast.

What’s interesting is that several respected Bollywood actors, who have all seen the original version, are believed to have come forward, expressing interest in being part of the Hindi remake.

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TV production firm, Endemol India, known for shows like Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi and Bigg Boss, are making their foray into film production by remaking the multi-starrer. But they aren’t willing to divulge any names as yet, promising to make a formal announcement of the final cast soon. However, sources suggest that actors like Sunny Deol, Irrfan Khan and Nana Patekar, who have offered to slash their rates for the project, are all being considered for roles, along with Paresh Rawal, Rajat Barmecha, Jimmy Shergill, Manoj Bajpayee and Vinay Pathak.

When contacted, Deepak Dhar, managing director, Endemol says: “It’s a very engaging story, for sure. We are going to need a diverse set of actors for the film. Every character intertwines with the other beautifully, leading to an emotional outburst at the end of the film.” It’s believed that many big studios were in the race to remake the film. “We were really keen to acquire the rights for Traffic. It came across as the perfect story,” says Dhar.

Filmmaker Rajesh Pillai, who had directed the Malayalam version, has apparently been brought on board to helm the Hindi version too. “Since he has already made the journey with the Malayalam version, it made sense to rope him in for the Hindi version too. We plan to start shooting in the next month-and-a-half,” informs Dhar.