Azure Powers Up Slate of Indian Remakes
Mumbai production outfit Azure Entertainment is powering up a slate of remakes of European and Asian movies. These include a retread of 2017 Thai hit “Bad Genius” and an Indian version of South Korea’s “The Terror: Live.”
Azure is collaborating with Reliance Entertainment and Neeraj Pandey-led Friday Film Works’ Plan C Studio on the development and production of “Genius.” The film, which focuses on a female student who monetizes her skill at exam-cheating, was Thailand’s highest-grossing movie in international markets. Azure is presenting and producing Tigmanshu Dhulia’s “Yaara,” based on Olivier Marchal’s “Les Lyonnais.”
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These are in addition to a previously announced two-film partnership with Warner Bros. that kicks off with a remake of Hong Kong’s “Infernal Affairs,” which was remade by Martin Scorsese as “The Departed.” Rights were acquired from Warner.
Set up by Sunir Kheterpal, who previously had stints with Adlabs-Reliance Entertainment and the Hinduja Group, Azure is owned by The Three Sisters: Institutional Office. Its 2019 releases include two blockbusters, Sujoy Ghosh’s “Badala” and Anurag Singh’s “Kesari.” Other upcoming releases include Jeethu Joseph’s “The Body” (a remake of Rodar y Rodar’s Spanish film of the same title).
With Red Chillies Entertainment, the production and investment company owned by superstar Shah Rukh Khan, it is also readying “Operation Khukri.” The film is based on an original script about the Indian Armed Forces’ most successful mission on foreign soil.
“Indian audiences are changing, with many young people becoming fans of Marvel franchise films,” said Kheterpal. “We find high-concept stories and even comedies can work well, but they need to be ‘Indianized.’”
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