A lot of South movies have been remade by Bollywood. Not all of them have been great successes. When films are reinterpreted and repackaged with a whole new cultural context, we're entering the dicey territory. Ayyappanum Koshiyum is about to undergo a similar makeover.
You might remember the hit Malayalam film, Ayyappanum Koshiyum. The film starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Biju Menon is going to get its own Hindi remake, the rights of which have been acquired by John Abraham.
Ayyappanum Koshiyum to get a Hindi remake, who would play the leads?
Ayyappanum Koshiyum directed by Sachy was released in 2020 starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Biju Menon in the leads. The Malayalam action thriller which keeps you thinking released to a massive response to the audience and critics alike.
Now John Abraham has acquired the rights to remake the film in Hindi. While this may sound exciting, we've seen many Bollywood remakes of South films which have just not been able to create an impact. The film will obviously be set in a different context and language, this itself will dilute the plot of the film. So who would play the lead roles?
Koshy Kurien- John Abraham
If the film is to be replicated, surely John Abraham might play the lead and he could pull off Koshy's intensity if he tried hard enough, and going by the role he's done in the past, he could be the imposing and egoistic Koshy Kurien for sure.
Ayyappan Nair- Manoj Bajpayee
Ayyappan Nair the cop with a blemish in his records, locking horns with Koshy requires a fitting actor to pull off the role. Biju Menon was able to keep the audience gripped and so who better to play him than Manoj Bajpayee?
Kurien John- Ashutosh Rana
Koshy's father Kurien John is an arrogant self-important man, with his strong patriarchal dominant streak. Keeping in mind the personalities of the characters, Ashutosh Rana would be able to carry the role with some much-needed weight.
Kannamma Ayyappan- Richa Chadha
Kannamma Ayyappan is a strong female character, as an Adivasi woman whose strength and unwavering. There's something about Kannamma that touches your conscience more than your conscious. Having seen Richa Chaddha's repertoire, she would be able to play the character passion and emotion.
Ruby- Bhumi Pednekar
The simple and emotional wife of Koshy, who bears the brunt of strong patriarchy, with a moment of breakthrough in the film, is a tough role to pull off. Bhumi would bring all that's good in Ruby to the fore, without masking her flaws.
It seems to be time for the story of Ayyappan and Koshy to leave Attappadi and enter a new place altogether. Perhaps, this will be a different telling, but will it be able to recreate the magic of the original? That's a tough question only the film can answer.
