Javed Akhtar calls Agastya Nanda 'masoom' alternative to toxic heroes, compares him to Rishi Kapoor

Writer likens youngster's portrayal of Archie Andrews to the late actor's portrayal of Raja in 'Bobby'

Prolific writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar is drawing parallels between emerging talent Agastya Nanda and the legendary Rishi Kapoor. Known for his candidness, Javed hailed Agastya as a breath of fresh air in the Hindi film industry, expressing his admiration for the youngster's performance in the latest Netflix film, The Archies, a modern adaptation of the popular 90s comic series.

Agastya, the grandson of acting legend Amitabh Bachchan, marked his debut in Zoya Akhtar's directorial venture, embodying the iconic character, Archie Andrews. Despite mixed reviews for the film, Javed remains firm in his praise for Agastya's portrayal of Archie. 

Taking into account the nuance and sensitivity with which Agastya tackled the character's playboy tendencies, weaving a narrative that made the audience believe in Archie's love dilemmas involving Betty and Veronica, Javed said, “I told Agastya’s mother (Shweta Bachchan Nanda), ‘Your son is going to be a star’."

Describing Agastya as the most brilliant emerging talent in the Hindi film industry since Rishi Kapoor over half a century ago, Javed said in an interview with Rediff that Agastya’s portrayal of Archie presents a more ‘masoom’ alternative to the ‘macho, toxic’ heroes prevalent in today’s cinema. Javed added that Agastya's performance stands out as a unique take on the hero archetype, capturing the innocence and cluelessness of the character with finesse.

"The concept of the hero so far has been of the toxic, macho man. Here is an unpretentious and masoom hero. Audiences have not seen a hero like Agastya since Rishi Kapoor in Bobby,” he noted. “Agastya will appeal to all youngsters, especially girls,” added the veteran.

The Archies, alongside Agastya, also stars Suhana Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter, and Khushi Kapoor, the late Sridevi’s daughter.

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