Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies could have been a breezy teenage musical, India’s very own coming-of-age high school drama. But, in their idyllic Anglo-Indian avatar of Riverdale, Archie Andrews (Agastya Nanda) and his friends suddenly become card-carrying activists raging against big corporate India. For the sake of a cause and to keep the plot moving, The Archies ends up as a confused musical caught between nostalgia and ‘wokeness’.
The movie is neither completely fun nor entirely political despite a whole song dedicated to teaching Archie that everything is about politics. At no point does the activism or community belongingness feel authentic. In the cosplay world of the film, even the emotions mostly feel superficial. From the placement of Gold Spot to mentions of French filmmaker Godard, there seems to be an unimaginative attempt to handpick the obvious reference materials.
The threat comes from the ambitious Mr Lodge (British-Pakistani actor Alyy Khan) who wants to build a hotel at the centre of Riverdale town — Green Park. The group of seven — Archie, Reggie (Vedang Raina), Betty (Khushi Kapoor), Veronica (Suhana Khan), Ethel (Aditi Dot), Jughead (Mihir Ahuja) and Dilton (Yuvraj Menda) — band together to realise there’s more to life than hanging out.
The town is changing and giving in to development. It is up to these teenagers to save their mom-and-pop stores. The plot twist feels forced — and Bollywood star kids are the only saving grace.
Only star kids shine
The Archies’ strong point is its exploration of teenage angst — misunderstandings between friends, first love, heartbreak, and figuring out one’s sexuality because that’s what coming-of-age is all about.
The movie takes a beating when it comes to its script. Stale jokes straight out of Instagram make for much disappointment. One goes like this: “When I look at the photo of my wife, I think to myself that if I can survive marriage to her, I can survive anything.” A lazy nod to the current generation.
The three star kids — Agastya (Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson), Suhana (Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter), and Khushi (Sridevi’s daughter) — put their best foot forward. Suhana’s ‘London-returned’ and exotic personality never misses a beat. Khushi’s girl-next-door image is refreshing and honest. But it is Agastya’s confused ‘lover boy’ act that takes the prize. He is completely at ease with his character even while delivering corny lines. Truly a star in the making.
What stands out
All the criticism apart, The Archies has a few moments that stand out in this drab affair: Betty and Veronica calling out Archie for two-timing them and Reggie telling Dilton that he knows about his interest in him. It is in scenes like these that the film comes off as a Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti work.
Vedang’s flair is a bonus, while Mihir, who proved his mettle in Made in Heaven, is just the right amount of hilarious.
Dot does not get as many scenes but manages to hold her own in the emotional moment. Dilton, as a semi-narrator, and the most mature in the group, has a screen presence beyond his dialogues. One wishes there was more of him than the few moments that hint at his sexuality.
Compared to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which used the trope of the Barbie doll to incisively comment on patriarchy, The Archies seems hollow. Everything has a solution, and as such, no crisis or cause makes you sit up and take notice.