The Archies

The Archies is a fantastic tale of friendship, fun, and trust in a close-knit community. The star kids seem to be in their element on silver screen along with their equally capable co-stars. They have successfully pulled off that was expected out of them and they are clearly good at. If I have to draw a parallel,  I'll go no further than High School Musical.

Through a well-measured fusion of English and Indian ways in songs, dialogues, attires the vim and verve of youth has been put forward immaculately. The fiesty bunch of Archie, Betty, Veronica, Reggie, Dilton, Ethel, Jughead stood steadfastly by each other's side to protect their beloved Green Park, where every child plants a tree as they turn five - what a wonderful concept to establish a filial bond between the park and the community. In parallel, the little stories of their crushes, hurdles, ambitions, ingenuity, high octane college fests, and most importantly firming up their eponymous band were as engaging as their parents' stories of struggles and successes.

The denouement of race against time - reaching the 4500 mark of votes by 5 pm - is epic. It is sheer serendipity when the votes, stashed away surreptitiously by Dawson to sabotage the voting for Town Hall at the cost of Green Park, come flying and floating around the room gently in the beginning and rapidly soon after, setting the engine at full throttle to win the race. The antagonist and archnemesis, Veronica's dad, delivers the greatest quote of the movie - no one's too ypung to change the world; and that underscores the fact that underpins the story.

Of the cast, Agastya's portrayal of Archie's innocent confusion of feelings along with his love for the band, longing to escape Riverdale to join Oxford, and then doubling back to fight for the cause of saving the greens is laudable for its incredible ease. Khushi's articulation of Betty's accommodating nature, Suhana's enacting of Veronica's haughtiness and conflicting feelings for parents and friends have stolen the show. Their depiction of Betty-Veronica camaraderie encompassing meltdown to reconciliation has been quite eloquent and a delight to watch. Who could stop clapping at Vedang's painting of Reggie's swag and gift of gab that he powerfully utilises to rouse the community against constructing Town Hall in the Green Park? His appearance and performance have profoundly impacted the audience and will be remembered well afterwards. Mihir's capable articulation of Jughead's weakness for epicurean delights and his role to glue his pals together is quite reminiscent of Sid the sloth - heart and soul of Ice Age. Aditi's rendering of Ethel's realisation and return to Pam's as well as the passion in turning the community around against the new Town Hall has been a pleasure to watch - can't imagine who'd be a better fit for the role. Last but not the least is Yuvraj's Harry Potter look that pulled off the magic of reaching the wider group of entire community through his genius, powerful, self-made new fangled gadget - well done Dilton in saving the day!

As always, the crackerjack talent of Zoya Akhtar has brought the best out of the cast (not denying there is room for improvement, but that's true for any actor's journey) and offered the movie world another unique gem. To make the most of it, sit back and enjoy the new perspective that the director has put forth instead of comparing with the likes of conventional films. It's a Zoya Akhtar movie - it can't be anything short of a trailblazer. 

Dona, Sydney, December 2023.