Mumbai, July 13
'Kill' director Nikhil Bhat talked about the inspiration behind his film and opened up on its remake being made in Hollywood.
During a conversation with ANI, he recalled an incident that inspired him to make this movie, "There was an incident with me in 1994-95. I was travelling by train. At that time I used to live in Patna and I used to study in Pune. So the journey was almost 36-40 hours long. And I had to do this 3-4 times a year. I had to travel. So, there was Bombay Janta Express. I boarded the train at 11.30 in the night. And at 7.30-8 in the morning, I reached Prayagraj."
"The train reached there. And it was cold. So, I boarded and went to sleep. And when I woke up in the morning, I thought that Allahabad must have come. When I looked outside, it was very dark. Because it was winter time. And when I looked, there were a lot of police. When I came out, I came to know that 25-30 dacoits were looting the 2nd AC coach at night, which was right next to mine," he added.
He continued, "I was a student at that time. I didn't know if I had to appear in films or not. But I think that incident stayed with me. Somewhere in my mind, it just remained with me. And in 2016, I wrote this story."
Lionsgate and 87Eleven Entertainment, the production companies behind the famous 'John Wick' franchise, have announced plans to develop an English-language remake of the Indian action thriller 'Kill.'
While talking about the film and its remake being made in Hollywood, he added, "This is in and out an action film. 'John Wick''s director wants to produce a remake of it in English. This is the first Indian film to be remade in Hollywood."
The film is helmed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and produced by Karan Johar features Lakshya as a protagonist and Raghav Juyal in a villainous role. 'Kill' made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023.
'Kill,' which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness section and later featured at the Tribeca Film Festival, tells the gripping story of army commando Amrit (portrayed by Lakshya) racing against time and armed adversaries on a New Delhi-bound train to rescue his beloved Tulika (played by Tanya Maniktala).
Chad Stahelski, Jason Spitz, and Alex Young of 87Eleven Entertainment will helm the remake, drawn by the original film's intense action sequences and compelling narrative, Deadline reported.
Nikhil delivers relentless action sequences that need to be seen by as wide an audience as possible," Stahelski commented, adding, "It's exciting to be developing an English-language version--we have big shoes to fill."
The original film's cast, led by Lakshya and supported by Raghav Juyal and Tanya Maniktala, has garnered praise for their performances, especially in the film's adrenaline-pumping action sequences set against the backdrop of a tense train journey.
The Hindi-language original was released in India on July 5, 2024.