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Saif Ali Khan to star in Indian adaptation of Hollywood film ‘Chef’

The original film starred Robert Downey, Jr. in the lead role

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has been roped in to play the lead role in 2014's hit Hollywood film 'Chef's Indian remake.

In a major move that is set to put the Indian movie business on the world content map, Abundantia Entertainment, Eros International and Alumbra Entertainment today announced that they would produce the Hindi remake of the high-profile Hollywood hit, ‘Chef’.

‘Chef’, is a 2014 breakthrough hit film that was written, produced and directed by Jon Favreau. Jon has directed ‘Iron Man’, ‘Iron Man 2’ and ‘Elf’ among others and has been the executive producer on ‘Iron Man 3’ and Marvel’s ‘Avengers’ franchise. The original film featured Robert Downey Jr., Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson and Dustin Hoffman and amongst others.

The film depicted the story of Carl, who quits his job at a popular Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity to its controlling owner. As he tries to figure out his next move, he finds himself in his hometown, Miami, where he teams up with his ex-wife, friend and son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen and his zest for life and love. What follows is an endearing journey of relationships, self-discovery and success.

Earlier this year, Abundantia Entertainment, founded by Vikram Malhotra, acquired the remake rights from Favreau’s company, Fairview Entertainment and went on to partner with Eros International, India’s leading film studio and Alumbra Entertainment. The Hindi version will be distributed and released by Eros worldwide.

Speaking on his passion project going global, Jon Favreau said, “I’m delighted to see ‘Chef’ get an Indian remake. I'm excited to see how this personal film translates to the Indian culture. The themes of food, music and family should resonate well.”

Terming ‘Chef’ as one of the most endearing and inspiring films of recent times, Vikram Malhotra, Founder & CEO of Abundantia, said, “Ever since I first saw ‘Chef’ I knew that this film had to be made in India. Charming relationships, a feel-good story and a unique journey of self-discovery make ‘Chef’ the ideal film to bring alive in an Indian context. We are proud and honored that an icon of Hollywood like Jon Favreau has chosen us to take forward his passion-project in another part of the world. I am also delighted that one of the finest actors in our country, Saif Ali Khan, will helm the title role in the Hindi version”.

The work on the Hindi remake has begun and a script that will adapt ‘Chef’s’ story to the Indian palate, keeping the flavor of the film intact, is already underway.

Vikram Malhotra and Ridhima Lulla of Eros International made the formal announcement with Jon Favreau in Los Angeles on October 26th.

( Source : deccan chronicle )
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