Mehta’s Lost Archer Film

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta was once all set to collaborate with the international bestselling author on a film adaptation of Archer’s 1979 bestseller Kane & Abel. Mehta had even finalised his favourite actor, Rajkummar Rao, to play one of the protagonists!

The filmmaker had earlier adapted Kane & Abel for Zee TV in 1999. Titled Lakshya, the series starred Kay Kay Menon and Pramod Moutho as the two protagonists. It was something of a game-changer for Indian television, but the series failed to find the audience it deserved.

Mehta wanted to take the story to a larger audience, but the rights to Lakshya remained with the channel, ruling out a remake. He then approached Archer for the film rights to Kane & Abel, but the deal never materialised.

Archer was reportedly not sold on Bollywood. He had also sold the rights to First Among Equals to producer Sheetal Talwar, but that project too never took off.

Recalling his brief association with Archer, Mehta says, “Jeffrey Archer is gone, I believe a day before his final novel reached readers. Even his exit had a twist. We once explored a collaboration. Nothing much came of it. The books stayed with me anyway. Nobody wrote the dramatic turn like him. Nobody made plot twists, dysfunctional relationships and impossible coincidences so hard to put down. His stories were entertaining and his characters were fascinating. An era ends with him. Rest in peace, Master.”