Film

The Archies

Name: The Archies
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Released: 2023
Cast: Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Vedang Raina

Drama

A Bollywood remake of the Archie comics, transplanting the teen gang to 1960s India. It's a bright, earnest musical romance that trades American small-town Americana for Bombay glamour and Hindustani music. Aimed at a young audience but made with evident affection for the source material.

TMDb rating

2.8

If you liked this

Dil Dosti Etc2007

A similarly affectionate ensemble dramedy about young friendship in Delhi, with the same blend of lighthearted romance, banter and the anxiety of growing up. Same wavelength.

But Made over fifteen years ago, so the tone and references feel distinctly mid-2000s. Slower pacing than contemporary productions.

Student of the Year2012

Peak Bollywood glamour applied to teenage life—lavish, romantic, unironic. If you're after the shininess and musical joy of The Archies, this delivers it in abundance.

But Very light on substance. The plot is essentially background music for expensive set pieces and montages.

Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na2008

A debut feature that captures genuine chemistry between young leads amid bright production design and intelligent romantic comedy. The warmth is real, not manufactured.

But Delhi-set and now quite dated in its sensibilities. The gender politics won't feel modern.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Archies

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Bombay Velvet2015

Both wrap 1960s India in gorgeous production design and music, but where The Archies is innocent, Bombay Velvet is corrupt and seductive. Same postcard, opposite story.

A glossy noir period piece set in 1960s Mumbai—the same era as The Archies, same city, same visual lushness, but for grown-ups. Utterly different in mood yet spiritually adjacent.

But Ranbir Kapoor's performance is genuinely difficult. The film is slow, violent and bleak—a kind of anti-glossy that demands patience.

Chhichhore2019

A college ensemble romance that splinters across two timelines, balancing nostalgia with genuine emotional stakes. Far sharper than it appears.

But The second half pivots into heavy drama. If you wanted a light romp, the tonal shift may feel jarring.

Rang De Basanti2006

A younger ensemble cast navigating friendship, romance and idealism in Delhi. Visually vibrant and infectiously energetic, with real stakes underneath.

But Its patriotic climax divided audiences on release and hasn't aged as smoothly. Two hours forty-five minutes of escalating intensity.

Badrinath Ki Dulhania2017

A lightweight romantic comedy with Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, built on chemistry and colour. Zero pretension, pure comfort viewing.

But The gender politics are fairly conventional. The plot follows formula beats without deviation.

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga2019

A romantic comedy centered on family, acceptance and unexpected partnerships. Warm-hearted and genuinely funny, with real emotional depth.

But The central reveal arrives early and predictably. Some sentimentality may feel overwrought.

Main Hoon Na2004

Shah Rukh Khan in an ensemble action-comedy. Chaotic, affectionate and unafraid to be silly. Pure entertainment without intellectual pretension.

But A sprawling two-hour romp that meanders badly. The tone lurches between satire, romance and action without settling anywhere.

Kai Po Che!2013

Three friends navigating love and ambition in Gujarat. Genuine warmth between leads, with better writing than most Bollywood youth films.

But The narrative takes a very dark turn in the final act. Not the breezy experience early scenes suggest.

A Suitable Boy2020

Both centre young lives in a specific Indian moment, but A Suitable Boy takes the interior lives seriously. Where Archies romanticizes the era, this series examines it.

Mira Nair's miniseries about a young woman navigating family, marriage and independence in post-Independence India. Sumptuous, intelligent, and genuinely moving.

But Six hours of period drama. If you wanted breezy teenage romance, this is the opposite—thoughtful and slow, concerned with real consequences.

Pyaasa1957

Both love the idea of Bombay, but Pyaasa knows it devours dreamers. The Archies is a colourful fanfiction; Pyaasa is the true story it refuses to see.

Guru Dutt's blackest vision of Bombay—corrupt, indifferent, seductive. A masterpiece of mood and performance that defined Indian cinema and still devastates.

But Made in 1957. Black and white, slow, tragic, with a completely different sensibility about romance and the city. Requires active engagement.