Saif Ali Khan to be directed by 'Airlift' helmer for 'Chef' remake
- IndiaGlitz, [Wednesday,April 20 2016]
Some time ago, news had been out that Bollywood will soon see the remake of Jon Favreau's high-profile Hollywood hit 'Chef' and Saif Ali Khan will be essaying the title role. Now here's an interesting development on this...
Post the stupendous success of 'Airlift', Bhushan Kumar's T-Series and Abundantia Entertainment led by Vikram Malhotra, will now come together to produce the Indian adaptation of 'Chef'. The director of this year's superhit, 'Airlift', Raja Krishna Menon, will direct the remake.
'Chef', is a 2014 breakthrough hit film that was written, produced and directed by Jon Favreau (also the director of the global blockbuster Jungle Book) who also featured in the titular role essaying Chef Casper.
Thrilled about being a part of the Hindi adaptation of a Jon Favreau project, Saif Ali Khan too cannot wait to start work on the film. Said the actor, "I am very excited to be a part of this film. Jon Favreau is a genius and a very cool film mind. Almost more importantly though, is what Raja Krishna Menon will do with it. This is a director's medium and I am really looking forward to acting under Raja's direction."
Our sources revealed that the scripting for the Hindi adaptation is in its final stages and is being written keeping the Indian palate in mind. The Hindi adaptation will too have a food truck that will travel across five Indian foodie cities. Saif is currently undergoing training to essay the role of a chef.
The original 'Chef' had a famous supporting cast with the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson and Dustin Hoffman amongst others, is the story of professional Chef, Carl Casper, (played by Favreau himself). Carl, 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.
Director Raja Krishna Menon, who is gung-ho about working on the Indian adaptation, said, "When I walked out of the theatre after watching Chef, the first thought that crossed my mind was, I wish I had thought of this script. I loved it so much. I'm passionate about food, I travel every chance I get and I'm a father. Food, travel, and a father-son relationship are the ingredients of the story of Chef, so there was no way I was letting it go. Also, Saif is perfect for this role. I have been trying to work with Saif for a long time now and to be working with him on a subject that we both connected with so instinctively, is really the icing on the cake."
Talking about jointly producing Chef, Bhushan Kumar, Managing Director (T-Series) said, 'Having produced Baby, Airliftand Sarbjit, we are committed to bringing content driven films to our audiences. We believe Chef will connect with today's audiences and we are delighted to produce it. Raja Krishna Menon is a great director and we are delighted that he would be directing the film.''
The Bollywood remake of 'Chef' is all set to go on floor in September 2016.