Zoya Akhtar felt responsible when Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Agastya were 'bullied' for The Archies: Audience is harsh

Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar has spoken out about the young actors leading her last film - The Archies - getting trolled online for their performances in the film. In an appearance on Komal Nahta's Game Changers podcast, Zoya said it was her 'responsibility' to get their act right, and she felt bad about what they went through. (Also read: Khushi Kapoor admits she's more ‘stressed’ about Loveyapa than The Archies: ‘There's box office numbers, other factors’)

Zoya Akhtar on The Archies

The Archies marked the acting debuts of three stars kids - Amitabh Bachchan's grandson Agastya Nanda, Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan, and Sridevi's younger daughter Khushi Kapoor. All three copped some criticism online after the film was released in 2023. When asked if the audience is harsh to newcomers, Zoya responded, "I think the audience is harsh with certain newcomers, not with all newcomers."

The filmmaker added that she felt a sense of responsibility for whatever happened with her cast. "I felt bad when this happened because they listened to me. I auditioned them, I picked them, gave them roles, and they said yes. I workshopped them, shot them, and I okayed the take. So it's me. They did what I asked them to do. I didn't like the fact that they were almost being bullied. It wasn't nice. It's my responsibility," she added.

About The Archies

Earlier this month, in an interview with the Indian Express, Khushi Kapoor also said that she would change some aspects of the film's post-production. “Probably… marketing-wise, it had to be made clear that the film is catering to a younger audience. I don’t want to particularly change anything, and even I believe the film was for a really young audience. In fact, the people who enjoyed it the most were the ones who were below the age of 16. Plus, I feel like everything doesn’t have to be made for everyone,” she was quoted as saying.

The Archies was directed by Zoya Akhtar and also starred Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Vedang Raina, and Yuvraj Menda. The film was released on Netflix on November 22, 2023.