Parineeti Chopra to star in psychological thriller remake

MUMBAI: Parineeti Chopra will star in a remake of psychological thriller ‘The Girl on the Train’.

Mumbai-based Reliance Entertainment, which has been DreamWorks’ partner since 2009 and, thereafter, Amblin Partners, will produce the Hindi-language remake of the thriller.

Chopra (left) will play the role which was played by Emily Blunt in the 2016 original directed by Tate Taylor, which was based on Paula Hawkins’ best-seller.

Chopra made her debut with 2011’s romantic comedy ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’. Her recent credits include the hit war epic ‘Kesari’.

The remake, which doesn’t have a title yet, will be directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, who is currently helming the upcoming Netflix series ‘Bard of Blood’, produced by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s banner Red Chillies Entertainment.

In the original film, Blunt starred as a London-based alcoholic divorcée who becomes obsessed with an apparently perfect couple, observing them from a distance on her daily train commute. The drama culminates in a missing person’s investigation. Blunt’s performance received SAG and BAFTA nominations.

“Not only is ‘The Girl On The Train’ one of the best psychological thrillers, but also a heartwarming story of the female protagonist and her discovery of life,” said Reliance Entertainment CEO Shibasish Sarkar. “We have procured the rights of the book and the film and will be adapting it from an Indian storytelling perspective. Amblin will be a partner in this film.”

“We are always pleased to work with our longtime partners at Reliance Entertainment to bring the best stories to audiences around the world,” added Amblin Partners president and co-CEO Jeff Small. “This Hindi-language adaptation of ‘The Girl On The Train’ is a first for Amblin and a testament to Paula Hawkins’ incredible book and our 2016 film.”

Chopra said that she looked forward to starring in the remake “because I never thought I’d actually be doing a film around a book I’ve read and loved. I relate to the character because I’ve studied and worked in London. It’s my second home …”

The film will be entirely shot in London and is slated to begin production in July and wrap by September. “We haven’t fixed a release date yet, but it will be in 2020,” said Sarkar.

A slew of Bollywood remakes of major Hollywood titles are currently in the works. These include superstar Aamir Khan’s planned remake of ‘Forrest Gump’, which will be coproduced by Viacom’s Indian film unit, a local version of the Keira Knightley-Mark Ruffalo musical drama ‘Begin Again’, co-produced by Indian banners Abundantia Entertainment and TSeries, and ‘Kizie aur Manny’, the Hindi adaptation of ‘The Fault in our Stars’ from Disney’s Fox Star Studios.

I never thought I’d actually be doing a film around a book I’ve read and loved. I relate to the character because I’ve studied and worked in London. It’s my second home … — Parineeti Chopra