“War is a magnificent spectacle,” says Anil Kapoor’s arms dealer Shelly Rungta in the first trailer for the Indian remake of The Night Manager, due out on Disney+ Hotstar. Based on the John le Carré novel of the same name, the six-episode original miniseries starred Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie in the central roles, and was released in 2016 to enthusiastic reception.
Kapoor takes over Laurie’s role in the Indian remake, while Bollywood heartthrob Aditya Roy Kapur (no relation) plays the titular Night Manager, a man named Shaan, who is recruited by an intelligence officer to infiltrate Shelly’s inner circle in a last-ditch attempt to bring him down. The trailer portrays Shelly as an over-the-top villain, and Kapoor seems to be having a ball with the character, going by his menacing line delivery and stately screen presence.
A veteran Bollywood star who would perhaps best be known to Western audiences for playing the game show host in the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, his brief appearance in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, and a supporting role in the series 24, Kapoor’s performance forces his namesake to up his game as well. “Indian intelligence can’t lay a finger on me,” Shelly says at one point, as we see Tillotama Shome’s handler recruit the reluctant Shaan for the job.
Initially hesitant, Shaan eventually slips into character as the night manager of a hotel that Shelly checks into with his companion, played by Sobhita Dhulipala. This character was played by Elizabeth Debicki in the original. Shome, meanwhile, takes over from the role originally played by the great Oscar-winner Olivia Colman. Shaan and Shelly’s lives get further entangled when Shaan saves Shelly’s son — his only weakness — from a bunch of gunmen. Now in his debt, Shelly lets his guard down, allowing Shaan to push himself further into his life (and into his companion’s bed).
The series has big shoes to fill; the original Night Manager was a critically acclaimed hit that scored six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. And let’s get real; Hotstar doesn’t have the greatest track record with remakes. The streamer previously released forgettable Indian versions of The Office, Criminal Justice and Luther, all through its deal with the BBC.
Kapur is still unproven as a leading man, and hasn’t really delivered a hit film in a decade. He last starred in the action movie Rashtra Kavach Om. Kapoor played supporting roles in two movies last year — the neo-Western Thar, and the romantic drama JugJugg Jeeyo. Dhulipala plays the lead in Prime Video’s acclaimed series Made in Heaven, which is expected to return for a second season this year.
The original Night Manager was directed by Sussana Bier; the Indian version will be helmed by Sandeep Modi. The show debuts on Hotstar/HULU on February 17, just a week after Prime Video’s high-profile Hindi language release Farzi. You can watch the trailer here, and stay tuned to DESISLIVE FOR MORE REVIEWS AND NEWS
