Indian media and entertainment company Shemaroo Entertainment is collaborating with Indian Media Entertainment Network (IMEN) to reimagine 1990 Bollywood hit “Jamai Raja,” that starred Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit and Hema Malini.
The news was revealed on Oct. 19, the 32nd anniversary of the film’s theatrical release.
The film, which revolves around a mother-in-law and son-in-law conflict, was originally made in the Telugu language in 1989 by writer-director A. Kodandarami Reddy as “Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu,” starring Chiranjeevi and Vijayshanti. It was remade in Tamil the same year as “Mappillai,” starring Rajinikanth, and another Tamil-language remake of the same name, starring Dhanush, released in 2011. Reddy also directed “Jamai Raja.” A Bengali-language remake “Sasurbari Zindabad,” starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, released in 2000.
Shemaroo Entertainment, which is celebrating its 60th year of operations, owns more than 400 Bollywood IPs. The organization is looking to modernize classic content with youth-targeted reboots. IMEN, known for its action films, will adapt the “Jamai Raja” screenplay as an action-comedy. The cast and crew of the new film is yet to be finalized.
Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment, said: “We have been the pioneers in innovating newer methods to entertaining India. It is imperative to keep evolving with the trends of the industry. Our first move in reintroducing old content to the contemporary audience is our partnership with IMEN for ‘Jamai Raja.’ They have a proven expertise and the right acumen to develop enjoyable content and reinvent the classic on such a large scale.”
Nilesh Sahay, CEO, IMEN, added: “The majority of content consumed internationally is the action genre. It is our duty to produce the best action content for people to enjoy as a company that specializes in that genre. Shemaroo has long been associated with family entertainment, so I’m thrilled to collaborate with them to deliver ‘Jamai Raja,’ a large-scale action entertainer that will make people laugh hysterically and cry a little bit, in theatres. The movie will be produced in a big way, and I am sure the viewers will love it.”
Frank Torres (“The A-Team”), who is working with IMEN on “Ambush,” is on board for the film’s action sequences. A 2023 theatrical release during the Dussehra holiday frame is being planned.
