Sidharth Malhotra has a mountain to climb in Ittefaq remake

He is among the top GenNext stars today, but Sidharth Malhotra’s critics aren’t convinced about his acting ability. What makes the actor popular, though, is that he acknowledges his limitations and is prepared to do the hard yards.

For some it came as a shock when Malhotra was chosen to play the lead in the reprisal of the 1969 classic Ittefaq. The murder mystery starring Rajesh Khanna and Nanda was a fairly successful film that acquired cult status. It remains one of Yash Chopra’s finest. The remake will have Malhotra play Khanna’s character. while Jacqueline Fernandez is said to be playing Nanda’s character.

Stepping into Khanna’s shoes is no mean task and Malhotra is aware of the magnitude of the challenge and that he needs to buck up. “I am extremely excited for Ittefaq," Malhotra told IANS on e-mail from Miami. "It is a remake of the super-hit 1969 film. The benchmark for me has already been set as superstar Rajesh Khanna was a part of the film back then, and I have to match up to his acting abilities in this remake.”

Co-produced by Dharma Productions, Red Chillies and BR Films, the untitled film will be directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK.