Mansi Bagla of Mini Films is joining the Hindi remake of the Malayalam hit Forensic (2020) starring Tovino Thomas. The remake, which will star Vikrant Massey, will be directed by Vishal Furia and written by Vishal Kapoor.
Released in February 2020, the Malayalam film features Tovino as a forensic expert who works with a team to take down a serial killer with a vendetta.
Furia and Massey have previously worked together in the first season of the Disney+ Hotstar series Criminal Justice (2019). Filming for the Hindi remake is due to begin soon.
Bagla said that she was eager for the shoot to start. She felt both Furia and Kapoor were extraordinary talents and great human beings, and she was blessed to have them on her team.
“The Hindi adaptation will have a pan-India sensibility and catering to a wider audience is always a bigger challenge, especially with remakes,” she said. “So we are being extremely careful with the script. The team has shaped up really well now. My director, Vishal Furia and Vikrant have worked in the past and have a great working relationship, which matters a lot.
“The script is also shaping up really well and we are in the middle of casting other characters,” Bagla added. “From costumes to music and the technical department, Mini Films will work with the best professionals!"
Furia commented that he and Massey shared an excellent chemistry together from their earlier collaboration. He said, "This is a very challenging film, the original is a very gripping watch. We have to up the ante with the Hindi remake. Mansi is a very supportive producer and comes with an inherent understanding of cinema which is very reassuring. Our team together will deliver a top-notch crime thriller which will appeal to both cinema audiences as well as OTT audiences. I’m looking forward to rolling this soon.”
Writer Vishal Kapoor, who has also written the upcoming films Chhori (2021), starring Nushrratt Bharuccha, and Attack (2021), starring John Abraham, was eager to start on this latest adaptation.
“I’ve been an avid fan of the crime/mystery/thriller genre and have admired films like Seven (1995), Zodiac (2007), Chinatown (1974), [and] Bong Joon-Ho’s Memories of Murder (2003)," he said.
The writer, who is a fan of David Fincher, added, "In India, good crime mystery thrillers are very few and far between. As a writer, I will want to make more edge-of-the-seat thrillers, murder mysteries and crime films. That’s exactly what I want to do with Forensic."
Mini Films have begun casting for the other roles and is expected to announce the lead actress soon.