Shekhar Kapur on ‘Mr. India 2’: “No one has even asked me”

The news of Zee Studios and Ali Abbas Zafar making  a trilogy based on ‘Mr. India’ (1987) caught many by surprise, including original director Shekhar Kapur.

When concerned fans asked Kapur about the project on Twitter, he responded, “No one has even asked me or mentioned to me about this film called ‘Mr India 2’. I can only guess that they (sic) using the title to get a big weekend. For they cannot use the characters/story without permission from the original creators of the film.” He also clarified that “Am not miffed about announcement of #MrIndia2 , just amazed”.

Kapur shared in an interview several years ago that he is not opposed to the idea of a sequel, but would not want to be involved in the process, “If I did a sequel, I’d disappoint myself and my fans if I repeated myself. What I can do is use the same characters to tell a different story. If I repeat myself, it would erode my fan base. If a sequel is made, I’d nurture and watch it, but I won’t make it.”

The ‘Mr. India’ trilogy will be a reimagining of the original film, not a sequel or a remake. The script is currently being finalized.