Benegal comedy, new take on 'Devdas' in UTV Spotboy's slate

New Delhi, Oct 15 (UNI) A comedy by Shyam Benegal, Dadasaheb Phalke award winner and bold filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's take on Sharat Chandra's 'Devdas' are among the slate of films today announced by the Spotboy, the production arm of UTV Motion Pictures.

Also in the slate of three films announced by the Spotboy, that run across diverse genres and promise to be a treat for the heart and the intellect, is an action thriller by debutant director Raj Kumar Gupta.

While Shyam Benegal, who ushered in the new wave of cinema in India and has been honoured with the India's highest honours like Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke award by the Government of India, has been roped in to direct a comedy 'Mahadev'(with 'Mahadev', Benegal returns to comedy after two and a half decades) and Anurag Kashyap will direct 'Dev D', a film that seeks to recast the classic Devdas in contemporary times with promising actor Abhay Deol in the lead role.

The third in the UTV Spotboy proposed spate of films is 'Amir', an action thriller directed by debutant director Raj Kumar Gupta, who has been associated with Hindi feature films as a writer, assistant director and associate director.

Talking about the Spotboy slate of films, its creative and business Head, Vikas Bahl said,''All of them are based on fairly universal subjects. Shyam Benegal and Anurag Kashyap are filmmakers of the highest caliber and masters in their field. In 'Mahadev' and 'Dev D', they will bring new narratives or give a twist to old narratives with their distinctive signature styles. And, Raj Kumar Gupta is someone to look out for. In short, this slate surely includes some of the most discerning, entertaining cinema being produced in India today.'' Benegal's 'Mahadev' narrates the story of a village, which is a representative of lakhs of villages in this country. All the politics, love and romance, dreams and simplicity of a village is showcased through the eyes of a young man who wants to be a writer but ends up becoming a letter writer outside the post office in the village of Sajjanpur.

On the other hand, Anurag Kashyap's 'Dev D' casts Sharat Chandra's 'Devdas' in contemporary times. While Abhay Deol will feature in the tile role, the filmmakers are are looking for the right Chandramukhi to cast opposite Abhay Deol.

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