Rashmin Majithia, the producer of the Gujarati movie "Chaal Jeevi Laiye", says the team wanted to make its Hindi version with late actor Rishi Kapoor.
The 2019 comedy-drama is written and directed by Vipul Mehta and features celebrated actor Siddharth Randeria, alongside Yash Soni and Aarohi Patel.
It follows the story of a workaholic son (Soni) who takes his terminally ill father (Randeria) on a holiday to the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand to fulfil his last wish. How the trip leads to surprises and realisations that opens doors of happiness and adds new meaning to life is the plot of "Chaal Jeevi Laiye".
Majithia said he has been receiving offers to remake the movie in different Indian languages, so much so that at one point, the team discussed the film's Hindi version with Kapoor before his death in April 2020.
"We spoke to Rishi Kapoor for the Hindi remake. After our Gujarati movie was completed in 30 to 35 weeks, we reached out to him for the Hindi remake. We gave him a one-liner and he was ok with it.
"He had principally said we can do it and that ‘let me freshen up with my health'. He expressed his interest. But unfortunately, we lost him,” Majithia, who has also produced Gujarati movies like "Best of Luck Laalu" and "Hameer", told PTI.
The filmmaker said they are now exploring the idea of the remake with another actor from the Hindi film industry.
Majithia believes it was the father-son relationship told over the course of a road trip that struck a chord with the audience in the original film.
"The father-and-son bond is often tied logically, but for the film we needed logic with emotion. A father often confides in his wife when he feels low, he is unable to express his feelings for his children, especially with his son. People across the world are relating to this untapped (emotion of the) relation.
"The idea was to show the difference of thoughts between two generations. The current generation is running after career, money and fame, and they don't value relations and parents in their lives. We felt it was a good subject to bring on screen," he added.
The film, shot in Haridwar, Chopta and Kedarnath, features hit songs like "Pa Pa Pagli" and "Ghanu Jeevo".
