Hindi adaptation of Jon Favreau's Chef to be produced by T-Series and Abundantia Entertainment

Post the stupendous success of Airlift, Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series and Abundantia Entertainmentled by Vikram Malhotra,will now come together to produce the Indian adaptation of Jon Favreau’shigh-profile Hollywood hit, Chef. The director of this year’s superhit, Airlift,Raja Krishna Menon, will direct the Hindi adaptation which has Saif Ali Khan in the lead role. Chef, is a 2014 breakthrough hit film that was written, produced and directed by Jon Favreau (also the director of the global blockbuster Jungle Book)who also featured in the titular role essaying Chef Casper. The original Chef had a famous supporting cast with the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson and Dustin Hoffman amongst others, is the story of professional Chef, Carl Casper, (played by Favreau himself). Carl, quits his job at a popular Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity to its controlling owner. As he tries to figure out his next move, he finds himself in his hometown, Miami, where he teams up with his ex-wife, friend and son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen and his zest for life and love. What follows is an endearing journey of relationships, self-discovery and success. The scripting for the Hindi adaptation is in its final stages and is being written keeping the Indian palate in mind. The Hindi adaptation will too have a food truck that will travel across five Indian foodie cities. Saif is currently undergoing training to essay the role of a chef. Director Raja Krishna Menon is gung-ho about working on the Indian adaptation and he said, “When I walked out of the theatre after watching Chef, the first thought that crossed my mind was, I wish I had thought of this script. I loved it so much. I’m passionate about food, I travel every chance I get and I'm a father. Food, travel, and a father-son relationship are the ingredients of the story of Chef, so there was no way I was letting it go. Also, Saif is perfect for this role. I have been trying to work with Saif for a long time now and to be working with him on a subject that we both connected with so instinctively, is really the icing on the cake.” Thrilled about being a part of the Hindi adaptation of a Jon Favreau project, Saif Ali Khan too cannot wait to start work on the film. Says the actor, “I am very excited to be a part of this film. Jon Favreau is a genius and a very cool film mind. Almost more importantly though, is what Raja Krishna Menon will do with it. This is a director’s medium and I am really looking forward to acting under Raja’s direction.” Talking about jointly producing Chef, Bhushan Kumar, Managing Director (T-Series) said, ‘’Having produced Baby,Airlift and Sarbjit, we are committed to bringing content driven films to our audiences. We believe Chef will connect with today’s audiences and we are delighted to produce it. Raja Krishna Menon is a great director and we are delighted that he would be directing the film.’’ Speaking on the development, VikramMalhotra, Founder & CEO of Abundantia Entertainment,adds, “I am delighted that our vision of re-imagining Chef - an iconic film - for India is taking such brilliant shape. With Raja helming the film, Saif in the lead and a strong partner like T-series on-board, we couldn’t have asked for better ingredients to serve this dish to the Indian audience.’’ The Indian adaptation of Chef is all set to go on floor in September 2016.