'Dangal' director working on screen adaptation of a bestseller

Nitesh Tiwari, who helmed the blockbuster "Dangal", is working on a screen adaptation of Varun Agarwals 2012 bestseller "How I Braved Anu Aunty & Co-Founded a Million Dollar Company".

The film will be jointly produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur under their banners RSVP and Roy Kapur Films respectively.

Spokesperson of Roy Kapur Films said in a statement: "We are excited to be collaborating with Nitesh on adapting Varun's incredibly relevant and hilarious book to the screen."

"We look forward to making a film that humorously explores the challenges of growing up in today's India, where the traditional medicine-MBA-engineering templates of the earlier generation are competing with the excitement of 'starting-up' on your own."

The book is a true story set in Bengaluru about pursuing your dreams, or as its author puts it, "Take the leap and then think".

Varun, like his namesake and 20-something protagonist, wanted to set up his own company after getting himself an engineering degree in telecommunications, much to the dismay of his mother who enlisted the help of her friend to dissuade him.

However, despite Anu aunty's constant monitoring and mockery, Varun after several alcohol-induced conversations with his school friend and partner, Rohan Malhotra, founded a merchandising company that creates customized clothing and accessories for the alumni of schools and colleges across India.

Varun chronicled his adventure in Facebook blogs which found him a publisher. In eight days, when he was ill and unable to leave the house, he dashed off a 50,000 word which went on to become a bestseller.

Today, the reluctant engineer is a successful entrepreneur with three start-ups. Besides the first, there's also a social media marketing company and a film production house.

Varun is now thinking of a sequel to his debut novel as also a book that chronicles his filmmaking journey, from making short films and music videos with a handycam to making films.

The upcoming film will feature "one of the top stars from the younger set". They are currently evaluating who would be best suited to play the lead role.

It is also rumoured that RSVP and Roy Kapur Films will be co-producing "Saare Jahaan Se Achcha", a biopic on Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian in space, that will star Aamir Khan.

--IANS

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