Amar Akbar Anthony to be remade as Amar Akbar & Tony in Britain

New Delhi, May 8: If Manmohan Desia were alive today would he have gone crazy or feel proud over the fact that his one of the most adorable flick, ‘Amar Akbar Anthony' is being remade in Britain.Well, you read it right, the 1977 blockbuster starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna has so influenced the U.K. TV program director-producer Atul Malhotra that he has decided to reinvent the same magic in Britain, with the title ‘Amar Akbar and Tony'.While the flick will have two similar religions from the original, the Hindu character will be replaced by a Sikh protagonist. The flick will star Hollyood actors namely Martin Delaney of ‘Zero Dark Thirty' fame, Rez Kempton (TV's Spooks) and Sam Vincenti (TV's Waking The Dead) are among the cast signed to star in U.K. indie comedy drama Amar Akbar & Tony.British-Indian actress Goldy Notay who replicate Parveen Babi's role in the English avatar says, “The film takes inspiration from the original. The writer and director — Atul Malhotra — is an aficionado of the film. I play Sonia who is the sister of Amar and ends up with Tony played by Martin Delaney. I've never seen the original but am about to watch it now. From my understanding, it's similar in tone regarding brotherhood.”While Shabana Azmi who played one of the female leads in Amar Akbar Anthony on learning this fact is thrilled. “Ab yeh din aa gaye jab woh hamari film banaa rahen hain. Waah!” she said.The flick went on floors from May 4 and is produced by Victoria Wood (Svengali, Queens Of The Cage) for Sash Media Productions, U.K.It also stars Laura Aikman (Keith Lemon: The Movie), actress and singer-songwriter Karen David (The Scorpion King 2-Rise of a Warrior) and Goldy Nota, who is perhaps best known for her work in Gurinder Chadha's It's A Wonderful Afterlife and Sex And The City 2.The movie's backers also said cameo appearances are lined up for Meera Syal (TV's Goodness Gracious Me), Ace Bhatti (TV's East Enders) and Nina Wadia (Doctor Who) alongside Amrita Acharia whose resume includes an outing in Game Of Thrones.Amar Akbar & Tony is about three childhood friends from different backgrounds and religions.