Veteran producer Firoz A Nadiadwala is all set to venture into the digital medium with Art Of War: No Retreat No Surrender, a series of web shows and movies on the threat of currency counterfeiting. While the producer is best known for his comic productions like Hera Pheri, Phir Hera Pheri, Awara Paagal Deewana, Welcome and Welcome Back amongst others, Art Of War will be an action thriller. The production house is yet to finalize the cast. 

PeepingMoon recently got in touch with Firoz as he spoke about his foray into the webspace, reviving Hera Pheri with Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal and why he believes in quality over quantity as a producer. 

Excerpts from the interview: 

You announced ART OF WAR - No Retreat No Surrender, based on currency counterfeiting. Where did you get this interesting idea from? 

Firstly, it’s not a story, it’s a fact that’s happening all around us. We’re simply not aware of it. It’s happening in every moment in our life and hardly anybody is aware of it. The very fact that it has the power to rack governments, rack economies, destabilize the structure of a company, it has the fund to finance all illegal things like terrorism or the ability to buy and sell drugs, arms, and ammunition, everything can be done through counterfeit. It’s been done in all the major currencies in the world. But not a feature film or a web series made on this subject. 

What is the story about? 

It’s a full entertainer classic thriller which details the journey of a man who uncovers the complete mechanism behind counterfeit money and his steps to stop this. And when his appeal is not met, he puts together a team of about 6 people of rough & tough guys, they’re badass people even thieves but they, not terrorists. They’ll never cheat on their own nation. So, it’s a full-blown action thriller with lots of light moments in it. 

Considering the show is action-packed, whom are you planning to cast? 

Several things are under consideration because it’s a big project. The first mission will be the counterfeiting of money then maybe the second mission is something on terrorism or anything that destabilizing the country. So, the same team will be taking these missions. Be it for movie or web series, each movie will be different. 

Hera Pheri completed 21 years and still remains one of the classics. What's the update on its third installment?

It is being finalized now properly and we’re hopeful of complementing the scrip and dialogues very soon. For casting, the three principals are as it is - Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal.  

In an era where remakes are so much in trend, what's your take on reviving old classics?

I think it depends on the story that you’re remaking and it’s a very old saying that even to copy something, you have to be smart enough. Before picking up any subject, you must understand the DNA of the project. But there are several classic comedies that shouldn’t be touched. Because the time was different and so were the writers and directors. 

What new plans of OTT?

We’re not a quantity-driven company, we’re a quality-driven company. You’ve to have the ability to master patience. If there’s quality content then we will do not one but ten web series but we won’t do it just for the sake of doing it.