Kal Penn Wants A Hollywood Remake Of Bollywood’s ‘Don’

India-West News Desk

JAIPUR – Indian American actor Kal Penn has expressed interest in remaking Amitabh Bachchan’s 1978 film Don for Hollywood, setting it in Brooklyn or Ohio. He shared this idea during a session titled You Can’t Be Serious at the Jaipur Literature Festival, held at Hotel Clarks Amer.

Penn, best known for The Namesake and the Harold and Kumar franchise, spoke about his admiration for Bachchan and the film’s lasting impact. “Who isn’t a huge Amitabh Bachchan fan? The original Don is what I would love to remake. It can still be escapist, with the same color palette, just set in Brooklyn or Ohio,” he said.

The 47-year-old actor also reflected on his influences, citing Hollywood icons Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, along with filmmaker Mira Nair. He credited Nair’s Mississippi Masala as an inspiration for his career.

Penn, whose credits include Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain, Designated Survivor, and The Big Bang Theory, also shared his experiences with Indian television. He recalled visiting the sets of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and spoke about his interest in Hindi serials, particularly Saath Nibhaana Saathiya.

“I try to keep up with Hindi by watching serials. I got addicted to Saath Nibhaana Saathiya. Kokila Ben is formidable, and Gopi is obviously a meme now,” he said.