Given the number of Hindi remakes of South Indian film, this news comes as a pleasant surprise.

Ghar Jamai, the 1997 television sitcom about a cantankerous Punjabi father-in-law at loggerheads with his Tamil ghar jamai (live-in son-in-law), is going to be remade into a film.

While in the TV show, Satish Shah played the father-in-law, in the film, Rishi Kapoor will play the role. Madhavan will reprise the character of the son-in-law. (He also starred in the TV show).

Filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan, who also directed the sitcom, will direct the film. According to sources, Mahadevan was reluctant to direct the film but he was convinced to change his mind.

The script for the film is reportedly ready. While it has been given a contemporary flavour, unlike the TV show, the story of the father-in-law and his son-in-law will now play out in Canada.

When contacted, Mahadevan said, "It's amazing to see the kind of impact Ghar Jamai had. Yes, we are making it into a feature film. And Maddy (Madhavan) is very excited about it."