Akshay Kumar’s toned-down avatar as a fake CBI officer carrying out mock-raids across the country in Neeraj Pandey’s <em>Special 26</em> has gone down extremely well with the audience. The film is a certified hit. And now the producers Viacom 18 are keen to carry the heist-tale forward into not only a sequel but an ongoing franchise, a la Hollywood heist-brand <em>Oceans 11/12</em>...and so on. The one who is most relieved and happy is director Neeraj Pandey who had his fingers crossed about the success of his second feature film.

Neeraj Pandey-directed Special 26, that has been garnering immense positive response, is likely to be remade down South. Talking to us on phone, Neeraj confirmed the same and said, "Yes, many people from down South have approached me asking for the remake rights. However, the decision of giving the remaking rights lies with the co-producers Friday Filmworks and Viacom 18.”

Starring <strong>Akshay Kumar, Manoj Bajpai, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Sheirgil, Rajesh Sharma, Kishore Kadam, Kajal Aggarwal</strong> Written & Directed by <strong>Neeraj Pandey</strong> Rating: <strong>****</strong> Gimme raid, said the fake CBI officers who in a daredevil swoop-down on a well-known jewellery outlet in Mumbai in 1983, escaped with a loot worth lakhs. If done today it would have been a heist worth crores.