From Hollywood To Bollywood_ 5 Surprising Indian Remakes _ Berlin Film Journal

11/2/2016 From Hollywood To Bollywood: 5 Surprising Indian Remakes | Berlin Film Journal
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ollywood is constantly getting criticised for remaking foreign lms, accused of ‘dumbing them down’ for American audiences. But
they’re not the only culprits. Manuel Blauab explores Bollywood’s obsession with remaking lms from the West.
FROM HOLLYWOOD TO
BOLLYWOOD: 5
SURPRISING INDIAN
REMAKES

H
If you enjoy Spanish and South Korean movies you might have encountered that strange feeling of seeing the plot of more
than one of those lms re-enacted with American actors. Take the example of Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise and Penelope
Cruz, who played the same character in the original one, Open Your Eyes, by the director Alejandro Amenábar, or the
recently not so well received Oldboy directed by Spike Lee (which holds a rather embarrassing 42% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Hollywood can do this basically because of its huge internal market where lms can be released locally and make pro t after two
weeks on screen, and of course, those who have a bigger budget can go offshore and broaden the box of ce. Another reason why
Hollywood insists on the remakes is because a great number of Americans are very fond of their own culture and would rather see a
story tamed by the Californian studios in order to see it on the silver screen.
But let’s take the ferry and cross the Paci c Ocean, (OK, maybe just a plane) and land in India where they are also very fond of their
own culture. It is in this scenario where we can nd a large list of well-known and loved Bollywood lms which put the emphasis on
music and dance, but look curiously and lawsuit-ly close to Hollywood originals.
1. Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors
(http://berlin lmjournal.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/04/Hari_Puttar_A_Comedy_of_Terrors.jpeg)
Sorry to disappoint you, but this movie has nothing to do with a certain beloved boy wizard and more with former child star Macaulay
Culkin. Hari Puttar is about a ten-year-old boy, Hari, who has recently moved to the UK from India and was left alone with his brother
after their parents decided to take a vacation. The brothers soon have to deal with two burglars who want to steal a special formula.
It is curious, however, that the lm, released in 2008, received a lawsuit from Warner Bros because for its similarity with Harry
Potter’s title.
2. Kaante

(http://berlin lmjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kaante_xlg.jpg)
What does the poster reminds you of? And no, it’s not Ocean’s Eleven. It’s Reservoir Dogs, but it also has a touch of The Usual Suspects
The plot follows six bank robbers in Los Angeles planning the best hit ever (granted, there is a resemblance to Ocean’s), but one of
them is an undercover cop, as the tagline says: Six honest intentions. One perfect betrayal. When asked to give his opinion on Kaante,
Tarantino said it was the rip-off that he liked the most. And the director of the Indian version said that “When I heard Quentin
Tarantino had said good things about my Kaante, I thought people were pulling my leg. Then someone e-mailed me the interview. And
I was impressed. After being ripped by critics for remaking Reservoir Dogs, I’m being praised to the skies by the guy who not only made
the original but also some of the nest contemporary American lms.” –http://timeso ndia.indiatimes.com/
3. Zinda

(http://berlin lmjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/zinda_movie_1389.jpg)
Zinda is known as the Indian Oldboy, released in 2006 and reported by the producers of Oldboy but no law suit ever took place and
everyone continued with their lives. Maybe this is one of the most interesting cases, where the plot is basically the same along with
the characters and scenes to the point of being an actual copycat lm, unlike the other titles in this list which at least tried to include
other elements.
4. Ek Ruka Hua Faisla

content/uploads/2014/04/Image2.png)
“You are out order! This whole article is out of order!” Well, actually, Ek Ruka Hua Faisla isn’t based on And Justice For All, but the 1957
masterpiece 12 Angry Men directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Henry Fonda.
5. Cachi 420

content/uploads/2014/04/Image3.png)
If you are trying to guess, good luck with that. Cachi 420 is about an actor who, after a nasty divorce, decides to disguise himself as a
nanny in order to spend time with his daughter who lives with his ex-wife and her new boyfriend. Yes, that’s right- it’s the
Bollywood Mrs Doubt re.
In case you’re wondering if there are more Bollywood movies similar to Hollywood ones, just google the magic words “bollywood
plagiarism” and you will get a longer list.
But art is not supposed to be perfect and may there is not a single pure original idea in anything that exists. What really matters is
that we can sit in front of the screen and enjoy a lm despite everything else, and that’s that.
Incidentally: Did you know that the theme song from Spike Lee’s Inside Man, “Chaiyya Chaiyya”, is from a Bollywood lm?

 bollywood(http://berlin lmjournal.com/tag/bollywood/) cachi 420(http://berlin lmjournal.com/tag/cachi-420/)
Ek Ruka Hua Faisla(http://berlin lmjournal.com/tag/ek-ruka-hua-faisla/) hari puttar(http://berlin lmjournal.com/tag/hari-puttar/)
Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors(http://berlin lmjournal.com/tag/hari-puttar-a-comedy-of-terrors/)
hollywood(http://berlin lmjournal.com/tag/hollywood/) india(http://berlin lmjournal.com/tag/india/)
Kaante(http://berlin lmjournal.com/tag/kaante/) remakes(http://berlin lmjournal.com/tag/remakes/)
zinda(http://berlin lmjournal.com/tag/zinda/)
S H A R E O N : FA C E B O O K ( H T T P : / / W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / S H A R E R . P H P ?
U = H T T P : / / B E R L I N F I L M J O U R N A L . C O M / 2 0 1 4 / 0 4 / F R O M -
H O L LY W O O D -T O -
B O L LY W O O D - 5 -
S U R P R I S I N G -
I N D I A N - R E M A K E S -
2 / & T = F R O M
H O L LY W O O D T O
B O L LY W O O D : 5
S U R P R I S I N G I N D I A N
R E M A K E S )
T W I T T E R ( H T T P S : / / T W I T T E R . C O M / I N T E N T / T W E E T ?
O R I G I N A L _ R E F E R E R = H T T P : / / B E R L I N F I L M J O U R N A L . C O M / 2 0 1 4
2 / & T E X T = F R O M
R E M A K E S & T W _ P = T W E E T B U T T O N & U R L = H T T P : / / B E R L I N F I L M J O
2 / & V I A = B E R L I N
F I L M J O U R N A L )
P I N T E R E S T ( H T T P : / / Y O U R U R L H E R E . C O M
U R L = H T T P : / / B E R L I N F I L M J O U R N A L . C O M /
2 / & M E D I A = H T T P : / / B E R L I N F I L M J O U R N A L
C O N T E N T / U P L O A D S / 2 0 1 4 / 0 4 / I M A G E 4 -
1 0 2 4 X 6 0 3 . P N G & D E S C R I P T I O N = F R O M
R E M A K E S )
G O O G L E +
( H T T P S : / / P L U S O N E . G
H L = E N -
U S & U R L = H T T P : / / B E R
2 / )
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Manuel Bláuab (http://berlinfilmjournal.com/author/manuelblauab/)
Writer wannabe and Simpsons maniac, life is a ction based on that show. I love to quote.
Tw i t t e r ( h t t p s : / / t w i t t e r . c o m / h t t p s : / / t w i t t e r . c o m / b l a u a b )
F a c e b o o k ( h t t p : / / f a c e b o o k . c o m / h t t p s : / / w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / B l a u a b s )
B E F I R S T T O C O M M E N T
P R E V I O U S A R T I C L E
THURSDAY MORNING RANT: A SHORT BUT
UNINFORMED STUDY ON HIPSTERS AND
WES
ANDERSON(HTTP://BERLINFILMJOURNAL.COM/2014/04/THURSDAY-
MORNING-RANT-A-SHORT-BUT-UNINFORMED-
STUDY-ON-HIPSTERS-AND-WES-ANDERSON/)
N E X T A R T I C L E
A LOOK AT: FANTASY FILMFEST
NIGHTS(HTTP://BERLINFILMJOURNAL.COM/2014/04/A-
LOOK-AT-FANTASY-FILMFEST-NIGHTS/)

F E B R U A R Y 4 , 2 0 1 6
REVOLUTIONIZING ADULT CINEMA: AN
INTERVIEW WITH ERIKA
LUST(HTTP://BERLINFILMJOURNAL.COM/2016/02/REVOLUTIONIZING-
ADULT-CINEMA-AN-INTERVIEW-WITH-ERIKA-LUST/)
D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5
DECADENT MEN: ON WOODY ALLEN’S
IRRATIONAL
MAN(HTTP://BERLINFILMJOURNAL.COM/2015/12/
MEN-ON-WOODY-ALLENS-IRRATIONAL-MAN/)
Y O U M A Y A L S O L I K E
(http://berlin lmjournal.com/2016/02/revolutionizing-adult-cinema-an-
interview-with-erika-lust/)
(http://berlin lmjournal.com/2015/12/decadent-men-on-woody-allens-
irrational-man/)

From Hollywood To Bollywood_ 5 Surprising Indian Remakes _ Berlin Film Journal

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From Hollywood To Bollywood_ 5 Surprising Indian Remakes _ Berlin Film Journal