Make or remake?
Sheetal
Aamir Khan has secured the rights to remake the currently viral Tamil film Maharaja, an action-thriller starring Vijay Sethupathi. But is there still an audience for remakes, when a majority has started watching good content with subtitles and also dubbed versions on OTT?
If one looks at how Maharaja is grossing positive reviews and viewership on Netlfix or how Akshay Kumar-starrer Sarfira, remake of Soorarai Pottru, failed at the box-office, the question becomes relevant. But then one remake like Shaitaan works with the masses and producer-directors are back at it — investing in South Indian films that even remotely guarantee profits!
As we bring a list of upcoming Hindi remakes of South Indian films, we also ask directors whether this remake formula still holds good in times when OTT platforms are blurring language barriers.
Remakes is not a new trend. Movie critic and business analyst Taran Adarsh recalls how hit Hindi film Ram Aur Shyam (1967), starring Dilip Kumar, was a remake of Tapi Chanakya’s 1964 Telugu film Ramudu Bheemudu. Later, Ram Aur Shyam was an inspiration behind the films Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), Jaise Ko Taisa (1973), Chaalbaaz (1989), Kishan Kanhaiya (1990) and Gopi Kishan (1994). He shares, “Filmmakers have always been taking inspiration or ideas from other movies. But now copyright laws are too strict and everything has to be done officially. But Hindi remakes of South Indian films or vice-versa is not going to stop because of OTT.”
On the other hand, well-known actor-filmmaker Rahul Mittra says, “Though my franchise Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster was an ode to my favourite film, Saheb Bibi Aur Ghulam, my writers and I consciously steered away from making a remake. Contemporarising the subject led to its success and hence I feel that remakes too can have streaks of originality. Just making a remake of a hit regional film at a time when audiences are watching subtitled films on OTT platforms is senseless. Also, cultural and linguistic differences between the audiences of the original film and that of the remake is also a factor.”
Not all remakes are failing at box-office though. Shaitaan, which is a remake of the Gujarati film titled Vash, made Rs 211.06 crore in gross worldwide collection. It is the second highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024 till date. At the same time, Soorarai Pottru’s remake Sarfira couldn’t pull the crowd to theatres. Adarsh explains, “Like there is a good or bad film, there are good and bad remakes. As I had watched Soorarai Pottru twice, the surprise factor while watching Sarfira was gone. The same could be true for audiences. Shaitaan perhaps worked because not many had watched the Gujarati film. I believe if sometimes a remake is lost in translation, there are also times when remakes become better.”
Perhaps that’s what actors like Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan believe in when they sign another remake! Akshay, unable to score with Sarfira, has another upcoming film, Khel Khel Mein, lined up, which is a remake of 2016 Italian film Perfect Strangers. The same is true for Aamir Khan, whose Laal Singh Chaddha, a remake 1994 American film Forrest Gump, wasn’t a success at the box-office, but he still recently bought remake rights of Tamil thriller, Maharaja, directed by Nithilan Swaminathan. Even Aamir’s son will be walking in his father’s footsteps, as Junaid has signed a Hindi remake of Tamil film Love Today, which will be produced by Phantom Studios. Actress Khushi Kapoor will be seen opposite him.
According to Mittra, “With the decimation of the star system, remakes will lose steam further as even the biggest of stars cannot guarantee a mega box-office opening bereft of engaging content. Hence, filmmakers, writers and actors have to now create and back content that engages the audience, which is already spoiled for choice.”
Director Karan Guiliani also holds the opinion that Bollywood is repeating the same cycle of remakes. He shares, “Frankly speaking, I have seen Maharaja, Soorya and many other South Indian films that are being remade into Hindi movies. Why would anybody want to watch the same story with a different actor? We are not ready to put efforts on original content and rather focus on readymade scripts, which can be refurbished with a fresh banner and actors. Until and unless we are not working on our script, we won’t be able to deliver hit films.”
Remakes in the pipeline
- Baby John: Varun Dhawan-starrer action thriller Baby John is a remake of 2016 Tamil film Their, directed by Jawan-fame Atlee.
- Deva: Starring Shahid Kapoor, Deva is believed to be a remake of 2013 Malayalam film Mumbai Police. Not just that Shahid is playing a police office in Mumbai, but also because the makers, director Rosshan Andrrews and writer duo Bobby–Sanjay, are the same.
- Kapkapiii: It is a remake of Malayalam film Romanchan, which was released in 2023. Directed by Sangeeth Sivan, Kapkapiii stars Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade and Siddhi Idnani.
- Dhadak 2: A sequel of Dhadak, this one is a remake Pariyerum Perumal (2018). Dhadak 2 stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri. Earlier, Dhadak was a remake of Marathi film Sairat.
- Soorya: Actor Sunny Deol, who was in news for being roped-in for the sequel of 1997 blockbuster Border, has also signed Malayalam film Joseph’s official Hindi remake, which is titled Soorya.
- Mrs: It is an official remake of Malayalam dramedy The Great Indian Kitchen (2021), which will star Sanya Malhotra in the lead role. Sanya bagged ‘Best Actress’ award for her performance in the film at the 2024 New York Indian Film Festival.
