Bollywood, appears to be stuck in a cycle of repeating past ideas rather than seeking original content. In the recent years, Bollywood seems to have made little progress in creating fresh and innovative narratives. Instead, there seems to be a heavy reliance on remaking successful films from the South, resulting in a significant investment of time, money, and effort. The volume of remakes from regional languages to Hindi seems endless. Unfortunately, the majority of these remakes have failed to achieve the same level of success as their original counterparts.
Popular actor Akshay Kumar has to bear the brunt of this ‘remake debacle’ trend, if we can call it that!! Akshay Kumar’s recent films seem to be falling short of the mark when it comes to remakes. Laxmii, which was based on the South film Kanchana, failed to impress audiences, as did Selfiee, a Hindi adaptation of the successful Malayalam film Driving Licence, starring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi. Even the cult classic Tamil film Jigarthanda was unable to capture its magic in its Hindi remake, Bachchhan Paandey. Cuttputlii, another one of Akshay Kumar’s remakes, also met with a disappointing response. This trend continues with Sarfira, the Hindi version of the Surya starrer Soorarai Pottru, which has also received mixed reviews.
Sarfira received praise from critics for its quality and performance level, but unfortunately did not perform well at the box office. It raises the question of why audiences seem to be hesitant to embrace Bollywood films that are remakes of regional films.
The lack of originality has become a growing concern within Bollywood. It is imperative that Bollywood shifts its focus from remaking successful films from other languages to creating new, captivating stories that resonate with the audience and yield better results.
The emergence of OTT platforms has significantly expanded access to popular regional films for a wider audience. Today, word-of-mouth plays a significant role in attracting viewership across various languages, as these films are often made available with subtitles or dubbed into common languages on OTT platforms.
The story and plot of many films are often tied to a specific region or culture. Certain storytelling styles are most effective when presented in their original language and setting. A great example of this is the Malayalam film Romancham, which tells the tale of friends who use an ouija board to summon a spirit into their home. The film is now being remade in Hindi as Kapkapii, featuring Shreyas Talpade and Riteish Deshmukh. There is concern that the essence of the original concept may be lost in translation during the remake into a different language.
In addition to the mentioned films, there are several South Indian films that have garnered attention for potential remakes in Hindi. Varun Dhawan is set to star in the remake of the popular Tamil film Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru, titled Sanki. Sanya Malhotra is expected to take on the significant lead role in the Hindi adaptation of the acclaimed Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen. Furthermore, Ranveer Singh is reportedly set to lead the Hindi remake of Shankar’s Anniyan. We are sure that this list will double up in the near future.
Bollywood, known for its wide popularity and distinctive storytelling, is facing a setback. In a time where even low-budget, high-quality films are thriving, renowned filmmakers should focus on creating authentic content. The essence of Bollywood lies in its originality, and there is a need to return to the same old golden era.
