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From Ram Aur Shyam to Rowdy Rathore, Bollywood has sought inspiration from South Indian films.
While some remakes go on to become huge hits, others received flak for tampering the original’s contents to create a shoddy adaptation.
The trend of remaking films from down South has gotten bigger than ever since Salman Khan’s Wanted and Aamir Khan’s Ghajini stormed the box office with massive returns compelling their colleagues to join the remake bandwagon.
Last Friday, Sanjay Dutt-starrer Policegiri hit the screens aspiring for similar glory but this Hindi edition of Tamil super hit Saamy was thumbed down by critics and public.
Here then is your chance to vote for the worst Bollywood remakes of South Indian films. Click through the slide show and vote for your pick at the end!
After a successful stint in Malayalam and Tamil, Siddique directed Bodyguard in Hindi with Salman Khan’s megastardom to ensure a bumper opening. While
he achieved that without any trouble, the needless changes in the story ensure its strictly below average fare unlike its more engaging predecessors.
Even John Abraham’s rippling six-pack doesn’t even come close to matching Suriya’s raw intensity and the chemistry he creates with better half Jyothika on screen in Vipul Shah’s remake of Tamil cop drama Kaakha Kaakha.
Force co-starred Genelia D’Souza and an impressive Vidyut Jamwal.
From Tamil’s Khushi starring Vijay and Jyothika to Hindi’s Khushi with Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor, the same subject faced a world of different reaction.
While Jyothika’s breezy performance earned her numerous accolades, Bebo’s over-the-top delivery grated nerves and ranks among her worst works.
In the ostentatious retelling of Mohanlal’s Vellanakalude Nadu in Malayalam, also directed by Priyadarshan, the filmmaker substitutes the original’s astute narrative and perspective to showcase Akshay Kumar’s star power modelled along the lines of R K Laxman’s common man.
Again, a remake of Priyadarshan’s own Thallavattam, the seriousness and sensitivity of the Malayalam original is completely missing in the wishy-washy remake relying on Salman Khan’s lazy histrionics and a dated plot.
N Linguswamy’s Tamil-language Run packed in a intense Madhavan, lovely Meera Jasmine and comical Vivek to create an action comedy that impressed many. In its lacklustre Hindi avatar, neither a raw Abhishek Bachchan nor Jeeva’s uninspired direction could lift a routine plot from the ordinary.
While its Malayalam version called Hitler, starring Mammootty, went on to become a blockbuster, its Telugu remake, also called Hitler, ended superstar Chiranjeevi’s dry spell at the box office.
Remade as Krodh in Hindi by Ashok Honda with Suniel Shetty in lead, the melodrama about a possessive brother of five unmarried sisters was an instant disaster.
Feroz Khan has made many a memorable films like Qurbaani and Dharmatma but his poor adaptation of Mani Ratnam’s acclaimed Nayagan is best remembered for the intimate scenes between Vinod Khanna and Madhuri Dixit and a sizzling item dance by Ramya.
K Bhagyaraj was called upon to recreate his Tamil success Veetla Visheshanga with the star power of Anil Kapoor and Sridevi. But unlike Laadla, also a remake of Kannada hit Anuraaga Aralithu, which came out in the same year, Mr Bechara was rejected outright.
While Telugu action thriller Athadu with a stunning turn from Mahesh Babu and Prakash Raj reaped both critical and commercial benefits, its remake featuring Bobby Deol in a hideous hairstyle and Nana Patekar at his career worst, Ek: The Power of One is eminently forgettable.
So what are you waiting for? Vote now!