First things first. The Brits ruled over us for three centuries. They took a lot from us; we took a lot from them. Euphemisms are one of those things. And the worst of euphemisms, if you ask me, is “INSPIRED.” So many Indian artists indulge in plagiarism and hide it under the cloak of ‘inspiration.’ Wait a minute now! Why am I being polite? Indian movie makers copy films, word for word sometimes, and say they were only inspired by other movies. Yeah, right!
Look at it, even the name of the Hindi film industry, Bollywood. Why? Because the American Film Industry is nicknamed Hollywood! Now as it were, Hollywood, situated in the state of California is where most of the biggest studios and production houses of the USA are located and so hence the name stuck. “So what?” we said and christened ourselves Bollywood.
Disgusting.
Arguably the two biggest actors of the Hindi film industry are against the B-term. Mr.Amitabh Bachchan never uses the term Bollywood, he always says ‘the Hindi film industry.’ As for King Khan, Shah Rukh believes, “if you are the only one that can stand up to Goliath, it would be better to be known as David, than to be known as Boliath.”
Now if you have started to despise this article, I have only begun. Here’s a small list of INSPIRATIONS:-
Ghajini which became a household name had the ideas of anterial grade memory loss and the hero tattooing reminders on his body from Christopher Nolan’s Memento.
Watching the news daily would suffice to give away the game for Heyy Baby and Krazzy4 flicked from Three Men And A Baby and The Dream Team respectively.
More of such geniuses-
Aitraaz --- Disclosure. (Michael Douglas.)
Akele Hum Akele Tum --- Kramer Vs Kramer. (Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep.)
Anthony Kaun Hai --- Who Is Cletis Tout? (Christian Slater, Tim Allen.)
Awaara Paagal Deewana --- The Whole Nine Yards. (Bruce Willis.)
Bichchoo --- Leon. (Jean Reno.)
Chachi 420 --- Mrs.Doubtfire. (Robin Williams.)
Chocolate --- The Usual Suspects. (Kevin Spacey.)
Dasvidaniya --- The Bucket List. (Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson.)
Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin --- It Happened One Night. (Clark Gable.)
Dostana --- I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry. (Adam Sandler, Kevin James.)
Ek Ajnabee --- Man On Fire. (Denzel Washington.)
Gauri The Unborn --- Silent Hill. (Aaron Eckhart.)
God Tussi Great Ho --- Jim Carrey’s Bruce Almighty.
Hijack --- Air Force One. (Harrison Ford.)
Hum Tum --- Harry Met Sally. (Billy Crystal.)
Jumbo --- Dr.Seuss’s Horton Hears A Who. (Jim Carrey.)
Kaante --- Reservoir Dogs. (Quentin Tarantino.)
Koi Mil Gaya --- E.T. Directed By Steven Spielberg.
Krishh --- Paycheck. (Ben Affleck.)
Kyu Ki Main Jhooth Nahi Bolta --- Liar Liar. (Jim Carrey.)
Kyun Ki --- One Flew Over A Cuckoo’s Nest. (Jack Nicholson.)
Main Aisa Hi Hoon --- I Am Sam. (Sean Penn.)
Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai --- My Best Friend’s Wedding. (Tom Cruise.)
Mr Ya Miss --- The Hot Chick. (Rob Schneider.)
Mujhse Shaadi Karoge --- Anger Management. (Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson.)
Munnabhai MBBS --- Patch Adams (Robin Williams.)
Murder --- Unfaithful. (Richard Gere.)
Naina --- The Eye. (Jessica Alba.)
Naqaab --- Dot The i. (Gael Garcia Bernal.)
Partner --- Hitch. (Will Smith.)
Phir Hera Pheri --- Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. (Jason Statham.)
Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha --- French Kiss. (Kevin Kline.)
Qayamat --- The Rock. (Sir Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage, Ed Harris.)
Raaz (The Older One) --- What Lies Beneath. (Harrison Ford.)
Salaam Namaste --- Nine Months. (Hugh Grant.)
Shaurya --- A Few Good Men. (Tom Cruise.)
Speed --- Cellular. (Jason Statham, Chris Evans.)
Taxi 9211 --- Changing Lanes. (Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson.)
The Killer --- Collateral. (Tom Cruise, Jami Foxx.) Word to word dubbing.
The Train --- Derailed. (Clive Owen.)
Wow… So much for creativity!
Up to this point, I might have been appearing stereotypic. Not anymore. We also have brilliant directors in ‘BOLLYWOOD’ who watch movies which are comparatively less popular and churn out Hindi films. Cases in point; Zinda was taken from the Korean movie Old Boy and Ek Choti Si Love Story copied from Malena, Italian.
And now for the lazy ones. Or patriotic, if you might say so. Brains that create the same movies in different languages. Ghajini, for one. Copied from Ghajini in Tamil albeit with a different ending. Billu (Barber) from Kuselan/Katha Parayumbol. CCTC from Yodham in Malayalam. Bhool Bhulaiyya from Aaptamitra/Chandramukhi/Manichitra Thaazh. Sooryavamsham from Sooryavamsham. (Even the name!) Chup Chup Ke from the Malayalee movie Punjabi House, Tere Naam from Sethu, Mere Baap Pehle Aap from Ishtam, and so on.
As if this was not enough we have more of the ‘rebels’ in the factory… I mean industry. The idea for Road came from Hitcher, and for Sarkar from The Godfather. [RGV acknowledges.] Soon after KKHH was released some very observant bloke pointed out in the ‘Readers Don’t Digest’ column of ‘Cineblitz’ the striking similarities between the movie and Archie’s comics. We had SRK playing Archie, Rani and Kajol playing Betty and Veronica, Anupam Kher as Mr.Weatherbee and Archana Puran Singh as Mrs Grundy.
How innovative!!!
There’s more. We copy song tunes and create names as spoofs. Tarkan’s Turkish song ‘Simrik’ was used unabridged for a Govinda movie. On hearing closely you can spot the similarity between Shakira’s ‘Whenever, Wherever’ and ‘Mauja Hi Mauja.’ And you may have to have your ears checked if you can’t find the same tune in Sean Paul’s ‘Temperature’ and Golmaal’s title track. Harry Potter was Indianised as Hari Puttar and the kid movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang became Cheenti Cheenti Bang Bang. Away from all this, Akshay’s fight scene in Awaara Paagal Deewana is a colour photocopy of Keanu Reeves’s fight scene in ‘The Matrix.’
And now for the icing on the cake. The mother of all Hindi movies according to some, Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay has a few similarities to ‘Once Upon A Time’ and ‘The Seven Samurai.’ Of course, just similarities, nothing else!
There’s a lot to “Bollywood” than meets the eye. What you have read is just half the story.
After such a heavy main course, some dessert in a lighter vein. Did you know that Govinda’s real name is Govind Ahuja? Or that Akshay Kumar’s is Rajeev Bhatia? Also, Tabu is Tabassum Hashmi, Mallika Sherawat is Reena Lamba, A.R.Rahman is Dilip, and Dilip Kumar is Yusuf Khan. Hrithik Roshan is Suraj Nagrath, some say... And these are not name modifications based on numerology, Feng Shui etc.
Before you concur that I am one of the haters of the Hindi Film Industry, I have to point out that I have immense respect for legends like Satyajit Ray, Mira Nair, Big B, A.R.Rahman, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, etc. I would watch movies like Black, Devdas and Taare Zameen Par every day if it was practically feasible. I am an Indian and I swear by the Hindi Film Industry. All I’m saying is, being a worthy and possibly the only competitor to Hollywood; we do not need to feed on their produce for a living.
N.B.:-
1. I dedicate this article to all critics of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ who claim that Mr.Boyle is capitalizing on Indian poverty. Turn back and look around, we have been doing something on those lines for years now, and still no award on the international level!
2. By ‘copy,’ I intend to impart a meaning that the basic plot of the story, or the characterization of the movie and such similarities. As for the inter-regional movies, the word ‘remake’ is used. Nobody has a problem. But there are a few dubbings worse than copies, like Ek Ajnabee and The Killer.
3. The sources for my research include imdb.com, bwtorrents.com, and a vast horde of friends who are true movie fans. I am grateful to them all. Of course I have not watched all the movies but I am quite confident that there’s bound to be some copying done. If proved wrong in any movie, I would be glad about it for it would mean another piece of originality in the Hindi Film Industry. So grab some popcorn and there be; lights, camera and action.
Look at it, even the name of the Hindi film industry, Bollywood. Why? Because the American Film Industry is nicknamed Hollywood! Now as it were, Hollywood, situated in the state of California is where most of the biggest studios and production houses of the USA are located and so hence the name stuck. “So what?” we said and christened ourselves Bollywood.
Disgusting.
Arguably the two biggest actors of the Hindi film industry are against the B-term. Mr.Amitabh Bachchan never uses the term Bollywood, he always says ‘the Hindi film industry.’ As for King Khan, Shah Rukh believes, “if you are the only one that can stand up to Goliath, it would be better to be known as David, than to be known as Boliath.”
Now if you have started to despise this article, I have only begun. Here’s a small list of INSPIRATIONS:-
Ghajini which became a household name had the ideas of anterial grade memory loss and the hero tattooing reminders on his body from Christopher Nolan’s Memento.
Watching the news daily would suffice to give away the game for Heyy Baby and Krazzy4 flicked from Three Men And A Baby and The Dream Team respectively.
More of such geniuses-
Aitraaz --- Disclosure. (Michael Douglas.)
Akele Hum Akele Tum --- Kramer Vs Kramer. (Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep.)
Anthony Kaun Hai --- Who Is Cletis Tout? (Christian Slater, Tim Allen.)
Awaara Paagal Deewana --- The Whole Nine Yards. (Bruce Willis.)
Bichchoo --- Leon. (Jean Reno.)
Chachi 420 --- Mrs.Doubtfire. (Robin Williams.)
Chocolate --- The Usual Suspects. (Kevin Spacey.)
Dasvidaniya --- The Bucket List. (Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson.)
Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin --- It Happened One Night. (Clark Gable.)
Dostana --- I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry. (Adam Sandler, Kevin James.)
Ek Ajnabee --- Man On Fire. (Denzel Washington.)
Gauri The Unborn --- Silent Hill. (Aaron Eckhart.)
God Tussi Great Ho --- Jim Carrey’s Bruce Almighty.
Hijack --- Air Force One. (Harrison Ford.)
Hum Tum --- Harry Met Sally. (Billy Crystal.)
Jumbo --- Dr.Seuss’s Horton Hears A Who. (Jim Carrey.)
Kaante --- Reservoir Dogs. (Quentin Tarantino.)
Koi Mil Gaya --- E.T. Directed By Steven Spielberg.
Krishh --- Paycheck. (Ben Affleck.)
Kyu Ki Main Jhooth Nahi Bolta --- Liar Liar. (Jim Carrey.)
Kyun Ki --- One Flew Over A Cuckoo’s Nest. (Jack Nicholson.)
Main Aisa Hi Hoon --- I Am Sam. (Sean Penn.)
Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai --- My Best Friend’s Wedding. (Tom Cruise.)
Mr Ya Miss --- The Hot Chick. (Rob Schneider.)
Mujhse Shaadi Karoge --- Anger Management. (Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson.)
Munnabhai MBBS --- Patch Adams (Robin Williams.)
Murder --- Unfaithful. (Richard Gere.)
Naina --- The Eye. (Jessica Alba.)
Naqaab --- Dot The i. (Gael Garcia Bernal.)
Partner --- Hitch. (Will Smith.)
Phir Hera Pheri --- Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. (Jason Statham.)
Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha --- French Kiss. (Kevin Kline.)
Qayamat --- The Rock. (Sir Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage, Ed Harris.)
Raaz (The Older One) --- What Lies Beneath. (Harrison Ford.)
Salaam Namaste --- Nine Months. (Hugh Grant.)
Shaurya --- A Few Good Men. (Tom Cruise.)
Speed --- Cellular. (Jason Statham, Chris Evans.)
Taxi 9211 --- Changing Lanes. (Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson.)
The Killer --- Collateral. (Tom Cruise, Jami Foxx.) Word to word dubbing.
The Train --- Derailed. (Clive Owen.)
Wow… So much for creativity!
Up to this point, I might have been appearing stereotypic. Not anymore. We also have brilliant directors in ‘BOLLYWOOD’ who watch movies which are comparatively less popular and churn out Hindi films. Cases in point; Zinda was taken from the Korean movie Old Boy and Ek Choti Si Love Story copied from Malena, Italian.
And now for the lazy ones. Or patriotic, if you might say so. Brains that create the same movies in different languages. Ghajini, for one. Copied from Ghajini in Tamil albeit with a different ending. Billu (Barber) from Kuselan/Katha Parayumbol. CCTC from Yodham in Malayalam. Bhool Bhulaiyya from Aaptamitra/Chandramukhi/Manichitra Thaazh. Sooryavamsham from Sooryavamsham. (Even the name!) Chup Chup Ke from the Malayalee movie Punjabi House, Tere Naam from Sethu, Mere Baap Pehle Aap from Ishtam, and so on.
As if this was not enough we have more of the ‘rebels’ in the factory… I mean industry. The idea for Road came from Hitcher, and for Sarkar from The Godfather. [RGV acknowledges.] Soon after KKHH was released some very observant bloke pointed out in the ‘Readers Don’t Digest’ column of ‘Cineblitz’ the striking similarities between the movie and Archie’s comics. We had SRK playing Archie, Rani and Kajol playing Betty and Veronica, Anupam Kher as Mr.Weatherbee and Archana Puran Singh as Mrs Grundy.
How innovative!!!
There’s more. We copy song tunes and create names as spoofs. Tarkan’s Turkish song ‘Simrik’ was used unabridged for a Govinda movie. On hearing closely you can spot the similarity between Shakira’s ‘Whenever, Wherever’ and ‘Mauja Hi Mauja.’ And you may have to have your ears checked if you can’t find the same tune in Sean Paul’s ‘Temperature’ and Golmaal’s title track. Harry Potter was Indianised as Hari Puttar and the kid movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang became Cheenti Cheenti Bang Bang. Away from all this, Akshay’s fight scene in Awaara Paagal Deewana is a colour photocopy of Keanu Reeves’s fight scene in ‘The Matrix.’
And now for the icing on the cake. The mother of all Hindi movies according to some, Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay has a few similarities to ‘Once Upon A Time’ and ‘The Seven Samurai.’ Of course, just similarities, nothing else!
There’s a lot to “Bollywood” than meets the eye. What you have read is just half the story.
After such a heavy main course, some dessert in a lighter vein. Did you know that Govinda’s real name is Govind Ahuja? Or that Akshay Kumar’s is Rajeev Bhatia? Also, Tabu is Tabassum Hashmi, Mallika Sherawat is Reena Lamba, A.R.Rahman is Dilip, and Dilip Kumar is Yusuf Khan. Hrithik Roshan is Suraj Nagrath, some say... And these are not name modifications based on numerology, Feng Shui etc.
Before you concur that I am one of the haters of the Hindi Film Industry, I have to point out that I have immense respect for legends like Satyajit Ray, Mira Nair, Big B, A.R.Rahman, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, etc. I would watch movies like Black, Devdas and Taare Zameen Par every day if it was practically feasible. I am an Indian and I swear by the Hindi Film Industry. All I’m saying is, being a worthy and possibly the only competitor to Hollywood; we do not need to feed on their produce for a living.
N.B.:-
1. I dedicate this article to all critics of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ who claim that Mr.Boyle is capitalizing on Indian poverty. Turn back and look around, we have been doing something on those lines for years now, and still no award on the international level!
2. By ‘copy,’ I intend to impart a meaning that the basic plot of the story, or the characterization of the movie and such similarities. As for the inter-regional movies, the word ‘remake’ is used. Nobody has a problem. But there are a few dubbings worse than copies, like Ek Ajnabee and The Killer.
3. The sources for my research include imdb.com, bwtorrents.com, and a vast horde of friends who are true movie fans. I am grateful to them all. Of course I have not watched all the movies but I am quite confident that there’s bound to be some copying done. If proved wrong in any movie, I would be glad about it for it would mean another piece of originality in the Hindi Film Industry. So grab some popcorn and there be; lights, camera and action.
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