Listicle: 10 Hindi adaptations that hold their own against the OGs
24 (2013)
If Kiefer Sutherland can save America from terrorists and other threats over and over in a hit show, why can’t Anil Kapoor? This was among the first authorised Hindi remakes in the streaming format. Kapoor had a prominent role in the eighth season of the American 24, in 2010. As the lead in the Indian adaptation, he balanced the saviour narrative with Indian herogiri over two seasons. Critics called it dark and pacy, offering not a single minute to relax.
Laal Singh Chaddha (2022)
Forrest Gump’s Hindi remake stars Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
Forrest Gump’s Hindi remake stars Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, and follows the so-eventful-so-simple formula of the OG. But what makes it work are the locations. The camerawork captures Goa, Jaisalmer and Himachal Pradesh in ways that seem picturesque but never touristy. Plus, the Indian version has brilliant music – soulful songs by Pritam Chakraborty and Tanuj Tiku.
Andhadhun (2018)
The French short film L’ Accordeur (2010), on which Andhadhun is based, runs just 15 minutes.
A man who pretends to be visually impaired witnesses a murder. He must now keep the act going to protect himself. The French short film L’ Accordeur (2010) or The Piano Tuner, on which Andhadhun is based, runs just 15 minutes. The remake is 2 hours, 18 minutes. It works because Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte and Tabu make the dark comedy gripping until the end, and Daniel B George’s score adds just the right level of drama.
The Girl on the Train (2021)
Emily Blunt shone as an alcoholic obsessing with the life of a woman she sees on her commute.
Emily Blunt shone in the 2016 murder mystery about an alcoholic woman who becomes obsessed with the life of another woman she sees regularly in the train. Indian critics say the Hindi version is Parineeti Chopra’s finest work to date. Bollywood rarely gets whodunnits right, but this one stayed fast-paced and one step ahead of audience expectations. And Tribhuvan Babu Sadineni’s cinematography (the film was mostly shot in Britain) complemented the mood perfectly.
OMG – Oh My God (2012)
OMG – Oh My God is the remake of 2001 Australian comedy, The Man Who Sued God.
The 2001 Australian comedy, The Man Who Sued God, follows a disillusioned lawyer who takes it up with the Creator when lightning wrecks his boat. Would an Indian version work when viewers are so touchy about religion? Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar show how faith, religion and prayers have become commercialised, and how much of worship is actually politics. It was critically acclaimed for its sensitivity and entertaining plot. Even box-office gods approved.
Drishyam (2015)
Ajay Devgn gives the Hindi remake of Drishyam all the gravitas of the Malayalam original.
The Malayalam film with the same title released in 2013. Mohanlal killed it as a patriarch protecting his wife and daughters after the family accidentally commits a crime. For a Bollywood remake, serious acting chops were needed to depict the secrets, the moral dilemma, the burden on the common man. Ajay Devgn delivered, playing it down all the way to the climax. It’s homage that still holds its own.
Dhadak (2018)
Dhadak, the Hindi remake of Marathi blockbuster Sairat (2016), plays out in shiny Udaipur.
Could a little tale of star-crossed lovers in caste-gripped rural Maharashtra transfer to big, glam Bollywood? The Marathi blockbuster Sairat (2016) relied on quiet scenes and stellar performances. For the remake, director Shashank Khaitan chose Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, and added masala. Dhadak plays out in shiny Udaipur. The love story is just as intimate, but the fight for love appears more universal, larger than life, just how Bollywood fans like it.
Mili (2022)
Mathukutty Xavier remade his own Malyalam hit Helen (2019) in 2022 with Mili.
Mathukutty Xavier remade his own Malyalam hit Helen (2019). His survival thriller follows a young restaurant worker who gets trapped in a restaurant’s freezer and must fight to stay alive in the biting cold while her father and boyfriend frantically look for her. Janhvi Kapoor plays it vulnerable but determined, filling the freezer location with tension and drama. But it’s the story, a rare Bollywood gamble, that keeps viewers hooked.
Gumrah (2023)
Gumraah was remade from the Tamil Thadam (2019).
Remade from the Tamil Thadam (2019), Magizh Thirumeni’s story follows a murder investigation in which two suspects look too much like each other for investigators to pick the actual criminal. Aditya Roy Kapur plays both roles and plays them with enough shades of grey that viewers can’t side with any one character. It’s a refreshing change from the good-twin, evil-twin formula. It’s also what makes the Hindi version more complex than the original.
The Night Manager (2023)
The Indian adaptation of The Night Manager kept the mood of John le Carré’s 1993 novel intact.
Adapted from John le Carré’s 1993 novel and the 2016 British series, the Indian remake knew it couldn’t cut corners with the story. Over seven episodes, Aditya Roy Kapur, Anil Kapoor, Tillotama Shome and Sobhita Dhulipala bring in intrigue, crime rings, double agents and survival. The breathtaking locations in Shimla and Sri Lanka take the story out of its British trappings but keep le Carré’s dark, foggy mood intact.
From HT Brunch, February 10, 2024
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