Bollywood Needs To Stop Doing Remakes
Oh my God! Another Remake in Bollywood? Okay, let’s save some money this weekend, shall we?
This is how remakes are being treated now in the Hindi film industry. Remakes after remakes there is no stopping them now, it seems. Maybe this is because, after the continuous failure of original scripts on a larger scale, the talents in the Bollywood industry are trying to make a formula movie, and the shortcut for this being a remake, obviously.
Or it could be that the tables turned right after the pandemic. Pre-pandemic, there were some remakes that did really well in the northern belt. But with the rise of OTT platforms, the original movies are just a click away. And moreover, if we could get our hands on Adidas why settle for Abibas right? No Thank you, Bollywood.
So, What’s the Problem?
It’s quite simple. When a story is being remade it’s either that the story deserves to be told in a better way or it has to reach a larger audience or the story itself is compelling enough. Or just maybe it has the capacity to “Vasool” a good amount of money for the production houses. Whatever might the reason, when a story from a different place that is unknown to most people is being told, isn’t it mandatory to do some tinkering here and there to make the story as organic as possible for the people to connect with it?
Instead, why simply copy a movie scene by scene and make it a cringe show of people coming and going in front of the camera without any real purpose? Why, why even pay an actor to play a meaningless character?
Maybe, amidst all the chaos of films flopping one after the other. Bollywood has totally lost its core and struggling to identify or shall we say rebuild its fundamental principles.
A Touch of Originality
Yes, we have to agree that every film industry be it Bollywood, Hollywood, or Tollywood makes a lot of remakes every year. But the catch here is what they add to spice things up. A simple twist in a climax – like Aaranya Kaandam climax, it’s just WOW- or a change in slang or dialect of the characters could add a lot more depth to the plot, bringing in a breath of fresh air for the audience. And most importantly it should resonate with people of this time and age.
In some bizarre cases, there are even remakes of an already flopped movie from the Southern industry. Why would anyone even do that? Are you blind? There is something called a Box Office Collection for god’s sake.
Even better when they make movies with misogynistic heroes and feminist heroines who end out together. Come on, please do explain why would she choose her own death over a happy life. In the name of happy endings, why make something that is a corny? Where are logic and realism? Why concentrate on elevating the flaws of the original film instead of ruling them out? Isn’t that the point of remakes anymore?
Or better stop underestimating the audience. There is no need for spoon-feeding. People were able to understand and enjoy many classics like Lambe, Virasat, Dilse etc. So, no need for so much male ego, mass, or masala for a movie to hit box office runes. A clear example of a movie that broke all records would be The Kashmir Files with a box office collection of a whooping 340.92 cr. There, case settled.
Time for Retrospection
Cinema is the medium where one can let their imagination run wild and has the power to convince people of even the impossible. So, it’s time to reimagine the story while preserving the nuances and spirit of the original. Or better give writers a chance. There are absolutely brilliant writers out there whom one can leverage.
If there are writers who can write some amazing series with gripping plot for 2 seasons, then why is writing an engaging 2 hour length story not working. Maybe it’s not the lack of story or talented writers it’s just the people of the industry who go behind star value instead of really good scripts and capable actors.
Why is Malayalam cinema most loved by many film critics and film buffs across the country? OfCourse, because of its writers. No industry has understood its audience like them. Their stories are made for their audience yet it’s so relevant to people from different regions of India. That’s the power of writers we are talking about!
Resting the Case
As we, as a country has advanced in so many aspects why stick to the old-school stories of macho heroism? Why should boys have all the fun?
It goes without saying that a success of a film is unpredictable. So instead of looking for a formula, it would be wise to focus on originality and stories that desperately needs to be told.
Experimenting is never wrong. Similarly taking a leap of faith and working with more amazing writers could be the need of the hour for Bollywood’s hot issues. And play with fire (remakes in our case) only if it is relevant to the people of current times.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed and wish for the apple to fall far from the tree! (no pun intended)
