Southern spice

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Movie buffs may experience a strong sense of déjà vu as they watch the big Bollywood releases in the coming months. Blame it on the Indian film industries, which are becoming intertwined in an almost incestuous relationship. South Indian blockbusters from Tollywood, Kollywood and Mollywood are being remade by big banners in Bollywood.

While we always had the occasional Priyadarshan or Mani Ratnam film, now it seems everybody is scrambling to buy the rights of south Indian hits. After the success of movies like Ghajini and Wanted, remakes have caught on as something of a hit formula. There are a dozen more in the pipeline, as Bollywood jumps on the remake bandwagon.

Film (re)maker’s fundas
Writer and director Anees Bazmee is quickly gaining a reputation as the remake specialist. His latest release, the Salman-Asin starrer Ready, is a remake of the Telugu film of the same name (which was also remade in Kannada as Raam and in Tamil as Uthama Puthiran). However, Bazmee says a remake is no simple copycat job. “The south film audience’s sensibilities are very different from those of the Hindi film audience. It’s not necessary that a remake of a south hit will be a hit in Bollywood. Otherwise, we would be remaking Rajinikanth movies. We have to understand what works here and what doesn’t,” he explains.
The director has also wrapped up shooting for the Harman Baweja-Genelia D’Souza starrer It’s My Life, a remake of the Telugu hit Bommarillu (which was also remade in Tamil as Santosh Subramaniam). “The original film is shot entirely inside a house, but I have adapted it to such an extent that we shot in places ranging from Norway and New Zealand to Bangkok, Delhi and Rajasthan. I am a writer first and when I watch a movie, I imagine it the way I would like to make it,” he says. Incidentally, the film’s leading lady has starred in both the south Indian versions as well. Bazmee states, “I don’t think anybody else would have done a better job than Genelia, so why not use the same actress? She’s well known in Bollywood as well as in the south.”

Take two, or three
The bubbly actress happens to hold the Limca World Record for delivering four different hit films in four different languages in the span of one year. Now, she holds the unique distinction of having acted in the same movie thrice! Genelia admits, “When it comes to a film that was mine originally and is being remade, it’s a very different feeling altogether as I always believe that the original haunts you.” She has also acted in the original Telugu Ready and its Tamil remake, Uthama Puthiran. Her next film Force, opposite John Abraham, is another remake of a Tamil film, the Surya-Jyothika starrer Kaakha Kaakha.
Genelia adds, “I haven’t acted in the original and am only part of the remake, it is a fresh experience for me. I depend on my directors for both the original as well as the remake to guide me through, as I enjoy the experience of having someone mentor me and bring out the best in me.”
The petite actress, who enjoys popularity in Bollywood as well as the southern industries, observes, “With reference to a film being made differently in the north and south, I see prominent differences only in terms of the look of the film. The soul of the film remains the same. It is understanding and grasping the essence of the original film that plays a very important role for every person involved in the remake.”

The Bolly way
Filmmaker Siddique couldn’t agree more. The director, who has previously made films in Malayalam and Tamil, makes his Bollywood debut with Bodyguard, starring Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor. The film is a remake of the Mollywood film of the same name, starring Dileep and Nayanthara. Its Tamil remake Kaavalan starred Vijay and Asin and even a Telugu remake has been announced with Venkatesh and Trisha in the lead roles. Siddique, who has written and directed the movie in three languages so far, tells us, “About 75 per cent of the shooting for the Hindi version is complete and we are planning an Eid release in August end. This is my first Hindi film and I must say, things are very different in Bollywood. Everything is on a much bigger scale. Budget is not an issue, and everything is very lavish. In the south, everybody starts work at 7 am sharp. Even superstar Vijay used to be ready by 6.50 am everyday. But here, things work at a different pace and the actors also have fun while shooting.”
Siddique doesn’t speak Hindi, but has no problem in the director’s chair as the story and screenplay are his. However, he has decided to opt out of the Telugu remake. Directing the same movie thrice has its downsides, as one can imagine.

Getting on board
For the first-timer in a remake, however, the experience is wonderful, according to actor Harman Baweja. The Love Story 2050 star, who is yet to taste success in Bollywood, has a lot riding on It’s My Life. “I saw the original, Bommarillu, without subtitles so it was a hilarious experience. Someone was sitting next to me and translating the whole movie. But my co-star was a big help as she knew the pulse of the film and had seen it from the point of view of three different directors. With a good director at the helm, it was easy and fun for me. In fact, I think it was kind of hard for Genelia because she had to strive for better with each film and try not to repeat herself,” says Harman. Commenting on the current trend of remakes, he adds, “If something has worked in a similar market, and the story is good, then why not? At the end of the day, it’s the script that matters.”

Southward bound
Bollywood has advanced in every aspect except writing, opines Bazmee. “Technically, we have reached international standards. But when it comes to screenplay and dialogue, we are still struggling for original ideas,” he says. Hyderabad-based Bunny Vasu seconds his opinion. The distributor who turned producer with the Telugu hit 100% Love starring Naga Chaitanya and Tamanna Bhatia, states, “South Indian films are very strong in their screenplay and that’s what Bollywood needs. The comedy track is also a very important part of any south film. After the success of 100% Love, we are in talks with various Bollywood producers for the Hindi remake. There is also a lot of interest in remaking Allu Arjun-Kajal Aggarwal starrer Arya 2.”
Upcoming Bollywood remakes include Singam starring Ajay Devgn and Kajal Aggarwal, which is all set for a July 22 release.