9 Popular Bollywood Films That Were Remakes Of Famous South Indian Films
Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... read full bio
Banner image Source: India Today/Source: The Hindu
Source: Bollywood often likes to remake movies from the regional film industries, especially the ones from the south. While we do get some great films from Hindi cinema, we should also note that the South Indian film industry comes up with some incredible gems as well. Even if language is a barrier for you, we are certain that you can get the subtitles and watch some of these classic films. While some Hindi remakes of South Indian films are pretty controversial and sort of problematic (Kabir Singh and Arjun Reddy, we’re looking at you), there are others that end up being noted as cult classics that many of us have grown to love so dearly. Let’s take a look at some super popular Bollywood films that have been inspired or even directed by South Indian film directors and actors from both Bollywood and South Indian cinema:
1. Hera Pheri Is A Remake Of Ramji Rao Speaking
Hera Pheri has gone on to become one of the most popular films from the early 2000s and won the actors immense praise for their roles. The film starred Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Sunil Shetty and Tabu in leading roles and is a hilariously twisted comedy. Paresh Rawal plays a kind-hearted but weird landlord while Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty are his broke tenants looking for any way to escape paying rent. The film is a remake of the 1989 Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking. Ironically, Ramji Rao Speaking is also loosely based on an English television film called See The Man Run.
2. Bhool Bhulaiyaa Is A Remake Of Manichitrathazhu
Another film starring Akshay Kumar, Bhool Bhulaiyaa is an official remake of the Malayalam film, Manichitrathazhu. It stars Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, and Shiney Ahuja in the lead roles and is a dark horror-comedy. The original film was shot in the year 1993 and ended up being so popular that it spawned films in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Bengali as well. Shobhana, the lead actress of Manichitrathazhu won the national award for best actress in 1994 for her impeccable acting skills as Ganga/ Nagavalli.
3. Swades Is A Remake Of Chigurida Kanasu
Swades is a brilliant film that is considered one of the most underrated Bollywood movies of all time. The critically-acclaimed film stars Shah Rukh Khan as an NRI who returns to his hometown in rural India and helps to improve and redevelop his village. The film is based on a Kannada film called, Chigurida Kanasu which is in turn based on a book of the same name.
4. Ghajini Is Based On A Tamil Film Of The Same Name
The Aamir Khan starrer was a massive hit and also featured Asin as the lead actress. Asin had starred in the original version of Ghajini as well. The Tamil and Hindi versions of the film were both directed by famed director A. R. Murugadoss. The Tamil version of Ghajini starred Asin, Suriya and Nayanthara and was extremely well received too.
5. Drishyam Is Based On A Malayalam Film Of The Same Name
The original version of this film is in Malayalam and was released in the year 2013. The film gained rave reviews and was so popular that it got remade in Kannada as Drishya, in Telugu as Drushyam and in Tamil as Papanasam. The Hindi version of the film starred Ajay Devgn as the lead role and patriarch of a family dealing with blackmail and threat. In the film, Ajay Devgn’s older daughter is threatened by the son of an inspector general after he records her showering (without her knowledge) and she is forced to take matters into her own hands to protect herself.
6. Nayak: The Real Hero Is Based On Mudhalvan
Nayak: The Real Hero starred Anil Kapoor in the lead role and deals with the topic of corruption, power, and greed. The movie was well ahead of its time and achieved cult status after its release. It’s based on a Tamil film, Mudhalvan. Both films were directed by S. Shankar and the score was composed by famed musician AR Rahman.
7. Virasat Is Based On Thevar Magan
Virasat was written by Kamal Haasan and was based on his previous work, the Tamil film Thevar Magan. The Hindi film starred Tabu, Anil Kapoor, and Amrish Puri in the lead roles and deals with the story of a man who returns to his hometown to find it in utter chaos. He has to begrudgingly take on his father’s duties after his untimely passing.
8. Sadma Is A Remake Of Moondram Pirai
Sadma was written and directed by Balu Mahendra and starred veteran actors Kamal Haasan and Sridevi in leading roles. The original Tamil film Moondram Pirai also starred the pair in the same roles and was released in 1982.
9. Saathiya Is A Remake Of Alaipayuthey
Saathiya is a remake of the Mani Ratnam film Alaipayuthey (Tamil). The original film starred Shalini and Madhavan in the lead roles and was extremely well received. The Hindi version of the film cast Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukherjee in the lead roles and was actually directed by a former assistant of Mani Ratnam— Shaad Ali.
While Bollywood is a wonderful film industry in itself, we need to give South Indian cinema its due credit. Considering half of our population is from the south and relies heavily on good content, it is up to us to be more inclusive and include more diversity in our films. Which of the names on this list surprised you the most? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!
