Bollywood, my dear cinephiles, has a deep, undying love affair with remakes. It’s like that one friend who keeps recycling their old jokes at every party, sometimes it lands (Drishyam 2), and sometimes it’s just painful (Coolie No. 1). But the real question is: Are these remakes heartfelt tributes to great cinema, or just a lazy excuse to cash in on past glory? Let’s dive into this déjà vu-filled world of Bollywood remake obsession and figure out if we should be celebrating or rolling our eyes.
The Growing Bollywood Remake Trend
Bollywood has been remaking films for decades. Devdas has multiple versions, Don was remade, and the trend has only accelerated in recent years. The influence of South Indian cinema has been particularly strong, with Bollywood frequently remaking Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films. Some of these adaptations work, while others fail to capture the essence of the original. Western cinema has also been a source of inspiration—Chachi 420 was inspired by Mrs. Doubtfire, and Satte Pe Satta took its cues from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Bollywood remake obsession and Its Consequences
But in recent years, Bollywood has gone into full copy-paste mode, churning out remakes at an alarming speed. Just look at the past few years. Shehzada (2023), a remake of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020), forgot to bring Allu Arjun’s charm along for the ride and tanked at the box office. Selfiee (2023) saw Akshay Kumar trying to recreate Driving Licence (2019), but turns out, no one was interested in taking another test run. Bholaa (2023), Ajay Devgn’s take on Kaithi (2019), went over-the-top with action, leaving audiences divided. Jersey (2022) had Shahid Kapoor attempting another remake, this time from Jersey (2019), but audiences weren’t in the mood to watch the same underdog story again. Even Vikram Vedha (2022), starring Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan, couldn’t save itself from the fate of being an unnecessary scene-by-scene remake of the Tamil Vikram Vedha (2017). The trend is clear—Bollywood seems to think that taking a hit film from another industry, throwing in some A-list actors, and adding a few slow-motion shots will guarantee success. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t.
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Bollywood Remake Culture: Is It Here to Stay?
The reason Bollywood keeps doing this is simple. Producers believe that if a film worked once, it should work again. But what they fail to realize is that audiences now have access to OTT platforms where they can watch the original. Bollywood also believes that star power will make people forget they’ve already seen the story before, but unfortunately, that’s not how memory works. Then there’s the nostalgia factor, remaking classics like Coolie No. 1 and Pati Patni Aur Woh, assuming audiences will flock to theatres for the sake of nostalgia. Turns out, some things are better left untouched.
The biggest factor, though, is that investing in original scripts is risky. Copy-pasting is much safer, except when it flops, which happens more often than not. Remakes often fail because they lack the soul of the original. They replicate scenes without understanding what made the original resonate with audiences. For instance, Shehzada tried to mimic the swagger of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo but missed the emotional depth and cultural nuances that made the Telugu version a hit. Similarly, Selfiee failed to capture the quirky charm of Driving Licence, reducing it to a bland, star-driven vehicle. Of course, some remakes do work, and that’s exactly why Bollywood keeps coming back for more. The occasional success story convinces producers that remakes are a safe bet. Drishyam 2 (2022) proved that a well-crafted thriller can grip audiences even if they already know the twists. Then there’s Kabir Singh (2019), which, despite its fair share of controversy, resonated strongly with Hindi-speaking audiences. Its Telugu predecessor, Arjun Reddy, had a raw intensity that was successfully reinterpreted in Kabir Singh without losing its emotional core. And if you think Bollywood is done with remakes, think again. Upcoming releases like Loveyapa are already on the horizon, continuing the industry’s obsession with retelling stories with a Bollywood touch. Whether this one will be a hit or just another forgettable rehash remains to be seen, but history tells us to keep our expectations in check.
Is Bollywood Ready to Move Past this Obsession?
While Bollywood is busy photocopying, South Indian cinema is thriving with fresh stories like Pushpa, Kantara, and KGF. These films have proven that audiences crave originality and strong storytelling, not just repackaged hits. With OTT platforms bringing diverse films to people’s screens, Bollywood’s reliance on remakes feels outdated. The industry needs to take a break from Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V and focus on originality. Because honestly, if we wanted to watch Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, we’d just stream it.
Bollywood’s obsession with remakes is a double-edged sword. While some adaptations succeed by adding value to the original, most fall flat due to lazy filmmaking and a lack of creative vision. The industry needs to realize that audiences are no longer satisfied with recycled content. They want fresh stories, innovative storytelling, and characters that resonate with their experiences. South Indian cinema’s recent success is a testament to the power of originality. Films like Kantara and Pushpa have captured the imagination of audiences across India because they offer something new and exciting. Bollywood must learn from this and invest in original scripts, nurture new talent, and take creative risks.
The question isn’t whether remakes are tributes or lazy filmmaking—it’s whether Bollywood is willing to take the risk of telling new stories. Because, in the end, cinema is about innovation, not imitation.