Beginning on a timid note, the first half of 2015 was not so happening in terms of box office response, but it did have some content driven films working wonders hinting towards a welcome change. However our inspiration saga of the industry more or less remains the same and looking back at the six months here is the list of all inspired/borrowed or similar theme movies given below.
Here we go…..!
1. I – Beautifully incorporates the concept/fairly tale of “The Beauty and The Beast” in its revenge theme.
2. Baby – Loosely takes the structure of its final hour from the award winning English flick “Argo” (2012).
3. Dolly Ki Doli – Has its concept and initial execution all similar to Punjabi film “Ronde Saare Vyah Pichhon (RSVP)” (2013), also said to be inspired from real life news stories.
4. Khamoshiyan – The basic plot of a corpse in the bedroom reminds you of the one in Hitchcock’s cult classic “Psycho” (1960).
5. NH 10 – Follows the same pattern earlier seen in English film titled “Eden Lake” (2008) with the addition of current in-news theme of “Honour Killings”.
6. Hey Bro – Loosely inspired from the English flick “Twins” (1988) which was also seen in “Humse Badhkar Kaun” released in 1998.
7. Dilliwali Zaalim Girlfriend – Follows a similar pattern of “Khosla Ka Ghosla” (2006) wherein the ‘plot of land’ is replaced by ‘a car’ and the key character of “Khurana i.e. Boman Irani” is replaced by Jackie Shroff playing a Punjabi businessman.
8. Ek Paheli Leela – A similar concept about a renowned sculptor of the past killing a beautiful girl (his subject) and her lover, only to find them again in the rebirth was earlier seen in B. Subhash’s hit English (adult) movie titled “Divine Lovers” released in 1997 featuring Marc Zuber, Himent Birje and a few foreign artists.
9. Broken Horses (English) – After 25 years director Vidhu Vinod Chopra remakes his own cult Hindi film “Parinda” (1989) while moving on to Hollywood.
10. Mr. X – Taking references from many entertaining films made on ‘The Invisible Man’ in the past (both in English and Hindi), the film (made by Bhatts) completes an interesting circle as it has the same title & subject used by Nanabhai Bhatt (in his 1957) directed film “Mr. X” featuring Ashok Kumar in the lead role.
11. Oh Yaara Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya (Punjabi) – The storyline & its style of narration straight away reminds you of films on post love marriage disputes mainly Shah Rukh’s “Chalte Chalte” (2003) with an added angle of divorce and court room drama.
12. Welcome 2 Karachi – A similar interesting theme of someone unknowingly getting into Pakistan territory facing the terrorists groups was recently seen in the award winning movie “Filmistaan” (2014).
13. P Se PM Tak – Director Kundan Shah gets stuck in the fascination of using a corpse as an entertaining prop in the storyline as seen in his cult film “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron” released three decades back. But this time he even makes the corpse speak, walk and dance through a remote control and some electronic gadgets fitted in the body by an eccentric scientist. Plus the ugly get-up of the minister in the film also reminds you of the one tried by Kamal Hassan in his film “Mayor Saab” (1991).
14. Hamari Adhuri Kahani - The husband returning back into the life of his wife partially reminds you of the basic plot of “Sleeping With The Enemy” followed by 3 Hindi films in the past. Plus a sequence, where the wealthy hotelier brings the girl to meet his mother living in Shimla (playing piano) personally made me recall a similar scene in the 1957 English classic “An Affair To Remember” (that might not be taken as inspired).
15. Dil Dhadakne Do – Though not directly but the basic idea of the changing relationships in a party does remind you of the much enjoyable and enlightening Govind Nihalani’s “Party” released in 1984, as if this time the new updated party was organized on a cruise.
16. ABCD 2 – Along with having its share of real life inspiration from an actual Mumbai dance group, the film can still be easily called a clever mix of “Step Up” (2006) series of the west, the last half an hour of Farah’s “Happy New Year” (2014) and the basic plot of replacing an injured co-dancer also seen in Yash Chopra’s “Dil Toh Pagal Hai” (1997) hinting towards a love triangle (that had its own traces in English film “42nd Street” released in 1933).
17. Guddu Rangeela – Its basic plot of two boys kidnapping a girl falling into another trap reminds you of several similar movies from “Ruthless People” (1986) to “Fargo” (1996) and our own “Love Ke Liye Kucch Bhi Karega” (2001). Plus a few dialogues straight away make you recall the epic “Sholay” (1975).
Official Remakes of the West as well as Hindi and Regional Indian Films.
1. Tevar – Official remake of “Okkadu” (Telugu – 2003)
2. Alone – Adaptation of a Thai film with the same title “Alone” (2007) which was earlier remade in south too as “Chaarulatha” (2012 – Kannada/Tamil).
3. Dharam Sankat Mein – Its an official remake of British comedy “The Infidel” (2010). But it interestingly begins from where films like “Dharamputra”(1961) and “Amar Akbar Anthony” (1977) end, when the hero comes to know his actual identity and religion.
4. Gabbar Is Back – Another remake of a 2002 South Hit film “Ramanaa” (2002), the film uses the name of most famous villain of Hindi cinema in its title and main dialogues, whereas the project has nothing to do whatsoever with the evil dacoit of “Sholay” (1975) and his coming back.
Inspired Movies from Real Life Incidents and Life Stories
1. Rahasya – Loosely inspired from the famous murder mystery of “Talwar family” in Noida.
2. Hawaizaada – Based on the life of scientist “Shivkar Bapuji Talpade” (of Maharashtra) who is credited for inventing the first air plane years before the Wright Brothers.
3. Eh Janam Tumhare Lekhe (Punjabi) – Made On the life of a lesser known blessed soul of Punjab “Bhagat Puran Singh” also known as Punjab’s Mother Teresa.
4. Roy - Supposedly inspired from the romantic link between western directors Quentin Tarantino and Sofia Coppola (and has reference of one of their real life instance too.)
5. Dirty Politics – The film is said to be based on the real life story and murder of “Bhanwari Devi” revolving around her political associations.
6. Barkha – Talking about the life of a ‘bar dancer’ its supposedly inspired from real life events.
7. Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho – Said to be based on a real life weird case filed on an innocent man.
Inspired Movies from Literature and Books
1. Badlapur – The film is based on the novel "Death's Dark Abyss" by Massimo Carlotto revolving around real life events (reportedly).
2. Detective Byomkesh Bakhsy – Based on the first case solved by the immensely popular fictional Bengali sleuth “Byomkesh Bakshi” created by the renowned writer “Saradindu Bandopadhyay”.
3. Jai Ho Democracy – Its opening sequence straight away reminds you of the Bosnian language Oscar winner “No Man’s Land” (2001). And then the focus on ‘a hen’ wandering between the two borders with both the sides trying to catch her as a matter of ‘national pride’ is partially inspired from another similar classic short story from Manto titled “Tetwal Ka Kutta” (revolving around a stray dog moving between the borders of two neighbouring countries).
(Note: Please do let me know if you are aware of any other inspired movie which came in the period of Jan-Jun 2015 but is not listed here by chance.)
