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Monday, March 17, 2008

Remakes

In last couple of years a new phase in Indian cinema has started and i.e. "Remaking" some yesteryear film. Concept of remaking a film is not new in west. Many superhit/cult classic films have been remade in recent times. However, few gutsy film-makers from India decided and have started remaking old "Classic" films. Here I have mentioned word "classic" in particular because if we observe in India anything which is more than 20-30 years old becomes classic. As I am talking about films, if some film was made 30 years ago then it is not called as hit or flop but it is called as "Classic". The recent examples are DON, RGV Ki Aag. If you ask me I have seen old DON (Amitabh Bachchan) 'n' no. of times and I love it. Still, I liked the new DON very much. The only reason I liked it because it was a director's movie for me. It was beyond charisma or star status of Shahrukh Khan. The climax of new DON was absolute high point and it was masterstroke from writing point of view. However, in an old DON the film belonged to Amitabh Bachchan. If we take out Amitabh Bachchan from that film then from direction and execution point of view it becomes yet another old 70's style of routine hindi action film. Next we saw release of RGV Ki AAG. I better not talk about this anything. RGV Ki AAG was a complete letdown and disaster. Its hard to believe that how a master director like Ram Gopal Varma can make this kind of film. I am sure he must have gone insane. Anyway, coming back to concept of remaking a film. Personally, I think there is no harm in remaking any film. After all its just another story and other directors are also having absolute right of interpreting that story in their own way considering they have bought rights of an original story. E.g. last years Academy Award winning film "The Departed - a Martin Scorcesse picture" was a remake of cult classic and smash hit Hong Kong film "Internal Affairs". I have seen Internal Affairs as well as The Departed and man look what Scorcesse has made. The Departed is a masterpiece in its own way. Internal Affairs was more of fast-paced action/thriller kind of film whereas The Departed is a gangster thriller/drama. Hence, looking at both these films, I think films should be remade. Another example is films based on a literary "classic" DEVDAS. Since 1928 till today 9 films have been made on this book and according to the reports 2 more films by Sudhir Mishra and Anurag Kashyap respectively are in the pipeline . I have seen only 2 versions respectively by Bimal Roy and Sanjay Leela Bhansali and I liked neither of them. The story of Devdas didn't worked for me. I didn't found anything painful or full of emotion in that story rather I found character of Devdas foolish and childish. Anyways, coming back to remakes so if we look at the history of films made on Devdas or remakes of certain old english films, I think if a director is convinced then he or she should remake a film.

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