The Rip Off Factory – Bollywood!! PART TWO
Ok, so heres the next lot,
17. E.T = KOI MIL GAYA
E.T(1982) is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore and Peter Coyote. It tells the story of Elliott (played by Thomas), a lonely boy who befriends a friendly extraterrestrial, dubbed “E.T.”, who is stranded on Earth. Elliott and his siblings help the extraterrestrial return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government.
Koi Mil Gaya(2003) is directed by Rakesh Roshan and thus, HAS to star Hrithik Roshan, others being Priety Zinta, Rekha and a host of child artists. Now, Roshan Sr knew for it to click, it has to appeal to the younger audience. For it to appeal to the younger audience, there has to be something he can relate to. With Hrithik in the cast, job became even difficult. So, to introduce familier turf, schools, games, picnics etc, Hrithik has to make do with the role of a mentally challanged kid who fails every year. This probably would have been the only brain-storming that has gone into making this movie apart from the absolute essential ones deciding on songs, costumes, locations speacial effects etc. Watch it if you absolutely have to.
The movie was a big hit and Hrithik was praised no end for his performance.
18. PAYCHECK = KRISSH
Paycheck(2003) is directed by John Woo and stars Ben Afleck and Uma Thurman. It belongs to the Sci-fi, action genre. Ben Afleck is *used* by his former mate to develop a machine that can peek into the future. Afleck, one fine day, remembers nothing of the job and is left with an envelope. The money and shares that he was promised for the job seem to have been donated by himself! He then embarks on a mission to find out the truth while at the same time staying away from the cluthes of FBI and his *evil* mate(forgot the guy’s name).
Krrish(2006) is directed by Rakesh Roshan and stars Hrithik Roshan(obviously, papa ki film), Priyanka Chopra, Rekha and Naseeruddin Shah. Ok, so now time to make a sequel to Koi Mil Gaya, easy, pick up some more hollywood DVDs! Gotta say though, its not as a copy paste job as its prequel was, but still the bits about the machine that can predict the future and what happens to the guy who built it, seem straight lifts. As far as the super-heroic activities of Krrish is concerned, its a mix of Spider-Man’s acrobatics and Jackie Chan’s fighting skills. Duuhhhh!!! And the costumes, remember Underworld anyone? Striking resemblence, hai na?? Heck, even the damn poster seems lifted! Entertaining, sure, for kids still in the single digit age group!
19. THE HARD WAY = MAIN KHILADI TU ANAADI
The Hard Way(1991) is an action comedy directed by John Badham and stars Michael J Foxx and James Woods.
Foxx is a movie actor who wants to bag a role in a cop drama movie, and wants to be “authentic”! After seeing Wood’s outburst on the telly, he is convinced this is THE cop whose manners he would want to portray on-screen. Digs up his contacts and manages become the new partner of Wood’s. What ensues is absolute fun!!
Foxx is just too brilliant as an actor who wants to “learn”!! Woods is good to as a stern cop.
Main Khiladi Tu Anadi(1994) is directed by Sameer Malkan. Stars Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Raageshwari. Needless to say, its copied beyond recognition! lol!! Its amazing actually, to see the kind of effort thats put in just to ‘tweak’ the original to accomadate the bollywood favs – romance, song, dance, melodrama!! Watch it if you can bear all of the above and more!!
Seriously, these guys should exert a li’l more and they can obviously come up with an original script. Talk about lazy people!
20. A KISS BEFORE DYING = BAAZIGAR
A Kiss Before Dying(1991) is directed by James Dearden and stars Matt Dillon, Sean Young and Diane Ladd. Matt Dillion is just an ordinary guy with extra-ordinary desire for wealth. The shortest and easiest way he can think of, is through a bussiness magnet’s daughter( Sean Young). But when Sean tells him shes pregnant and her father would dis-own her if he learns the truth, Matt is dejected. Eventually he kills her and frames it as a suicide. Now he aims at getting to his goals through her younger sis!! Success this time buttt the younger sibling still maintains her sis was killed and continues to investigate the unfortunate murders that keep happening around her. Worth a watch just for Matt Dillion, does a “bloody” good job!!
Baazigar(1993) is directed by Abbas-Mustan and stars Shahrukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Kajol, Siddharth and Dilip Tahil. Plot is a direct lift, frame by frame. But, how can a *hero* have such unmoralistic desires about money and fame? So a sub plot is developed just to justify the mis-deeds that our *hero* is upto. But anyway, it is a fun watch, atleast for those interested in typical bollywood masala!
This was a crucial movie for almost everyone who was involved with it!! (Even more reason to bank upon a tried and tested scrpit??) And was a runaway success too!!
21. I AM SAM = MAIN AISA HI HOON
I am Sam(2001) is directed by Jessie Nelson and stars Sean Penn, Dakota Fanning, Dianne Wiest, Loretta Devine, Richard Schiff, Laura Dern and Michelle Pfeiffer. Its a drama about a mentally retarded father who desparately wants to win the custody of his child.
Main Aisa Hi Hoon(2005) is directed by Harry Baweja, and stars Ajay Devgan, Sushmita Sen, Esha Deol and Anupam Kher. Same story and similar treatement. Ajay works very hard to try and look authentic but am sad to say, it looks more like a cheap imitation. Sushmita is good as the lawyer. Esha, well, crappy. Don’t bother with this one. Sat away.
22. THE ROCK = QAYAMAT – CITY UNDER THREAT
The Rock(1996) is directed by Michael Bay and stars Nicholas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris and Michael Biehn. In signature Bay Style, the movie a visual treat. It is a story about a handfull of terrorists who are holding some hostages and rockets with chemical payloads(deadly viruses) on a secluded island. This island was formerly a prison. Any attempts to use force will obviously upset the mad men, and so the only way out is to be discreet. Though a maze of underground sewer lines exists but there is no map. The goverments’ last ray of hope is a former convict(Sean) who was the only one ever to escape the prison. With his and a chemical engineer’s(Cage) help, the government hopes to regain control of the dicey situation.
Qayamat is a disaster, to say it very politely. Directed by Harry Baweja, it stars, Ajay Devgan, Ashis Caudhary, Neha Dhupia, Riya Sen, Sunil Shetty, Arbaaz Khan, Sanjay Kapoor and many more!! Gosh! Coming to the plot, same. Actually a xeroxed copy. With some blank spaces, of course. For the songs and dance routines. Aah and yes, for some crappy skin show too. This is serious shitty stuff. Steer very clear of this. Save your head!!
23. BLUE STREAK = CHOR MACHAYE SHOR
Blue Streak(1999) is directed by Les Mayfield and stars Martin Lawrence, Luke Wilson, Dave Chappelle, William Forsythe and Nicole Ari Parker. Its a story about a thief, who hides a diamond he stole, at a construction site. When he returns from prison after 2 years, that constrution site is now the LAPD headquarters!! But determined to get his diamond back, he ‘infiltrates’ the deptt. and absolute chaos follows! Not a laugh riot but it sure tickles your funny bone all throughout! Martin Lawrence is fantabulous as the thief in a cop’s disguise!!
Now, Choe Machay Shor(2002) is directed by David Dhawan and stars Bobby Deol, Paresh Rawal, Shilpa Shetty, Bipasha Basu and Om Puri. Pathetic movie. Watch it if only you are a die had fan of Bobby THE Deol or want a headache.
24. WEST SIDE STORY = JOSH
West Side Story(1961) is directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. It stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris. The movie deals with rivalry between two street gangs of NY – the Jets and the Sharks. The young protagonist, Tony, one of the Jets, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. Haven’t actuallt seen this one.
Josh(2000) directed by Mansoor Khan and stars Shahrukh Khan, Aishwariya Rai, Chandchur Singh, Sharad Kapoor and Priya Gill. When I read about the West Side story, I couldn’t help but smile on the simlarities between the two. Obvious rip-off. But, I am sure some parts of the plot are *indegenious*.The movie in itself is what you call typical bollywood cinema, love, action, comedy, drama, emotions, it has everything. And for once, I kinda liked Aishwariya on screen. Shahrukh too plays his part well as the uneducated roadside goon. What comes as a surprise though, is Chanchur Singh. Unfazed by the pressence of big names, he delivers a good performance. A very watchable flick.
25. UNFAITHFUL = MURDER
Unfaithful(2002) is an erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne, and stars Diane Lane, Richard Gere, Olivier Martinez and Erik Per Sullivan. It is about a couple living in the suburbs of New York City whose marriage goes dangerously awry when the wife indulges in an adulterous fling with a stranger she randomly encounters in Manhattan. Highlight of the movie is the extended passionate sex scenes between Diane and Oliver.
Murder(2004) directed by Anurag Basu and stars Mallika Sherawat, Emraan Hashmi and Ashmit Patel. Same plot. Similar scenes and treatment. Mallika Sherawat “exposes” to her heart’s content, Emraan Hashmi kisses to his heart’s extent. All in all, a rather uninspiring rip-off. Ashmit Patel, hmm, why does he even bother to try and be an actor, this is so not the field for him. Naa shakal hai, na akal haii!!
26. 9 MONTHS = SALAAM NAMASTE
9 Months(1995) is a romantic comedy directed by Chris Columbus. starring Hugh Grant, Julianne Moore, Tom Arnold, Joan Cusack, Jeff Goldblum and Robin Williams. Hugh Grantis having an ideal romance with Julianne Moore, but soon its turned upside-down when he learns he’s going to be a father. His fears mount due to his encounters with an overbearing couple, their unruly daughters and the confusing advice he gets from his perpetually single artist friend (Jeff Goldblum). Too uninvolved with Rebecca’s needs, Samuel parts company with her and takes a last stab at playing the field, but when he sees an ultrasound of his soon-to-be-born son, he decides that it’s time to take responsibilities before it’s too late.
The movie is a bit of a drag if you ask me. Since the script is rather lacking, so they have tried to include humor to plug in the gaps. Not a good thing. Overall, performance wise, Hugh Grant and Robin Williams are good but rest of the cast is just about average.
Salaam Namaste(2005) isdirected by Siddharth Anand. The film stars Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffery and Tania Zaetta. Saif is chef and Priety is a medical student and a part time RJ. After a couple of casual encounters, Saif falls for her and convinces her to share an apartment with him. Soon they fall in *love*. Alls well until Preity finds out that she is pregnant. Saif freaks out and proposes to get the child aborted, but when Priety refuses, the relationship goes into troubled waters. Saif leaves her only to return later. The script is not an exact copy paste but you can clearly identify the “inspirations”. Overall, I would say a fun watch. You wouldn’t get bored and it doesn’t drag.
That’s all from my side, over to you, Anand saheb
27. LOVE ACTUALLY = SALAAM – E – ISHQ
28. THE WEDDING SINGER = HAR DIL JO PYAAR KAREGA
29. THREE MEN AND A BABY = HEYY BABY
30. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER = KUCCH TOH HAI
31. HITCH = PARTNER
32. THE USUAL SUSPECTS = CHOCOLATE
33. LIAR LIAR = KYUNKI MAIN JHOOTH NAHI BOLTA
To be continued, next part coming soon!!
