A hotspot for inspiration, Bollywood has casually thrown around the word. From taking inspiration from every scene to getting inspired by the plot, many Bollywood movies are a throwback to some of the greatest Hollywood cinema. While the movie factory in Mumbai churns out some good authentic stories, there are some which are not so original. Today, we are going to unravel such movies which were copied or inspired from some other movie. So, without wasting any more time, we will directly head to list of top 5 Bollywood movies that were copied.
Dhamaal -- It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
The 2007 hit comedy Dhamaal was loved by everyone. The quirky one-liners, the funny plot and crazy characters wreaking havoc on the streets of Goa were praised by the fans and critics but the movie isn’t an original one. This copied Bollywood movie is actually based on 1963’s It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Dhamaal takes a lot of inspiration from the classic, including the hidden treasure and big W sign. Since Dhamaal was inspired by a 60s Hollywood classic, not many could identify it.
Murder -- Unfaithful
Erotic thriller of Anurag Basu which made Emraan Hashmi a mainstay in the Bollywood traces the story of a married woman who decides to have an affair with her college ex. Story of extra-marital which featured Malika Sherawat created a lot of controversies for its bold story but what if this famous Bollywood movie is also a copy from Hollywood? The movie is a remake of Hollywood’s 2002 release Unfaithful which itself was a remake of 1969 French movie titled Unfaithful Life. The basic storyline was picked and used in Murder by adding a little bit of Indian masala to it.
Agneepath -- Scarface
This name on the list of copied Bollywood movies was even a surprise for us too. Big B’s portrayal of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan bagged him a national award but the infamous story of the movie isn’t that unique. Yes, the movie Agneepath which is written by Santosh Saroj and produced by Yash Johar is actually based on Alpacino’s classic Scarface, which released 7 years before Agneepath. The story of Scarface is pretty similar to Agneepath and it too traces the journey of a man and his rise to power. However, Agneepath puts in some efforts to create a backstory of its own, which would resonate with the Indian audience.
Abhimaan -- A Star Is Born
Story of a male singer falling in love with a woman who can sing too and who eventually goes onto becoming more famous than her husband has been made in tens of films all across the globe and India being an avid movie-loving country adapted one too in Abhiman. However, this wasn’t the first time this was made on-screen, earning Abhimaan its name in the list of Bollywood movies which were actually copied. The first movie to use this premise was A Star is Born, released in 1937. The idea of Amitabh Bachchan marrying and mentoring a young Jaya Bachchan was loved by fans of Big B but would they have loved it the same if they had known the reality of this movie?
Aradhana -- To Each His Own
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A movie which cemented Rajesh Khanna’s place in Bollywood’s Hall of Fame, Aradhna is also a Bollywood movie copied from Hollywood. Aradhana seeks a lot of inspiration from Hollywood’s To Each His Own which was released in 1946. To Each, His Own follows the story of a woman, who after an affair gives birth to her son, but due to unfavourable circumstances has to give him up to be reunited years later. Doesn’t this strike a lot of similarity with Rajesh Khanna’s movie? Even the lead characters share a similar backstory, belonging to Air Force. Who would have thought that Bollywood was seeking inspirations that early?
How many of these Bollywood movies did you know were actually copied from Hollywood? Well, if you like this, share it with your friends and we will keep adding to the list to make sure you know everything about your favourite film.
