Bollywood remakes of South Indian movies, from Bholaa, Wanted to Sooryavansham and more
For years, Bollywood directors have tapped into content-rich yet massy movies like Singam (2010) in Tamil and Manichitrathazhu (1993) in Malayalam, which established formulae for genuine commercial blockbusters as Bollywood remakes of South Indian films. With franchise hits such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Drishyam, and Singham attaining much-needed renown, film critics are still reworking successful South Indian films with Bollywood superstars.
All things considered, however, remakes of films like Wanted, Hera Pheri, and Singham have been some of the biggest successes of performers with immense star power like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Ajay Devgn, and these are still watched on OTT.
Here are some of the Bollywood movies that were remakes of popular South films. Have a look.
Bholaa (2023)
The upcoming release of Ajay Devgn and Tabu starrer has already collected a big audience due to its risky stunts and powerful action scenes. However, this movie is also a remake of South Indian film Kaithi, which was released in 2019. Lokesh Kanagaraj directed Kaithi, which stars Karthi in the major role. The film is the first installment in the filmmaker’s ‘Lokesh Cinematic Universe’.
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Vikram Vedha (2022)
The film is a remake of a 2017 Tamil film of the same name that was released in 2017. Vikram (played by Saif Ali Khan), a tough cop, is pursuing the feared mobster Vedha (played by Hrithik Roshan). After Vedha voluntarily surrenders, he offers to tell Vikram a narrative, causing chaos in Vikram’s life.
Wanted (2009)
Pokiri, a Telugu film starring megastar Mahesh Babu, was released in 2006. It has been recreated in Hindi with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. Radhe (played by Salman Khan) is introduced as a mobster who swaps allegiances between two major gangs and commits contract killings. He is madly in love with Jhanvi (played by Ayesha Takia), who wants him to change. Gani Bhai (Prakash Raj) of the Golden Gang plays a dreaded villain whom Radhe vows to defeat and bring the fight between the Golden Gang and Datta Pawle’s gang to an end. He does, however, have another side to him that is revealed later in the film.
Sooryavansham (1999)
E. V. V. Satyanarayana directed Sooryavansham, a 1999 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical drama film. Amitabh Bachchan plays two characters, and the cast also includes Soundarya, Jayasudha, Rachna Banerjee, Anupam Kher, and Kader Khan. The film is a remake of the 1997 Tamil-language film Suryavamsam, and it centers around a traditional father and his illiterate but obedient son, following their strained relationship and demonstrating how severe patriarchy causes a drift between them.
Kabir Singh (2019)
This film is a remake of the Telugu film Arjun Reddy (2017), which established Vijay Devarakonda as a national hero. Notwithstanding the criticism he received for the director's misogynistic treatment of his character, his fierce, rugged lover-boy persona was well-liked. Kabir (played by Shahid Kapoor) is a great resident surgeon at the Delhi Institute of Medical Sciences who falls in love with Preeti, one of his juniors (played by Kiara Advani). Kabir’s domineering personality and anger issues exacerbate family opposition, resulting in their split and Kabir's descent into alcoholism.
Drishyam (2015)
The original Drishyam (2013), directed by Jeethu Joseph, starring Mohanlal, who gives one of his best performances in this thriller. The film’s edge screenplay, slick direction, and superb performances make it a must-see. Vijay Salgaonkar (played by Ajay Devgn) lives a tranquil life in Goa as a cable TV operator. He is a commoner who leads a fairly routine life with his wife Nandini (played by Shriya Saran) and two daughters. Their lives are turned upside down when a child from his eldest daughter’s class goes missing, who is also the only son of IG Meera Deshmukh (played by Tabu). Vijay and his family are being investigated by police for their suspected involvement in the crime.
Singham (2010)
Tamil cinema superstar Suriya played the lead character in Hari’s first Singam (2010). The film became an instant hit and influenced Rohit Shetty’s cop universe. Singham, the 2010 film by Shetty, shattered all box office records. Shetty had a triumphant comeback with the 2021 movie Sooryavanshi, which also starred Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, and Ajay Devgn. He also returned with a few sequels in the franchise. The remake follows Bajirao Singham (played by Ajay Devgn) being transferred to Goa, which is controlled by a corrupt politician Jaikant Shikre (played by Prakash Raj). Singham, being an honest and brave police officer, stands up against the injustices committed by Jaikant, making him look weak and foolish.
