Yet Another Remake from Priyadarshan
Last weekend, I had purchased the VCD of the Malayalam film Boeing Boeing. Two days back, I watched this film, for the fourth or fifth time. Directed by remake-specialist Priyadarshan, this film is inspired from the 1965 English film with the same name (I haven’t seen this film), but obviously, there is no reference given to the original in the Malayalam film.
I had enjoyed Boeing Boeing when I first watched it in 1992 or something. The film is a nonsense comedy, and most of it is picturized in a single room, with limited camera movements (cinematographed by S Kumar, in one of his earliest works) making it look like a videograph of some stage-show. However, it didn't hinder me from enjoying the film, since the theme of the film didn't demand much more than that. The performances by Mohanlal, Mukesh and Sukumari, and the situation-comedy had made the film interesting. However, I cant say that I liked the film that much when I watched it two days back. Probably, I got tired of it after repeated viewing, or the raw look of the film irritated me a bit - I don’t know.
A still from Garam Masala (Courtesy nowrunning dot com)
And then, yesterday I watched the remake of the remake, Garam Masala, the Hindi version of the film from Priyadarshan. It is mostly a scene-by-scene remake of the Malayalam film, but Priyadarshan has added a comedy scene from his another film - The scene where the heroes go to a restaurant with a girl, fight for paying the bill, and then realizing that they are pick-pocketed, both of them request the other to pay the bill - I don’t remember from which film this is taken; Probably it is from Aram + Aram = Kinnaram. The female cook in the Malayalam film (played by Sukumari) changes to male in Garam Masala, and is played by Paresh Rawal. Besides this, the film has a posher look compared to Boeing Boeing, as is expected from a Hindi film. Akshay Kumar and John Abraham do the roles played by Mohanlal and Mukesh respectively in the original. Obviously, they are no match for Mohanlal and Mukesh in comic timing and dialogue delivery and it would be very unfair to do any comparisons between Boeing Boeing and Garam Masala. But it has to be said that John Abraham disappoints most.
* * *
It is really funny that Garam Masala appears in the list of "10 best films of 2005" published by rediff. It is not that anyone would take such gimmicky lists seriously, but when I was going through this list, I often wondered whether it was the list of 10 best films or 10 worst films. The first nine films in the list are Hindi, so I was thinking that this is a selection from Bollywood films. However, the tenth film is Perumazhakkalam, so it is indeed a selection from all Indian language films. I must say that this list is one of the biggest jokes published in rediff recently.
* * *
Ramjirao Speaking has been one of my favorite Malayalam comedy films. Hera Pheri, Priyadarshan's Hindi remake of this film, was released when I was staying in Tapti hostel. After watching the film, many of my North Indian hostel-mates commented that it is very "different" and the best Hindi comedy film made after the Hrishikesh Mukherjee days. I think probably this would be true, considering that the "* No.1" series films from David Dawan are the only "other" comedy films to consider. However, when I watched Hera Pheri, I was disappointed. Priyadarshan had told in some interview that he had made some changes "to suit the tastes of Hindi audience", but I couldn't digest these changes, and felt that Hera Pheri is a poor remake.
I am afraid - Will the Malayalam movies like Vadakkunokkiyanthram, Nadodikkattu and Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu also get Priyadarshanized?
I had enjoyed Boeing Boeing when I first watched it in 1992 or something. The film is a nonsense comedy, and most of it is picturized in a single room, with limited camera movements (cinematographed by S Kumar, in one of his earliest works) making it look like a videograph of some stage-show. However, it didn't hinder me from enjoying the film, since the theme of the film didn't demand much more than that. The performances by Mohanlal, Mukesh and Sukumari, and the situation-comedy had made the film interesting. However, I cant say that I liked the film that much when I watched it two days back. Probably, I got tired of it after repeated viewing, or the raw look of the film irritated me a bit - I don’t know.
And then, yesterday I watched the remake of the remake, Garam Masala, the Hindi version of the film from Priyadarshan. It is mostly a scene-by-scene remake of the Malayalam film, but Priyadarshan has added a comedy scene from his another film - The scene where the heroes go to a restaurant with a girl, fight for paying the bill, and then realizing that they are pick-pocketed, both of them request the other to pay the bill - I don’t remember from which film this is taken; Probably it is from Aram + Aram = Kinnaram. The female cook in the Malayalam film (played by Sukumari) changes to male in Garam Masala, and is played by Paresh Rawal. Besides this, the film has a posher look compared to Boeing Boeing, as is expected from a Hindi film. Akshay Kumar and John Abraham do the roles played by Mohanlal and Mukesh respectively in the original. Obviously, they are no match for Mohanlal and Mukesh in comic timing and dialogue delivery and it would be very unfair to do any comparisons between Boeing Boeing and Garam Masala. But it has to be said that John Abraham disappoints most.
It is really funny that Garam Masala appears in the list of "10 best films of 2005" published by rediff. It is not that anyone would take such gimmicky lists seriously, but when I was going through this list, I often wondered whether it was the list of 10 best films or 10 worst films. The first nine films in the list are Hindi, so I was thinking that this is a selection from Bollywood films. However, the tenth film is Perumazhakkalam, so it is indeed a selection from all Indian language films. I must say that this list is one of the biggest jokes published in rediff recently.
Ramjirao Speaking has been one of my favorite Malayalam comedy films. Hera Pheri, Priyadarshan's Hindi remake of this film, was released when I was staying in Tapti hostel. After watching the film, many of my North Indian hostel-mates commented that it is very "different" and the best Hindi comedy film made after the Hrishikesh Mukherjee days. I think probably this would be true, considering that the "* No.1" series films from David Dawan are the only "other" comedy films to consider. However, when I watched Hera Pheri, I was disappointed. Priyadarshan had told in some interview that he had made some changes "to suit the tastes of Hindi audience", but I couldn't digest these changes, and felt that Hera Pheri is a poor remake.
I am afraid - Will the Malayalam movies like Vadakkunokkiyanthram, Nadodikkattu and Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu also get Priyadarshanized?
posted by Ratheesh at 8:33 AM
7 Comments:
Ratheesh, By the way did U know that Priyadarshan had the guts to say that he is quitting mainstream commercial movies in 2 years as he had enough of them.. Now I think we will have serious movies like Thaniyavarthanam, Dasarathan, Amaram and other serious good old mallu movies being remaked into Hindi with actors like Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Akshay kumar, who will not even fare in a scale of 10 when compared to the actors in the originals.
Hi Ratheesh,
I also heard he is planning remake of Punjabi House to Hindi
Regards
Suraj
Unnikrishnan,
That is interesting news. I have heard him saying in interviews that he is planning to make a film about the life of people who make clay-pots in a Tamil Nadu village. May be he will make that one now with John Abraham in the lead role.
I think if Priyadarshan is quitting mainstream cinema, he would be eyeing on remaking some of the Adoor and Shaji films, primarily. And I think probably he might have got enough dates from Salman Khan to star in all of them. Priyadarshan has already commented in an interview with rediff that Salman Khan has performed better than Mohanlal in the remake of Thalavattam. So, I think the team is now all set to remake the Malayalam classics.
Rediff's article on "best & worst films of 2005" was a big joke...Perumazhakkalam on the top looks quite funny as it was actually released on 2004 :-) And they have included a film called "Socha na tha", which actually can be considered as one of worst films of the Century!
Once Priyadharshan was considered as a good director of comedy films in Malayalam...then he lost himself in films like Kakkakkuyil, "KiliChundan Maambazham" etc....Same is what going to happen with him in Hindi.
--suneesh
Watch a funny scene from Ramjirao speaking dvd just released by sandhya films. The original Hera Pheri. The movie which Priyadarshan copied for Hera Pheri. The acting of the main stars Innocent, Mukesh and Saikumar far better than Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty Paresh Rawal
[url]http://www.youtube.com/v/BFJvyDAJUUc[/url]
Even KALAPANI is a remake of an English Film 'PAPILON" released on1973. change is instaed of Guyana it is Andaman.
by newuploaders@gmail.com
Priyadrshan is one of the best Director in the malayalam films. I must say he love malayalam and malayalam films. After Hariharan and Balachandra Menon Priyadarshan became the best comedian director in malayalam movies.It is true that he stolen storis from many english films. Becouse when he started his film career very expensive to make films.in malayalam films classical films are not running even a week.Priyadarshan's hard work is appreciatable. stealing is happening every film industry. 1988 Megahit TEZAAB is stolen from a hollywood film.The Director is famous N.Chandra.
Everyone know Priyan is a MA psychology he never minds these kind of criticism. Everyone enjoys his films that is an award of him exept a National award.
Dinesh Noida
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