Dear director, no remakes please

In the age of remakes, let`s hope some films remain untouched.

Shomini Sen

With the new promos of ‘Agneepath’ dominating TV channels, Bollywood is ready for yet another remake. While I am personally excited to watch Hrithik Roshan in a brooding role (he last played a similar role in ‘Mission Kashmir’ eons of years ago) many feel that the sequel is unnecessary. I haven’t watched the original, so I really don’t know what the big deal is, but those who have and are fans of Amitabh’s portrayal of ‘Vijay Dinanath Chauhan’ are quite convinced that Hrithik’s portrayal of the same role will not be good enough. This is isn’t the first time that a ‘classic’ is being remade. In fact, several films are in the pipeline which are going to be remakes of old Bollywood hits. From ‘Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam’ to ‘Chupke Chupke’ to ‘Satte pe Satta’, all will have a modern version to it. In the recent past, Ram Gopal Varma has made a disastrous remake of cult classic ‘Sholay,’ Farhan Akhtar added a new twist in ‘Don’ and Sanjay Leela Bhansali also made his own version of ‘Devdas’. Now, all these old films were hugely successful during the time they were released…which got me thinking about whether directors will also try making remakes of films of my childhood? Will popular films of the 90s and the last decade be also remade? I sincerely hope not. Because some films are meant to be viewed time and again, the characters become part of one’s life and it is better to keep them the way they are…untouched. Here is a list of few films that I would hope are never remade again on celluloid. Mr India: Although there are rumours about a remake in the pipeline, nothing is final yet. And I really hope that it never gets finalized. The film was probably the first sci-fi in the commercial genre and had some wonderful moments. Think about it, would you want anyone else but Amrish Puri playing the much dreaded ‘Mogambo’? Baazigar: The film was any way a re-hash of two popular Hollywood flicks. But Shah Rukh Khan playing a negative character was a first. Apparently, many had warned SRK against doing the film and felt that it was a big gamble that the newcomer was taking in his career. But SRK put all speculations to rest and gave an outstanding performance as a youth out seeking revenge of his father’s death. Who can forget Khan’s spine chilling look when he tossed Shilpa Shetty off a high rise building. Hero No. 1: The film was a remake of 70s classic ‘Bawarchi’. While in the old film Rajesh Khanna played a friendly cook who unites a quarrelling family, in David Dhawan’s ‘Hero No. 1,’ Govinda played a rich brat who romances Karisma, an orphan brought up by her extended family. Govinda’s entry to her house as a replacement cook and how he unites a quarrelling family makes the story line. Govinda’s comic timing is unmatched. No other actor can do justice to that role other than him. Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke: Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla with bunch of kids doing havoc on screen. Stuff that childhood memories are made of. The film had an ordinary plot but super performances from Juhi Chawla, Dalip Tahil and the kids (one of them being Kunal Khemu). DDLJ: Raj for me will always be Shah Rukh Khan. No other actor, no matter how brilliant an actor he is, can essay the role of Raj the way SRK did. For me Raj and Simran’s story was perfect and I would prefer if no one ventured with the idea of a remake. Andaaz Apna Apna: The cult comedy of 90s had a mind blowing story and Aamir and Salman’s comic timing was just perfect. Can you imagine anyone else playing Amar and Prem or for that matter Crime Master Gogo? I can’t. Maine Pyaar Kiya: I was a fan of Salman Khan back then. The little me swooned every time Salman rode the bike inside his palatial house and wooed the virginal Bhagyashree. Their pairing was fresh and exuded innocent romance. And I don’t want that image of a young Salman to be replaced by anyone. These are just few of the films that I would hope remain untouched by filmmakers. What is your list?