01/11When Bollywood remakes tried to recreate the magic of these classics once again

When Bollywood remakes tried to recreate the magic of these classics once again

The Bollywood film industry has given us many iconic hit films over the decades. These films have stayed with the audiences throughout the years. Although Bollywood is known for its originality when it comes to content, there are quite a few filmmakers who try to recreate an iconic film to gain in on that popularity. But as they say, old is gold. While some remade films did work on the box-office, others went on to become failures because nothing can be as good as the original. Although most remakes tend to fail at the box-office, filmmakers are still giving this trend a go. Here is a list of iconic Bollywood films that were remade.
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02/11'Sholay'

'Sholay'
Yes, of course, 'Sholay' has to be on the top of our list because it is touted to be the greatest Bollywood film ever made. The film follows two criminals, Veeru and Jai (played by Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan, respectively), hired by a retired police officer (Sanjeev Kumar) to capture the ruthless dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). The film had turned into a cult film and still enjoys quite a huge fan following. However, Ram Gopal Varma decided to recreate the film and titled it ‘Aag’. The film tanked at the box-office and is one of the lowest rated Bollywood films. Even though the film had a stellar cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Sushmita Sen, it still failed to impress the audience. Let's just say some classics shouldn't be touched.readmore

03/11'Umrao Jaan'

'Umrao Jaan'
Yet another iconic Bollywood film, 'Umrao Jaan' was a 1981 Bollywood film directed by Muzaffar Ali. Based on the 1905 Urdu novel 'Umrao Jaan Ada', the film tells the story of a Lucknow courtesan and her rise to fame. Rekha as the poignant and beautiful courtesan stole the hearts of everyone across the nation. When the film was remade in 2006, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had taken on the role that Rekha had so beautifully portrayed in the original. Although one might think Aishwarya's beauty and grace might have been enough to make the film a hit, that didn't happen. The film didn't really do well at the box-office despite having a stellar star cast. The only saving grace in the film was actress Shabana Azmi.readmore

04/11'Agneepath'

'Agneepath'
'Agneepath' is a 1990 Indian crime drama film directed by Mukul Anand. It stars Amitabh Bachchan as the protagonist Vijay Deenanath Chauhan. The title was taken from a poem of the same name called 'Agneepath' which was penned by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Amitabh's father, and which is recited at the beginning of the movie and creates a thematic link that continues through the movie, particularly in the climax, both literally and metaphorically. Amitabh's performance in the film was highly appreciated. In 2012, the film was remade by Karan Johar. Though publicised as a remake, the film borrows only the basic plot of the original, while making the characters and incidents completely different. Hrithik Roshan played the lead role of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan and Sanjay Dutt played the role of the antagonist Kancha. Just like the original film, this film too won hearts and went on to become a blockbuster hit.readmore

05/11'Don'

'Don'
'Don' is a 1978 Indian crime thriller action film, written by Salim-Javed. The film starred Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. Amitabh played a double role, as Bombay underworld boss Don and his lookalike Vijay. The film's plot revolves around Vijay, a Bombay slum-dweller who resembles the powerful crime boss Don, being asked by law enforcement officer DSP D'Silva (Iftekhar) to masquerade as Don, in order to act as an informant for the police and track down the root of the criminal organization. In 2006, the film was remade and was helmed by Farhan Akhtar. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles and follows the titular criminal's look-alike who has been sent on a clandestine mission to impersonate Don after he is wounded in a chase, and to infiltrate the plans of the drug mafia. Much like the original, SRK starrer 'Don' too went on to become a hit.readmore

06/11'Himmatwala'

'Himmatwala'
'Himmatwala' was a 1983 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film. It starred Jeetendra and late actress Sridevi in the lead roles. The film revolves around an evil landlord who falsely accuses a temple priest of stealing money, causing him to commit suicide. Years later, his son decides to take revenge on the landlord by marrying his daughter. In 2013, the film was remade and was written and directed by Sajid Khan. The film featured Ajay Devgn and Tamannaah in the lead roles. Unfortunately, for the makers, the film fell flat on its face. Not even Ajay Devgn's acting could save this one. It turned out to be one of the lowest rated films of that year, with multiple publishing houses giving it 1 or 2 stars.readmore

07/11'Devdas'

'Devdas'
When it comes to remakes, 'Devdas' is one film that is certainly a favourite. From 1953 to 2013 the film has been made not less than seven times. Be it in Bengali, Hindi, Assamese or Telegu. In 1955 the film was made in Bollywood and starred Dilip Kumar in the title role and Vyjayanthimala in her first dramatic role where she played as Chandramukhi, a sex worker with a heart of gold and Suchitra Sen in her Bollywood debut as Parvati in the lead. The film did so well that it was ranked as a must watch film by many publications. Years later in 2002, the film was remade by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It starred Shah Rukh Khan as Devdas, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Paro and Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi. Needless to say the film was very well recieved by the audience and critics alike. It went on to become a blockbuster hit.readmore

08/11'Zanjeer'

'Zanjeer'

'Zanjeer' was a 1973 Indian crime action film, written by Salim-Javed. It starred Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Pran, Ajit and Bindu. The film changed Hindi cinema's trend from romance films to crime action films, and pioneered Bachchan's new image of a brooding but explosive person who fights back when cornered, known as "The Angry Young Man." In 2013, the film was officially remade with the same name. The film marked the Bollywood debut of Tollywood actor Ram Charan in the lead role along with Priyanka Chopra. The film received mixed to negative reviews from the critics. Despite having such strong actors, the film failed to attract an audience. Although the film was shot simultaneously in Hindi and in Telegu, bothe versions tanked at the box-office.
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09/11'Chashme Baddoor'

'Chashme Baddoor'
'Chashme Buddoor' was a 1981 romantic comedy-buddy film starring Farooq Shaikh, Deepti Naval, Rakesh Bedi, Ravi Baswani and Saeed Jaffrey. The film is about three students; Siddharth (Farooq Shaikh), Omi (Rakesh Bedi) and Jai (Ravi Baswani) at Delhi University, who don't go home during summer vacation and how a girl Neha (Deepti Naval) comes into their lives. The film was a Golden jubilee hit. The remake version directed by David Dhawan and the original digitally restored film were both released on 5 April 2013. The remade version starred Ali Zafar, Siddharth, Taapsee Pannu and Divyendu Sharma in lead roles. Much like its predecessor, this film too was a critical and commercial success at the box-office.readmore

10/11'Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam'

'Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam'
'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam' was a 1962 Indian Hindi film produced by Guru Dutt. It is based on a Bengali novel, 'Shaheb Bibi Golam' by Bimal Mitra, and is a look into the tragic fall of the haveli-dom and feudalism in Bengal during the British Raj. The title of the movie and the story is a reference to the plot simultaneously exploring a platonic friendship between a beautiful, lonely wife (Bibi) of an aristocrat (Sahib) and a career-driven low-income part-time servant (Ghulam). The film was remade by Tigmanshu Dhulia as 'Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster'. The film starred Jimmy Shergill, Mahi Gill, and Randeep Hooda in lead roles. It released on 30 September 2011, and received an extremely positive response from critics, and was a moderate success at the box office.readmore