Beyond Imitating Hollywood

I just finished reading a wonderful piece in the Hindu Sunday Magazine on the new generation directors in Bollywood who are going beyond cut-pasting Hollywood films. In his article, Bangalore-based film maker Vijay Nair analyses the film making styles of the Imtiaz Ali and Vishal Bharadwaj, and points out that they are tuning to the new Indian audiences by "learning to keep themselves open to a more eclectic set of influences."

In other words, even if their films are 'inspired' by literature and films of the West, they have adapted their offerings (Ali's Love Aaj Kal and Bharadwaj's Omkaara and Kaminey) to suit Indian sensibilities.

I really loved the way Nair demolished the Karan Johar school of film making for its ham-handed way of mixing and matching scenes in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna from the original Falling in Love (starring Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep). It has taken more than 10 years for a Bollywood biggie like Johar to come up with a superior product like Wake Up Sid--and ironically, that one is not directed by him.

Talking about remakes and inspirations, Indiatimes.com has an interesting compilation of the films that Kamal Haasan copied, adapted and remade as a scriptwriter and producer. And more often than not, he has tried to prove the Urdu adage that Naqal ke liye bhi Akal ki Zaroorat Hoti Hai.