Even Aamir Khan used to work on numerous films in a single year early on in his career. In the late 1990s, however, he chose to prioritise quality over quantity, and by the 2000s, he was only working on one film at a time.
Aamir has been unstoppable at the box office since making this career transition. So much so that Aamir has only had three bad films in the last 22 years: Mela (2000), Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), and Thugs of Hindostan (2018).
Aamir Khan, dubbed “Bollywood’s perfectionist,” is back on the big screen after four years with Laal Singh Chaddha, an official Hindi version of the 1994 cult hit Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks.
A lesser-known fact is that Aamir’s role in Laal Singh Chaddha isn’t his first in a Hollywood version. It’s most likely the first official one, considering Aamir has a lengthy history of popular films that have been plagiarised from Hollywood, dating back to the early 1990s.
Here’s a look at 12 popular Aamir Khan starrers that were Hollywood remakes:
1. Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991)
Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin was an unauthorised remake of the 1934 Hollywood film It Happened One Night, directed by Mahesh Bhatt and starring Aamir Khan and Pooja Bhatt.
2. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992)
Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, one of Aamir Khan’s most popular films, was inspired by the 1979 Hollywood film Breaking Away. Mansoor Khan directed the Hindi adaptation, which also starred Deepak Tijori, Ayesha Jhulka, and Pooja Bedi.
3. Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993)
The screenplay for this Mahesh Bhatt-directed film, which was an unauthorised remake of the 1958 Hollywood classic House Boat, was co-written by Aamir Khan.
Juhi Chawla and Kunal Kemmu played young performers in the film.
4. Baazi (1995)
Before the Oscar-nominated Lagaan, Aamir Khan collaborated with filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker on this 1995 action thriller based on the 1988 cult classic Die Hard.
Mamta Kulkarni, Paresh Rawal, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Mukesh Rishi also acted in the film.
5. Aatank Hi Aatank (1995)
Aamir Khan also starred in the remake of The Godfather, which is considered one of the best films of all time (1972). Aamir played Michael Corleone, a character inspired on Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone, in the film directed by Dilip Shankar.
Rajinikanth played a pivotal role in the film.
6. Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995)
Aamir Khan appeared in Mansoor Khan’s Akele Hum Akele Tum alongside Manisha Koirala, indicating that 1995 was a year of Hollywood remakes for him.
The film was an unauthorised remake of the Academy Award-winning film Kramer versus Kramer, which won the Academy Award in 1979.
7. Ghulam (1998)
The popular film, directed by Vikram Bhatt, stars Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, and Sharat Saxena. Ghulam, directed by Mukesh Bhatt and starring Sanjay Dutt, was a remake of Mahesh Bhatt’s 1988 film Kabzaa, which was a remake of 1954 Marlon Brando movie On The Waterfront.
8. Mann (1999)
Mann was directed by Indra Kumar and stars Aamir Khan, Manisha Koirala, and Anil Kapoor. An Affair To Remember, a 1957 Hollywood film, served as a major inspiration for the film.
9. Rang De Basanti (2006)
The fundamental storyline of the film, in which a group of students creates a play/documentary, appears to be influenced by the 1989 film Jesus of Montreal.
The film’s director, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, appears to have drawn influence from the 1948 film All My Sons.
10. Fanaa (2006)
The second half of Fanaa, starring Aamir Khan and Kajol, appears to be inspired by the 1981 Hollywood film Eye of the Needle and the 1999 Korean film Shiri.
11. Ghajini (2008)
Ghajini starred Aamir Khan, Asin, Jiah Khan, and Pradeep Rawat and was based on a Tamil film of the same name. It was largely influenced by Christopher Nolan’s breakout film Memento (2000).
12. Dhoom 3 (2013)
Christopher Nolan’s 2006 film The Prestige served as influence for the third instalment of the Dhoom trilogy.
