It can be difficult to find motivation. When people do discover it, though, they go on to make fantastic films. And that wonderful stuff can be both great and pretty bad at times. Take, for example, these filmmakers who drew inspiration from other people’s work.
1. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S and Patch Adams
Munna Bhai is a famous film franchise in India, and audiences have praised the film’s core. The truth remains, however, that the first film in this series was strongly influenced by Robbin Williams’ Patch Adams.
2. Zinda and Oldboy
Park Chan Wook’s masterpiece is still regarded as one of the best action thrillers of all time and has spawned several remakes. Sanjay Dutt’s Zinda will be the Bollywood remake. The Hindi film, on the other hand, does not delve into the darker aspects of Oldboy, and thus comes across as a bland, haphazard adaptation at best.
3. Qayamat and The Rock
The Rock, starring Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage, is a total rip-off of Ajay Devgn’s Aside from a few minor plot twists, the film’s plot, animation, and action scenes are nearly similar.
4. Taxi No. 9211 and Changing Lanes
Both films revolved around a rich young man who finds himself at the mercy of a mercurial cab driver. Changing Lanes, starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson, was released well before its Hindi counterpart.
5. Shaurya and A Few Good Men
Despite being a remake of Tom Cruise’s military courtroom drama, Shaurya has its own plot and is focused on Islamophobia. Is it faithful to the original film? It’s up to you to make the decision.
6. Partner and Hitch
Although both films are ludicrous slapstick comedies that operate in their own ways and have various subplots that are distinct from one another, they both adhere to the same premise until the very end, making them sound more similar than they should. Also, Hitch was released much before Partner.
7. Judwaa and Twin Dragons
The storey of two identical twin brothers who were separated as children and grew up in entirely different worlds before they reunited at a later point in life was told in Jackie Chan’s Twin Dragons. Doesn’t it sound like a good time? At the very least, for the 1990s? Yeah, it sounded like a lot of fun to the makers of Judwaa.
8. Salaam-e-Ishq and Love, Actually
This had to be the most blatant remake ever. The posters are also similar. Although the subplots diverge, the film maintains a consistent theme throughout its length, making it feel similar to Love Actually but not nearly as sweet.
9. Dostana and Now I pronounce you Chuck and Larry
Dostana’s ensemble was sexy, but they couldn’t compete with Adam Sandler and Kevin James in terms of comedic brilliance. Not that the original film was any better, but it was at least less cringe-worthy to watch.
10. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and Breaking Away
Sure, there are variations between the films, but the central themes seem to be far too similar. And, as much as we admire Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Breaking Away accomplished the same feat in 1979.
11. A Common Man and A Wednesday
Other film industries rarely come knocking on Bollywood’s door looking for scripts to plagiarise, but this was one of those occasions. Ben Kingsley, an Academy Award winner, plays Naseeruddin Shah in the Sri Lankan film.
12. Sangam and Pearl Habor
Following its debut, the Ben Affleck-starring film was nominated for four Academy Awards. However, it appears to be based on Raj Kapoor’s Sangam, a film about a love triangle set against the backdrop of war. Both films are actually very successful dramas, in case you were wondering. As a result, you can try either one.
13. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale and Hachiko Monogatari
Of course, the heartbreaking tale of Hachiko is based on true events, but it is also influenced by the 1987 Japanese film Hachiko Monogatari. The storey follows an Akita dog who waits for his human for 9 years at a train station, unaware that he is dead.
14. Kimba the White Lion and The Lion King
And we were under the impression that The Lion King was a Hamlet adaptation. However, since its publication, fans have been pleading with Disney to acknowledge Kimba’s creators as a major influence on the film’s characters. Simba and Co’s developers, on the other hand, have consistently denied any links to Kimba. When the film was released in Japan, however, over 400 Japanese animators and cartoonists signed a letter urging Disney to credit and recognise Kimba.
15. Paprika and Inception
Yup, you heard that right. Precious fanboys will have trouble believing this but Christopher Nolan’s Inception had been inspired by Satoshi Kon’s animated film Paprika, where the characters use technology that allows them to navigate dreams.
16. Miracle and Chak De India
Both films are about hockey teams who triumph against all odds to win Olympic gold or the World Cup. SRK and Kurt Russell both give speeches that encourage their respective teams to do so. While the subplots differ due to a large number of characters in both films, they are fundamentally the same.
After all, inspiration will come from the most unexpected locations.
