Devdas, Don, Sholay, Karz, Parineeta, Othello and Mcbeth. These names will certainly ring a bell for the movie buffs for these are the names of a few classic blockbusters or works of literature which have been or are being planned to be made into movies. These names highlight the latest trend in Bollywood--- the trend of remakes and adaptations.
Remaking classics is like reincarnating them. The very fact that these movies were big hits of their time brings with it an assurance that the subject of the movie has the approval of the audience. So, while this gives the movie the initial publicity and audience, the rest entirely depends on how the new directors mould the subject according to the present requirements.
The trend of remaking is extremely popular these days but it doesn’t enjoy support from all sections of people. There are some who feel that classic works of cinema are like gems that should be preserved and the sanctity of which should not be desecrated by the materialistic visions of the present century directors. The directors, however, regard it as their way of paying tribute to the legends. Remaking is also considered as a means of bringing classic works to the notice of the younger generation and making it popular among them.
An important question that this trend of adaptations and remakes raises is whether the director has any creative liberty in such cases or not. Some believe that interfering with a classic work of art is sacrilegious, while others believe that sometimes changes are necessary to suit the requirements of the present time. The future of this trend cannot be predicted, but it can be hoped that it stays for some time because this licensed plagiarism is any time better than the blatant copying of a
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ReplyDeleteI think every such film which is a remake or so-called-inspiration, should be judged by it's individual merit.
ReplyDeleteOn one side there are films like Ghajni, Knock Out etc. which are bad examples of reinventing a western film for indian audiences, there is a film like DevD which presents a timeless tale in a new perspective.
IMHO it won't be fair to generalize our outlook for films which are remade citing various excuses. However as you concluded, if not creativity the trend lacks originality!