Mithya – Inspiration from World Cinema

Rajat Kapoor has always been involved in films which are highly inspired from World Cinema. Like his “Raghu Romeo” was taken from Spanish movie “Atame” or ”Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down,

“Bheja Fry” was taken from a French movie “The Dinner Game”.

Though I also found his “Mixed Doubles” as an original and enjoyable movie but the current “Mithya” has a very similar theme to two movies.

First of all its theme is very close to our own “DON”.

Secondly it also seems very similar to the storyline of an Italian movie “Johnny Stecchino” (1991). As I havent seen the Italian flick so cant comment strongly on that. But the theme looks to be quite similar.

Chek out at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102164/plotsummary 

 

Maya Memsaab

I am fond of this movie due to its rich content. Ketan Mehta’s movie is an intelligent piece of work, inspired from the novel “Madame Bovary” by ‘Gustave Falubert’. “Maya Memsaab” is also a National Award Winner, and the inspirational source is rightly also mentioned in the titles.
Infact there are many more movies made on the same novel in the last decade. The first probably was made in 1933 and last in 1991.
Chek out at :
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025442/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102368/

I found the Indian version better than many of the English versions and also the good thing is that here the inspirational source gets its due recognition in the titles.

Malamaal Weekly

The laugh riot by Priyadarshan is completely based on “Waking Ned” or “Waking Ned Divine” (1998). The lottery won by dead person and then the further chaos, all is there in the English version. Check out at :
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166396/plotsummary

Mother (1999)

Sawan Kumar’s “Mother” featuring Rekha with 3 veteran male stars is just on the same storyline of “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell” (1968). Check out at :
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062767/

Manorama 6 Feet Under

The film at the first watch was quite impressive and Abhay did a fine job, But unfourtunately
it was found that its also an inspired movie. It is influenced greatly by Jack Nicholson’s “Chinatown” which came in 1974. The hiring of a detective by a women posing to be another person’s wife to spy on the husband, its all there in the english version.
Check this out :
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071315/plotsummary

“Metro” takes from three……

Metro’s main story plot is from “The Apartment” in which the hero keeps obliging his top officials with the key of his apartment. It was also copied in Amitabh’s “Raaste Ka Patther”. But Anurag Basu surely did a good adaptation in Metro.

The other plot of the love Affair between Shipla Shetty And Shiny Ahuja is straightway from Sir David Lean’s “Brief Encounter” (B/W). The sequence in which Shilpa leaves Shinu Ahuja’s house after the entrance of his friend is a exactly same as in the Masterpiece English Flick. It is to be noted that “Brief Encounter” is considered as one of the Top Rated Masterpieces of English Cinema, so it is always at the back of the minds of intense and emotional film-makers.

The scene where Sharman Joshi takes Kangna to show her his dream project is a copy from “For Love Or Money”. The idea of looking through the painted glass to see how the building will look after its completion, is originally there in the english flick and also more impressively used there.

But still in “Metro” the final outcome is pleasing enough with Irfan Khan taking the major credits out of all the artists.

Munna Bhai M.B.B.S

It can be said arguably that the main theme of this major hit is quite inspired from “Patch Adams”. Though its execution is indeed innovative and appreciable. One of its sequence of bringing an item girl in the hospital for Jimmy Shergil is a straight lift from Jack Nicholson’s “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”. But this doesnt take away the merit rating of our Munna Bhai M.B.B.S as its another real gem from Raj Kumar Hirani. Its a powerful comedy movie, a way ahead of all the movies it got inspired from.

Main Azaad Hoon

One of my favourite movies was Amitabh’s “Main Azaad Hun” directed by Tinnu Anand. But later I found that it was also an inspired movie and was a kind of remake of Frank Capra’s 1941 classic “Meet John Doe”. But the sliver lining is that “Main Azaad Hun” is one of the rare examples when the copy is one step ahead of the original. No doubt Frank Capra made a brave attempt in 1941 and his movie is an all time classic. But the hindi version is surely more enjoyable and entertaining and also has a brilliant song, “Kitne Baazu Kitne Haath, Gin Ley Dushman Dhyan Se”. One of best attempted serious stuff by Bollywood.

My Wife’s Murder

This Anil Kapoor Starrer is an interesting movie. It has an inspector’s role played by Boman Irani, which is highly inspired from the Inspector’s character in Alfred Hitchcock’s “FRENZY”.

Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya

Salman Khan’s “Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya”…. is a version of “Cactus Flower” which had some Oscar winning performances. But the ‘Original English Hit’ is a more refreshing and enjoyable watch.