5 Korean films remade by Bollywood – how do Radhe, Bharat and Jazbaa compare to the originals?
This year’s Bollywood thriller Radhe was inspired by The Outlaws, while South Korean movies Montage, Ode to My Father, Seven Days and A Bittersweet Life have all inspired Indian remakes – how do they stand up to the originals, and what got lost in translation?
It’s true that Bollywood loves remakes. The Indian film industry is known to draw inspiration from the West (the latest example is an upcoming Forrest Gump remake, Laal Singh Chaddha), but lately filmmakers are refocusing on the South Korean silver screen with its similar love of melodrama, intricate storylines and adrenaline-pumping action. Over the years Bollywood has adapted several Korean hit films – officially and unofficially – including these five:
A Bittersweet Life (2005) into Awarapan (2007)
Bollywood and South Korean audiences love mob dramas, so it’s not surprising that the film headlined by Lee Byung-hun got an Indian makeover. An unofficial remake, Awarapan, fared decently with the audience and critics alike, who praised lead actor Emraan Hashmi’s performance. But, plot-wise, according to Hindustan Times, “this gangster flick is as slow as watching paint peeling”.
Seven Days (2007) into Jazbaa (2015)
When Kim Yun-jin played the lawyer-mother Yoo Ji-yeon in Seven Days back in 2007, her performance earned her the Grand Bell Award for best actress. Unfortunately, the remake with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan didn’t meet with the same luck, declared a disappointing comeback for the former Miss World and scoring just 38 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.