Over the years, many successful adaptations of foreign-language films have been made in India, spanning from classics to commercial hits, such as Kamal Haasan-starrer Avvai Shanmugi (1996), the adaptation of Mrs Doubtfire (1993); Satte Pe Satta (1982), an adaption of the American musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954); and Dil Bechara (2021), the adaption of The Fault in Our Stars (2014).
Silverscreen India brings you a list of some upcoming Indian remakes of foreign films that were received well both by the audience and critics.
Laal Singh Chaddha
Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson and Sally Field, Forrest Gump is based on a novel of the same name written by Winston Groom in 1986.
Laal Singh Chaddha, the upcoming Hindi film starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, is an adaptation of the American Academy Award-winning film Forrest Gump (1994).
Directed by Advait Chandan and written by Eric Roth and Atul Kulkarni, Laal Singh Chaddha is produced by Aamir Khan Productions, Viacom18 Studios and Paramount Pictures.
The film was announced in March 2019 and shooting began on October 31. While the film is still in the shooting stage, the producers announced that Laal Singh Chaddha, which was scheduled to release for Christmas 2020 has been pushed to December 25, 2021, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya will be reprising the role of Benjamin Buford Blue Aa Bubba, best friend of Gump during the Vietnam War, The New Indian Express reported.
Dhamaka
Dhamaka, the upcoming Hindi action thriller film starring Kartik Aaryan, is the official adaptation of the 2013 Korean film The Terror Live.
Dhamaka is directed by Ram Madhvani and produced by RSVP Movies, Ram Madhvani Films, Lotte Cultureworks and Global Gate Entertainment. The film also stars Mrunal Thakur, Amruta Subhash, Vikas Kumar and Vishwajeet Pradhan in pivotal roles.
Dhamaka is slated for a direct-to OTT release on Netflix and the date is yet to be announced. Aaryan will play the role of a journalist named Arjun Pathak. The story will revolve around a frustrated ex-news anchor who is given another chance to go live on prime time television when a terrorist calls him with a bomb threat. Little does he know that this call will change his life and throw him into a fast-paced game of betrayal.
Loop Lapeta
Looop Lapeta, the upcoming Hindi film starring Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin in the lead roles, is the official adaptation of the 1998 German film Run Lola Run.
Directed by Akash Bhatia, Looop Lapeta is produced by Sony Pictures Films India, Ellipsis Entertainment and Aayush Maheshwari. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on October 22.
Run Lola Run is a critically acclaimed film that revolves around a woman named Lola, played by Franka Potente, who needs to collect 100,000 Deutschmarks within 20 minutes to save the life of her boyfriend, Manni, played by Moritz Bleibtreu.
The Intern
The Intern, the upcoming Hindi film starring Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan, is an adaptation of the 2015 American comedy-drama film of the same name. The Hindi remake will be directed by Amit Ravindrenath Sharma and produced by Ka productions, Athena ENM and Warner Bros India. Padukone and Bachchan will reprise the roles of Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro, respectively, in the Indian adaptation that is scheduled for a summer 2022 release.
Earlier, Rishi Kapoor was cast as the male lead, but after his sudden death in April 2020, Bachchan was brought in to play the role.
The Intern follows the story of septuagenarian Ben Whittaker, played by De Niro, who gets back to work after retirement as a senior intern at an online fashion store founded and run by a young woman Jules Ostin, played by Hathaway.
Rambo
Rambo, the cult action film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone, will be adapted in Hindi with the same title, starring Tiger Shroff. The film was announced at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Though it has been four years since the announcement, the film has not taken off yet.
While initially it was announced that Siddharth Anand would be helming the project, recent reports state that Rohit Dhawan will be directing the film. However, no official announcement on this has been made yet.
In 2017, Stallone had reacted to the remake announcement on social media. “I read recently they are remaking Rambo in India! Great character. Hope they don’t wreck it,” he wrote.
Begin Again remake
Begin Again, the 2013 American musical drama film starring Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley, is set to be adapted in Hindi by director Shashanka Ghosh, who previously directed Veere Di Wedding.
The film’s name has not been announced yet. Ghosh, along with the producers Bhushan Kumar, confirmed the adaption in an interview with The Indian Express.
The original film is written and directed by John Carney. The story follows singer-songwriter Gretta James, played by Knightley, and a struggling record label executive Dan Mulligan, played by Ruffalo, who collaborate to produce a music album recorded in public locations all over New York City.
