Sep 10, 2005 02:56 PM
2815 Views
(Updated Sep 10, 2005 02:57 PM)
An Open Letter to Mr.Yash Chopra,
Over the past few decades millions of people all over the have enjoyed your films. You have depicted joy, humor, sadness and all the remaining rasas in your films. Though not directed by you, I went and watched your production house's latest, Salaam Namaste.
It was a funny and touching film. I really did enjoy Saif and Preity's repartee over the flow of the film, though in the back of my mind, something didn't add up. During the interval, I asked one of my friends, ''Hey I think, they might have stolen a few scenes from some English comedy''. My friend Rahul, smirked and replied, ''Dude this is a rip-off of Nine Months''. Then the you-know-what hit the fan.
The jokes weren't that funny anymore, the poignant scenes had some emptyness. You know the feeling when you know you have been scammed.
Wait a second, wasn't this supposed to be review of Salaam Namaste???
Well for that, you might want to read https://mouthshut.com/review/Salaam_Namaste-82426-1.html an excellent review by mouthshutdotcom.
Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to the factory of Yash Chopra.
What is the formula for a YashRaj production, well lets see:
- Find an English flick in recent or not so recent times which can be remade.
For example here are some flicks and Hollywood they have been inspired from:
Salaam Namaste - Nine Months
Dhoom- Fast and the Furious
Mohabbatein - Dead Poets Society
Bunty Aur Babli- Catch Me if you can
Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hain- My best friends wedding
Hum Tum - When Harry Met Sally
Saathiya - Remake of Tamil film Alai Payuthe.
Cast the hot peppy actors whom you can sell to the metroplex junta. example:Preity Zinta, ABjr, Saif Ali Khan.
Add some desi sentiments to pass for originality.
Put some big name star in an unnecessary cameo role.
Laugh all the way to the bank
When I went to watch Salaam Namaste, I didn't go in with the expectation of watching a Hera Pheri or an Andaz Apna Apna. But it was disappointing to see that the YashRaj productions coming up with another plagiarized flick served up to the public. While Hollywood plagiarizes by making remakes of classics or hundreds of sequels, Bollywood tries to sell skin shows and plagiarized versions of hit films.
Yes, we can see that you are making trips to the local DVD store to find out whats the latest hit comedy or action flick and remake it. You are one smooth operator.
Please Mr.Chopra, do not insult the average film watcher's intelligence. You pushed the limits of Indian cinema with films like Deewar, Waqt, Silsila and Lamhe. Do you have to make films which just remake Hollywood popcorn flicks or just plain trash like VeerZaara? How about taking a subject of relevance or something innovative.
A remake once a while is tolerable, but with most of your productions being just remakes questions your commitment to improving the quality of Indian filmmaking. For one of India's most renowned filmmakers to stoop to such levels is simply abominable.
Yours Sincerely,
Avid Bollywood film watcher.
Bouquets and brickbats in the comments please
