The purpose of remakes has been a question for years and their utility and value came under severe scrutiny in the recent past after streaming platforms increased the accessibility of films by leaps and bounds. Naturally, a remake of a proven film is certainly not a hot commodity anymore, like it used to be, say, a decade ago. Hunt, the official remake of Mumbai Police, a brave Malayalam film that made people turn their heads in 2013, is hitting screens a decade late but it still remains a daring attempt in the Telugu space.
Hunt is releasing at an interesting but conflicting time. On one hand, there has been a significant inclination towards fresher stories (as long as they are engaging) among the audience, bestowing Hunt a huge advantage. On the other hand, remakes are having a tough time justifying their existence with the audience gradually overcoming the “1-inch-tall barrier”.
Many questions pop up: Why did it take 10 years to remake a hit film? Does it mean Telugu cinema is lagging behind Malayalam cinema by 10 years? Hunt can be used as a specimen in this case study to evaluate where Telugu cinema and its audience stand, and answer these questions. Personally, I am finding the peripheral prospects of Hunt and what they indicate more interesting than the actual film, which is a functional and mostly engaging investigative drama by itself.
Thanks to Mumbai Police and Bobby-Sanjay’s screenplay structure that keeps the audience guessing, revealing and holding back just what’s needed, Hunt still manages to be an interesting investigative drama. ACP Arjun Prasad, (Sudheer Babu) meets with an accident minutes after solving the murder case of his colleague and friend Aryan (Bharath Nivas) and wakes up with no memory of his past. His close friend and senior, Mohan (Srikanth) encourage him to retrace the clues and solve the crime again.
It is a lip-smacking premise with an equally brilliant screenplay and Mahesh, the director of the remake, adapts Mumbai Police as a mainstream actioner.
That’s both a boon and a bane. For instance, a case involving terrorists (Maoists in the original), which triggers a key plot point, is just verbally explained in Malayalam where it is fleshed out as two separate action sequences. Similarly, an entire new thread is derived from this point, just to create a red herring and, of course, spring another action sequence from it.
Some action sequences work better than the rest and honestly, there is a style and method in these sequences that are seldom found in Telugu films. Arjun, for instance, fights more like a trained police officer and less like a Telugu film hero who can make poor fighters fly with a punch. In that sense, one particular sequence set in a dark den shot in long stretches like a video game is superbly choreographed and shot; Arul Vincent’s dynamic cinematography complements Sudheer’s moves. It is perhaps dexterity of some extent in these choices that compensates for the ‘commercialisation’ of the story.
Apart from a special dance number, none of these choices hinder the flow of the film.The film takes its time to get rolling (although the conflict is introduced right in its opening scene) and we start feeling the seriousness of the stakes and the twists only after the halfway mark, after familiarising ourselves with the characters. The way it leads up to the final reveal and how it plays out is perhaps the best part of the film. Sudheer too holds up effectively in these long stretches.
Considering it had an opportunity, I wish Hunt fixed some issues of the original, instead of simply mimicking. For example, more clarity could have been offered on the timeline of events surrounding the reveal and lead-up to Aryan’s death. Likewise, the ‘change’ Aryan goes through in his arc could have been spelled out better in the remake since this remains vague in the original too.
Moreover, I really wish one of the film’s core themes, friendship, was not just reduced to dialogues and was explored further. Featuring a never-before-seen twist ending in Telugu cinema, Hunt is a brave attempt despite being a remake, especially considering it is wrapped in the body of a mainstream action thriller. Although I wish it was a Telugu original, the crude, homophobic remarks passed by the audience on the single screen where I watched the film clearly answer why Telugu cinema won’t try something as ballsy. So I am just glad Hunt took that risk.
Cast: Sudheer Babu, Bharath Nivas, Srikanth
Director: Mahesh Surapaneni
Rating: 3/5