Dream Girl, Andhadhun, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety from Bollywood; Midnight Runners from Korea; Malayalam hit Kappela; Tamil blockbuster Karnan… the list is endless. If ever there was any doubt, it can all be put to rest. This is the season of remakes in Telugu cinema. With Telugu filmmakers optimistic about the industry bouncing back after the Covid crisis easing, more than 20 remakes are in the works. Many consider reworking an already-accepted plot a sure-shot formula for success. Producer Dil Raju, who bankrolled the Telugu adaptations of 96 and Pink, considers remakes a safe bet.
“Chiranjeevi garu remade Vijaykanth’s Tamil hit Ramana in Telugu as Tagore. While the Tamil version was good, Tagore was a bigger hit. So, I don’t mind remaking a film if we can create the same magic. I don’t think people will refuse to watch a film simply because it’s a remake. I believe they don’t mind being already familiar with the story,” says the ace producer.
Producer Daggubati Suresh Babu has bagged the remake rights of multiple films and producer Suryadevara Naga Vamsi is funding the remake of Kappela. Actor Nithiin is reprising Ayushmann Khurrana’s role in Maestro, a remake of Andhadhun. Venkatesh is bringing Asuran and Drishyam 2 to Telugu, while producer Bellamkonda Suresh is in talks to acquire the rights for Karnan. Director Saagar K Chandra, who is helming the Telugu version of Ayyappanum Koshiyum starring Pawan Kalyan and Rana Daggubati, says that it’s important to have an eye for ‘niche scripts’ and ‘out-of-the-box content’.
“The job is half-done when you choose the script of a hit film. Our film industry is driven by sentiments and superstitions. So, if a film does well in one language, it creates a lot of interest. The script is seen to be devoid of any great risk as it has already tasted success,” the director explains. The real risk is the inevitable comparisons that are often made with the original and the resulting criticism. “The problem is when you do a frame-by-frame remake without adapting it to the local factor,” he adds.
Like Chandra says, despite remakes being the flavour of the season, it’s not really a smooth ride for filmmakers. Remakes made over the last two years have not exactly got a great reception. Films such as First Rank Raju, Rajugari Gadhi 3, Manmadhudu 2, Kausalya Krishna Murthy, Jaanu, Entha Manchivadavura, Red, A1 Express and Kapatadhaari have all failed to reproduce the effect of the original films. Often a big challenge is that thanks to OTT platforms and subtitled films, it is difficult finding an audience that hasn’t seen the original.
However, filmmaker Sriram Venu (who made the Telugu remake of Pink, Vakeel Saab) isn’t too perturbed. “Our audience has always lapped up content that entertains. A film like Vakeel Saab featuring a big star like Pawan Kalyan caused huge expectations, despite being a remake. The real challenge is in living up to the expectations,” he says. The two choices in front of such films, according to him, are either to stay loyal to the original film or take some creative liberties as a storyteller. “I tried my best to balance both aspects,” he adds. Actors have to tread the same difficult path. Priya Mani, who is reprising Manju Warrier’s role in Narappa (the Telugu remake of Asuran), is confident that her film will live up to the expectations set by the original, “I feel Narappa has elements that will work in Telugu too.”
Are filmmakers looking for remakes because there is a dearth of original content? Chandra disagrees. He rather believes that this is a temporary trend, one that will slowly phase out with Covid-19. “Remember, we make nearly 700-800 films a year, and only about 10-15 of them are remakes,” he reasons. At the same time, he admits that it is harder to replicate the success with a remake than one may imagine. “As a director, you have to understand and identify the core of the original film. If you don’t do that, you end with a bad product,” he says. For now, the Telugu film industry is hoping it can do the perfect balancing act.