‘Selfiee’ to ‘Billu Barber’: Malayalam blockbusters that failed to impress when remade in Hindi

The Indian movie industry is slowly learning that the more the regional, the more the universal it is. Case in point, ‘Kantara’. Rishab Shetty’s film has proved that you cannot make a film ‘pan-Indian’ it has to happen naturally. Dubbing a film in multiple languages does not make a film pan-Indian. Similarly, some films are meant to be enjoyed in their original language. And only then, one can enjoy it to its fullest. Not all movies should be remade, no matter, what the box office possibilities are. The best example is Akshay Kumar’s latest release ‘Selfiee’, which is a remake of the Malayalam blockbuster ‘Driving License’. The original worked, but the remake didn’t. Well, this is not the first time, a remake didn’t make it.

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The 2010 release ‘Khatta Meetha’ is a remake of the 1988 Malayalam release ‘Vellanakalude Nadu’. Written by Sreenivasan, and helmed by Priyadarshan, ‘Vellanakalude Nadu’ featured Mohanlal in the lead role. A hard-hitting political satire, ‘Vellanakalude Nadu’ told the story of a small-time contractor, who strives to make a living, amidst the corrupt system and politicians. Priyadarshan remade the film in Hindi with Akshay Kumar playing the lead role. Despite having a solid screenplay, the film failed to connect with the audience or fare at the box office.

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Not all films need to be remade, and a classic example is ‘Krodh’ released in 2000. The film was a remake of the 1996 Malayalam film ‘Hitler’. Written and directed by Siddique, ‘Hitler’ had Mammootty playing the lead. The film revolves around Madhavankutty (Mammootty), an affluent man, who looks after his five sisters. Though the film lacks political correctness in various aspects, in the then world, it was widely accepted. ‘Hitler’ was the highest grosser of the time in Malayalam, but its remake ‘Krodh’ was a disaster. ‘Krodh’ was helmed by Ashok, and had Suneil Shetty in the lead role.

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The 2009 release ‘Billu Barber’ starring Irrfan Khan and Shah Rukh Khan is a remake of the Malayalam film ‘Katha Parayumbol’. The 2007 film ‘Katha Parayumbol’ had Sreenivasan and Mammootty in the lead roles. The film told the story of a village barber and his extraordinary friendship with a superstar. ‘Katha Parayumbol’ was a mega-blockbuster, and it also managed to impress both the audience and critics. However, when Priyadarshan remade it into Hindi, it didn’t really make the cut!

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Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Boss’ directed by Anthony D’Souza is a remake nobody asked for. The 2013 film was a remake of the Malayalam film ‘Pokkiri Raja’. Released in 2010, ‘Pokkiri Raja’ is a mass masala film starring Mammootty and Prithviraj Sukumaran, and the film explored the fabulous brotherhood between the lead characters. If you think ‘Boss’ was decent, you should watch ‘Pokkiri Raja’ and analyze it.

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Despite having the biggest star Akshay Kumar, who has terrific power at the box office, ‘Selfiee’ failed to impress the audience and produce solid numbers at the box office. A remake of the 2019 Malayalam film ‘Driving License’, ‘Selfiee’ tells the story of a rivalry between a superstar, and his devoted fan, a vehicle inspector. Prithviraj Sukumaran and Suraj Venjaramoodu, two exceptionally talented actors, played the lead roles in the original. Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi played the lead roles in the remake, but it was quite underwhelming, to begin with. Though the story had a universal possibility, ‘Selfiee’ wasn’t curated to fit the audience of Hindi cinema.

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