Directors who mined their own films for storylines

Filmmakers, like other artists, have their pet themes, which they return to every once in a while. But there are times when a director���s new work feels like a retread of their previous work and keeps reminding audiences of the original even as they are watching the new film. Here are some directors who recently chose to dip into their own repertoire for inspiration...
Gautham Vasudev Menon
Though Gautham Menon has always mentioned that he sees his cop films ��� Kaakha Kaakha, Vettaiyadu Vilayadu and Yennai Arindhaal ��� as a trilogy, there were quite a few who felt that the final film was the weakest of the trio as it came across as a pastiche of elements from the previous cop films and his drama Vaaranam Aayiram, turning into a predictable action drama.
Mani Ratnam
When O Kadhal Kanmani was released, audiences could not ignore how closely it resembled the director���s 2000 romance Alaipayuthey. From meet-cutes that happen in similar fashion to a sub-plot involving another, older couple in the know of the romance of the leads, there were moments and plot points that constantly evoked the earlier film. The best way to describe these movies would be to call them as an examination of two generations��� idea of romance.
Bala
Antagonists living in the fringes of the society. The joys and sorrows of their lives. Heartless villain who exploits the helpless. Black humour. Violence that makes you flinch. Tragic climax. Bala���s Pithamagan, Naan Kadavul, Avan Ivan and Thaarai Thappattai all had story arcs and situations that were pretty much similar. The only difference was that by the time Thaarai Thappattai came out, what was hard-hitting had started to feel formulaic.
Radha Mohan
Radha Mohan���s debut film, Azhagiya Theeye was about an aspiring filmmaker trying to make his first film. His recent film, Uppu Karuvadu, is also about a filmmaker. Interestingly, he has the same name as the hero of the first film ��� Chandran, and the plot revolves around his efforts to make a film! And like the earlier film, the film rides mostly on the strength of its dialogues, which are sharp and funny observations on the film industry. We wonder if this was made as an unacknowledged sequel to the original.
Sundar C
Yes, we get that Aranmanai 2 is a continuation of the Aranmanai franchise (which some critics have dubbed as a pale imitation of the more successful Muni franchise) but should that mean that almost every other scene should be as close to the original? From the comedy track to the climax, everything was been-there-seen-that in this film, which was uninspiring from start to finish.