December 01, 2004
Mira Nair to Remake Munna BhaiArts and Entertainment
In a weird twist on the usual east borrowing from west, especially with regards to film, Hollywood is now borrowing from Bollywood for one of its films.
Believe it. The trade publication Daily Variety (Subscription required) has announced that Mira Nair will be directing Gangsta MD, the Hollywood adaptation of Raju Hirani's mega Bollywood hit -- Munnabhai MBBS. Mira Nair has teamed with "Bringing Down the House" scribe Jason Filardi on "Gangsta M.D.," a Bollywood remake that's been set up at 20th Century Fox.
The story focuses on a low-level gangster who keeps his criminal life a secret from his mother by telling her he is a medical doctor, what else? When his mom discovers his criminal lifestyle and threatens to disown him, he's forced to do the one thing that would make her proud: become a doctor.
The original film was 2003's Hindi-language blockbuster "Munna Bhai, M.B.B.S." A second version was produced this year, "Shankar Dada, M.B.B.S.," which was essentially the same film shot in India's Telugu language.
In a first for Bollywood, Fox bought the script rights for the Hindi film earlier this year, and Chris Rock's name has been mentioned several times during initial speculations.
Gangsta MD is expected to hit movie halls in early 2005.
Here is the rediff.com story summarizing the Variety article.
sajit on December 1, 2004 07:04 PM in Arts and Entertainment · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
¤ Ultrabrown said: The Indian maiden fantasy
I really enjoyed the original with Sanjay Dutt, don't think I'll go see a remake. Although, I would go if they break the Hollywood mould and go for at least one dance number (hip hop style) and a cameo for Dutt.
It's interesting how, when Americans cast Americans in desi roles, they've been casting black people rather than Latinos, who resemble desis more. I'm thinking of Chris Rock, Tamyra Gray in Bombay Dreams, and Halle Berry in Tulia. Probably a function of box office draw.
BTW ... Prior to it being remade in Telugu as "Shankar Dada, M.B.B.S.", it was made in Tamil starring Kamal Hassan and it was named "Vasool Raja, M.B.B.S". I watched it on opening night here in the US. The comments that followed said that the Hindi version was better.
I don't know if the remakes ever manage to duplicate the original essence of a movie. Even though the story lines are the same, the suttle switch in language and the fact that the idioms don't exactly translate word for word or in the culture take quite a bit away from the movie..(most times).
