There’s nothing that angers a Malayali more than a non-Malayali claiming that Bhool Bhulaiyaa was the original. So we thought we would come up with a list that you can use in your defence every time you get into this argument in the future.
Here are 10 Malayalam movies that were remade in Hindi.
Manichitrathazhu: Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Let’s start with the most famous, and probably the most controversial one. Priyadarshan made a bold move when he decided to make a remake of one of Malayalam’s biggest hits. But alas, Bhool Bhulaiyaa did not match up to the original though it can be considered a decent hit.
Bodyguard: Bodyguard
Bodyguard was Siddique’s first venture into Hindi. And he seems to have had a unique stroke of luck as the gamble paid off and the Hindi version of Bodyguard was as much, if not more, successful.
Punjabi House: Chup Chup Ke
Another Priyadarshan movie. Chup Chup Ke was quite unmemorable and didn’t have much success at the box office, and for good reason too; it was nothing like Punjabi House.
In Harihar Nagar: Dhol
OK, now someone needs to tell Priyadarshan that remaking a Malayalam comedy into Hindi is a bad idea, then again he has had some success doing it too. But not this one! Dhol was nowhere close to how good In Harihar Nagar was.
Boeing Boeing: Garam Masala
The original Boeing Boeing was based on a French play by the same name and went on to be a Mollywood classic. Priyadarshan went on to make the Bollywood version, Garam Masala in 2007, and it made a decent collection at the box office.
Ramji Rao Speaking: Hera Pheri
Ramji Rao Speaking was remade into Hindi in 2000 and is widely regarded as one of the best Bollywood comedies ever.
Kakkakuyil: Golmaal
Rohit Shetty directed the Bollywood remake of this Priyadarshan hit. Though it was not as good as the original, it was still a success at the box office.
Vellanakalude Naadu: Khatta Meetha
Vellanakalude Naadu was remade into Khatta Meetha by, no points for guessing, Priyadarshan. The Bollywood version starred Akshay Kumar and was relatively successful at the box office.
Kadha Parayumbol: Billu Barber
Seeing the success of Kadha Parayumbol, Priyadarshan made the Hindi remake Billu Barber. Billu Barber was a decent hit but did not match up to the standards set by Kadha Parayumbol.
Drishyam: Drishyam
And finally, we have Drishyam. This Malayalam hit was remade into Hindi in 2015 and was a huge success at the box office.
What do you think about the Hindi remakes? Were they better than the originals? Did we miss out on some movies? Let us know in the comments section below.
Chattakkari as Julie and Vazhvemayam as Aap Ki Kasam