It's raining remakes in Tamil

Adapting novels, retelling short stories, remaking other language films... the world of cinema has seen it all. In Tamil cinema's case, the industry has always been open to such attempts. We have seen some of our biggest stars be part of such adaptations, remakes, etc... From classics like Sathya and Annamalai to interesting ventures like Dharala Prabhu and Vaanam, the list is a burgeoning one. In the past three months alone, Tamil cinema has seen the release of six remake films — Hostel (Adi Kapyare Kootamani), Koogle Kuttappa (Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25), Visithiran (Joseph), Payanigal Gavanikkavum (Vikruthi), Nenjuku Needhi (Article 15), and Veetla Vishesham (Badhaai Ho). A handful more is lined up. But with the advent of OTT platforms and the subsequent access to subtitled films from across languages, the relevance of remakes in today's times is under the scanner.

RJ Balaji, who co-directed and starred in Veetla Vishesham, feels that the relevance of remakes is a baseless debate. "During the peak pandemic phase, many questioned the future of theatres. But what happened? The theatre business is thriving like never before and is perfectly in co-existence with OTTs. Similarly, there's no logic regarding the relevance of remakes," says RJ Balaji, asserting that any good story in any language can be retold in any part of the world.

Saravanan, one of the directors of Koogle Kuttappa, also believes that remakes will always have takers if done right. "Those who watch films from other languages are a minority. If adaptations are done well with suitable actors, people will always be intrigued," says the newcomer who co-directed the film with Sabari.

Remakes are generally looked at with a pinch of salt, however, there have been instances where a remake stands out from the original. Kamal Haasan's Kuruthipunal is an example of a film that's starkly in contrast to its original in terms of treatment. Drohkaal, the original film directed by Govind Nihalani, had visceral-style storytelling while the Tamil version helmed by PC Sreeram had more of a visual style. Today, both films enjoy cult status. Similarly, Rajinikanth's Chandramukhi, a remake of the Malayalam classic Manichithrathazhu, was over-the-top in every aspect. It still worked wonders at the box office as the film was smartly adapted to suit Rajinikanth's superstardom. A more recent example is Madhavan's Maara, the remake of Malayalam film Charlie. While the Dulquer Salmaan-starrer was more centered on the lead pair's equation, in the Tamil version the focus was more on a supporting character's estranged old-school love.

According to Balaji, if filmmakers are willing to rewrite and adapt rather than go for a frame-by-frame retelling, remakes will always have an appeal. "It has been proven time and again. From the times of MGR and Sivaji, we have plenty of examples. People always prefer to watch films in their local language with their favourite actors."

There is also the question of what kind of films work as a remake. Arunraja Kamaraj's Nenjuku Needhi was the remake of Article 15, a hard-hitting social drama. The director remembers how testing it was to remake such a film. "The original was a very rooted film, and the biggest challenge was in adapting it to the Tamil milieu. Thankfully, many reached out to me to share similar stories that occurred in Tamil Nadu and I got enough information to make multiple films out of it."

There are also certain compromises that filmmakers endure while doing remakes. For instance, Arunraja doesn't like to show his characters belonging to any caste but Article 15 is essentially about caste-based discrimination. "Given an option, I would want my original stories to be caste-free but I couldn't do that in this film. We've invested money to purchase the rights, so it's our responsibility to retell it in a way that does justice to the original."

Currently, in Tamil cinema, several remakes are under production. A glance at the list of these upcoming remakes, and it will be hard to find a pattern. The Simbu, Gautham Karthik-starrer Pathu Thala is the remake of Kannada neo-noir action thriller, Mufti. Prashanth's Andhagan is based on Andhadhun, a black-comedy thriller. Then there are remakes of social dramas, The Great Indian Kitchen and Nayattu. Out of all the genres, RJ Balaji believes that relationship dramas are the best bet for remakes. According to him, such stories offer a lot of scope for improvisation to make them more appealing to the native audience. "If you're remaking a thriller, the twists and sequence of events will remain the same. Whereas in a drama, like a family story, you have the luxury to add a lot of things and spice up. You can work around with the characters and their emotions even while keeping the core plot intact."

In a recent interview, actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran claimed that the culture of remakes will soon be fading out. But three of his films — Driving Licence, Lucifer, and Bro Daddy — are currently being remade in different languages and he himself recently starred in a remake film (Bhramam). So it looks like the bandwagon of remakes will only continue and hopefully, we'll get to see more Chandramukhis and Kuruthipunals.