Catch me if you con

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Posted: 16 years ago
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Why are Yash Raj Films recycling old scripts? Has inspiration dried up or are they overly fascinated with their own creations

By Subhash K Jha
Posted On Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 02:32:49 AM


What's with Yash Raj Films making endless unofficial remakes of its own films? While one segment of Bachna Ae Haseeno (featuring Minissha Lamba) was clearly inspired by Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Aditya Chopra's latest directorial venture Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi had its seeds in its earlier production Aaja Nachle (directed by cinematographer Anil Mehta) where Sushmita Mukherjee craved for adventure and excitement while being married to a staid working class nerd (Vinay Pathak). Rab Ne' had Anushka craving for excitement while being married to Suriji.

Also, in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi the wife couldn't recognise her husband once he transformed his personality. The same premise is now being applied to YRF's forthcoming film, Dil Bole Hadippa where Rani Mukerji disguises herself as a man to play cricket in her smalltown team in Punjab but just as easily again becomes a woman without anyone around her being wiser.

And if you think that's all there's to Yash Raj's penchant for constant re-invention then get a load of this.

Actor-turned-director Parmeet Sethi's directorial untitled debut for YRF featuring Shahid Kapur and Anushka Sharma is a con caper in the tradition of Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can. The theme of two 'lovable' con artistes on the run has already been done by YRF in Shaad Ali's Bunty Aur Babli.

What's with Yash Raj's paucity of ideas? Are they so short of screenplays?

A source said, "The similarities that you've pointed out are definitely there. Maybe it's because new exciting screenplays are hard to come by. Aren't all big production companies doing variations on established films?"

About two years ago Yash Chopra had complained about the acute scarcity of good writers.

Explaining his long absence from direction before Veer-Zara, he had said, "I'd love to direct more films. But I can't find the suitable writers. I'm willing to open my doors for anybody who offers me a good script."

Maybe variations on themes, already tried by Yash Raj, is their solution to the scarcity of good screenplays.

Mumbaimirror
Edited by Kyaktsar - 16 years ago

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Posted by: Maroonporsche · 3 months ago

We cant have a Kareena 25 year party without bringing up that other guy

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