blog cover

Entertainment

10 Cult Movies That You Didn't Know Were Copied: June, 2024

By Anubha Das

Updated - June 13, 20245 min read

Download App

It can be difficult to find motivation. When people do find it, though, they go on to make fantastic films. And those fantastic things can be both great and fairly bad at times. Take, for example, these filmmakers who drew inspiration from other people's work.

 

1. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S and Patch Adams

Munna Bhai is a popular film franchise in India, and audiences have praised the films' heart. The truth remains, however, that the first film in this series was greatly influenced by Robin Williams' Patch Adams.

 

Watch it on Amazon Prime

 

 

Image Courtesy: Netflix

 

 

2. Zinda and Oldboy

Park Chan Wook's masterwork is still regarded as one of the best action thrillers of all time, and has spawned numerous remakes. Sanjay Dutt's Zinda would be the Bollywood adaptation. The Hindi film, on the other hand, does not delve into the darker aspects of Oldboy, and hence comes out as a bland, clumsy adaptation at best.

 

Watch it on Amazon Prime

 

Image Courtesy: Prime Video

 

 

3. Qayamat and The Rock

The Ajay Devgn-starrer is a complete rip off of Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage's The Rock. Other than some side stories, everything about the film, from plot to graphics to action scenes are almost identical. 

 

Watch it on Tata Sky

 

Image Courtesy: MX Player

 

 

4. Taxi No. 9211 and Changing Lanes

Both films revolved around an affluent young guy who finds himself at the whim of a temperamental cab driver. Changing Lanes, starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson, was released considerably before its Hindi counterpart.

 

Watch it on Disney Plus Hotstar

 

Image Courtesy: Netflix

 

 

5. Shaurya and A Few Good Men

Despite being a remake of Tom Cruise's military courtroom drama, Shaurya has its own premise and is centred on Islamophobia. Is it faithful to the original film? It's up to you to make that decision.

 

Watch it on Amazon Prime

 

Image Courtesy: MX Player

 

 

6. Partner and Hitch

While both films are ridiculous slapstick comedies that work in their own ways and feature several subplots that are distinct from one another, they both adhere to the same concept until the very end, making them feel more similar than they should. Also, Hitch released much before Partner

 

Watch it on Tata Sky

 

Image Courtesy: The Indian Express

 

 

7. Judwaa and Twin Dragons

The story of two identical twin brothers who were separated as children and grew up in completely different worlds until they reunited at a later point in life was narrated in Jackie Chan's Twin Dragons. Doesn't it sound like a good time? At the very least, for the 1990s? Yeah, it sounded like a lot of fun to the makers of Judwaa.

 

Watch it on Tata Sky

 

Image Courtesy: Mx Player

 

 

8. Salaam-e-Ishq and Love, Actually

This has to be the most blatant remake ever. The posters are also identical. While the subplots diverge, the film maintains a consistent concept throughout its duration, making it feel similar to Love Actually but not quite as wonderful.

 

Watch it on Amazon Prime

 

Image Courtesy: Zee5

 

 

9. Dostana and Now I pronounce you Chuck and Larry

Dostana's cast was gorgeous, but they couldn't compete with Adam Sandler and Kevin James in terms of comedic creativity. Not that the original film was any better, but it was at least less cringe-worthy to watch.

 

Watch it on Amazon Prime

 

Image Courtesy: Arre

 

 

10. A Common Man and A Wednesday

Other film industries rarely come knocking on Bollywood's door looking for scripts to plagiarise, but this was one of those instances. Ben Kingsley, an Academy Award winner, plays Naseeruddin Shah in the Sri Lankan film.

 

Watch it on Amazon Prime

 

Image Courtesy: Netflix

 

 

Now you know which movies from were copied, so wanna watch them again with a different perspective? I know I would!