5. Nanban (Tamil)
Inspired by ‘3 Idiots’
It was reported that director Shankar was so impressed when he watched Raj Kumar Hirani’s ‘3 Idiots’ that he had to remake the movie for Tamil audience. That’s when he took a detour from his normal course of High Budget eccentric movies. Vijay was cast as the male lead. The movie was 100% loyal to its original version, without no major changes in the storyline, even Shankar didn’t even go for experiments with directors angle too. The movie was a success at the box office.
4. Shankar Dada Zindabad (Telugu)
Inspired by ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’
This popular Bollywood flick was adapted into Telugu by Prabhu Deva, casting Chiranjeevi in the lead. It was evident from far away that it could never match up with the original. ‘Shankar Dada Zindabad’ did a neat job in box office though it could never bring up that charm that Sanjay Dutt had given to the original version.
3. Kanden Kadhalai (Tamil)
Inspired by ‘Jab We Met’
It was indeed a challenging attempt when R Kannan signed up to remake Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Jab We Met’ into Tamil. The original movie worked so well as it connected emotionally well with the audience. Even the astounding chemistry between Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor was in no way replaceable, at least that’s what we thought. ‘Kanden Kadhalai’ dropped in as a surprise. It was almost as good the original and it did a fine job for a remake. A surprising chemistry between Bharath and Tamannaah breathed life into the Tamil version making it worth a watch.
2. Vasool Raja MBBS (Tamil), Shankar Dada M.B.B.S. (Telugu), Uppi Dada M.B.B.S. (Kannada)
Inspired by ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S’
‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S’ popularity was so much that it had to be remade. Tamil version starring Kamal Hassan was the first to hit the screen. One could say that the actor and movie did justice to the original one. The movie was well received and became one of the biggest blockbusters in his career. The Telugu version dropped in a few months after and it too became a blockbuster. However, the Kannada version failed to keep up with expectations and was a box office failure.
1. Unnaipol Oruvan (Tamil), Eeenadu (Telugu)
Inspired by ‘A Wednesday’
Neeraj Pandey’s ‘A Wednesday’ was a surprise hit when it was released. It had an intriguing storyline that was relevant irrespective of demographic barriers. Thus it was remade into several languages, including a Hollywood version too! ‘A Wednesday’ was remade in Tamil and Telugu, simultaneously with little changes in the cast. The South Indian versions received huge critical appreciation for performances and technicality and were a box office blockbuster too. The movie was an honest remake of the original.
