LV PRASAD, JEETENDRA STARTED THE REMAKE TREND

Karan Johar wanted Vijay Deverakonda to replay his role in the Hindi version of Dear Comrade but the actor declined. Vijay or Mahesh Babu, Telugu heroes are not particularly keen on Hindi films. The demand is for Telugu, and to a lesser extent, Tamil. In recent times Telugu remakes of Kick and Arjun Reddy have done mind-bending business at the box office. Bollywood directors are now queing up for the rights of many certified hits in Telugu, some of them 10 years old.

The trend of remakes is nothing new. In the 1960s and 70s several distinguished Tamil producers remade their Vazhkai. own Tamil films successfully into Hindi. The late L V Prasad, rightly considered the doyen of Tamil cinema, was

Jeetendra and Sridevi

Bahar, which introduced Vyjanthimala in Hindi was a remake of the Tamil blockbuster

a leader in this trend. Many of his biggest Hindi hits like Sasural, Milan, Khilona and Ek Duuje Ke Liyewere remakes of Tamil films Prasad had himself produced. In the earlier decades Bollywood’s focus for remake rights was Tamil Nadu. Way back in 1951, Bahar, the Hindi film introducing Vyjanthimala was a remake of the Tamil blockbuster Vazhkai. This remake set the pattern for subsequent remakes from Tamil to Hindi such as Miss Mary (1957) a remake of the Tamil Misamma, and Bhabhi (1957) a remake of Kula Deivam.