Rowdy Rathore, Bodyguard, Singham, Ready, Wanted, Ghajini, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Saathiya, Nayak, Hera Pheri and many other Bollywood movies are a remake of South Indian films. Bollywood filmmakers are always targeted for not having originality in their movies. However, it is not just Bollywood filmmakers who get inspired by South films, there are many films down South which are a remake of Hindi movies.
Today, let’s looks at some of the famous South films that were a remake of Hindi movies.
Sanjay Dutt starrer Munna Bhai series is one of the best franchise movies made in Bollywood. We are waiting for the third installment of the film eagerly. But well, you might not know that Munna Bhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, both were remade in Telugu with Chiranjeevi in the lead role titled Shankar Dada MBBS and Shankar Dada Zindabad.
Bhale Dongalu – Bunty Aur Babli
Bhale Dongalu starring Tarun and Ileana D'Cruz in the lead role released in 2008. The Telugu film was a remake of Yash Raj Films’ Bunty Aur Babli which starred Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. Now a sequel to Bunty Aur Babli is said to be in the making, we wonder if that one will too have a remake down South.
Kanden Kadhalai – Jab We Met
2007 release Jab We Met is one of the best romantic-comedies that we have seen in Bollywood. The movie starred Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead roles and the latter won many awards for her performance in the film. In 2009, the movie was remade in Tamil titled Kanden Kadhalai. It starred Bharath and Tamannaah Bhatia in the lead roles and just like its original film; here too the lead actress received a lot of appreciation.
Unnaipol Oruvan – A Wednesday
Neeraj Pandey’s A Wednesday is a cult film. The movie was remade internationally and also got a remake in Tamil. Titled Unnaipol Oruvan, the movie starred two of the most talented actors from South film industry, Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal. While A Wednesday was a sleeper at the box office, Unnaipol Oruvan turned out to be a blockbuster.
Teen Maar – Love Aaj Kal
Looks like filmmakers down South love to remake movies that are directed by Imtiaz Ali. Teem Maar starring Pawan Kalyan, Trisha Krishnan, and Kriti Kharbanda was a remake of Love Aaj Kal which starred Deepika Padukone, Saif Ali Khan and Giselli Monteiro.
Nanban – 3 Idiots
Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and R Madhavan starrer 3 Idiots was a pan India film and had done wonders at the box office. But well, filmmaker Shankar decided to make it in Tamil. Titled Nanban, the remake starred Vijay, Jiiva, Srikanth, Ileana D'Cruz, Sathyan, and Sathyaraj. Though it did very well at the box office, it wasn’t a blockbuster like 3 Idiots.
Gopala Gopala – Oh My God
Religion is a subject that not many filmmakers would like to touch, but director Umesh Shukla made Oh My God, a movie in which a man files a case against god. Starring Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar in the lead roles, it was a super hit at the box office. In 2015, OMG was remade in Telugu with Pawan Kalyan and Venkatesh in the lead roles. Just like the original one, the remake was also a super hit at the box office.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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