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Robert Zemeckis is a prolific Hollywood filmmaker known for his frequent collaborations with fellow filmmaker Steven Spielberg and actors like Tom Hanks. The resulting collaborations have ended in some evergreen classics like Back to the Future trilogy and Forrest Gump. The director, born May 14, 1952, made his debut as a filmmaker with the 1978 film I Wanna Hold Your Hand. His breakout success was the 1984 film Romancing the Stone. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Zemeckis has made some fine films like Death Becomes Her, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, Contact, Cast Away, Beowulf, A Christmas Carol and Flight. A couple of films have also inspired Bollywood filmmakers to make their own version, including a very huge upcoming movie. Back to the Future 4 Definitely Never Going to Happen, Says Robert Zemeckis.
On the occasion of Zemeckis' 68th birthday, let's look at the times when his films have inspired Bollywood remakes.
Back to the Future
Considered one of the most rewatchable, iconic films from Hollywood, Back To The Future is is a fun, time-travelling adventure film, starring Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd. The movie focussed on Fox's Marty McFly character, who accidentally travels back in time, inadvertently ruins his parents' meeting and now has to ensure that they fall in love so that he isn't wiped out of existence. The movie was a huge hit and spawned two more successful sequels.
The Remake: Action Replayy
In 2010, Vipul Shah remade the film with Aditya Roy Kapur stepping into Fox's shows, but the focus was more on the parents' characters, played by Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The remake lacks the charm of the original, despite a wonderful performance from Akshay, and the film flopped at the box office.
What Lies Beneath
Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer star in this spooky thriller about a middle-aged married couple who experiences mysterious happenings in their house. The wife sees the spirit of a lady who she thinks is her neighbour, killed by her husband, who keeps tormenting her, only for her to realise later that the spirit is communicating a dark secret. What Lies Beneath, while a hit, wasn't considered as one of Zemeckis' best works...
The Remake: Raaz
...but it was popular enough to inspire Vikram Bhatt to begin his journey of horror films, starting with Raaz. The premise of Raaz, starring Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea, is heavily inspired by the Hollywood horror thriller, but Bhatt has taken some very heavy liberties with the material. While Raaz has a couple of good scares, it is more remembered for its lovely soundtrack, composed by Nadeem-Shravan.
Forrest Gump
A coming-of-age, ambitious drama that spans decades, the movie stars Tom Hanks in the lead. Hanks plays a slow-witted, do-gooder who is in love with his childhood friend, and has been a part of some major landmark events in US history, some of which he had accidentally influenced into triggering. Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor, while the movie also won Zemeckis Best Director award, along with Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing.
The Remake: Laal Singh Chaddha
As you might be knowing by now, Aamir Khan is starring in the official remake of the film, that's directed by Advait Chandan of Secret Superstar fame. Kareena Kapoor Khan is the female leader, while Tamil star Vijay Sethupathi is making his Bollywood debut. Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan are also rumoured to be making cameos in the film. Laal Singh Chaddha was supposed to release by the end of 2020, but thanks to the lockdown, there is a pretty good chance that it would be pushed to next year. Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan Leave For Laal Singh Chadha Shoot (View Pics).
Honourable Mention -
Romancing The Stone
This 1984 romantic action adventure stars Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in the lead. It is about a romance novelist and a bird smuggler who team up for a treasure trailer, while being chased by a dangerous criminal.
The Remake: Announced But Never Happened
In 2009, director Ram Gopal Varma confirmed that he has pitched the remake of the Hollywood film to save your breath... Ranbir Kapoor, who agreed to do the film. However, like many of RGV's failed projects, even this remake didn't evolve beyond the confirmation.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 14, 2020 06:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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