Bollywood has made official remakes of Hollywood movies after purchasing the rights of the original movies. Laal Singh Chaddha is one such movie. Starring Aamir Khan, the movie is an official remake of the hit Hollywood cult classic, Forrest Gump.

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But apart from official remakes, Bollywood has also made unofficial remakes of international movies. Either they are “inspired” or loosely based on the original plot, or simply an Indian adaptation. Here are 14 such unofficial remakes of international films made by Bollywood.

1. Kaante (2002)
Who can forget Mahesh Manjrekar with blonde hair? Directed by Sanjay Gupta, Kaante was heavily inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. The best part is that Tarantino loved it. In an interview, Tarantino said, “I think it was fabulous…The best part is, you have Indian guys coming to the US and looting a US bank. How cool is that! I was truly honoured. And these guys are played by the legends of Bollywood.”

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2. Aamir (2008)
Directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, the movie is adapted from a Filipino film, Cavite. The Filipino makers were thanked in the film’s prelude. The movie stars Rajeev Khandelwal in his debut Bollywood movie.

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Check Out – Bollywood Remakes Of International Films

3. Partner (2007)
Directed by David Dhawan, the movie is inspired by the Hollywood movie, Hitch. David Dhawan clarified that the movie is not copied but inspired by Hitch. “The film (Hitch) sparked an idea in my mind. I have used that idea in telling the story in an Indian context with my own treatment of the subject,” Dhawan said.
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4. Raaz (2002)
Directed by Vikram Bhatt, this supernatural horror film was an unofficial adaptation of the Hollywood film, What Lies Beneath. The film stars Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea in lead roles. In an interview, Dino Morea said, “I had watched What Lies Beneath long before I signed Raaz. It was similar in terms of the story premise and the infidelity part.”

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5. Black (2005)
This Sanjay Leela Bhansali film was inspired by the life of Helen Keller and her tutor. The movie was inspired by Keller’s autobiography and a 1962 American film (The Miracle Worker) on the autobiography. Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji, the film narrates the tale of a deaf and blind student and her elderly teacher.

Indian Express

6. Heyy Babyy (2007)
This Sajid Khan movie starring Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan, and Riteish Deshmukh is loosely based on a Malayalam film which in turn was adapted from the Hollywood film, Three Men and a Baby. The movie revolves around three bachelors whose life change with the unexpected arrival of a baby at their doorstep.

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7. Ghajini (2008)
This Aamir Khan movie directed by A. R. Murugadoss was in fact a remake of the 2005 Tamil movie of the same name directed by the same director. However, the Tamil film was inspired by Christopher Nolan’s Memento. In an interview, Nolan revealed that he hadn’t seen the film but had heard of its commercial success.

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8. Jai Ho (2014)
This Salman Khan movie was loosely inspired by the Hollywood drama film, Pay It Forward. The Hollywood movie stars Kevin Spacey. The Bollywood movie revolves around the life of an ex-army officer who helps citizens and fights criminals. This was Daisy Shah‘s first Bollywood movie in a lead role. 

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9. Chachi 420 (1997)
This Kamal Haasan cult classic is a remake of Haasan’s 1996 Tamil movie. In both the movies, Haasan’s character is roughly based on the character of Robin Williams from Mrs Doubtfire. The desi version added elements of humour to the movie. 

DNA India

10. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992)
The boys of Model College and Rajput College need no introduction. This movie turned out to be classic. It is reported that the movie is inspired by a 1979 Hollywood film, Breaking Away.

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11. Fool N Final (2007)

With an ensemble cast, this movie did not work at the box office. This Ahmed Khan film is inspired by a British movie, Snatch. Funnily, the desi film shares the tagline with the British movie. Oddly enough, Mike Tyson makes a special appearance in the movie.

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12. Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994)
This super hit Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar movie has many banger songs. But did you know that this movie is an unofficial remake of a 1991 Hollywood movie, The Hard Way?

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13. Salaam-e-Ishq (2007)
This multi-starrer anthology-style movie by Nikkhil Advani was Bollywood’s response to the 2003 Hollywood film, Love Actually. Unlike the Hollywood version which had ten stories, the Bollywood version explores the lives of six couples.

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14. Do Knot Disturb (2009)
Starring Sushmita Sen, Riteish Deshmukh, and Govinda, this comedy movie inspired two other films in India – one in Punjabi, the other in Bengali. But Do Knot Disturb was, in turn, a remake of a 2006 French Movie, The Valet.

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What other movies would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments.