Why The 2013 Zanjeer Remake Ruined A Bollywood Classic

The 2013 Hindi remake of the 1973 classic Zanjeer, also shot in Telugu as Thoofan, stands out as a poorly executed film that failed to capture the spirit of the original. Director Apoorva Lakhia and co-screenwriter Suresh Nair attempted to modernise Salim-Javed's original script by changing the villainous plot from illicit liquor to the oil mafia. The original film featured Amitabh Bachchan as Inspector Vijay Khanna fighting Seth Dharam Dayal Teja, played by Ajit Khan. In the remake, Ram Charan plays an ACP fighting Rudra Pratap Teja, portrayed by Prakash Raj in his Bollywood debut.

Key Flaws

The 2013 version replaced Jaya Bhaduri's strong character Mala with Priyanka Chopra's annoying damsel in distress who appears in completely unnecessary item songs. Chintan Gandhi wrote poor poetic dialogues for the film, and the background score featured a comedic version of 'Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram'. While Amitabh Bachchan gave an iconic, stoic, yet fiery performance in 1973 that launched the angry young man archetype, Ram Charan displayed weak acting skills and a lack of emotional range throughout the movie. The film also included background posters of Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan during a fight scene.

Context

Remakes of classic films often struggle when modern updates alter the core essence of the original story rather than respecting its foundational appeal. Director Apoorva Lakhia previously escaped the title of worst Hindi remake only because Ram Gopal Varma's 2007 film Aag set a lower standard by remaking Sholay. This critical review forms part of the 'Memories of Blunder' column by Anandu Suresh, published by The Indian Express.