If imitation is the best form of flattery, Bollywood has been paying tribute to Hollywood since the 50s.
Borrowing was not confined to Hollywood alone, as film makers lifted successful plots from Tamil and Telugu movies with impunity. Plagiarism laws were not strict, and in the absence of cable television and internet, the cinema watcher remained uninformed and gullible. The 1990s was to change all that.
Economic liberalization brought purchasing power to the cinema watching population, and movies became the great escape. As more movies began to be consumed, Bollywood was not just seeking inspiration from foreign movies, but blatantly ripping them off.
Some wise men, not content with ripping just one, took multiple movies to fool cinema goers about the authenticity of their project. Prominent examples: Kaante (part Usual Suspects, part Reservoir Dogs), Dhoom 3 (part Now You See Me, part The Prestige) and Farz (part Lethal Weapon, part Ricochet and part Metro).
Here is a look at the worst rip offs that come to mind (not in any particular order):
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Did we miss out on any other terrible film? Let us know in the comments below!
