'Tezaab': Madhuri Dixit, Anil Kapoor's classic gearing up for remake
What's the story
Another Bollywood classic is on its way to getting a "modern" remake! The 1988 film Tezaab, which catapulted Madhuri Dixit Nene's success and cemented her as a talented rising star, is set to be remade, confirmed producer Murad Khetani. Tezaab was a romance/action drama and featured Anil Kapoor, Annu Kapoor, Chunky Panday, and Anupam Kher in pivotal roles. More details on the remake inside.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Tezaab has concretized its place as a cult classic in Hindi cinema and was Dixit Nene's first major breakthrough in the industry. It was astonishingly successful at the theaters, reportedly running for over 50 weeks. It was also labeled as the biggest Hindi blockbuster of 1988. Apart from the lead actors' solid performances, it is best remembered for the raging chartbuster Ek Do Teen.
Details
What did Khetani say about the remake ?
Khetani (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Animal) has bought the rights to the N Chandra directorial. Per TOI, the movie's pre-production is scheduled to start soon. Although details about the cast and crew are still scarce, he told the portal, "we will adapt the story to modern times." It will be interesting to see if the original stars will appear in the film in any capacity.
Adaptations
'Tezaab' already has remakes in other languages
Tezaab was loosely adapted from Streets of Fire (1984), directed by Walter Hill with Lawrence Gordon and Joel Silver producing the venture. In 1989, it was remade in Telugu with the title Two Town Rowdy, with Venkatesh Daggubati in the lead. In 1993, a Tamil version rolled out, too, called Rojavai Killathe. It was headlined by actors Arjun, Khushbu, and Tiger Prabhakar.
Comments
Director of the original isn't too happy though
The director of the original arbors an opposite view when it comes to the remake. Earlier, he had told ToI, "Aisi filmon ko chhedna nahi chahiye (such films should not be tampered with)." Chandra is of the opinion that Tezaab, which premiered 34 years ago, belongs to a different era in Hindi cinema. "You cannot replicate the film by putting it into another bottle."