Revolving around the basic plot of a missing kid girl and the hero being called to find her as the last resort, BAAGHI 2 is reportedly an official remake of the Telugu Hit KSHANAM (2016), directed by Ravikanth Perepu with Adivi Sesh and Adah Sharma playing the lead roles.
Though KSHANAM remains far ahead as a much superior mystery thriller in comparison to its pale remake, it ironically also borrows the basic plot and story progression from two different English films, incorporating them in its engaging script, re-written as per the Indian settings.
However there is a significant difference between the two approaches behind KSHANAM and BAAGHI 2 conceived with two distinctive mindsets. At one end, the ‘Regional Language Indian Cinema’ (in South) more than often reworks on a plot inspired from the Hollywood films but very well knows what has to be the core essence of the film, focusing on its basic theme. On the other, Hindi Cinema goes for remakes of the same inspired movies, but strangely takes away the very core essence of the plot, inserting its usual clichéd elements ruining the overall impact.
Here are the key movies and elements the two films take their inspiration from.
(*Spoilers Ahead)
A. GONE BABY GONE (2007)
The core theme of the film dealing with abduction of a kid-girl, the involvement of drug peddlers and the Chief Police officer behind all the dubious activities is straight takes from this intense thriller directed by Ben Affleck. However where KSHANAM sticks to the inspired emotional twist making a solid impact, BAAGHI 2 dilutes it all incorporating it in a typical filmy way towards the end of the film. Moreover where KSHANAM interestingly changes the gender of the Police Chief, presenting her as a strong woman (perfectly suiting the theme). BAAGHI 2 converts it back to a male, bringing in Manoj Bajpai, playing the role enacted by the veteran Morgan Freeman in the original film.
B. BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING (1965)
A highly engaging black & white classic, this is a psychological thriller produced and directed by Otto Preminger that can easily be kept in the category of “Hitchcock films that Hitchcock never made”. And that should say it all about its impressive content. Based on the novel by Merriam Modell with the same title, this is about the trauma felt by a woman whose daughter goes missing, but she is not able to convince anyone around as there is no evidence anywhere of the girl’s very existence. The kid goes missing on the first day to school and later even school authorities deny any such girl registered in their official records. With no proof of the child’s existence, soon everyone starts treating the mother as a mentally disturbed person including the police officials, further leading to a thrilling as well as a shocking climax.
C. A particular sequence in the police station in BAAGHI 2, strongly makes you recall a similar famous scene of GHAYAL (1990), which in fact can be found in many Hindi films focusing on the clash between an Inspector and the hero.
D. The film comes up with an awful recreation of the cult song “Ek Do Teen” from TEZAAB (1988) and also Punjabi MC’s hugely famous “Mundeyan Ton Bach Ke Rahin” that became a musical rage all over the globe in the beginning of the present millennium.
E. Lastly, one of its song “O Saathi” includes a couplet as,
“Bechainiyaan Samet Ke Saarey Jahaan Ki,
Jab Kuchh Na Ban Saka To Mera Dil Bana Diya”
The credits at Youtube official upload of this song by T-series (at the time of writing this article) mention its lyrics by Arko. Whereas we have been hearing a similar couplet from decades and if I am not wrong, it’s a part of a famous ghazal penned by Jigar Moradabadi. But then this is not the first instance when a Hindi film song has directly taken a verse from the famous works of renowned Urdu poets.
Cheers!
(Note: The article was first published on UC-News Mobile App in April 2018)
