- By Piyali Bhadra
- Sun, 30 Apr 2023 11:31 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The entertainment industry is a highly volatile space to be in with a gamble of fate and unfortunate occurrences at all times. Many renowned names have come and gone with audiences testing the time and acting skills of many. But amongst them, some names have made their permanent mark by gaining the public's reputation.
Amongst the many, there is one name that has gained immense love and admiration over the years, where the actor has more than 100 films to his credit and is one of Bollywood's richest and most successful stars.
View this post on Instagram
Known as the biggest Bollywood star, he is often known for his notorious reputation gaining negative publicity, however looking at his stardom and the positive reception of his films, the negative side of the megastar of Bollywood is often ignored.
However, his films are known to set the cast registers ringing where no other director dares to clash their dates with his films. Interestingly, the films picked up by him are popular or understated remakes of Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Hollywood films.
Having a strong business sense or an eye for hidden-understated gems, the actor has always managed to get away with a film that goes ahead and becomes a popular Bollywood film roping in top-notch star cast and directors, and trying to deliver a fresh piece in front of the Hindi-speaking audience.
In his three-decade-long career, the actor has delivered 26 remakes amongst which many have stood out to be blockbusters at the box office. Having a strong foothold in the industry for 34 years, the actor made his debut with 'Biwi Ho Toh Aisi' alongside Rekha.
But, the journey of remakes in his career started with 'Sanam Bewafa' which was the fourth film in his career and was a Pakistani film remake. Many other films which were remakes in his career and stood out to be hit at the box office were 'Judwaa', 'Biwi No. 1', 'Wanted', and 'God Tussi Great Ho.'
Entering the segments of mass family entertainers from high-octane action sequences, all his films shouted the voice of 'Bhai' which eventually got him the name of 'Salman Bhai' in Bollywood.
Preserving seats for special occasions such as Eid, Diwali, or Christmas, the actor started targeting the family audience and understood the game of holidays which could raise the ticket collection and focused on family entertainers such as 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' and 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan.'
However, all his films were largely male-centric, with the lead heroine capturing a limited screen presence acting as the lady love of the star. This image of Salman Khan always ended up him being a man who is prepared to win all his battles and go home with a happy ending in his films.
From his personality in 'Tere Naam' to 'Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya', he played the character of a cunning and hopeless lover involved with his love which was filled with toxicity and was merely ignored by the audience as the love and admiration for the actor was inside the reigns of whistles in the theater.
View this post on Instagram
However, one has to realize that the originality in his content is zero as the films the actor creates are all remakes which allows you to piggyback one's success. It is a very smart way to double the potential of your audience and thus create a newsworthy script that creates a buzz throughout the year.
There are a handful of films that have managed to match the success of his remakes. Films like 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' and 'Dabangg' were also remakes of Southern films which still make one's ears ring with hit songs and performances. Some of the blockbusters delivered by the star which are originals and remakes are listed below.
Salaam-e-Ishq (2007) – Original script
Partner (2007) – Inspired by the Hollywood film Hitch
Marigold (2007) – Original script
Saawariya (2007) – Original script
God Tussi Great Ho (2008) – Inspired by the Hollywood film Bruce Almighty
Hello (2008) – Based on Chetan Bhagat's Novel
Heroes (2008) – Original Script
Yuvvraaj (2008) – Original Script
Wanted (2009) – Remake of Telugu film Pokiri
Main Aurr Mrs Khanna (2009) – Original Script
London Dreams (2009) – Original Script
Veer (2010) – Original Script
Dabangg (2010) – Original Script
Ready (2011) – Remake of Telugu film Ready
Bodyguard (2011) – Remake of Malayalam film Bodyguard
Ek Tha Tiger (2012) – Original Script
Dabangg 2 (2012) – Original Script
Sher Khan (2012) – Original Script
Where one original script demands more work with better writers, Salman Khan is not ready to take the step again where he can go ahead and sacrifice his ego to adjust to one's original script which actually may stir some quality in his character.
View this post on Instagram
After the success of 'Wanted', 'Ready', and 'Bodyguard', Salman Khan was accused of playing safe by only releasing remakes of South Indian hits. However, it's unfair to single out one actor in the Bollywood film fraternity, as after blockbuster hits like, 'Rowdy Rathore', 'Agneepath', 'Bol Bachchan' and more, Bollywood itself has adopted the culture of remakes.
