Looking closely at Sonakshi Sinha's southern obsession.
Sonakshi Sinha made her Dabangg debut in 2010.
In the last four years, she’s made more than half a dozen films, majority of which happen to be super-hit remakes of super-hit South Indian movies.
While it’s certainly doing no harm to her box office appeal, viewers who feel she’s capable of doing better (remember Lootera?) can’t bear to see her stuck in the stereotypical heroine rut.
Meanwhile, here’s a look at the films responsible for Ms Sinha’s reputation as Bollywood’s remake specialist.
Tevar
In 2003, Telugu stars Mahesh Babu and Bhoomika Chawla hit jackpot with their blockbuster Okkadu about a boy and girl trying unique methods to evade the bad guy’s attention.
A decade and more later, rookie director Amit Sharma is all set to make his debut as director with Arjun Kapoor in his home production, Tevar.
And who better than Sonakshi Sinha to slip in Bhoomika’s coy shoes?
Rowdy Rathore
Dancing sensation-turned-potboiler specialist Prabhudheva takes official inspiration from S S Rajamouli’s Vikramarkudu in Rowdy Rathore, which features Akshay Kumar in Ravi Teja’s double role as both cop and crook.
Even as the film garnered negative reviews for its over-the-top antics and the offensive objectification of Sonakshi Sinha (in a role originally essayed by Anushka Shetty), Rowdy Rathore’s box office collections spoke another story.
The actress teamed up with Prabhudheva on another mindless masala R...Rajkumar co-starring Shahid Kapoor. Technically it’s not a remake but the treatment pays unabashed homage to the typically South-Indian brand of filmmaking.
Son of Sardaar
In Bollywood’s rehash of Telugu success Maryada Ramanna, Andhra Pradesh makeshifts into Punjab to accommodate Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt friendship and enmity in true-blue filmi style.
Sonakshi fits in the done-to-death slot of Dutt’s bubbly sister and Devgn’s sparkling love interest leading to an inevitable face-off around its high-pitched melodrama.
Holiday: A Solider is Never Off Duty
After Ghajini’s money-spinning turn, AR Murugadoss aims to recreate the favourable outcome of his Vijay and Kajal Agarwal starrer, Thuppakki with Holiday.
As in the Telugu original, Akshay Kumar plays an intelligence officer while Sonakshi (in a inconsequential boxer mode) engages his romantic needs.
Only Holiday and its huffing puffing heroine are much too silly to be taken seriously.
Himmatwala and Boss
The girl’s obsession with remakes seems to influence her choice of guest appearances too.
Whether it’s an item song for Sajid Khan’s Himmatwala, a forgettable reworking of the 1983 Jeetendra-Sridevi vehicle, which itself was a recycling of Telugu hit Ooriki Monagadu or an extended two-song cameo in Boss, inspired by Malayalam drama Pokkiri Raja, Sonakshi is truly Bollywood’s go-to girl for Southie remakes.
