Plagiarism case against BR Films could stop Bollywood borrowing from Hollywood

Mumbai, Aug.7 (ANI): For the first time, a Bollywood producer has been forced to pay for plagiarizing a Hollywood hit.

Twentieth Century Fox has taken the Mumbai-based BR Films to court; alleging that the latter's forthcoming film "Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai" (This Guy is Fearless) is an illegal remake of the 1992 Hollywood flick "My Cousin Vinny".

BR Films has agreed to pay Twentieth Century Fox, which is 82.1 per cent owned by News Corporation, the parent company of The Times, about 200,000 dollars in an out-of-court settlement.

Though the deal paves the way for the Indian film's release, it could also mark the end of an era where Bollywood remade everything from "The Godfather" (the Hindi version was called Sarkar) to Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, renamed Satte Pe Satta, with apparent impunity.

In recent months Chander Lall, a lawyer who represents two major American studios, has sent a slew of warning letters to producers who he believes are copying Hollywood films, reports The Times.

The titles allegedly poised to be "Indianised" included Ghostbusters, Jerry Maguire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Departed and The Hangover.

Lall said that Bollywood had long paid homage to Hollywood's most successful films, but that Indian studios had increased the practice in recent years.

"Bollywood used to deliver pure escapism. The films were driven by glamour and a star cast and the plot was not important.

With the arrival of modern multiplex theatres over the past five years, and the more discerning audiences they attract, that has changed," he told The Times.

"Audiences now want new stories. The problem is, Bollywood has no tradition of producing original screenplays," he added.y plagiarizing scripts, the filmmakers profit from intensive test screenings that American producers carry out to gauge audience reactions and maximize ticket sales, Lall said.

Bollywood productions inspired by Western originals are popular. Last year, Ghajini starring Aamir Khan, became the first Bollywood film to earn over 12.5 million pounds at the domestic box office.

It was a remake of the Hollywood movie "Memento", which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay in 2002.

Taran Adarsh, a film critic, said: "We have a very strong creative culture, with a very solid set of literary works. But if you have a ready-made script waiting to be Indianised, why not use it?" (ANI)