If you think about it, Bollywood adapts Hollywood movies in order to make it more cringy and dramatic. And sometimes (rarely), Hollywood also adapts concepts from Bollywood. But, there are certain Hollywood classics that India needs to stay away from and vice-versa.
Here are some of the worst ‘inspirations’ (read: gandi copies) that Indian shows have taken from the west only to ruin it for us:
1. Hello Friends from F.R.I.E.N.D.S
2. Sumit Sambhal Lega from Everybody Loves Raymond
Another Indian show that couldn’t live up to the humour, glory or drama of the popular American sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond.
Check Out – Hollywood Movies Copied By Bollywood
3. Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin from Ugly Betty
Even though the Mona Singh starrer Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin was inspired by the American drama Ugly Betty, technically both of these shows were actually “inspired” from the Colombian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea!
4. Four More Shots Please! from Sex And The City
What’s so Sex And The City about four BFFs trying to figure out their lives as they question the society? Well, Four More Shots Please! didn’t even care to change the personality, professions or the issues faced by the characters from the evergreen American comedy-drama.
5. Comedy Nights With Kapil from The Kumars at No. 42
6. Karishma Ka Karishma from Small Wonder
Honestly, as a 90’s kid who grew up watching this adorable robot girl, I was disappointed and a little heartbroken to find out that the show was “inspired” by the American science fiction sitcom, Small Wonder. And once I started watching the original show, there was no going back.
7. Jeannie Aur Juju from I Dream of Jeannie
8. The Office from The Office
A British show that was beautifully adapted as a beloved American drama which gave us one of the best bosses of all time, turned out to be a disaster when Indians decided to come up with their own version of The Office. I’d rather go to my actual office than to spend my weekends trying to watch the Indian Office.
9. Suite Life of Karan And Kabir from Suite Life Of Zack & Cody
How to ruin your fun-filled childhood in 20 minutes? Watch an episode of the horribly adapted, monotonously bland Indian version of The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody.
10. Kumkum Bhagya from Sense & Sensibility
An Indian soap opera that is inspired by Jane Austin’s novel and mini-series. The story revolves around the life of sisters in a matriarchal setting. Even with a hopeful plot, the show, however, failed to distinguish itself from all the other saas-bahu soap operas onscreen.
11. Powder from The Wire
12. Yudh from The Boss
13. Ek Hasina Thi from Revenge
14. Pyaar Ki Yeh Ek Kahaani was a mixture of Twilight and The Vampire Diaries
An ordinary girl falls in love with a vampire and they fight for their forbidden love. Even though this sounds like its either straight out of Twilight or The Vampire Diaries, it is not. Pyaar Ki Yeh Ek Kahaani did grace us with our teenage crush Vivian Dsena but his glow in the dark vampire teeth were too cringy to not laugh.
15. Dil Mil Gayye from Grey’s Anatomy
Sanjivani hospital filled with young residents who are trying to juggle between their blooming careers and their budding romances might have looked like a dream back in your teenage years if you didn’t watch Grey’s Anatomy. But if you did, you’d know how disappointing Dill Mill Gayye really was.
16. Reporters from The Newsroom
A producer and a news anchor who are chasing the right stories to save the sinking ship of journalism in Reporters didn’t do any justice to the politically acclaimed, American drama The Newsroom that it was adapted from.
17. Sanjivani from ER
The long-running American medical drama ER starring George Clooney inspired one of India’s first medic-dramas, Sanjivani. Even though, watching the cast dressed in scrubs was a breath of fresh air from all those saas-bahu soap operas, we really cannot compare it to the original series.
18. Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi from Wuthering Heights
Jokes apart, the basic plotline of this Ekta Kapoor production was inspired by Emily Brontë’s classic literary work and famous British drama Wuthering Heights. However, somewhere between the plot twists, infusing additional drama, they ended up losing the main storyline.
19. Tedi Medi Family from The Middle
The desi version of a heartfelt American family sitcom The Middle was a huge disappointment in terms of its educational humour, scripting and shaping the eccentric characters.
20. Best Of Luck Nikki From Good Luck Charlie
Best of luck to whoever is watching the Indian adaptation of the Disney family sitcom,Good Luck Charlie. Hope you don’t forget to record your reactions!
Which Hindi show “inspired” from the west do you like to cringe-binge?