Introduction

A couple of days back, the news was announced that ANAND, the all-time classic, is going to be remade fifty-one years after it was originally made.

The grandson of the original producer, N N Sippy, and Vikram Khakhar, Sameer Raj Sippy, will produce the remake version of Anand.

But in reality, fans have not squealed in delight at this announcement, but have a sense of foreboding and apprehension. The classic fans have also pleaded that an iconic film like ANAND need not be revisited, as it will lose its pristine charm soul in the remake version.

Views

Celebrated Bollywood Analyst cum Business Transformation Expert Hirav Shah says, “When we go for a reality check, fans are quite right in their disapproval. So far, filmmakers have tried to remake two of the all-time classics, Sholay and Zanjeer have come croppers instead fallen flat on their faces.

As per the audience’s point of view, a classic is a classic, and the cult status and a halo that is built around it is at the time of original release and the contemporary fans.

A few opinions that modern-day fans may not have the same connection with the context of earlier films, even though the filmmakers for the new version may refurbish the content with contextual sensibilities to match up to the expectations.”

Hirav Shah adds, “Coming to Anand; the film has an element of poetic justice associated with it. Its content, which is simplified in its layout and minimalism, is its defining motif. It was made at a time when life was simple, and there was no rat race as a noose around the neck. In the current times, is it a smart move to remake or recreate Anand’s aura?

Hirav Shah recalls, “When Sippy made Anand in 1971, he had two of the biggest actors arguably Hindi cinema has ever produced in the form of Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna. Their stardom and on-screen chemistry worked wonders for Anand. The leap of faith for these two legends was yet to happen, and they were searching for the elusive success, so they drew into their acting skills and came out with a classic performance.

The hard fact is that in the present times, we do not have any actors, they all are stars, and their star power would be the biggest obstacle in the interpretation of the characters to be enacted by Anand.

Bollywood has repeatedly been making attempts to make an already super-hit product that is symptomatic of resorting to incremental development rather than striving for innovation, but getting mixed responses from the moviegoers.

Hirav Shah says, “Karan Johar made his own adaptation of Anand in the form of Kal Ho Naa Ho in 2003, which was a blockbuster. Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan made it a memorable affair, but still, it couldn’t match the brilliance of Anand.

Hirav Shah concludes by saying, “Majority opinion that classics like Anand should be left and not remade. There is an argument that the present generation has not seen it; it should be remade for them to undergo the same experience that their forefathers would have undergone, but still, classics like Anand do not need resurrection at all is what most of the netizens opinion.

Frequently Asked Questions About Anand Remake

 

Was Rajesh Khanna’s Anand movie a hit or flop?

The film was a decent hit at the box office. But has gained a cult following over the years and is hailed as one of the best Hindi films ever made.

Which was the first film in which Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri worked together?

The film was Bansi Birju, released in 1972. It was the first time Jaya Bhaduri and Amitabh Bachchan shared the screen. The film was directed by Prakash Verma.