Bollywood vs Hollywood. Plagiarism or Coincidence?

Red carpet, glam, and shine! It is Hollywood, baby! Turn on the lights and enjoy the show! But, hold on, I’ve heard something sound pretty similar! Something very-very similar! And I have seen this amazing glam somewhere – all those designer dresses, dramatic scenes and breathtaking songs! What’s the matter? Oh, there is only one good explanation – plagiarism! Someone would name this a coincidence, but when you buy a $25,000 designer dress, you surely will ask the designer if he has sold the same dress to someone else. I bet he won’t lie as it is not a way to deal with VIP clients. The stars of Hollywood are often copied by the stars of Bollywood and vice versa. There is a long competition between Bollywood vs Hollywood in all categories, including the scenarios and popularity of the films, the stars’ dresses, the music and many other details. The only thing I would like to mention here is that I do not believe in coincidence. Yes, it might happen that two stars have bought the same dress simultaneously, this may be a very small percentage of truth, but still it might happen. But, when we have a copy of the song from the Godfather, what are we talking about? It is definitely a 100% plagiarism! So, let’s look at plagiarism cases in Bollywood vs Hollywood films, and decide whether it is a coincidence or planned copying.

In fact, plagiarism in Bollywood vs Hollywood films is a very common issue. There are several dozens of plagiarized films, scenes and screenplays that show the exclusive similarity between the American and Indian cinema. You can check out this list at the Facebook page. Here, we will examine the most outrageous plagiarism cases.

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is one of the most notable dramas in American film industry. The film was produced after the scenario of Stephen King, depicting the story of the man who is wrongfully sentenced to two life imprisonments for the assassination of his wife and her lover. The film shows the inconsistency of the legal system, the corruption in prison and the value of real friendship. The Indian equivalent of the film is 3 Deewarein (3 Walls) (2003) that shows the imprisonment stories of three men, two of which are sentenced for the murder of their wives. The Indian movie nearly copies the main idea of the Shawshank Redemption.

2. Aabra Ka Daabra is a 2004 Bollywood film that plots a story of a boy who was enrolled in a school of magic named Aabra Ka Daaabra. This film is the first 3D film in Bollywood industry. The majority of viewers criticized the film for being the unsuccessful version of the famous Harry Potter (2001) as the film copies the idea of the school of magic.

3. The Bollywood trilogy Dhoom reminds the Hollywood’s The Fast and the Furious (2001) and Ocean’s Eleven (2001). Although the film has a little bit different plot, the idea is the same – the gang is gathered around the common task. The first part shows a case of thieves on motorcycles and reminds the Fast and the Furious. The second part is the robbery of the museum that steals the idea of the Ocean’s Eleven. The third part with the robbery of the bank is also the version of the Fast and the Furious.

The mentioned films show cases of copying of Hollywood plots and screenplays by Bollywood producers. In addition, there are tons of examples of Bollywood vs Hollywood death scenes and Bollywood vs Hollywood music. Here is the good investigation of the plagiarism in music: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-worst-cases-of-plagiarism-in-Bollywood-music.

Nevertheless, not only Bollywood copies from Hollywood. Surprisingly, there are many Hollywood films that were inspired by the Indian movies. Let us look at these examples:

1. The Indian Classic ‘Sangam’ (1964) about the love trilogy is copied by the Hollywood scenarists of the Pearl Harbor (2001).
2. The Hollywood film Leap Year (2010) resembles the Bollywood movie Jab We Met (2007). The plots and scenes of the two films are similar; the only difference is the location of the scene.
3. The winner of the numerous awards, Hollywood film A Common Man is the rework of the Indian film A Wednesday!. Even though the Hollywood version is more successful, it is worth mentioning that it is based on the Indian movie.

Thus, it is obvious that both Bollywood and Hollywood copy each other. Do you need more examples to prove?

Look at the article at Quora https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-worst-cases-of-plagiarism-in-Bollywood-music, and examine the worst cases of plagiarism in music. One of the most famous celebrities in Bollywood Anu Maklik is known for copying many authors. Pitifully, his films Murder, Main Hoon Na, Akele Hum Akele Tum contain plagiarism. And, the author of the article includes links to the originals

Thus, we can surely say that in the race of world acceptance and popularity, Bollywood vs Hollywood copy each other, and it is not a coincidence!