From running along the river to the chirping of birds, inspiration for the cinema can come from anything. For creating a masterpiece, it is better to take inspiration from the best in the business and the whole universe knows Bollywood is one of the astonishing industries in the movie business. This legacy of Bollywood is a reason its cinema is an inspiration for many other industries. Just like the Bollywood which takes inspiration from other cinemas, Pakistan’s Lollywood has been largely influenced by Indian cinema too, whether or not they would admit it. The cultural and language similarities of the industries can be the reason why they share an uncanny resemblance in the plotlines of their movies and shows. Here are such top 8 Pakistani movies and shows that are inspired by Bollywood cinema:
1. Chana Jor Garam – Sarabhai vs Sarabhai: When the Indian serial makers tried to make the reprised version of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and failed miserably, we realized it is impossible to copy that masterpiece. But there exists an exact remake of the iconic show Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai in Pakistan and it goes by the name Chana Jor Garam, where a Rosesh-like character recites ghazals and sher and the middle-class bahu is always taunted by her elite MIL.
2. Koi Nai Apna – Akele Hum Akele Tum: You remember the classic love story of Aamir Khan and Manisha Koirala, the Pakistani producers copied and made a serial with the same plotline. However, the married couple has a daughter instead of a son like in the movie, and instead of the mother, the father leaves his wife.
3. Arth: The Destination – Arth: Just like its title, the entire movie was a copy of the 1982 Bollywood movie Arth. However, the Pakistani director of the movie gave Mahesh Bhatt the due credit. He even wanted to contact Bhatt to make it an official Urdu remake of 'Arth'.
4. Nazo - Barfi: This drama is based on the story of Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra Starrer Barfi. From the protagonist’s thick-curly hair to her expressions, the show and the movie share an uncanny resemblance.
5. Dil Banjara – Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: The story of this cinema revolves around the story of a girl who goes on a trip and falls in love with a stranger, despite being engaged and eventually get married to him. Doesn’t this story sound quite familiar because we also have a movie with the same storyline? This drama was based on the story of Bollywood classic DDLJ.
6. Izterab – We Are Family: Revolving around a man having two wives, Pakistan’s Izteraab too shares an uncanny resemblance to Bollywood’s We Are Family.
7. Mohabbat Tujhe Alvida – Judaai: The movie that was nothing like the mainstream Bollywood film, Judaai tells the story of a married woman who dreams of becoming wealthy and sells her husband to a filthy rich woman in a bid to fulfill that dream. The audience noticed that the Pakistani drama Mohabbat Tujhe Alvida followed a similar plotline, after which the makers said it “may be inspired” by the 90s hit Bollywood film.
8. Cheekh – Damini: Another Pakistani drama that seems to have taken inspiration from Bollywood is Cheekh, which has multiple similarities with Hindi crime drama Damini starring Sunny Doel and Meenakshi Seshadri.
