Three films - all remakes of the same Hollywood hit - were released together and all worked at the box office
Remakes, or ‘adaptations’ as they are now called, have been pretty common in Indian cinema for decades. Our filmmakers have often remade Hollywood classics or hits, sometimes even without acquiring the rights for that, and passing it off as a loose adaptation. But in 1996, something unusual occurred. A Hollywood thriller names Sleeping with the Enemy was remade – thrice, with all the films releasing within months of each other.
The three Bollywood films with same story that released together
Sleeping with the Enemy starred Julia Roberts and was released in 1991. It focussed on a woman who escapes an abusive marriage by faking her own death and starts a new life, only for her abuser to find her again. The film was a critical and commercial success. The first Hindi film to utilise this plot was Yaraana, which starred Madhuri Dixit, along with Raj Babbar as her abusive first husband and Rishi Kapoor as her second husband. The film released in October 1995 and was a hit, earning Rs 9 crore on a Rs 4.75-crore budget.
Seven months later, Rishi Kapoor played the same role in another film based on Sleeping with the Enemy. This film was called Daraar, and starred Juhi Chawla in the lead, with Arbaaz Khan – brother of Salman and son of Salim Khan – making his debut as the villain. Made in Rs 4.50 crore, Daraar was also a success, earning Rs 10 crore. It launched Arbaaz and paved the way for him to get more roles. Many critics pointed out the absurdity of Rishi Kapoor doing both the films, and that too, back to back.
But between these two films came the one that was the most successful. In March 1996, Agni Sakshi, starring Manisha Koirala, Nana Patekar, and Jackie Shroff, was released. The film was praised for its performances, particularly Nana as the villain. His performance earned him the National Award for Best Supporting Actor. It earned Rs 31 crore at the box office, becoming a superhit.
The fourth Sleeping with the Enemy remake
Interestingly, just six years later, Sleeping with the Enemy was again remade in Bollywood. This time, it was called Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche, and starred Esha Deol, Sanjay Kapoor, and Aftab Shivdasani. But the luck for the remakes ran out here. The film was critically panned and bombed at the box office.
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 "Stills from Daraar and Yaraana; both starred Rishi Kapoor")
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