A remake of a foreign film, especially one that is not in English, is never a bad idea as unlike what some folks would have you believe, because very few moviegoers, not just in India but the world over, watch films apart from those in their indigenous dialect or from Hollywood (dubbed or otherwise). However, when remaking overseas imports it's imperative to strike a balance between respecting the original filmmaker's vision while also establishing the adaptation with your identity for your audience to connect with better — something Director duo Abbas Mustan have done so well with classics like Baazigar, Baadshah and Ajnabee or Vikram Bhatt used to do (before losing his touch) with his erstwhile classics like Ghulam and Raaz.
This time, ace Malayalam Director Jeethu Joseph (helmer of the original Drishyam) makes his Bollywood debut with the remake of Spanish filmmaker Oriol Paulo's tense masterpiece by the same name. Coincidentally, his other masterpiece, The Invisible Guest, was remade earlier this year into the superhit Badla, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu. So where does Emraan Hashmi-Rishi Kapoor starrer The Body land? Is it a worthy followup to the original? More importantly, does Joseph follow a by-the-numbers formula like Badla did or does he spice things up with his family inputs? Let's find out...
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What's it about
The Body revolves around Maya Puri (Sobhita Dhulipala)'s death and, as the title suggests, the subsequent disappearance of her cadaver, which then opens a can of worms involving her husband, Ajay Puri (Emraan Hashmi), Ruhi (Vedhika Kumar), who's having an affair with Ajay, and their possible collusion in Maya's demise. The superintendent of police (Rishi Kapoor) smells something fishy and tries to get to the bottom of it all. However, even his part in the whole sordid affair isn't as straightforward as it seems.
(Also Watch: The Body song Khuda Haafiz)
What's hot
Thankfully, The Body doesn't mess up the original, which should please those who've watched the Spanish version. Emraan Hashmi and Rishi Kapoor also make for the worthy replacements for the two main characters, ensuring that those familiar with the movie's source aren't consumed by any hangovers at least which watching the legendary actor and equally talented younger pro perform. Sobhita Dhulipala, too, carves her own space in the film, keeping us guessing about her motives while Vedhika Kumar, whose role is surprisingly stifled to that of her Spanish counterpart, leaves an impression in her Hindi-film debut. The immensely gifted Jeethu Joseph also displays his aptitude with some smart tweaks to the original while seldom letting the tension and edge of the narrative slip unlike how Sujoy Ghosh opted for a strict by-the-numbers adaptation with Badla. Editor Ayoob Khan also does a serviceable job by keeping the film keeping crisp and pacy.
What's not
When I had earlier said that Joseph "seldom" lets the tension and edge slip it's because there are portion where his grip loosens, and sadly, when it does, it's glaring enough for us to not only take notice, but we're also unable to prevent out attention from being distracted — a strict no-no from a thriller and something we wouldn't expect from the Director of Drishyam, Detective, Memories and Aadhi. It's also a tad underwhelming that a filmmaker of his caliber copy-pastes the climax and denouement after promising something fresh with his earlier tweaks to the narrative. Satheesh Kurup's cinematography also disappoints, looking not more than an assorted colour palate at best and unable to evoke a sense of premonition at worst. Clinton Cerejo's background doesn't help much either while the songs are haphazardly thrust into the proceedings, serving to do nothing other than stall the flow. Plus, as much as I'm for sudden endings, especially in thriller, there's a big difference between things ending suddenly and abruptly, and The Body definitely falls in the latter category.
BL Verdict
The Body had the potential to be a crackling thriller in its own right, but loses steam midway to land several rungs below what it was aiming for. It could still make for a mildly engaging one-time watch though for Emraan Hashmi and Rishi Kapoor fans. I'm going with 2.5 out of 5 stars.
About the Author
Russel D'Silva
Senior sub-editor, film critic, trade analyst, anchor, host of 'Masterclass' and 'Throwback Tadka' at BollywoodLife
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