The Real Khatta Meetha.

You just can’t take the ‘remake bug’ out of Priyadarshan. Sure, he will patronize you for the soundbytes that you desperately seek for your evening’s entertainment TV module, but that is the truth.You see, remaking a movie in Hindi for the national audience, from a tried and tested product has its advantages. You are reasonably sure of the marketability ofthe product,you can deep-six copyright issues just by being Priyadarshan, and now that you know what works and what doesn’t, you can hit upon the magic formulation from the original script with a reasonably fair rate of accuracy.

Result, another commercial blockbuster at the box office, regardless of whether the critics have seizures or the original creators weep in silence. With Khatta Meetha, the process has been refined. There is a lot riding on Khatta Meetha, and it is a refreshing change, even in the remake legacy of Priyan ( as he is fondly(?) known  in Kerala.

Teaming up with his favorite star pack as usual, led by Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal, Khatta Meetha would also be the debut  of Trisha Krishnan in Hindi, who incidently had given her first leading role in Tamil too with  Leysa Leysa , which was also a remake (sigh) of Summer in Bethlehem, directed by Sibi Malayil in Malayalam. (Thankfully, Sibi Malayil was credited for the script of the movie) Trisha, looking at how her career has shaped up in Tamil must be hoping to do an Asin perhaps, now with the added advantage of Priyadarshan Bollywood’s  numbah one Director. Buoyed by the success of his teamup with Priyadarshan must have given Akshay Kumar the impetus to float his own production house, Hari Om Productions which is producing Khatta Meetha.

The original Malayalam film, Vellanakaludey Naadu ( Land of White Elephants), released in 1988, scripted by Sreenivasan and produced by Manianpillai Raju, was a poignant, self-deprecating humor laced, blunt and no-holds-barred look at the unholy nexus between politicians, public works contractors and their sub contractors who had more or less dragged the state back into sloth, thievery and pure inertia. It was a bold critique with a heavy dose of black humor which had the home audience wincing in realization. After a slew of 15 movies in 4 years that were slapstick, frothy and rollicking comedies, Vellanakalude Naadu was a kick in the head for the average fan who had by then resigned and filed away Priyan in a neat pigeonhole called frothy comedy. The two lead protagonists,  Mohanlal who essayed the role of CP, and Shobhana who had two avatars ( Trisha’s domain now), were in a way portraying in more of flesh than flaff, the grim reality of the existing public construction domains of Kerala. With Srinivasan’s topical and incisive sarcasm, along with a small yet pivotal cameo in the movie was the superglue that held it  together and made it one of the finest movies Priyadarshan has made in his career.
And it is this that is packaged in premium glossy wrap and readied for global digital consumption. Maybe Priyadarshan would keep his restraint on this new canvas, at least on par with Hera Pheri, which stopped just a hair short of loud.

Here is hoping Khatta Meetha stays the course and make an auspicious beginning for Hari Om Productions. No one would want the title end up being an ironic testimony of the project.

That would more bitter than bitter-sweet.

Watch a delightful clip from the original Vellanakalude Naadu.