Phir Hera Pheri finds a twin in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Though Bollywood copies never really surprise me (an original Bollywood script does though) it does shake up some fans. Some laugh it off; others stand by Bollywood sternly and fight for it. When shown a similar Hollywood script, they bang pots and pans and claim how simple the script it is and how anybody can think about such a story idea. As for me, I’m not on any side, (except one) I’m here to give the low down on yet another Bollywood treat.

Phir Hera Pheri came out in 2006 and expectations were high. Instead it turned out to be a disappointing flat sequel. What people didn’t know was that it failed to make waves even when it was totally ripped off from the 1998 super hit Hollywood movie ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” The story and scenes are same, except the fact that they Indian’ised the movie by replacing the original action scenes with slapstick comedy, added Bipasha Basu to add glamour and of course, there are the songs.

Fans are of the movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels are enraged to see a trashy version of the original cult flick. Further they don’t get how directors in India can get away with copying international scripts without giving due credit or seeking permissions. Fans could easily predict the all the scenes in Phir Hera Pheri as they had treated themselves to the original.

A blogger from agonycentral.blogspot said “I was shocked to find that the movie was a blatant rip off of the Guy Ritchie classic "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". The entire plot was unoriginal, they copied everything... right from the point the 3 guys lose money to a big don to the point on the bridge with the cell phone in his mouth and the guns in his hand.”

The problem is in the adaptation. Mr. Vohra couldn’t do what Guy Ritchie, director of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, did. The ending of the original which was open ended and open to diverse interpretations by viewers was also mercilessly copied in the Bollywood movie.

The conclusion remains unanimous. Most people who watched Phir Hera Pheri had not seen the original movie, the one it was copied from and so Phir Hera Pheri’s director got away with it.