From Kartik Aaryan’s 'Shehzada' to Hrithik Roshan's 'Vikram Vedha': South Indian remakes that flopped in Bollywood

'Shehzada,' featuring Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon, which was based on the Telugu blockbuster 'Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo' (the one with Allu Arjun), did not shine in the same way. Audiences loved the Telugu movie for its fun, music, and energy with Allu Arjun, but 'Shehzada' came across as ho-hum and predictable. It ended up as one of those typical Bollywood remakes that become the butt of jokes.

'Vikram Vedha' (2022), with Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan as the leads. This film is a remake of the intriguing Tamil thriller from 2017. The actors were subtle and understated, and the films even shared directors, but the remake still fell flat. Whether audiences were overly critical or the timing was simply unfortunate, this film lacked the viewing pleasure of the original.

Ajay Devgn’s 'Bholaa' (2023), adapted from Lokesh Kanagaraj's Tamil film 'Kaithi,' was another failed attempt at action. 'Bholaa' was accented to be a wild action film but it lacked the suspense and intensity of the original. Although the stunts were quite impressive, the movie was missing the grit that made 'Kaithi' great.

'Deva,' with Shahid Kapoor, was released on January 31, 2025. The film is a remake of the Malayalam film 'Mumbai Police,' and it was a total flop. While Kapoor is entertaining to watch, the screenplay was not strong, they changed the final act, and audiences kept comparing this version to the original. 'Deva' was simply another mediocre Bollywood remake that couldn't make money.

'Loveyapa,' starring Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor, was the Hindi remake of the Tamil hit 'Love Today' from 2022. The central themes of love, trust, and technology in exchange for love were somewhat just like in the Tamil film. While 'Loveyapa' felt very young and trendy, critics and audiences said it was mediocre and it bombed at the box office.