<i>Red Swastik</i>, a Hollywood remake

Courtesy: IndiaFM
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Originality has seldom been Bollywood's forte. So it doesn't come as a surprise to learn that the concept of Vinod Sins Pande's forthcoming film Red Swastik, starring Sherlyn (Mona) Chopra in the lead, bears an uncanny resemblance to one of Hollywood's most controversial and initially banned movie I Spit On Your Grave.

The storylines are simple - A girl is brutally raped by a group of boys. She manages to survive. What follows are acts of revenge. She cleanses with blood!

Not only the storylines, but even the poster designs are identical - with the barely clad girl steadfastly holding a knife to kill. Its time Bollywood starts being original.

When lead actress Sherlyn Chopra was asked, she replied, "In today's times, even originality is undetected plagiarism. Most films are a reflection of life. Maybe we have to improve life before we can hope to improve our films."

As for the plagiarism charge, she said, "My role in 'Red Swastik' is not only on the lines of 'I Spit On Your Grave', but also derives inspiration from Oscar-winning Charlize Theron's character of a murderer highway prostitute in the critically acclaimed 'Monster'. Copy from one, its plagiarism; copy from two, its research."

Chopra features on the seductress category today but few know that actress Sherlyn Chopra was not as good-looking as this earlier. "I was an ugly duckling as a teenager," she admits. "At fifteen, I'd wear thick reading-glasses and spend all my time immersed in books. Most of my friends found me 'boring'. Glamour was nowhere on my mind. I was almost like a Jassi".

That was till one day she made up her mind to win the Miss Andhra crown (Sherlyn hails from Hyderabad). When asked, how it feels to have had such a huge metamorphosis, the damsel says, "Today, I've become a fantasy for my childhood friends. It feels surreal!"

Recent Stories
Predictions for bollywood stars in 2007
Hindi Films Eclipse Regional Films

Archives