Borrowing liberally from Hollywood

Call it inspiration or imitation, reworking a Hollywood hit into a desi potboiler is one of Hindi film industry's constant specialties.

Be it Chori Chori, the black and white musical which channeled Frank Capra's It Happened One Night, again remade by Mahesh Bhatt as Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin or David Dhawan ripping off Hitch for Partner, plagiarism is a flourishing trend.

Only recently, films like Teen Patti and Milenge Milenge brought back memories of 21 and Serendipity but failed to match the potency of its source.

The coming weeks, again, witness a line-up of Bollywood releases which borrow (or steal) liberal ideas from successful Hollywood flicks. Curious? Read on.

Aisha

Officially, Aisha is an adaptation of Jane Austen s blithe classic Emma. But the influence of Amy Heckerling's Clueless -- a
contemporary take on the cupid-obsessed heroine starring Alicia Silverstone -- is impossible to miss in its style-strong promos.

Also, unlike the book, Heckerling's version introduces a spunky BFF to keep Silverstone company. So that's how Pinky Bose, played by Ira Dubey as Sonam Kapoor's fellow fashionista friend comes in the picture.

Poignant emotions, deep-rooted family ties, a bunch of mega stars. Sounds like a Karan Johar film. And it is.

Only this time he purchased the official rights of Susan Sarandon-Julia Roberts starrer Stepmom to replicate it with a dream cast of Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal.

In this primarily heroine-centric drama, a hands-on mother and an unlikely candidate to replace her come to terms with a role reversal owing to unfortunate circumstances in store.

While the original's strength was the overwhelming magnetism of its dazzling leading ladies, their dazzling chemistry and the presence of two extremely persuasive child actors, We Are Family's fortunes remain to be seen.

At one point, the rumours of Vipul Amrutlal Shah's Action Replayy being a knock off of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button were so strong, it prompted Warner Brothers to issue a warning against any possible perpetrators.

Shah, however, insists that his time-travel romance has nothing in common with David Fincher's film except for the use of prosthetic make-up. Instead, it s a remake of a Gujarati play of the same name.

And if the teaser poster featuring Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in retro 1970s attire is anything to go by, he's probably telling the truth.

Buzz is Siddharth Anand's Anjaana Anjaani, boasting of a first-time jodi of Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, is inspired by Richard Linklater's critically-acclaimed Before Sunrise.

Director Anand's previous offerings -- Salaam Namaste (Nine Months), Ta Ra Rum Pum (Cinderella Man) and Bachna Ae Haseeno (Broken Flowers) -- weren't exactly original works.

As for Before Sunrise, it's a modern-day classic starring Ethan Hawke and Julia Delpy revolved around two strangers meeting on a train, taking an impulsive overnight trip whilst engaged in powerful, insightful, life-changing conversation before the inevitable happens.

Let's hope the remake bit is only a rumour.

Three fashion designers Gul Panag, Isha Koppikar and Celina Jaitley join forces to get back at their lecherous boss in the upcoming comedy, Hello Darling.

What you don't know is that this soon-to-release chick flick directed by Manish Tiwari for Subhash Ghai's banner, Mukta Arts is a copy of Collin Higgin's Nine to Five.

It makes us nervous to think how these afore-mentioned starlets will fare in roles played to perfection by the likes of Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton.

How to save a sagging career? Why lift from Hollywood, of course!

Comedian Shekhar Suman ropes in son Adhyayan, best-known as Kangna Ranaut's reel (and real at a time) life boyfriend in Raaz 2 to play a doctor-patient duo in a remake of the supernatural thriller, Awake.

Despite its unusual storyline, Awake was mostly thumbed down by critics. Who knows if the ploy will work for the Sumans.