We often hear about Bollywood films being inspired by Hollywood, but what if we told you that Hollywood has borrowed a fair few ideas from the Indian film industry too? From romantic dramas to psychological thrillers, here are ten times Hollywood found inspiration in Bollywood storylines.
1. A Wednesday (2008) – A Common Man (2013)
Chandran Rutnam brought in Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley to step into the shoes of Naseeruddin Shah’s iconic role from A Wednesday. This isn’t just a case of artistic inspiration — A Common Man is an official remake of Neeraj Pandey’s gripping thriller. Kingsley starred alongside Ben Cross, recreating the tense narrative for an international audience.
2. Vicky Donor (2012) – Delivery Man (2013)
While the numbers are wildly different — Vince Vaughn’s character fathers 533 children compared to Ayushmann Khurrana’s 53 — the central concept of sperm donation remains at the heart of both films. Delivery Man may have amped up the chaos, but it owes its premise to Vicky Donor’s groundbreaking take on reproductive health and parenthood.
3. Darr (1993) – Fear (1996)
This one goes beyond theme. James Foley’s Fear borrows not just the obsessive stalker element and love triangle from Darr, but even mimics the iconic moment where Shahrukh Khan’s character carves K-K-K-Kiran’s name onto his chest. Mark Wahlberg plays the American counterpart, taking the psychological tension to new heights in a high school setting.
4. Rangeela (1995) – Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004)
The love triangle between a simple girl, her best friend, and a glamorous movie star echoes the plot of Rangeela. While Aamir Khan’s tapori act might not have a direct parallel, the narrative thread of a girl choosing between fame and familiar affection remains unmistakably similar.
5. Abhay (2001) – Kill Bill (2003)
Tarantino himself confirmed to Anurag Kashyap that some of the action scenes in Kill Bill were inspired by the Kamal Haasan-starrer Abhay. The film, a Hindi adaptation of the Tamil movie Aalavandhan, blends intense combat choreography with a psychological narrative — elements echoed in Tarantino’s stylised revenge saga.
6. Sangam (1964) – Pearl Harbor (2001)
Despite being set against the backdrop of war, Pearl Harbor prioritises a love triangle between two best friends and a woman, mirroring the plot of Raj Kapoor’s Sangam. The main difference? In Sangam, only one friend is a pilot, while Pearl Harbor sends both into battle.
7. Jab We Met (2007) – Leap Year (2010)
The creators of Leap Year may deny any connection, but the parallels with Jab We Met are hard to ignore. Both follow a quirky, talkative woman on a journey to propose to her boyfriend, only to fall in love with a stranger she meets along the way. From shared hotel rooms to airport reunions, the similarities are striking.
8. Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005) – Just Go With It (2011)
Both these films trace their roots to the 1969 classic Cactus Flower, but the similarities between Just Go With It and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya are undeniable. With Jennifer Aniston and Sushmita Sen playing the sensible woman and Adam Sandler and Salman Khan as the deceitful doctor, the narrative arcs closely mirror each other.
9. Chhoti Si Baat (1975) – Hitch (2005)
While Partner is often criticised as a copy of Hitch, it turns out Hitch may have drawn its own inspiration from Chhoti Si Baat. In the 1975 classic, a shy man enlists a confident mentor to help him win over the woman he loves — sound familiar?
10. Aahwanam (1997) – Divorce Invitation (2012)
In a rare twist, S.V. Krishnan Reddy remade his own Telugu film Aahwanam for Hollywood audiences. Divorce Invitation, starring Jonathan Bennett and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, replicates the story with a Western spin while maintaining the original’s dramatic core.
