Editing Hindi cinema (section)

== Plagiarism ==
Pressured by rushed production schedules and tight deadlines, some writers and musicians in Hindi cinema have been notorious to plagiarise.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Shah|first=Arjun|date=January 2012|title=Is Bollywood Unlawfully Copying Hollywood? Why? What has Been Done About It? And How Can It Be Stopped?|url=https://law.emory.edu/eilr/content/volume-26/issue-1/comments/is-bollywood-unlawfully-copying-hollywood.html|access-date=13 February 2021|journal=Emory International Law Review|volume=26|issue=1|page=449}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Elghusein |first=Mohamed |date=2015-06-13 |title=Hollywood Wakes Up To Bollywood Plagiarism |url=https://newjurist.com/hollywood-wakes-up-to-bollywood-plagiarism/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.fo/NFBsr |archive-date=2025-05-12 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=The New Jurist |language=en}}</ref> Ideas, plot lines, tunes or riffs have been copied from other Indian film industries (including [[Telugu cinema]], [[Tamil cinema]], [[Malayalam cinema]] and others) or foreign films (including Hollywood and other [[Asian cinema|Asian films]]) without acknowledging the source.<ref name="Times plagiarism">{{Cite news |last=Shedde |first=Meenakshi |date=18 May 2003 |title=Plagiarism issue jolts Bollywood. |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Plagiarism-issue-jolts-Bollywood/articleshow/46715385.cms |access-date=23 May 2017}}</ref> 

Before the 1990s, plagiarism occurred with impunity. [[Copyright]] enforcement was lax in India, and few actors or directors saw an official contract.<ref name="Ayres">{{Cite book |last1=Ayres|first1=Alyssa |url=https://archive.org/details/indiabriefingtak00alys |title=India briefing: takeoff at last |last2=Oldenburg|first2=Philip |publisher=M.E. Sharpe |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-7656-1593-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/indiabriefingtak00alys/page/174 174] |url-access=registration}}</ref> The Hindi film industry was not widely known in the [[Global North]] (except in the Soviet states), who would be unaware that their material had been copied. Audiences may not have been aware of plagiarism, since many in India were unfamiliar with foreign films and music.<ref name="Times plagiarism" /> Although copyright enforcement in India is still somewhat lenient, Bollywood and other film industries are more aware of each other and Indian audiences are more familiar with foreign films and music.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} Organisations such as the India EU Film Initiative seek to foster a community between filmmakers and industry professionals in India and the [[European Union]].<ref name="Times plagiarism" />

A commonly-reported justification for plagiarism in Bollywood is that cautious producers want to remake popular Hollywood films in an Indian context. Although screenwriters generally produce original scripts, many are rejected due to uncertainty about whether a film will be successful.<ref name="Times plagiarism" /> Poorly-paid screenwriters have also been criticised for a lack of creativity.<ref name="Cloning">{{Cite news |date=3 August 2003 |title=Cloning Hollywood |work=[[The Hindu]] |location=Chennai, India |url=https://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2003/08/03/stories/2003080300090400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040422165848/https://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2003/08/03/stories/2003080300090400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 April 2004 |access-date=14 April 2009}}</ref> Some filmmakers see plagiarism in Bollywood as an integral part of globalisation, with which Western (particularly American) culture is embedding itself into Indian culture.<ref name="Cloning" /> [[Vikram Bhatt]], director of ''[[Raaz (2002 film)|Raaz]]'' (a remake of ''[[What Lies Beneath]]'') and ''[[Kasoor]]'' (a remake of ''[[Jagged Edge (film)|Jagged Edge]]''), has spoken about the influence of American culture and Bollywood's desire to produce box-office hits based along the same lines: "Financially, I would be more secure knowing that a particular piece of work has already done well at the box office. Copying is endemic everywhere in India. Our TV shows are adaptations of American programmes. We want their films, their cars, their planes, their [[Diet Coke]]s and also their attitude. The American way of life is creeping into our culture."<ref name="Cloning" /> According to [[Mahesh Bhatt]], "If you hide the source, you're a genius. There's no such thing as originality in the creative sphere".<ref name="Cloning" />

Although very few cases of film-copyright violations have been taken to court because of a slow legal process,<ref name="Times plagiarism" /> the makers of ''[[Partner (2007 film)|Partner]]'' (2007) and ''[[Zinda (film)|Zinda]]'' (2005) were targeted by the owners and distributors of the original films: ''[[Hitch (film)|Hitch]]'' and ''[[Oldboy (2003 film)|Oldboy]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 August 2007 |title=Partner may face $30 mn Hitch |work=The Times of India |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/partner-may-face-30-mn-hitch/articleshow/2264000.cms |access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 January 2006 |title=Copycat filmmaker lacks creativity |work=[[The Hindu]] |location=Chennai, India |url=https://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/01/20/stories/2006012002530300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070326012104/https://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/01/20/stories/2006012002530300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 March 2007 |access-date=13 February 2009}}</ref> The American studio [[20th Century Fox]] brought Mumbai-based B. R. Films to court over the latter's forthcoming ''[[Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai]]'', which Fox alleged was an illegal remake of ''[[My Cousin Vinny]]''. B. R. Films eventually settled out of court for about $200,000, paving the way for its film's release.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Blakely |first=Rhys |date=7 August 2009 |title=Plagiarism case could stop Bollywood borrowing from Hollywood |work=The Times |url=https://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/bollywood/article6742092.ece |access-date=12 November 2010}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Some studios comply with copyright law; in 2008, Orion Pictures secured the rights to remake Hollywood's ''[[Wedding Crashers]]''.<ref>[https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/box-office-special-features/2008-30-screens-in-u-k/ Orion Pictures produce official remake to Wedding Crashers], [[Bollywood Hungama]] {{Cite web |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/2008/05/03/11326/index.html |title=2008: 30+ Screens in U.K. :Bollywood Box Office - Bollywood Hungama |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |date=5 January 2009 |access-date=16 February 2022 |archive-date=28 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728230909/https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/2008/05/03/11326/index.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

=== Music ===
The Pakistani [[Qawwali]] musician [[Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan]] had a big impact on Hindi film music, inspiring numerous Indian musicians working in Bollywood, especially during the 1990s. However, there were many instances of Indian music directors plagiarising Khan's music to produce hit [[filmi]] songs.<ref name="nusrat">{{Cite web |first1=Amit|last1=Baruah|first2=R.|last2=Padmanabhan |date=6 September 1997 |title=The stilled voice |url=https://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1418/14181230.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011230173145/https://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1418/14181230.htm |archive-date=30 December 2001 |website=[[The Hindu]], [[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Chaudhuri |first=Diptakirti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_e9LDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT93 |title=Bioscope: A Frivolous History of Bollywood in Ten Chapters |date=2018 |publisher=[[Hachette (publisher)|Hachette]] |isbn=9789351952299 |page=93}}</ref> Several popular examples include [[Viju Shah]]'s hit song "Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast" in ''[[Mohra]]'' (1994) being plagiarised from Khan's popular Qawwali song "[[Dam Mast Qalandar]]",<ref name="nusrat" /> "Mera Piya Ghar Aya" used in ''[[Yaraana (1995 film)|Yaarana]]'' (1995), and "Sanoo Ek Pal Chain Na Aaye" in ''[[Judaai (1997 film)|Judaai]]'' (1997).<ref name="nusrat" /> Despite the significant number of hit Bollywood songs plagiarised from his music, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was reportedly tolerant towards the plagiarism.<ref name="Chaudhuri" /><ref name="rediff-khan">{{Cite news |year=1997 |title=A rare encounter with Ustad Nusrat Ali Khan |work=[[Rediff]] |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/apr/05nusrat.htm |access-date=23 December 2018}}</ref> One of the Bollywood music directors who frequently plagiarised him, [[Anu Malik]], claimed that he loved Khan's music and was actually showing admiration by using his tunes.<ref name="rediff-khan" /> However, Khan was reportedly aggrieved when Malik turned his spiritual "Allah Hoo, Allah Hoo" into "I Love You, I Love You" in ''[[Auzaar]]'' (1997).<ref name="Chaudhuri" /> Khan said "he has taken my devotional song ''Allahu'' and converted it into ''I love you''. He should at least respect my religious songs."<ref name="rediff-khan" />

Bollywood soundtracks also plagiarised [[Guinea]]n singer [[Mory Kanté]], particularly his 1987 album ''Akwaba Beach''. His song, "Tama", inspired two [[Bollywood songs]]: [[Bappi Lahiri]]'s "Tamma Tamma" in ''[[Thanedaar]]'' (1990) and "Jumma Chumma" in [[Laxmikant–Pyarelal]]'s soundtrack for ''[[Hum (film)|Hum]]'' (1991). The latter also featured "Ek Doosre Se", which copied Kanté's "Inch Allah".<ref name="Srinivasan">{{Cite web |last=Srinivasan |first=Karthik |date=16 October 2018 |title=How Guinean Singer Mory Kanté's Music Was Lifted To Create 'Tamma Tamma Loge' and 'Jumma Chumma De De' |url=https://www.filmcompanion.in/music/how-guinean-singer-mory-kantes-music-was-lifted-to-create-tamma-tamma-loge-and-jumma-chumma-de-de/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606090031/https://www.filmcompanion.in/music/how-guinean-singer-mory-kantes-music-was-lifted-to-create-tamma-tamma-loge-and-jumma-chumma-de-de/ |archive-date=6 June 2020 |access-date=16 October 2018 |website=[[Film Companion]]}}</ref> His song "[[Yé ké yé ké]]" was used as background music in the 1990 Bollywood film ''[[Agneepath (1990 film)|Agneepath]]'', inspired the [[Music of Bollywood|Bollywood song]] "Tamma Tamma" in ''Thanedaar''.<ref name="Srinivasan" />