Of Imitations and Remakes

We are all familiar with the wonder of the world, our own Taj Mahal. It is the most beautiful piece of architectural wonder I've ever laid my eyes on. It has an amazingly calming and soothing effect on the eyes and the mind. I doubt if anything in marble looked as magnificent as the Taj. Azam Shah, son of Auragzeb, vied to build for his mother, another Taj Mahal as a masoleum. Though the monument imitates very well the looks and structure of Taj Mahal, it is not even half as magnificent. This is the Bibi ka Maqbara, also known as the mini Taj or the poor man's Taj Mahal. It is located in the city of Aurangabad, in Maharashtra, India.

The Taj Mahal(left) and Bibi ka Maqbara(right)

I was reminded of this architectural imitation Taj Mahal, or should I call it a remake of the Taj Mahal, with the recent spree of remake films rolling out of Bollywood: Don, Umrao Jaan, and the soon to come Sholay. The originals are the hallmark of commercial Indian cinema. The don of Indian cinema Amitabh Bachchan's, fiery performance was what gave life and spice to films like Don. As for Sholay, it is probably a legendary film among all commercial cinema. We have grown up admiring these films and being as mesmerized by Amitabh Bachchan's power packed performance as with the beauty of the Taj Mahal. We know it is impossible to have another Amitabh Bachchan as it is to have another Taj Mahal. We therefore should accept these remakes as imitations that can never even come close resembling the originals. Shahrukh Khan may be called King Khan, but it would be unreasonable to expect him to match up to the Shehenshah Amitabh Bachchan. I personally feel that such remake films are a wastage of time, money, and energy.