Remaking ‘Coolie No 1’: Varun Dhawan is no Govinda     

Film lovers cannot forget the Govinda-David Dhawan brand of gut-busting slapstick comedies released in quick succession in the 1990s. None of these box office-friendly films received glowing four-star reviews from the critics. At the same time, nobody could question the fact that the inimitable duo was gifted with the ability to produce films that were tailor-made for commercial success.

The actor-director jodi had teamed up in the family drama Swarg in 1990. That was followed by Shola aur Shabnam in 1992, Aankhen in 1993, Raja Babu in 1994, Coolie No. 1 in 1995, Saajan Chale Sasural in 1996, Hero No. 1 and Deewana Mastana in 1997, Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan in 1998, Haseena Maan Jayegi in 1999 and Jodi No. 1 in 2000. Viewers gravitated to the theatres to watch these films, which packaged Govinda’s USPs and served them on a platter time and again.

Almost a quarter of a century after the release of Coolie No. 1, David Dhawan’s upcoming remake of the film to be released in 2020 stars his son Varun Dhawan, who has stepped into the shoes of Govinda. Sara Ali Khan will essay the role that Karisma Kapoor, the trusted heroine of Dhawan-Govinda films, had played in the original.

Varun, on his part, is a fairly gifted actor. He was more than efficient in the romantic comedy Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) followed by its sequel, Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), both commercial successes. He tried to copy Salman Khan without success in Judwaa 2 (2017), a reboot of Judwaa (1997) starring Khan. The film did decent business,however, which showed that Varun could attract audiences with his comic performances.

That said, Varun is no Govinda, who was a one-of-a-kind actor. At a time when the three Khans were the undisputed monarchs of Bollywood, his popularity was the outcome of his wide range of comic expressions and quirky dialogue delivery. Govinda was India’s Jim Carrey, an actor capable of guiding his films to box-office success with his matchless ability to make viewers laugh. He was, in short, the most spontaneous actor in town.

Many promising actors have started their careers after Govinda’s exit from the limelight. But Govinda lives on in our minds for his acting as also for his natural dancing ability, which showcased his signature steps, body language and funny facial expressions at one go. Emulating the remarkably versatile star is going to be seriously tough for Varun. That Coolie No. 1 was one of the funniest films of that glorious phase will make it even tougher.

Sara Ali Khan’s track record indicates that her talent needs to evolve and bloom. She will play the character essayed by Karisma who was perfectly cast as the female lead in several Govinda-Dhawan films. Matching Karisma won’t be easy if Sara doesn’t come up with a performance we don’t know she is capable of.

In Coolie No. 1, Govinda was hilarious as a coolie masquerading as an affluent young bachelor. Sadashiv Amrapurkar as a matchmaker and Kader Khan as a selfish man on the lookout for a wealthy husband for his daughter also tickled the funny bone of the viewers time and again. Will their replacements in the remake be equally impressive? To know that, we must wait and watch.

Creating remakes is risky business. There are times when even a good remake is dismissed for not being as good as the original. That David Dhawan has set out to remake Coolie No. 1 yet again will, therefore, pose many tough challenges for the experienced maker of comedies.

Will the director make a good remake for his son? He can. Will the film be a box-office success? That is possible since many modern-day film-goers might watch it without seeing the original. Will he succeed in making a funnier film than Coolie No. 1? That will need a miracle.