Our semi-regular round-up of what is new in Indian cinema.

---

It appears the numerous lawsuits and bad press are finally affecting remake-happy producers in India. Ravi Chopra has bucked the usual trend by actually seeking to acquire the remake rights to My Cousin Vinny, instead of just knocking it off in the style of Kaante (a mishmash of Reservoir Dogs, Usual Suspects, and Heat) or Zinda (Old Boy). I honestly can’t decide if this make me happy or not - to some extent it was the complete willingness to throw copyright to the wind that made film industries like that of Turkey and Hong Kong so much fun back in the day. With strict copyright protection, you’d never get mindbogglers like vampires kicking the heads off people to the tune of the James Bond theme in Kung Fu Zombie.

On another note, while I generally disapprove of remakes in general, and find Bollywood remakes particularly slapdash and uninteresting, I have to say that the broad, city vs. country, family-oriented humor of My Cousin Vinny is well-suited to Bollywood. Not that I would watch it.

::: Indian ‘My Cousin Vinny’ seeks Fox OK

---

Speaking of copyrights and remakes, video is now available of the press conference for the movie formerly known as Ram Gopal Varma’s Sholay, now retitled Ki Aag due to some itsy-bitsy copyright issues. Thanks to reader Patekar for pointing this out.

::: RGV’s Ki Aag - Press Conference

---

Also of note, star Salman Khan’s appeal of his 5-year poaching sentence has been rejected, and he is now in jail. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Maybe he and Michael Vick can be penpals.

::: Macho Bollywood actor Khan jailed in wildlife case