It's heavy violence. My major concern is why Bangkok? Bangkok seems to me a beautiful city, however, it's not at all captured like one here. It's ultra dark, highly gloomy and completely violent with mostly everyone in the city seem murderers (gunda log hai re baba). The movie starts well, doesn't feel it's gonna be heavy crime material. It does well to make it feel like horror after the first 10 minutes. John and Sanjay are decent, everyone else have been a disappointment. Although Lara was good, she doesn't justify her character why she's been dragged till the end, maybe just needed a female out there most of the time to make the audience glue the seats. Unnecessary. The locations are the worst part. Very gloomy, dark, and disturbing. Would rather suggest a better movie to watch. The story, too, gets complicated towards the later stages disrespecting the original one. Girls and all the ladies reading me, should have such behaviour by any men stopped right there. The more they let it go, they make them closer to the target who is you. Take the step before it's too late, do not fear. However, you're lucky since I'm sure you don't hace such brutal men around you. Most of the men are good, earthly, and highly respectful, few bad apples do not make the whole lot of men bad. Must respect the men too, because men really do.
57 Reviews
A failed attempt does not a good movie make
shariqq28 January 2006
Having seen the Korean movie that Zinda is based on, and realizing how difficult a job Sanjay Gupta had on his hands, I went into this screening giving Zinda all the chance I could. What I eventually ended up watching got me thinking: Since Gupta has seen the original, what did he see at all in his version that he let it be released in cinemas? He should have left this movie on the shelves, or let out a quite Home video release and saved himself a lot of face. Or be man enough to announce that he failed. It is impossible that he could have been satisfied with the end-product. For a movie where the director deceives himself, what chance do the audience have? Zinda follows the life of Bala (Sanjay Dutt) who is plucked off his beach-house in Bangkok without notice, shortly after arriving there with his wife. He is imprisoned in a hotel-room, fed & cared for and yet devoid of all human contact. He is not even allowed to kill himself. His only contact with the outside world is a Television set which eventually gives him news that his wife has been killed and all evidence points to him as the murderer. 14 years of solitary confinement followed by sudden release fuels Bala's quest for vengeance against his captor (John Abraham). At his aid are a Female Punjabi Cab Driver (Lara Dutta) and his childhood friend (Mahesh Manjrekar).
Sanjay Gupta and Sanjay Dutt as White Feather Films make a formidable team. Since rediscovering himself as a 'remake' film-maker, Gupta has been Indianising movies quite well. Somehow, they have always managed to entertain the testosterone audience. But here Gupta sets himself too high a target. Oldboy, the Korean film that Zinda is a remake of, is a masterpiece in film-making. The movie cannot and should not be tinkered with in its story and characters. All Gupta wants to do is pick the stylization from Oldboy and fit it into a movie he has imagined he can make. Yes, style has sold film before, but a minimalist interest in the script only works to negate any effect that the sleek-look may have. To give credit where due, Sanjay Gupta does make an attempt towards a movie like nothing we have 'seen' before. But a failed attempt does not a good movie make. Sanjay Gupta has always been a master technician of his movies, but this movie falters at a more basic level - it's writing. The theme of the movie is Revenge. But is Sanjay Dutt's Bala interested in revenge at all? Yes, to begin with: when he tries to discover the place where he was held captive. But thereafter all he is interested in is staring, walking, staring, running. With such a strong motive behind a well established character, where is the pay-off? Dutt himself gives a good performance. But with no backbone. This is not an act where even if the movie collapses all around him, his performance will emerge from the rubble as a saving grace (as it was in Pitaah). We have seen Mr Dutt do a lot better than this before, and in contrast, his Bala is too mediocre. John Abraham also does a good job - but unfortunately, the consistency and fierceness of his character does a 180 at the end, thanks again to the writing. He takes the entire movie to prepare this wonderfully evil character and ends it by adding a teaspoon-full of sugar. Lara Dutta does her best to look babe (she succeeds), but fails to convince us as a Punjabi or a cab-driver. Another White-Feather alumnus Sameera Reddy could have been a better choice. Mahesh Manjrekar is a lost cause.
Sanjay Gupta and his cinematographer Sanjay F. Gupta (Oh, the number of Sanjays!) work well to mood the film right - but while the color-grading worked well in Musafir, and in Sanjay F Gupta's Karam, here the entire movie ends up with a grainy look. That, my dear Guptas, is definitely a not. The lack of dance-numbers and only background tracks is a positive, and Vishal-Shekhar with Strings add to a wonderful soundtrack. Down the years, maybe that's all this movie might be remembered for. And a somewhat decent, but copied, hammer-sequence.
My Rating --> 2/5
Sanjay Gupta and Sanjay Dutt as White Feather Films make a formidable team. Since rediscovering himself as a 'remake' film-maker, Gupta has been Indianising movies quite well. Somehow, they have always managed to entertain the testosterone audience. But here Gupta sets himself too high a target. Oldboy, the Korean film that Zinda is a remake of, is a masterpiece in film-making. The movie cannot and should not be tinkered with in its story and characters. All Gupta wants to do is pick the stylization from Oldboy and fit it into a movie he has imagined he can make. Yes, style has sold film before, but a minimalist interest in the script only works to negate any effect that the sleek-look may have. To give credit where due, Sanjay Gupta does make an attempt towards a movie like nothing we have 'seen' before. But a failed attempt does not a good movie make. Sanjay Gupta has always been a master technician of his movies, but this movie falters at a more basic level - it's writing. The theme of the movie is Revenge. But is Sanjay Dutt's Bala interested in revenge at all? Yes, to begin with: when he tries to discover the place where he was held captive. But thereafter all he is interested in is staring, walking, staring, running. With such a strong motive behind a well established character, where is the pay-off? Dutt himself gives a good performance. But with no backbone. This is not an act where even if the movie collapses all around him, his performance will emerge from the rubble as a saving grace (as it was in Pitaah). We have seen Mr Dutt do a lot better than this before, and in contrast, his Bala is too mediocre. John Abraham also does a good job - but unfortunately, the consistency and fierceness of his character does a 180 at the end, thanks again to the writing. He takes the entire movie to prepare this wonderfully evil character and ends it by adding a teaspoon-full of sugar. Lara Dutta does her best to look babe (she succeeds), but fails to convince us as a Punjabi or a cab-driver. Another White-Feather alumnus Sameera Reddy could have been a better choice. Mahesh Manjrekar is a lost cause.
Sanjay Gupta and his cinematographer Sanjay F. Gupta (Oh, the number of Sanjays!) work well to mood the film right - but while the color-grading worked well in Musafir, and in Sanjay F Gupta's Karam, here the entire movie ends up with a grainy look. That, my dear Guptas, is definitely a not. The lack of dance-numbers and only background tracks is a positive, and Vishal-Shekhar with Strings add to a wonderful soundtrack. Down the years, maybe that's all this movie might be remembered for. And a somewhat decent, but copied, hammer-sequence.
My Rating --> 2/5
xerox copy from a cult director
avinashk-saurav31 March 2010
sanjay gupta is a known cult director in India. he became famous in a period which could be called transition phase for Mumbai film industry. Hollywood movies started to be released on a regular basis and most people came to know of actual Hollywood products. it is not worthwhile to go into details but sanjay gupta is a product of that transition. let me clarify something. i have seen almost all movies directed by sanjay gupta. i especially liked 'kante' and with this film his CULT personalty started to form. almost all of his movies are copies of Hollywood. 'Zinda' is different in two respects.
first it is a copy of a Korean movie 'oldboy' which is refutes anyhow and second it is a clear example of how gifted he actually is. like me, most of the people didn't even know about 'oldboy' and were happy to know that he made these movies on his own.
now that i have seen all the varieties of movies from every corner of the globe; i could say that he is nothing but a copier. 'zinda' was a worst attempt. acting is like sleeping pills. it seems that a bunch of school kids were given the DVD of the Korean movie and asked to make its Indian remake in shortest time possible and they came with 'zinda'. acting is poor because actors were not acting rather they were copying. it seems that during shooting, movie is played and all scenes are shot accordingly. cinematography has been done by Sanjay F. Gupta. he is a good cinematographer but you can't help it when you are asked to take shots from a particular angle only similar to the movie. 'zinda' is a good flick only if you have not seen the 'oldboy'.
his earlier works are also copies like 'kante' whose first half is taken from 'usual suspects' while the later half is borrowed from ' reservoir dogs'. you can not blame him because he is making money only. i am sure sanjay gupta does not know even the basic of script writing.
many reviews in this section claim that most of the Hollywood flicks are rip offs as well. well you must know the difference between the remakes and rip offs. a genuine attempt is never ignored even if it is a remake. but zinda is an example of solid frame by frame copy. what is the use of watching it in theater if you know how it will start and end.
Mumbai film industry has a long history of copying from the Hollywood but there is very few examples like 'zinda'. there is one more movie 'bichhoo' starring Bobby deol which was also frame by frame copy of 'Leon'.
now that Indian market is opening, let us hope that people would be more aware of all the current movies and would avoid watching same movie with 2 or more different set of actors.
first it is a copy of a Korean movie 'oldboy' which is refutes anyhow and second it is a clear example of how gifted he actually is. like me, most of the people didn't even know about 'oldboy' and were happy to know that he made these movies on his own.
now that i have seen all the varieties of movies from every corner of the globe; i could say that he is nothing but a copier. 'zinda' was a worst attempt. acting is like sleeping pills. it seems that a bunch of school kids were given the DVD of the Korean movie and asked to make its Indian remake in shortest time possible and they came with 'zinda'. acting is poor because actors were not acting rather they were copying. it seems that during shooting, movie is played and all scenes are shot accordingly. cinematography has been done by Sanjay F. Gupta. he is a good cinematographer but you can't help it when you are asked to take shots from a particular angle only similar to the movie. 'zinda' is a good flick only if you have not seen the 'oldboy'.
his earlier works are also copies like 'kante' whose first half is taken from 'usual suspects' while the later half is borrowed from ' reservoir dogs'. you can not blame him because he is making money only. i am sure sanjay gupta does not know even the basic of script writing.
many reviews in this section claim that most of the Hollywood flicks are rip offs as well. well you must know the difference between the remakes and rip offs. a genuine attempt is never ignored even if it is a remake. but zinda is an example of solid frame by frame copy. what is the use of watching it in theater if you know how it will start and end.
Mumbai film industry has a long history of copying from the Hollywood but there is very few examples like 'zinda'. there is one more movie 'bichhoo' starring Bobby deol which was also frame by frame copy of 'Leon'.
now that Indian market is opening, let us hope that people would be more aware of all the current movies and would avoid watching same movie with 2 or more different set of actors.
A True Insult To Oldboy !!!
nmacog-16 March 2006
I can't believe they got the rights to crucify OLDBOY with this trash!!! I mean why bother... They have totally destroyed a cult movie of very high standard. The acting in this"effort" is shabby, the cinematography is amateur, the dialogue had me in stitches from start to finish. I found myself in tears of laughter at how bad this really was in every way possible.
I think the most tickling moment is when they tried to re enact the "hammer" fight scene with a hugely inflated Sanjay Dutt - it was like seeing a hippo on speed - the original was one of the most memorable fight scenes ever choreographed but this was like a terrible outtake.
I hope the actors and director of this nonsense look back at it and cringe with embarrassment because I certainly did.
Hollywood have their crack at Oldboy released some time this year, I hope and pray it's not as bad as Zinda - one thing this film is not is Zinda for sure - its DEAD from the opening scene !!!
I think the most tickling moment is when they tried to re enact the "hammer" fight scene with a hugely inflated Sanjay Dutt - it was like seeing a hippo on speed - the original was one of the most memorable fight scenes ever choreographed but this was like a terrible outtake.
I hope the actors and director of this nonsense look back at it and cringe with embarrassment because I certainly did.
Hollywood have their crack at Oldboy released some time this year, I hope and pray it's not as bad as Zinda - one thing this film is not is Zinda for sure - its DEAD from the opening scene !!!
Unbelievable
purecrime3 February 2007
Warning: I'm a German-Japanese / Poor English
Abnormally, i'd generally like to experience remade flicks. More so the if i loved the original. I know there are extremely few which equals or excels to the original but it's not a big problem for me 'cause i don't even expect them to. It is to me like a bonus track of a beloved album, no more no less.
So i got no hesitation in checking Zinda as well (i was even excited actually) 'cause the original must be in my all-time best 10, but, oh my..
I won't say any more about this XEROX COPY crap. (copied on retarded machine, moreover) Nough said by nough people.
Now one thing i just can't believe is how this could be legal. As far as i've read on internet articles, Sanjay and his people haven't even paid a penny to the original Oldboy makers for doing this, which means Zinda is not an official remake of Oldboy. Then what the h..! is Zinda's identity? Some's gonna say it's JUST BASED ON or INSPIRED thing but you know it's way beyond those kinds. Then what?
Sort of Homage thing ? Yea possible, but Sanjay and his company have hardly mentioned about the original on either official ads & reports or non-official comments. Instead, Sanjay's kept saying he's got a bit INSPIRED ONLY and Zinda is totally different from Oldboy or something like that. Besides, more importantly, while shamelessly copying scenes-by-scenes from Oldboy, Sanjay intentionally missed the KEY-POINT of Oldboy's story for his own audiences' taste, for COMMERCIAL PURPOSE in other words. Then how can we call it Homage anyway ?
My conclusion is : Zinda is not only a copy crap, it's rather A CRIME, LITERALLY. I don't understand why Oldboy makers let them make money with this stolen thing.
Am i disappointed ? No i'm fine i didn't even expect. I'm just p***ed and upset for this shitmakers' shamelessness that's all.
Abnormally, i'd generally like to experience remade flicks. More so the if i loved the original. I know there are extremely few which equals or excels to the original but it's not a big problem for me 'cause i don't even expect them to. It is to me like a bonus track of a beloved album, no more no less.
So i got no hesitation in checking Zinda as well (i was even excited actually) 'cause the original must be in my all-time best 10, but, oh my..
I won't say any more about this XEROX COPY crap. (copied on retarded machine, moreover) Nough said by nough people.
Now one thing i just can't believe is how this could be legal. As far as i've read on internet articles, Sanjay and his people haven't even paid a penny to the original Oldboy makers for doing this, which means Zinda is not an official remake of Oldboy. Then what the h..! is Zinda's identity? Some's gonna say it's JUST BASED ON or INSPIRED thing but you know it's way beyond those kinds. Then what?
Sort of Homage thing ? Yea possible, but Sanjay and his company have hardly mentioned about the original on either official ads & reports or non-official comments. Instead, Sanjay's kept saying he's got a bit INSPIRED ONLY and Zinda is totally different from Oldboy or something like that. Besides, more importantly, while shamelessly copying scenes-by-scenes from Oldboy, Sanjay intentionally missed the KEY-POINT of Oldboy's story for his own audiences' taste, for COMMERCIAL PURPOSE in other words. Then how can we call it Homage anyway ?
My conclusion is : Zinda is not only a copy crap, it's rather A CRIME, LITERALLY. I don't understand why Oldboy makers let them make money with this stolen thing.
Am i disappointed ? No i'm fine i didn't even expect. I'm just p***ed and upset for this shitmakers' shamelessness that's all.
Zinda is now under investigation for violation of copyright.
premmood4 October 2006
It's not something new for bollywood to copy foreign movie's script. I guess they (actors, director and creative staff members...) all gather around and watch the movie to be copied so that there will be no confusion what they are really after. Frame to frame. That's a shameful act for any responsible main stream actors and director. I am glad that Zinda is now under investigation for violation of copyright. Its about time now to stop this shameful piracy. Another thing is, Hindi movie don't have guts to go that extreme like jaw-dropper "Old boy". Pathetic. They make movie according to the public taste, mostly rickshaw pullers. I wonder where they found in between the plot to plant some songs and crazy dance. Somebody really needs to tell bollywood artist that movie is a serious art business. There is a very bold thick red link between copy and adaptation, and Zinda is way far across the line.
Not only a lack of concern, but it seems some actually see ripping off as a positive thing
samsblood20 August 2006
I've read the user comments on this forum and found a blithe lack of concern in many of the posts for the fact that 'Zinda' is a total ripoff. Here are some telling examples, along with my own not-very-profound responses. I trust I need do no more than that to make my point:
"It is unfortunate that bollywood ripped off OLDBOY, but if that is the only way that the Indian audiences would get a glimpse of what the original was like, so be it" (Huh? Ever hear of buying the rights to do an official remake?)
"I am reading the reviews of OLD Boy too, which i have not seen. But I should say that it is a great experiment by Indian cinema" (Yeah, a repeat experiment -- like where somebody else first came up with the ideas and took the risks before you came along and decided to do the exact same thing)
"The legendary action-scene with the hammer looks as hard as it was in Korean version". (the Korean version? Almost makes it sound like 'Oldboy' ripped off 'Zinda')
"First things first , i haven't seen Old Boy so just cant judge Zinda by it's standard... He did full justice to the role of Balajeet Roy(on par with Choi Min-shik" (So you haven't seen 'Oldboy', but you HAVE seen Choi Min-Shik's performance in it? Do the police come to you for psychic impressions when they run out of clues?)
(And what does this mean): "There is no doubt that 'ZINDA' is a complete rip-off of Korean movie 'OLDBOY' but I must add that it is an excellent adaptation of 'OLDBOY'".
--And I won't spoil the pristine effect of these following remarks by adding my own commentaries:
"Hollywood is also planning a rip of this one, so what's the fuss all about"
"People tell me that this movie is inspired/copied or total remake of a Korean masterpiece "OldBoy"; but I don't mind it"
"Yes agreed that he copies other films scene by scene, but who doesn't? Why is he called a copycat, when i can add a long list of other copycats? Take Ek Ajnabee - which was an exact copy of Man On Fire, or Vivek Agnihotri for Chocolate - which was a ridiculous version of the classic 'The Usual Suspects'. At least Sanjay Gupta makes a good replica of a film"
"Copy of old boy backed up with Sanjay direction makes it truly a ride you will never forget".
"The story may be inspired from a Korean film, or so we are told, but is doesn't matter because no one's really seen it".
"It is unfortunate that bollywood ripped off OLDBOY, but if that is the only way that the Indian audiences would get a glimpse of what the original was like, so be it" (Huh? Ever hear of buying the rights to do an official remake?)
"I am reading the reviews of OLD Boy too, which i have not seen. But I should say that it is a great experiment by Indian cinema" (Yeah, a repeat experiment -- like where somebody else first came up with the ideas and took the risks before you came along and decided to do the exact same thing)
"The legendary action-scene with the hammer looks as hard as it was in Korean version". (the Korean version? Almost makes it sound like 'Oldboy' ripped off 'Zinda')
"First things first , i haven't seen Old Boy so just cant judge Zinda by it's standard... He did full justice to the role of Balajeet Roy(on par with Choi Min-shik" (So you haven't seen 'Oldboy', but you HAVE seen Choi Min-Shik's performance in it? Do the police come to you for psychic impressions when they run out of clues?)
(And what does this mean): "There is no doubt that 'ZINDA' is a complete rip-off of Korean movie 'OLDBOY' but I must add that it is an excellent adaptation of 'OLDBOY'".
--And I won't spoil the pristine effect of these following remarks by adding my own commentaries:
"Hollywood is also planning a rip of this one, so what's the fuss all about"
"People tell me that this movie is inspired/copied or total remake of a Korean masterpiece "OldBoy"; but I don't mind it"
"Yes agreed that he copies other films scene by scene, but who doesn't? Why is he called a copycat, when i can add a long list of other copycats? Take Ek Ajnabee - which was an exact copy of Man On Fire, or Vivek Agnihotri for Chocolate - which was a ridiculous version of the classic 'The Usual Suspects'. At least Sanjay Gupta makes a good replica of a film"
"Copy of old boy backed up with Sanjay direction makes it truly a ride you will never forget".
"The story may be inspired from a Korean film, or so we are told, but is doesn't matter because no one's really seen it".
it is not Oldboy but still a fine movie even though the story is stolen pretty much from the masterpiece
TigerMoods24 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I do not understand why many people are saying that it is a terrible movie... Even though it is based on the Oldboy story, Zinda is quite good. It was shot well, the acting is not bad, either... I would expect better from Sanjay Dutt when I consider his past but I think John Abraham did a very good job in this movie. He proved that he is not only the looks but he can act as well... I agree that Oldboy was an excellent movie, maybe one of the best of its kind but we shouldn't judge Zinda by comparing it to the masterpiece. Try to see the good in this movie... Think of it, what if this movie had an original script or what if it was shot before Oldboy, would you still say it was a bad movie? I doubt it... It may not be as good as the original but it does not deserve 4.5 out of 10. I would say it is a 6 but I voted 7 just to keep the average a little higher and not spoil the truth by giving it a 10... By the way, the hammer fight scene in the corridor was lame, especially the knife on Sanjay Dutt's back looked as if it was added later on but still I wouldn't call it that bad, it was more than an average movie... And I liked how they turned the story to fit the Indian culture where you don't even see lovers kissing in movies that often... Oldboy's having sex with the daughter story was turned into a clever way for a Bollywood movie, in my opinion selling the virginity of the girl was a brilliant idea... Also Oldboy's siblings having sex was converted to another good story where young Balajeet said he slept with Neema... I recommend all the commenters to be reasonable and rate the movies without prejudices...
xerox could have done a better job
dutchmale243 September 2007
The only reason this movie ended up with more as 1 star is because some hardcore nationalist bollywood lovers didn't write honest reviews. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against remakes nor bollywood, but this is just uninspired crap. I like any kind of movies. But movies ought to be made by people who enjoy making them, they should be skilled. Willing to put effort in making a good movie. This guy is allowed to make movies because he is from a rich influential family.
Sanjay Gupta must be one of the least talented directors these days. None of his work is original and all of his movies are cheap copies. this is the same, he saw a movie. Liked it, but just didn't understand it. it doesn't even come close to the original. Everything is just worse as the original oldboy. Camera work, story (that doesn't work out anymore) de fighting is lame, making it not offending for the Indian audience by cutting out the incest totally destroyed the story. The actor had to be a pretty face, too bad he didn't have acting skills with it. This untalented director shouldn't even be allowed to sell pop-corn in a cinema. Too bad mom and dad had money.
Its a direct insult to the real oldboy, and Sanjay didn't even pay for the rights to rip it. Please don't watch it, get oldboy instead. This one will only make you vomit
Sanjay Gupta must be one of the least talented directors these days. None of his work is original and all of his movies are cheap copies. this is the same, he saw a movie. Liked it, but just didn't understand it. it doesn't even come close to the original. Everything is just worse as the original oldboy. Camera work, story (that doesn't work out anymore) de fighting is lame, making it not offending for the Indian audience by cutting out the incest totally destroyed the story. The actor had to be a pretty face, too bad he didn't have acting skills with it. This untalented director shouldn't even be allowed to sell pop-corn in a cinema. Too bad mom and dad had money.
Its a direct insult to the real oldboy, and Sanjay didn't even pay for the rights to rip it. Please don't watch it, get oldboy instead. This one will only make you vomit
5 for the attempt + one for the film itself = 6 stars (p.s we beat Hollywood to this remake yay)
kooleshwar16 January 2006
Lets get to the point:- This is movie is highly flawed.
This movie could have been much better.
It can take days describing the bad parts about the movie for example how again SG wasted to much time making the film stylish and cool and forgot that there is a script.
But lets forget that, lets also forget that this movie is a remake (By the way we made this remake before Hollywood hahahahah hell i gave one star extra just for that ), the point is this movie is Bold and different.
And boy do we need different. that and the fact that the movie is only 115 minutes long make the movie watchable.
please watch this film because i don't know how many more flops Sanjay Gupta can bear (cause the music is good but not as good as musafir) we need more directors to make different films.
This movie could have been much better.
It can take days describing the bad parts about the movie for example how again SG wasted to much time making the film stylish and cool and forgot that there is a script.
But lets forget that, lets also forget that this movie is a remake (By the way we made this remake before Hollywood hahahahah hell i gave one star extra just for that ), the point is this movie is Bold and different.
And boy do we need different. that and the fact that the movie is only 115 minutes long make the movie watchable.
please watch this film because i don't know how many more flops Sanjay Gupta can bear (cause the music is good but not as good as musafir) we need more directors to make different films.
A Thief Ought to be Jailed
saurabh-somani20 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Many people have said it. I feel it bears saying again. I am an Indian, and I am ashamed of Zinda. I don't care whether the cinematography is brilliant or not, whether the acting (acting? john abraham? really?) is great or not.... i say gimme enough money, and even i can cut, copy, paste from any classic, 'indianize' it, and make myself the newest hotshot director on the block. To those who say that Sanjay Gupta has done a good thing by bringing this kind of cinema to Indian audiences I have only one thing to say:
If that sorry excuse for a human being (a.k.a Sanjay Gupta) really wanted Indian audiences to have access to good movies, he should have bought - BOUGHT Mr. Gupta, not stolen - the rights to make an official remake.
What you have done is plain and simple stealing, and you ought to be treated like any ordinary thief.
Oh, and in case you're wondering: Zinda as a stand alone movie is also crap. In Oldboy, one is never left feeling as if any threads are loose, that any part of the story is not explained. In Zinda, one is never convinced by any explanation given to cover up the gutless Gupta's substituting the incest storyline with his ham effort.
If that sorry excuse for a human being (a.k.a Sanjay Gupta) really wanted Indian audiences to have access to good movies, he should have bought - BOUGHT Mr. Gupta, not stolen - the rights to make an official remake.
What you have done is plain and simple stealing, and you ought to be treated like any ordinary thief.
Oh, and in case you're wondering: Zinda as a stand alone movie is also crap. In Oldboy, one is never left feeling as if any threads are loose, that any part of the story is not explained. In Zinda, one is never convinced by any explanation given to cover up the gutless Gupta's substituting the incest storyline with his ham effort.
Some of you must be out of your minds
spgun7 April 2006
I haven't had the honor of watching this masterpiece yet but does not feel it is necessary since it's so obvious from a few lines of plot introduction and the general comments. This is an intellectual THEFT. A PLAGIARISM. Not remake. A remake is something you do with consent from the original creator. I wish all criminal and civil punishments possible would be imposed upon these shameless thieves.
People sharing cultural backgrounds with the makers of this garbage, please protect your honor and self-esteem by stopping this crime from being repeated again and again! Don't waste your time in 'rating' this piece of 'art'!
People sharing cultural backgrounds with the makers of this garbage, please protect your honor and self-esteem by stopping this crime from being repeated again and again! Don't waste your time in 'rating' this piece of 'art'!
Much better than OldBoy!!!
hawain-sunset23 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I knew that zinda was a remake of oldboy. I saw both movies on consecutive weekends.
To be honest, I found Zinda to be much better than OldBoy. I think both movies are good from start until the last 15-20 minutes where OldBoy becomes a sick movie. The whole tension that is build up is just thrown out of the window along with the sense and logic. The way movie shows what can be done through hypnotism is laughable! Making someone hallucinate for a minute or so is one thing but to show that it can last forever is stupid!! And whats wrong with the story writer of OldBoy? I have never seen a movie starting with such a wonderful concept getting trashed in last 10 minutes!! Incest, hypnotism and all other weird concept makes me feel as if the writer forgot what he was writing and pumped all his sick fantasies in the last 10 minutes. Honestly, I have never felt as sick after seeing a movie as I felt after seeing OldBoy! Zinda on the other hand somehow provides a lot more logic. The end is also lot believable! Technically, I think both movies are at par though since Oldboy is the original, it should be declared better! All in all, I would day Sanjay Gupta has made a remake which is definitely better than the original!
To be honest, I found Zinda to be much better than OldBoy. I think both movies are good from start until the last 15-20 minutes where OldBoy becomes a sick movie. The whole tension that is build up is just thrown out of the window along with the sense and logic. The way movie shows what can be done through hypnotism is laughable! Making someone hallucinate for a minute or so is one thing but to show that it can last forever is stupid!! And whats wrong with the story writer of OldBoy? I have never seen a movie starting with such a wonderful concept getting trashed in last 10 minutes!! Incest, hypnotism and all other weird concept makes me feel as if the writer forgot what he was writing and pumped all his sick fantasies in the last 10 minutes. Honestly, I have never felt as sick after seeing a movie as I felt after seeing OldBoy! Zinda on the other hand somehow provides a lot more logic. The end is also lot believable! Technically, I think both movies are at par though since Oldboy is the original, it should be declared better! All in all, I would day Sanjay Gupta has made a remake which is definitely better than the original!
Product of a questionably loose Indian Copyright laws
bumfromkorea4 July 2006
Many have said this before, but I'm afraid I have to repeat the opinion on the account that a surprising many have decided that Zinda is worth of anything more than 1 star in IMDb. Zinda is a unscrupulous photocopy of the masterpiece Oldboy, and should be avoided, if not boycotted.
Some will claim that Zinda is a 'tribute' or a 'remake' of the Oldboy. To them I ask one question: "What kind of filmmakers make remakes of a movie when the original came out two years ago and has been selling DVDs very well internationally?" It seems that this particular brand of Indian cinema has decided that it is quite content making money off of other people idea for free. And though it is impossible for the original filmmakers to sue the filmmakers of Zinda (on the account that Indian copyright laws does not allow for such suit), Zinda should be remembered as a true stain on the development of Indian Cinema.
Because it has photocopied a great movie, Zinda avoids being an absolute terror of a movie. However, this does not excuse Sanjay Gupta and the section of 'Bollywood' that has involved itself in Zinda's production. Because of the blatant plagiarism, and the Zinda's makers absolutely refusing to apologize and reimburse the original filmmakers, I must say Zinda deserves 1 star, if not 0.
Some will claim that Zinda is a 'tribute' or a 'remake' of the Oldboy. To them I ask one question: "What kind of filmmakers make remakes of a movie when the original came out two years ago and has been selling DVDs very well internationally?" It seems that this particular brand of Indian cinema has decided that it is quite content making money off of other people idea for free. And though it is impossible for the original filmmakers to sue the filmmakers of Zinda (on the account that Indian copyright laws does not allow for such suit), Zinda should be remembered as a true stain on the development of Indian Cinema.
Because it has photocopied a great movie, Zinda avoids being an absolute terror of a movie. However, this does not excuse Sanjay Gupta and the section of 'Bollywood' that has involved itself in Zinda's production. Because of the blatant plagiarism, and the Zinda's makers absolutely refusing to apologize and reimburse the original filmmakers, I must say Zinda deserves 1 star, if not 0.
Remake (particularly bad one) of Korean Oldboy where a man is inexplicably held prisoner for fourteen years and only has four days to find out why
ninja66716 July 2006
Bollywood should NEVER try to be as ambitious to tackle films like Oldboy. Indian morality eventually gets in the way. Such attempts are cringeworthy. Do not bother watching Zinda unless you like talentless 'eye candy' type films. Watch the original instead. What is it with Bollywood anyway? They shamelessly copy from oriental cinema/Hollywood and try to pass it off as their own. You can't help but feel disappointed. It was a massacre of the cultish Oldboy. You have to have a strong stomach to stomach some of the things that happen in Oldboy. Its like Bollywood was sugar coating the themes in Oldboy and what do you end up with? A version which your granny can watch with you without feeling too offended. If that was the case then Zinda should never have been made. Well it shouldn't have!
Below average for a re-make
ace_nair15 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Most people who write reviews do so immediately after having felt the experience of the matter they are reviewing. I gave myself 48 hours before I decided to make what I wanted of about Zinda.
To start with, Zinda is a remake of Chan-Wook Park's Korean masterpiece ''Oldboy'' which is the second movie in his trilogy of revenge movies. So, take that whole baloney of Sanjay Gupta being an original director and stuff and put it in the garbage because we have an other copy here.
This is the official story of Oldboy in IMDb... ''An average man is kidnapped and imprisoned in a shabby cell for 15 years without explanation. He then is released, equipped with money, a cellphone and expensive clothes. As he strives to explain his imprisonment and get his revenge, he soon finds out that not only his kidnapper has still plans for him, but that those plans will serve as the even worse finale to 15 years of imprisonment.'' That's the story of Oldboy... that's the story of Zinda. It is a good plot, but Sanjay Gupta screwed it up.
Sanjay Dutt is pathetic. He always tries to be larger than the story and therefore is practically invincible. First, why did Dutt have to be a s/w engineer in the film? S/w wasn't that big in 1991 that it could buy you a seaside house in Bangkok. Also, Shahrukh Khan was practically non-existent in 1991, when Manish's character tells that Dutt could be a better actor than the Khan. Come on, the intelligent viewer can do his/her math. Script writers..whither goes thou??? There were two of you!!! The entire sequence of Mr. Dutt in the cell is rather contrived and long. He was fed a single course mean twice daily for 14 years, and he didn't loose a single kilo. Puleeez.... this is a 2005 movie! Tom Hanks lost 15+kgs for Castaway and his character had more nutrition and exercise than Dutt's had. Not acceptable, Mr Gupta.
The fight sequence with the hammer is unrealistic. Dutt is fighting Thai's who kick- box like we fart. He beats up people who are armed with knives and bats with a hammer and during the climax of the movie he fights almost the same people with a sword and they have swords at that time. This is like a Max Payne game.
Lara Dutta magically appears as the Hindi speaking taxi-driver, who automatically assumes Dutt to be an Indian, whereas the enigmatic Dutt could easily pass off for an Arab. Dutt doesn't think to ask Dutta how she recognized him to be an Indian. Hmmm.... why we make such movies with weak scripts? Dutt-Dutta-Idiotta... I am getting a rhyme. Wheeee! OK... next! Why would a person who keeps people in cells for a living not have an in-house cook instead of buying food for years for his wards? It is more expensive and isn't good business. Is the director trying to tell us that Indians are lousy as businessmen?
Manish Manjrekar was loud and boorish and I was happy to see him die.
John Abraham cannot act. However, his character was the most credible.
I can understand that a man can be made into a monster if he is held captive for 14 years for reasons undisclosed. But to be turned into a samurai??? With Director Gupta it is ... 'No problem!!!!' HA HA HA!!! Finally, not to forget, but we have Celina Jaitley who is also pathetic in her rather cameo role.
Models should not act. This is an atrocity worse than Tsunami because more lives are being effected by the way they behave on screen.
I won't waste too much time on the music. The Strings song is fantastic (as always). I have no clue why Dutt should appear in the video since his voice isn't there and all he does is play an imaginary guitar. Wait a minute, maybe it is because he produced the movie!!! Anyways, that's all I would like to say without ranting any more.
I am really sad that my brethren are giving strong reviews about this movie. But then, beggars can't be choosers. Too bad Bollywood is making beggars of us when we have to choose between movies.
Overall... give this a miss.
To start with, Zinda is a remake of Chan-Wook Park's Korean masterpiece ''Oldboy'' which is the second movie in his trilogy of revenge movies. So, take that whole baloney of Sanjay Gupta being an original director and stuff and put it in the garbage because we have an other copy here.
This is the official story of Oldboy in IMDb... ''An average man is kidnapped and imprisoned in a shabby cell for 15 years without explanation. He then is released, equipped with money, a cellphone and expensive clothes. As he strives to explain his imprisonment and get his revenge, he soon finds out that not only his kidnapper has still plans for him, but that those plans will serve as the even worse finale to 15 years of imprisonment.'' That's the story of Oldboy... that's the story of Zinda. It is a good plot, but Sanjay Gupta screwed it up.
Sanjay Dutt is pathetic. He always tries to be larger than the story and therefore is practically invincible. First, why did Dutt have to be a s/w engineer in the film? S/w wasn't that big in 1991 that it could buy you a seaside house in Bangkok. Also, Shahrukh Khan was practically non-existent in 1991, when Manish's character tells that Dutt could be a better actor than the Khan. Come on, the intelligent viewer can do his/her math. Script writers..whither goes thou??? There were two of you!!! The entire sequence of Mr. Dutt in the cell is rather contrived and long. He was fed a single course mean twice daily for 14 years, and he didn't loose a single kilo. Puleeez.... this is a 2005 movie! Tom Hanks lost 15+kgs for Castaway and his character had more nutrition and exercise than Dutt's had. Not acceptable, Mr Gupta.
The fight sequence with the hammer is unrealistic. Dutt is fighting Thai's who kick- box like we fart. He beats up people who are armed with knives and bats with a hammer and during the climax of the movie he fights almost the same people with a sword and they have swords at that time. This is like a Max Payne game.
Lara Dutta magically appears as the Hindi speaking taxi-driver, who automatically assumes Dutt to be an Indian, whereas the enigmatic Dutt could easily pass off for an Arab. Dutt doesn't think to ask Dutta how she recognized him to be an Indian. Hmmm.... why we make such movies with weak scripts? Dutt-Dutta-Idiotta... I am getting a rhyme. Wheeee! OK... next! Why would a person who keeps people in cells for a living not have an in-house cook instead of buying food for years for his wards? It is more expensive and isn't good business. Is the director trying to tell us that Indians are lousy as businessmen?
Manish Manjrekar was loud and boorish and I was happy to see him die.
John Abraham cannot act. However, his character was the most credible.
I can understand that a man can be made into a monster if he is held captive for 14 years for reasons undisclosed. But to be turned into a samurai??? With Director Gupta it is ... 'No problem!!!!' HA HA HA!!! Finally, not to forget, but we have Celina Jaitley who is also pathetic in her rather cameo role.
Models should not act. This is an atrocity worse than Tsunami because more lives are being effected by the way they behave on screen.
I won't waste too much time on the music. The Strings song is fantastic (as always). I have no clue why Dutt should appear in the video since his voice isn't there and all he does is play an imaginary guitar. Wait a minute, maybe it is because he produced the movie!!! Anyways, that's all I would like to say without ranting any more.
I am really sad that my brethren are giving strong reviews about this movie. But then, beggars can't be choosers. Too bad Bollywood is making beggars of us when we have to choose between movies.
Overall... give this a miss.
Holy sh*t...
daniel-berger-225 January 2007
... I totally agree with the previous comments, how can someone copy shameless a good movie AND took out the best scenes and best story elements? Oldboy is definitely one of the best movies (that's why it's good story copied that often), but when I try to copy something than I try to IMPROVE the copy, not to omit the best things! I'm sure the good voting only were given by people who didn't see the original movie.
Please watch Oldboy - you will not waste your time. I really don't understand this Bollywood "Hype", bad actors, bad cinematography and a copied or other well known story - it's always the same. Finally I only recommend you to spend this 116 minutes of your valueable life with other things than watching this movie!
Please watch Oldboy - you will not waste your time. I really don't understand this Bollywood "Hype", bad actors, bad cinematography and a copied or other well known story - it's always the same. Finally I only recommend you to spend this 116 minutes of your valueable life with other things than watching this movie!
HOLY SH*T .......... I Have Encountered Satan's Porno !!!!
SushiStoner10325 February 2015
Zinda has psychologically poisoned me. Words refuse to escape my mouth as I am beyond speechless, what this world is capable of ..... looking at you "Bollywood". For Starters Oldboy is my all time favourite piece of cinema, a masterful art work, that I truly respect and admire. Zinda uses Oldboy and devours its reputation and spoofs it presumptuously. I've never witnessed something so putrid, this film is simply a crime. Zinda is an unforgivable sin.
The cinematography was chaotic, the acting was horrific and the experience as a whole was intolerable. The producers should feel ashamed and beg for their dignity back. Zinda is humiliating to the point were I can't even comprehend. While my brain was decomposing as I tortured my self to sit through an hour and fifty minutes of utter garbage. This movie is one of a kind, nothing has made me seriously doubt the existence of life like this ever before. My lord what have I gotten myself into my brain thinks to itself for the millionth time in the first 30 minutes. WARNING this film cannot be unwatched so be careful and I mean it. I apologise on behalf of Bollywood for all the true Oldboy fans or even the people who just appreciate film. Because for some reason I feel guilty this *beeping* film exists.
The cinematography was chaotic, the acting was horrific and the experience as a whole was intolerable. The producers should feel ashamed and beg for their dignity back. Zinda is humiliating to the point were I can't even comprehend. While my brain was decomposing as I tortured my self to sit through an hour and fifty minutes of utter garbage. This movie is one of a kind, nothing has made me seriously doubt the existence of life like this ever before. My lord what have I gotten myself into my brain thinks to itself for the millionth time in the first 30 minutes. WARNING this film cannot be unwatched so be careful and I mean it. I apologise on behalf of Bollywood for all the true Oldboy fans or even the people who just appreciate film. Because for some reason I feel guilty this *beeping* film exists.
Decent remake, worth a watch...
DesiBaba11 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
It is silly that people simply rate this low because it is remake. Most great movies are "remakes". Art forms often gets imitated through various mediums. How many Indians you think would ever get to watch Oldboy? Not even 1 or 2%. So what if its is inspired in content and style by another movie, even greats like the Godfather saga are based on works by other artists. So then it all boils down to whether the director gave credits or not; is that it? Anyways, it is all pointless really. Bollywood makes such crap that its actually refreshing to see some money spend on decent remakes of some old classics, with a desi take on the matter, of course. I thought it was a decent "adaptation" of Oldboy. Like other reviewers I too wondered about why this was shot outside India. Why not have him lock up in some shady town around Mumbai and serve him samosas instead of wontons? May be Bangkok provided a better landscape to the story than Mumbai could? May be it is to do with availability of the actors or perhaps that it is more convincing to see Sanjay Dutt beat up a bunch of 5'5" Thais. Lara Dutta's character seemed totally made up, the rest of the script was okay, albeit, not as airtight as the original.
Sunjay Gupta Copy Machine
denn_200324 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This director hasn't made a lot of movies, but the following are his movies that are copied from the corresponding movie names:
Zinda - Old Boy
Musaafir - U-turn
Kante - Resorvior Dogs
Jung - Desperate Measures & Face Off
Khauf - Juror
I read somewhere on the internet that his Aatish, Hamesha, and Raam Shastra were also copied/inspired by some "hollywood" movies. I'm sorry if I'm too harsh on the guy, but he's a copy machine man. He's the copy machine sitting in Kinko's that does the crappiest copy for you and you loose your 10 cents and the time.
Whats funny is that people are big fans of this director. They think he's making a difference to the Bollywood, well he may be, considering that bollywood creates ridiculous movies. But I mean come on, I did a little research on all the movies Sunjay Gupta made and they're all copies of one movie or the other. Thats nothing but ignorance. There is a movie director out there who does not realize that he lacks innovation and the ability to produce a piece of work on his own. Yet he claims that he is a director.
Again, I will say what I say every time, I understand that people everywhere just want to make money the easiest possible way. If Americans here in Hollywood somehow figured out a way to copy something and make money off of it, they'd do it. But even remaking a copied movie takes about 80% of the effort. Thats why most of the Hollywood people just end up making something totally new. Why why why, why make a piece of crap out of something good and live with your head held up high.
How can someone feel good after feeding a copied piece of crap to the Indian public and think that its the right thing to do. Well, I suppose they have to show the original to the producer as a prototype and then when the producer likes the original, he orders the director to make the exact copy. If thats how it works in Bollywood then I can safely say that Bollywood is way behind. But then again Sunjay Gupta was the director and producer of "Kaante", why did he copy that off of Resorvior Dogs, he didn't have to answer anyone there. That really proves that he is a no talent as s clown.
Oh yeah, about the movie, Sunjay Dutt sucks, does pretty much the same thing in every movie. He is over confident and why shouldn't he be, all the low-esteemed and inferiority complexed people in South Asia, and even in some western countries idolize him. What better chance than this for Sunjay Dutt to cash his faky personality. If anyone can remember his conversation with Chota Shakeel that was out on the internet a while back they'll know what i'm talking about when I say faky personality. Someone said Lara does a great job as a babe, but not as a Punjabi cab driver, I agree. John Abraham is the worst successful actor possibly in the history of Bollywood. Along the same line as Salman Khan, but worse. There are flaws in the movie, specially when Sunjay Dutt fights those Thai guys with a hammer. No way a literally Old Boy like Sunjay Dutt could fight so many Thai guys like that. They would kick his u know what in 10 seconds I bet anything.
Zinda - Old Boy
Musaafir - U-turn
Kante - Resorvior Dogs
Jung - Desperate Measures & Face Off
Khauf - Juror
I read somewhere on the internet that his Aatish, Hamesha, and Raam Shastra were also copied/inspired by some "hollywood" movies. I'm sorry if I'm too harsh on the guy, but he's a copy machine man. He's the copy machine sitting in Kinko's that does the crappiest copy for you and you loose your 10 cents and the time.
Whats funny is that people are big fans of this director. They think he's making a difference to the Bollywood, well he may be, considering that bollywood creates ridiculous movies. But I mean come on, I did a little research on all the movies Sunjay Gupta made and they're all copies of one movie or the other. Thats nothing but ignorance. There is a movie director out there who does not realize that he lacks innovation and the ability to produce a piece of work on his own. Yet he claims that he is a director.
Again, I will say what I say every time, I understand that people everywhere just want to make money the easiest possible way. If Americans here in Hollywood somehow figured out a way to copy something and make money off of it, they'd do it. But even remaking a copied movie takes about 80% of the effort. Thats why most of the Hollywood people just end up making something totally new. Why why why, why make a piece of crap out of something good and live with your head held up high.
How can someone feel good after feeding a copied piece of crap to the Indian public and think that its the right thing to do. Well, I suppose they have to show the original to the producer as a prototype and then when the producer likes the original, he orders the director to make the exact copy. If thats how it works in Bollywood then I can safely say that Bollywood is way behind. But then again Sunjay Gupta was the director and producer of "Kaante", why did he copy that off of Resorvior Dogs, he didn't have to answer anyone there. That really proves that he is a no talent as s clown.
Oh yeah, about the movie, Sunjay Dutt sucks, does pretty much the same thing in every movie. He is over confident and why shouldn't he be, all the low-esteemed and inferiority complexed people in South Asia, and even in some western countries idolize him. What better chance than this for Sunjay Dutt to cash his faky personality. If anyone can remember his conversation with Chota Shakeel that was out on the internet a while back they'll know what i'm talking about when I say faky personality. Someone said Lara does a great job as a babe, but not as a Punjabi cab driver, I agree. John Abraham is the worst successful actor possibly in the history of Bollywood. Along the same line as Salman Khan, but worse. There are flaws in the movie, specially when Sunjay Dutt fights those Thai guys with a hammer. No way a literally Old Boy like Sunjay Dutt could fight so many Thai guys like that. They would kick his u know what in 10 seconds I bet anything.
a hammer in the head of critics-Dutt is Alive(Zinda)
chan871 February 2006
Dutt had waited for this moment when all the Indian Media and people hail his name as one of the best actors. It is known that Zinda is rip-off of Korean flick "Oldboy" but as they say that "Nakal ke liye bhi akal chahiye"(U need brains even to copy something) and i'm sure that the majority of people in India had not even heard of the movie(including me). Zinda provides a fresh air to Bollywood and keeps Alive the thriller theme.
Sanjay Dutt steals the whole show this time and it was good to see him not in his usual punk role but a role of great maturity. Sanjay Gupta is the man!! I am a big fan of the Sanjay Dutt-Gupta duo and was waiting for this movie and i was not disappointed. Keep the good work up, guys!! Keep it Zinda!!
Sanjay Dutt steals the whole show this time and it was good to see him not in his usual punk role but a role of great maturity. Sanjay Gupta is the man!! I am a big fan of the Sanjay Dutt-Gupta duo and was waiting for this movie and i was not disappointed. Keep the good work up, guys!! Keep it Zinda!!
zinda is brillian-s**t
oldboys27 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
What a great way for Bollywood to show how original they are. Wow i've never seen a movie that will make me cringe even more than this, unless Bollywood decide to remake the whole matrix trilogy, star wars trilogy, and LOTR trilogy and claim that the genius Indian directors and writers came up with the ideas. I would like to say as being a big fan of the Hollywood movies, Japanese movies and after watching oldboy a big Korean fan, that I am disgusted at the director and actors who decided to make this movie. How can you copy a great film and manage to destroy it piece by piece. Is the Indian director a fan of the original movie or an enemy? I think that Bollywood is brilliant at destroying original works of art. So how about sticking with throwing dye and dancing in the fields.
A good movie, definitely doesn't compare to the original but goes a long way in introducing new themes to bollywood
mgandhi-212 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This one is a Rip off, they changed some things and Indianised the movie. The part the Indian audiences might find most offensive in the original (Incest) is removed. Sanjay Dutt is amazing, no one else would have been able to pull this movie off. I'll be surprised if he doesn't win any awards for his performance.
In broader terms Zinda is a doing something very interesting. The nature of the business is such that you cannot ignore the audience. The Indian audience has matured but not enough to fully appreciate a film like "OLDBOY". The mass audiences would never accept the incestuous theme. And although Zinda is a rip off, it needs to be argued that movies like these go a long way to introduce the Indian audiences to a higher level of acceptance of mature themes. The masses would probably reject Zinda today, but maybe in a few years, we might see originals with high octane story lines being accepted by the masses. But what also needs to be considered is that the conventional running around the trees in bollywood movies don't attract the crowds anymore, audiences want something more and have begun appreciating change. People have started appreciating good cinema, and bold themes like Zinda will go a long way,encouraging directors to make movies that bold story lines.
It is unfortunate that bollywood ripped off OLDBOY, but if that is the only way that the Indian audiences would get a glimpse of what the original was like, so be it.
This movie is worth a watch, if not for the action, then for the classic its inspired by, if not for the new themes in bollywood, then for Sanjay Dutt's acting.
In broader terms Zinda is a doing something very interesting. The nature of the business is such that you cannot ignore the audience. The Indian audience has matured but not enough to fully appreciate a film like "OLDBOY". The mass audiences would never accept the incestuous theme. And although Zinda is a rip off, it needs to be argued that movies like these go a long way to introduce the Indian audiences to a higher level of acceptance of mature themes. The masses would probably reject Zinda today, but maybe in a few years, we might see originals with high octane story lines being accepted by the masses. But what also needs to be considered is that the conventional running around the trees in bollywood movies don't attract the crowds anymore, audiences want something more and have begun appreciating change. People have started appreciating good cinema, and bold themes like Zinda will go a long way,encouraging directors to make movies that bold story lines.
It is unfortunate that bollywood ripped off OLDBOY, but if that is the only way that the Indian audiences would get a glimpse of what the original was like, so be it.
This movie is worth a watch, if not for the action, then for the classic its inspired by, if not for the new themes in bollywood, then for Sanjay Dutt's acting.
Stop comparing it to the original! We all know Zinda cannot match up!
saurabh_j_paranjape16 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Even as I am writing this, I can just imagine self proclaimed intellectuals salivating over the thought of ripping this comment to shreds. Well, to all you wonderfully smart people, I hope this comment gives you ample opportunity for this kind of mental masturbation.
To start off, YES, I HAVE SEEN OLDBOY. So I know that for all its disturbing thematic elements (incest, torture, mutilation, to name a few), it is a brilliant, visceral film that leaves you staring at the screen for a good 10 minutes after the credits have rolled. But to compare a Bollywood film like Zinda to a work of art like Oldboy is like comparing a 4 year old kid's essay to Shakespeare. There is no way Sanjay Gupta could have matched up to the original, given not just the fact that he just isn't as good as Chan Wook Park, but also that quite a few of the film's themes cannot be digested by the Indian audience. Context! Context, people! On its own, when not submitted to comparative scrutiny (oh I can see you film buffs getting worked up now!), the film is, from a technical perspective, quite a polished product. Acting is just fine, and quite realistic, though the supporting characters, especially Mahesh Manjrekar and Lara Dutta, make the ride a bit bumpy. Technically, the film is brilliant (again, I'm treating this as a stand alone product), and I personally enjoyed the one shot corridor scene equally in both movies (guilty of comparison here). What really lets the film down is the writing. After building up the audience's curiosity, the film completely blows it when it comes to revealing John Abraham's motives for doing what he does. The flashback is handled in a very ham-handed fashion, the motive, when revealed, just doesn't seem convincing enough, and we seriously need good child actors! The writing fails again when we get to the end, where it seems like the writers just looked at their watches and decided that it was time the movie ended.
In essence, yes, the film is a complete ripoff of Oldboy, and the nothing, not the acting, not the direction, nothing at all, matches up to Oldboy, but if you must have a bad analogy, think of this as something similar to what 'The Departed' did to 'Infernal Affairs' (and if anyone thought Departed was a good film, make sure you never run into me or I will morph into a finger wielding, hateful comment writing SOB sooner than you can say 'plagiaristic, over-hyped crap'!) Coming back to the point, Zinda exposes the common Indian audience to a kind of cinema that they have never seen before. It's like 'art cinema for dummies', and we need it. So all you smug self-proclaimed cinema PhDs out there, stop the madness and get some perspective!
To start off, YES, I HAVE SEEN OLDBOY. So I know that for all its disturbing thematic elements (incest, torture, mutilation, to name a few), it is a brilliant, visceral film that leaves you staring at the screen for a good 10 minutes after the credits have rolled. But to compare a Bollywood film like Zinda to a work of art like Oldboy is like comparing a 4 year old kid's essay to Shakespeare. There is no way Sanjay Gupta could have matched up to the original, given not just the fact that he just isn't as good as Chan Wook Park, but also that quite a few of the film's themes cannot be digested by the Indian audience. Context! Context, people! On its own, when not submitted to comparative scrutiny (oh I can see you film buffs getting worked up now!), the film is, from a technical perspective, quite a polished product. Acting is just fine, and quite realistic, though the supporting characters, especially Mahesh Manjrekar and Lara Dutta, make the ride a bit bumpy. Technically, the film is brilliant (again, I'm treating this as a stand alone product), and I personally enjoyed the one shot corridor scene equally in both movies (guilty of comparison here). What really lets the film down is the writing. After building up the audience's curiosity, the film completely blows it when it comes to revealing John Abraham's motives for doing what he does. The flashback is handled in a very ham-handed fashion, the motive, when revealed, just doesn't seem convincing enough, and we seriously need good child actors! The writing fails again when we get to the end, where it seems like the writers just looked at their watches and decided that it was time the movie ended.
In essence, yes, the film is a complete ripoff of Oldboy, and the nothing, not the acting, not the direction, nothing at all, matches up to Oldboy, but if you must have a bad analogy, think of this as something similar to what 'The Departed' did to 'Infernal Affairs' (and if anyone thought Departed was a good film, make sure you never run into me or I will morph into a finger wielding, hateful comment writing SOB sooner than you can say 'plagiaristic, over-hyped crap'!) Coming back to the point, Zinda exposes the common Indian audience to a kind of cinema that they have never seen before. It's like 'art cinema for dummies', and we need it. So all you smug self-proclaimed cinema PhDs out there, stop the madness and get some perspective!
2006 Annual Follywood Crap-o-Remakes Starts With Huge Thunderous FART
Aam_Aadmi21 January 2006
OK, first off, this movie should be renamed to MURDA (dead).
Seeing this film's previews earlier on, and with Sanjay Dutt's comments that he plays a very complicated character, it had everything going for it until it suddenly became clear that its a ripoff of a recent Korean movie, Oldboy. Boy, are they fast, and getting faster each year.
The main character has been imprisoned without explanation for 15 years and when he's released, they are out to get him again. He bumps into a female cabbie of Indian origin (how convenient!). But before we get too far ahead why the hell is this chappy living in Bangcock in the first place? Can't he get whatever it is he wants in India?? Such seemingly simple but completely *necessary* questions keep popping up repeatedly, the profound answers to which somehow keep eluding us. Confusing script yeah?!? Thats happens when you have no insights into the original.
Well, someone got a bloody bit of explaining to do is what it is. You can't expect much by way of direction knowing it is a remake after all. No flashes of inspired brilliance here, just plain old photocopying. In the overacting dept, Sanjay seems playing to the gallery. The sidekicks had no great parts to play. Fight sequences are OK and only 2-3 scenes are worth the money.
All in all, an avoidable fare and can be awaited on cable/DVD.
Seeing this film's previews earlier on, and with Sanjay Dutt's comments that he plays a very complicated character, it had everything going for it until it suddenly became clear that its a ripoff of a recent Korean movie, Oldboy. Boy, are they fast, and getting faster each year.
The main character has been imprisoned without explanation for 15 years and when he's released, they are out to get him again. He bumps into a female cabbie of Indian origin (how convenient!). But before we get too far ahead why the hell is this chappy living in Bangcock in the first place? Can't he get whatever it is he wants in India?? Such seemingly simple but completely *necessary* questions keep popping up repeatedly, the profound answers to which somehow keep eluding us. Confusing script yeah?!? Thats happens when you have no insights into the original.
Well, someone got a bloody bit of explaining to do is what it is. You can't expect much by way of direction knowing it is a remake after all. No flashes of inspired brilliance here, just plain old photocopying. In the overacting dept, Sanjay seems playing to the gallery. The sidekicks had no great parts to play. Fight sequences are OK and only 2-3 scenes are worth the money.
All in all, an avoidable fare and can be awaited on cable/DVD.
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