ankitajoseph

As someone who genuinely appreciates Indian cinema in all its diverse forms, it is disheartening to witness what Bollywood has become in recent years. The film Kapkappi, a remake of the Malayalam hit Romancham, is a prime example of what happens when originality is tossed aside in favor of commercial gimmicks and shallow appeal. What made Romancham such a refreshing watch was its grounded narrative, relatable characters, subtle humor, and an eerie undertone that didn't rely on jump scares or clichés to be effective. It was a film that understood the value of restraint, authenticity, and cultural nuance.

Kapkappi, on the other hand, feels like a mockery of that very essence. Instead of trying to retain the soul of the original or at least adapt it thoughtfully to a new audience, the Bollywood version does what it often does-inject unnecessary item songs, over-the-top dramatics, and a forced horror element that includes actual ghosts. The original never needed real ghosts to be spooky. It played with the power of suggestion, uncertainty, and the dynamics between housemates to create tension. But Kapkappi takes that quiet brilliance and replaces it with tacky special effects and gimmicky scares that serve no real purpose.

One of the most jarring changes is the inclusion of item numbers and Bollywood-style glamour in a story that was inherently raw and rooted in reality. The charm of Romancham lay in its simplicity-the dusty rented house, the imperfect yet endearing characters, and the slice-of-life storytelling. Bollywood, in its attempt to commercialize the narrative, strips away that simplicity and instead layers the film with glitz, glamour, and artificial emotional beats that simply don't land.

It begs the question-how did Bollywood, once the face of powerful, original storytelling, become a derivative industry that feeds off the creativity of regional cinema? Time and again, we see brilliant stories emerging from Malayalam, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, and Kannada industries. These films bring fresh perspectives, bold narratives, and an honesty that Bollywood seems to have abandoned in its race for box-office numbers. Rather than taking inspiration and elevating these stories with nuance, Bollywood often chooses to water them down, wrap them in loud packaging, and serve them to a wider audience without acknowledging the depth of the original work.

The fact that Kapkappi fails to even reach the emotional or narrative complexity of Romancham is disappointing, but sadly, not surprising. It follows a growing trend of remakes that lack the cultural context, sincerity, and creativity of the original films. What's even more troubling is the lack of accountability. In any other industry, blatant copying would be considered plagiarism and subject to legal scrutiny. Why is cinema allowed to get away with this so frequently? A film is not just a script-it's a creative vision shaped by its creators, rooted in a particular language, culture, and emotional space. Simply translating it and reshooting it with bigger stars and higher budgets does not make it new. It makes it exploitative.

There needs to be a conversation about artistic integrity in Indian cinema. It's high time Bollywood stops this culture of lazy remakes and starts investing in original ideas or, at the very least, acknowledges and collaborates respectfully with the creators of regional cinema. A remake should be a tribute, not a mockery. Unfortunately, Kapkappi feels more like the latter.

To those who haven't watched Romancham yet-I urge you to experience it before watching this Bollywood version. The original captures a unique blend of humor, fear, and friendship that Kapkappi simply fails to replicate. Don't let this remake define your impression of the story. Bollywood may have the reach, but regional cinema still holds the heart.

In conclusion, Kapkappi is not just a missed opportunity; it is a reflection of the current state of Bollywood-a once-glorious industry now leaning too heavily on formulas and borrowed stories, forgetting what made it magical in the first place. Let's hope for a future where originality is celebrated and not replaced with flashy imitations.

It shows how people grow from there past and mature.the relationship between the leads is so mature and and healthy, totally loved it