From his early days on Saturday Night Live to a remarkable film career spanning decades, Adam Sandler has consistently delivered laughter and entertainment. Whether he's portraying the affable goofball in classics such as Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison or tackling more intricate roles in films like Punch-Drunk Love and Uncut Gems, Sandler's versatility knows no bounds. His knack for seamlessly transitioning between comedy and drama has earned him critical acclaim and a devoted fan base eagerly anticipating each of his projects. Adam Sandler Birthday: 10 Funny and Quippy Quotes from the Actor's Nostalgic Comedy Billy Madison.
In this special feature celebrating his birthday, let's delve into Adam Sandler's comedy films and explore how some of them have influenced certain Bollywood movies, if not outright copied by them.
Airheads
This 1994 comedy stars Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, and Adam Sandler as three aspiring rock musicians who take a radio station hostage to get their music played. This premise was borrowed for the climax of the 2006 Bollywood film Rang De Basanti, albeit in a much more serious context. In the Bollywood version, a group of friends, led by Aamir Khan's DJ, seizes a radio station to voice their side of the story.
Billy Madison
...also known as the film that catapulted Adam Sandler into stardom. The movie revolves around a spoiled rich brat who must clean up his act and complete his college education to secure his father's inheritance. There's a memorable scene where Billy's love interest challenges his knowledge by removing an article of clothing whenever he answers correctly, only for him to mess it up at the last moment. This scene was duplicated not once, but twice in Hindi films. One instance is in Desi Boyz, where Chitrangda Singh uses the seductive tactic to motivate Akshay Kumar's character...
And in Good Boy Bad Boy, Tanushree Dutta employs the same ploy with Tusshar Kapoor.
Happy Gilmore
In Happy Gilmore, Sandler portrays a failed hockey player who discovers he has a natural talent for golf and enters a competition to face an arrogant champion. This sports comedy was later remade in Bollywood by Sohail Khan as Freaky Ali, with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead role. Adam Sandler Birthday Special: 5 Movies Featuring the Actor That Can Make Even the Haters' Dull Day Brighter.
The Wedding Singer
This romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore follows a wedding band singer who gets jilted at his own wedding but later finds love with a woman who's already committed to another man. An unofficial remake of the film surfaced in Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye, featuring Salman Khan and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles, mostly remembered today for Himesh Reshammiya's soundtrack.
Anger Management
Released in 2003, Anger Management features Adam Sandler as a man with anger management issues who clashes with his quirky and unconventional therapist played by Jack Nicholson, particularly when the therapist shows an interest in the woman he loves. While not an exact remake, David Dhawan's Mujhse Shaadi Karoge sees Salman Khan as a lifeguard with anger issues competing with his roommate, played by Akshay Kumar, for the affections of the same woman, portrayed by Priyanka Chopra.
50 First Dates
This romantic dramedy reunites Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in an unconventional love story about a veterinarian who falls for a woman with retrograde amnesia, requiring him to woo her every day since she forgets him each morning. This film loosely inspired Ajay Devgn's directorial debut, U Me Aur Hum, although that film also draws inspiration from The Notebook.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
In this adult comedy, Adam Sandler and Kevin James portray firefighter buddies who pretend to be a gay couple for healthcare benefits. Once again, this film loosely inspired the 2008 Bollywood romcom Dostana, where Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham had to feign a same-sex relationship, but this time to secure a rented place of their own.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2023 09:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).