Quickly
Socially
Trending
Crypto
Is there anyone here who dislikes the great Robin Williams? Pretty sure, the numbers of haters would be negligible, if not nil. Robin Williams had been a pretty popular Hollywood star in India, more for his comical roles in the '90s like in Mrs Doubtfire, Jumanji, Flubber etc. His geniality often permeates from the screen to the hearts of his fans. Which is why we miss this legendary actor, who passed away on August 11, 2014 dying by suicide, so much. Aladdin New Clip: Will Smith Recreates Robin Williams’ Song Prince Ali from the Original Film – Watch Video.
While Robin Williams was much loved for his comedic roles, his work in more serious fare had also brought him accolades. Some of his acclaimed performances were in films like Good Morning, Vietnam, The Fisher King, Good Will Hunting, Insomnia, What Dreams May Come, Bicentennial Man, One Hour Photo etc. His performance of a sympathetic counsellor in Good Will Hunting gave him his sole Oscar, when he won the Academy Award for the Best Supporting Actor.
Some of his films even went on to inspire a few Bollywood films of ours, even if they were not direct remakes. On the actor's 69th birth anniversary, let's look at the five times when Robin Williams' films inspired Bollywood and some of our favourite characters.
Dead Poets Society
The 1989 classic had Robin Williams play an eccentric English teacher, who comes to teach the students of a conservative school, and teaches them about life.
The Inspired: Mohabbatein
Williams' character in Dead Poets Society had a big influence in how Aditya Chopra sketched out Shah Rukh Khan's Raj Aryan and his unconventional teaching methods. However, Chopra also gave him a romantic backstory, because every eccentricity in a Hindi movie can't go unexplained, can they?
Jack
In this 1996 comedy, Robin Williams plays a youngster who suffers from Werner syndrome, that makes him grow four times faster than the kids of his age.
The Inspired: Paa
R Balki borrows Jack's condition for his Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Paa, where Big B plays a kid suffering from progeria. While Jack was a comedy, Paa was a more serious film.
Mrs Doubtfire
In this 1993 comedy, Robin Williams plays a divorced father, who dresses up as a woman and pretends to be his kids' caretaker to be close to them. Robin Williams’ 1993 Classic Mrs Doubtfire’s Musical Rendition to Premiere in November.
The Inspired: Chachi 420
Kamal Haasan was so impressed with this film that he got it first remade in Tamil as Avvai Shanmugi, and later directed the Hindi remake, playing the lead in both the films.
Nine Months
Robin Williams may not be the lead in this 1995 romantic comedy, starring Hugh Grant and Julianne Moore. But he has a memorable cameo playing an OTT gynaecologist who helps in the delivery of the protagonists' baby.
The Inspired: Salaam Namaste
The Saif Ali Khan-Preity Zinta starrer is loosely inspired by Nine Months in its basic plot conflict. But the film retains the crazy climax with Abhishek Bachchan stepping into Robin Williams' role.
Patch Adams
Robin Williams plays an unusual medical student in this 1998 comedy. He is not only the senior-most student in the college, but also has unusual ways of treating his patients - through humour. Which, of course, don't go down well with the authorities.
The Inspired: Munna Bhai MBBS
Rajkumar Hirani's first film isn't a remake of Patch Adams. But Munna and his Jadoo Ki Jhappi ways of treating patients in the medical college he enrolls himself in, take a page out of Patch Adams' book. While we are at it, even Munna Bhai's RJ stint in the sequel, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, is reminiscent of another Robin Williams film, Good Morning, Vietnam.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 21, 2020 11:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Google Trends
