It began like any other Bollywood release day. A new romantic drama, an emerging star kid, a soulful soundtrack and then came the plot twist.
Within hours of hitting theatres on July 18, Saiyaara, starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, had the Internet drawing comparisons with the 2004 Korean tearjerker A Moment To Remember. Cue the collective deja vu.
A still from Saiyaara
Mohit Suri's latest directorial, which opened to a commendable Rs 21 crore at the box office, quickly found itself in the middle of a familiar controversy: accusations of borrowing from South Korean cinema without credit. It wasn't the first time. And judging by the social media frenzy, it might not be the last.
Saiyaara Or A Moment To Remember?
At the heart of Saiyaara is the tender, turbulent love story of Krish Kapur (Ahaan Panday), a moody musician, and Vaani (Aneet Padda), an aspiring journalist.
Their romance takes a tragic turn when Vaani is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. For some viewers, the plot felt too close to home, specifically, the home of Korean cinema.
A still from Saiyaara
A Moment To Remember, directed by John H. Lee and starring Son Ye-jin and Jung Woo-sung, follows a near-identical arc, down to the emotional crescendo where the male lead helps the woman relive their past as her memory deteriorates.
Social media didn't hold back (as usual).
"Major plot points are literally the same, like Alzheimer's, confusion with ex, girl running away. Also, the ending where he recreates the past moment is the same..." wrote one user.
Another chimed in, "So Saiyaara is based on A Moment to Remember? Mohit Suri and his love for copying South Korean movies..."
A still from A Moment To Remember
While some called it a "rip-off", others offered a gentler take. "It's a well-made adaptation even if it is. But I don't think so, this Alzheimer's/disease-ridden love story is a common trope among many love stories, and it works since it provides a direct emotional connect," a user defended.
But for longtime followers of Suri's work, the allegations weren't surprising. In fact, this is just the latest chapter in his long-standing and often uncredited fascination with Korean films.
Mohit Suri, The Unofficial Remake King (Or Not)?
Mohit Suri isn't new to this game. In fact, if Saiyaara has sparked deja vu, his filmography reads like a tribute playlist to South Korean cinema, from gritty thrillers to tragic love stories.
1. Murder 2 (2011)
Inspired by: The Chaser (2008)
The Chaser is a breakneck Korean thriller about a former detective-turned-pimp trying to track down missing girls. Suri's Murder 2 takes that premise and gives it a Bollywood spin with Emraan Hashmi in the lead and a more dramatic romantic subplot woven in.
A still from Murder 2
2. Ek Villain (2014)
Inspired by: I Saw The Devil (2010)
In the Korean original, a man goes to stomach-churning lengths to take down the psychopath who murdered his fiancee. It's violent, brutal and emotionally scarring. Ek Villain, while tamer, takes inspiration from the same core revenge story but softens it with a generous dose of romance, music, and melodrama. The film starred Sidharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor in lead roles.
A still from Ek Villain
3. Awarapan (2007)
Inspired by: A Bittersweet Life (2005)
The Korean original stars Lee Byung-hun as a mob enforcer who rebels against his boss. In Awarapan, Suri adds a tragic romance angle to the brooding gangster narrative, with Emraan Hashmi once again as the tormented anti-hero.
A still from Awarapan
But Are They Really Remakes?
When asked about similarities between his films and Korean originals, Mohit Suri said, "That's just one dialogue that I have taken from the Korean film's promo, just like I have taken another dialogue from the film Jack Reacher. The two stories are not similar, as the characters come from two completely different worlds."
A still from Saiyaara
The director has never officially acknowledged most of the inspirations, often dodging the conversation or downplaying the overlap. But Internet sleuths, especially those well-versed in K-cinema, continue to keep score.
Bollywood's Longstanding K-Film Fixation
Mohit Suri isn't the only Indian filmmaker borrowing from Seoul's storytelling. Bollywood's history with Korean remakes runs deep.
Do Lafzon Ki Kahani (2016) is based on Always (2011), which also inspired the Kannada film Boxer. Te3n (2016) took its cue from the thriller Montage (2013).
Sanjay Gupta's Zinda (2006) was a controversial remake of Park Chan-wook's cult classic Oldboy (2003).
Rocky Handsome (2016), starring John Abraham, remade The Man From Nowhere (2010) with mixed results.
And then there are the unofficial ones, tweaked just enough to dodge legal trouble, but still too close for comfort.
Why Korean Cinema?
South Korean films offer a potent blend of emotional intensity, tight plotting and stylish direction, often tackling themes like trauma, vengeance and moral ambiguity in a way Indian filmmakers find hard to resist.
Kim Mee-Hyun, director of global marketing at the Korean Film Council, once said, "They're able to tackle subjects that are very controversial, they're able to show violence and sex and disturbing scenarios sometimes in a way that's not possible in other parts of Asia, including in India. That has allowed them to push the limits of storytelling, to push the limits of their audiences."
In revenge thrillers especially, Korean filmmakers excel at moral ambiguity, blurring lines between right and wrong, good and evil. Indian remakes tend to sanitise these themes, reworking them for mass appeal.
The Final Verdict
Saiyaara may not be an official remake, but the blueprint is clear enough to reignite the old debate. And this time, the audience seems sharper, louder and more global in its cinema consumption.
Whether it's admiration or appropriation is up for debate. But one thing's certain, Mohit Suri has a type. And it wears a lot of black, cries in the rain and probably speaks fluent Korean.
