Rewriting/Adaptation

While discussing Sholay and Seven Samurai, it is mentioned that the Hindi film is more of an adaptation than a remake of the original. This brings us to the question—what distinguishes an adaptation from a remake/rewrite? Is there any demarcation between the two, especially when it functions within the same language system?

When the original is changed drastically to suit the target language and culture, we may say that it has been adapted. But the various regional versions of the film Manichithrathazhu are remakes/rewrites and not adaptations, because the storyline remains the same and there are closely identical elements with the original. This is of course a highly contentious definition, especially when you take the case of this film. Madhu Muttam, who wrote the story, screenplay and dialogues for the original Malayalam was not given credit for the story in Tamil and Telugu.  P. Vasu, the director of these movies argued that the story had been modified by him and so the credit for original story should come to him. Interestingly the court also stood by Vasu. If we accept this argument, then does that make the tamil film Chandramukhi an adaptation rather than a remake? Perhaps this can be made clearer through the other example we had looked at, which is of Saathiya, a frame-by-frame reproduction of the Tamil original. Although the locale, language, culture and even the actors have changed and the Hindi screenplay is written by Gulzar, it is by no means an adaptation but a remake. If Shaad Ali the director of Saathiya claimed copyright over the Hindi film, would it have been justifiable on the grounds that he had modified it accordingly?

The fuzzy boundaries between translations/rewrites/remakes are further vexed by issues of copyright, especially in money-making industries like cinema. It is interesting to note that in the case of literature, the copyright of the original author is sacrosanct and the translator is secondary, if not invisible. This situation is reversed in the case of cinema – here the author relinquishes his copyright to the producer of the film, while the ‘translator’ or director of the remake does not even have to acknowledge the author.