It’s Friday again and time for another busy weekend, with nine movies lining up to grab the attention of the viewers. And this week, the topic of discussion will be remakes.

Remaking is not new to Tamil cinema and very recently few movies became runaway hits in Kollywood. But this is no normal weekend, and can very well be termed as a remake weekend due to the fact that five movies belong to that variety and interestingly two of them have drawn inspiration from a single movie.

Now, the first movie in the line up is a Hollywood import “Pathfinder,” a brutal action tale about Vikings. The concept is not new to Hollywood and even the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The only saviors are the impressive posters and the camera work which has gained enough attention to get a decent start at the ticket counters. Considering the fact that the movie was a failure in the US it unlikely that it may impress the Chennai audience. Next is the only original Tamil release, “Nenjaithodu,” a film produced by Divine Creations (UK) and DC Entertainment (India). Directed by debutant Rajkannan, a one-time associate of K Bhagyaraj, this film has been in the cans for many months now. New face Gemini pairs up with Lakshmi Rai in this movie. The posters of the film emphasizes on the kissing of the lead pair - a strategy to bring in the front benchers. Let’s see whether Lakshmi Rai is successful drawing the crowd. Next in line is a crossover movie, “Loins of Punjab” (sic), a movie about a television talent show and the politics among the participants. A Shabana Azmi-starrer, wherein she has rendered her voice for all her songs. Thanks to the growing multiplex audience who made the likes of Khosla ka Ghosla, Pyar ke Side Effects and Bheja Fry a big hit, this has paved way for such thoughts to be made into films. A movie which can become a runaway hit as well. Now for the remakes, first we shall see a Hollywood import, Catherine Zeta Jones’s “No Reservation.” This is a remake of a German movie “Bella Martha.” The movie is a romantic comedy set in the backdrop of a restaurant kitchen. Though it did not create a big rage when it was released almost a month ago in the US, chances are that the multiplex audience might just like it. Next is a Bollywood movie which is bound to open big, thanks to its funny trailers and the name tag of one of the most successful directors in recent times, Priyadarshan. As usual, Priyadarshan remakes a Malayalam movie “In Harihar Nagar.” Tusshar Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Rajpal Yadav and Kunal Khemu join hands with Priyan this time around and the female lead is played by Tanushree Dutta. The movie is expected to revive the ongoing slump in the Bollywood market. Now about the two Kollywood entries which is inspired from the same movie. Dr. Rajashekar’s home production “Udambu Yeppadi Irukku” and Sarathkumar’s “Nam Naadu” - both drawing inspiration from a Malayalam movie “Lion.” Dr. Rajashekar has already tasted success with its Telugu version. The movie is said to have revived his sagging career and he is hopeful of winning back the attention of his Tamil fans too. Hope the angry doctor is successful in doing that. Next is another angry man who just stepped into the world of politics, Mr. Sarath Kumar. He is also facing severe hardships as his recent films hardly made an impact and is pinning all hopes on this political thriller “Nam Naadu.” The movie is directed by Suresh. Hope Sarath Kumar’s onscreen politics does help his off-screen efforts too. Next in line is the biggie, the blockbuster “Bourne Ultimatum.” The movie is the action threequel of the famous Bourne franchisee. It was not just a hit in the US but it grossed more than its two prequels and is on its way to become the top grossing spy action movie, even bettering the Mission Impossible movies. This summer witnessed a series of threequels but this is considered the only one in the lot which satisfied the hype. This could have easily been named the pick of the week but Bourne movies aren’t that famous in India, so we go to the last movie on the list.

Behindwoods pick of the week is SIVI This may come as a surprise to many, maybe even to me. I may be a little partial over here but I really want this movie to hit the marquee. It is a remake of a Thai movie “Shutter,” a horror film which is my personal favorite, and also for the fact that the music by Dharan is one of the most happening soundtrack around. Yogi and Jayashree Rao are the lead pair in this terror infusing movie and the movie is directed by a new entrant K R Senthil Nathan. The early reviews of the movie have been very positive and I really hope that the movie does find its audience and revive the horror genre in Kollywood. Remember the movie is not for the faint hearted. Verdict – Remake or the Threequel?