The Worst Jaws Bollywood Remake You've Never Heard Of & Where To Watch It

It's no secret that Bollywood has a creative borrowing problem. Or, at least, it used to. The Hindi-language corner of the Indian film industry has always taken inspiration from foreign projects, repurposing narratives, themes, and set pieces for their very own productions. This practice has relatively died down recently, thanks in part to Hollywood studios setting up shop in India and authorizing official remakes.

If you look deep enough, chances are that your favorite films have received the Bollywood remake treatment. There's even a possibility that you'll find the Bollywood remake even more intriguing than the original. 1993's "Baazigar" is a remake of the Matt Dillon-starring "Kiss Before Dying," and is widely considered to be superior to the English original. Or consider the 2007 "Partner," which elevates the stuck-in-the-motions 2005 rom-com "Hitch" into a genuine meditation on love and how opposites attract.

Of course, these films are the exception and not the rule, as there have been several poor Bollywood remakes that miss the mark, resulting in a cringe-worthy final product. Due to cultural and genre-specific differences, it can be difficult to directly adapt certain ideas and themes. The anxieties, fears, and problems that Americans face are vastly different than what the average Indian faces. No matter how hard writers try to adapt ideas for local markets, sometimes they just don't land.

A perfect example of a Bollywood remake that's widely considered to be poor is "Aatank," a remake of Steven Spielberg's classic "Jaws." While the film is littered with A-listers and Bollywood royalty, the remake of the shark thriller was plagued with production issues and fails to live up to the originality and terror of the original flick. Luckily, audiences can watch the Bollywood remake of "Jaws" and assess it for themselves.

For Bollywood fans, "Aatank" is a true anomaly. The "Jaws" remake is filled to the brim with Indian cinema icons like Dharmendra, his real-life wife Hema Malini, and Amjad Khan, who is widely recognized as Indian cinema's most mesmerizing villain actors. The secondary cast is nothing to scoff at either, with the comedic Kader Khan and the elusive Ranjeet populating supporting roles. The problem is that the film botches its A-list cast with a boring, repetitive narrative that doesn't particularly take advantage of its source material. 

"Aatank," which translates to "Dread," just barely borrows from "Jaws" to classify itself as a remake. The film follows a small fishing village in rural India, where Jesu (Dharmendra) and Peter (Vinod Mehra) are best friends. Both come from drastically different families but are in tune with one another, operating more like brothers than friends. Their little village is ruled by Amjad Khan's Alphonso, a nefarious kingpin who has a monopoly over the area. A majority of the film is occupied with Jesu and Peter trying to stop the evil Alphonso — a pretty typical plot for a Bollywood thriller at the time. Classics like the 1975  "Sholay" or 1979's "Mr. Natwarlal" all follow a similar narrative where an average individual takes back a city or area from a gangster. 

The issue is that "Aatank" is far more concerned with following this Bollywood trope than succeeding as a "Jaws" remake. In the film, the characters are forced to deal with a flesh-hungry shark after a series of convoluted events. "Aatank" isn't about a village stopping a shark — it's about a village that just so happens to be plagued by a shark. 

Thanks to Shemaroo Entertainment, the Bollywood "Jaws" remake is available to stream for free on YouTube. Yes, there's English subtitles. 

When one imagines a remake of "Jaws," it's already assumed that it'll try to replicate the thrills and sheer terror of the shark. After all, the Steven Spielberg classic is particularly interested in capturing the dread and fear that comes with shark-infested waters. Spielberg makes it a point to hide the shark to let the imagination run wild, forcing viewers to come up with their own deadly interpretation of what the animal could do them. And while there are various subplots in "Jaws," the film is ostensibly about the town wanting to eliminate the shark. 

In "Aatank," the real villain is Amjad Khan's Alphonso, not the shark. Audiences who watch the Bollywood remake won't see the water-dwelling creature for a decent portion of the film. And while there is dread amongst the villagers, the fear of Alphonso is far more apparent than that of the shark's. "Aatank" is essentially a run-of-the-mill Bollywood thriller that just so happens to have a "Jaws"-like subplot thrown in. In a way, it's quite fascinating how the creatives behind the film decided to go in this distinctive direction when the coastal village narrative is already compelling enough, at least for audiences at the time. It's a sentimental project, one that's thankfully filled with genuinely great songs and dance sequences. 

What particularly makes "Aatank" a misfire is how the film was played with production issues. The Indian "Jaws" remake began to roll cameras in the '80s, though it didn't receive a theatrical release until 1996 — years after the lustre of its lead stars had faded. A decent portion of the film is dubbed with voice actors, making this haphazardly put together production. Nevertheless, the Bollywood "Jaws" remake is an interesting insight into how Indian cinema is consistently creating chatter-worthy films, whether good or bad.