Stallone fans brace themselves as Rambo goes to Bollywood

Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo
Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo

Of all the Hollywood movies least likely to be remade into a Bollywood song and dance extravaganza, violent action thriller Rambo would be among them.

News that the 1980s classic is to be adapted into a Bollywood blockbuster has prompted an incredulous response from fans of the original, and a somewhat startled reaction from Rambo star, Sylvester Stallone, himself.

“I read recently they are remaking Rambo in India!!...Great character…hope they don’t wreck it,” he wrote on his Instagram account, next to a movie still of a fierce-looking John Rambo, the troubled Vietnam War veteran who the franchise is based on.

Tiger Shroff, the 27-year-old Indian action hero who will star in the Hindi revamp of Rambo
Tiger Shroff, the 27-year-old Indian action hero who will star in the Hindi revamp of Rambo

In a later post, he clarified that “some people like to read my words and twist them”, wishing Tiger Shroff, the 27-year-old Indian action hero who will star in the Hindi revamp, good luck.

“Eye of the Tiger! I am sure you will put all of your heart and soul into it..Never give up young man!” he added, next to a topless shot of Shroff in his Rambo persona.

Breathless with excitement, Shroff responded: “There will always and only be ONE “eye of the tiger” for us cubs you rule the jungle! Thank you so much sir!”

Fans, particularly Indians, among Stallone’s 3.3million Instagram followers, have been a touch more cynical.  

“Low budget 3rd class acting and dramatic emotional scenes for no reasons,” lamented one Indian fan.

“Trust me sir they will make your movie cartoon I am an Indian and I know our directors it will be hell of a wreck,” said another.

“Dance numbers and a happy ending what can go wrong?” asked an Instagram user.

Tiger Shroff to star inthe 2018 Bollywood remake of Ramb
Tiger Shroff will  star inthe 2018 Bollywood remake of Rambo

The Rambo franchise, a film series based on the David Morrell novel First Blood, first hit the big screen in 1982 and took over $125 million globally at the box office.

The Hindi remake was announced at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival last week, and will be directed by Siddharth Anand, who belongs to one of Bollywood’s many dynasties.

According to the Hindustan Times, the film will portray the last surviving member of an elite covert unit of the Indian armed forces who returns home to discover a war waging in his own land and how he “unleashes mayhem by becoming an unstoppable machine after tough training.”

Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo
Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo

Bollywood has faced criticism in the past for its perceived rip-off of Hollywood film plots.

But Rahul Puri, managing director at Mukta Arts Ltd, one of India’s leading production houses, told The Telegraph that official remakes were currently big business in the Indian film capital, Mumbai, and that a movie like Rambo could do very well.

“Bollywood films have never really had an issue with violence, and revenge is a theme that plays well in our films too,” he said.

“If made with some interesting Indian nuances, it could be a big hit. The star of the film, Tiger Shroff, is a rising action-oriented hero, and his audience will be excited with this announcement.”

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