Prem Keetanu, the Hindi remake of Premalu, is the latest test of Bollywood’s remake habit

Prem Keetanu, a Hindi remake of the 2024 Malayalam romantic comedy Premalu, opened in cinemas on 2 October. Directed by Apoorv Singh Karki, it stars Veer Pahariya as Vishal and Ashiya as Suhani, with Aparshakti Khurana in the cast.

A hard act to follow

Premalu was one of 2024’s surprise hits. It became popular well beyond Kerala, with many viewers outside the state watching it with subtitles in cinemas and on streaming. That makes any remake a risk, since much of its target audience may already have seen the original.

First verdict

Writing in ThePrint, critic Harsh Tiwari argued that the remake adds spectacle and melodrama to a film whose charm came from understated, relatable awkwardness. In his view the result is predictable and overwrought, and it “copies the plot without understanding the texture”.

The bigger question

Bollywood has leaned on South Indian remakes for years, with mixed results. As regional films reach national audiences directly through dubbing and streaming, the case for remaking them gets weaker. Prem Keetanu‘s box office run over the coming week will show whether audiences still want Hindi versions of hits they can already watch.

Sources: ThePrint, Filmibeat release calendar.