The practice of borrowing from international films has long been a familiar route for Indian filmmakers. But few directors in Hindi cinema have built a consistent career out of doing that, and still connected deeply with mainstream audiences. Remakes by Mohit Suri are a prime example of this phenomenon.

Most of Mohit Suri’s major works have been unofficial remakes. That’s no secret. But what’s interesting is how openly his films engage with their source material. He doesn’t pretend they’re original ideas.

Instead, he takes something familiar and imagines what it would feel like in India, in Hindi, with our characters, our emotions, and our cultural textures.

Whether it was the gritty suspense of Murder 2 (2011), the passionate despair of Aashiqui 2, or the simmering tension in Ek Villain (2014), Mohit Suri’s films have always carried strong echoes of Korean or Hollywood cinema. And yet, they feel unmistakably local.

His debut Zeher (2005) may remind us of Out of Time (2003), but its setting, performances, and emotional beats are drawn from a world Indian audiences recognise.

The same goes for Awarapan (2007) and Ek Villain, which borrow heavily from A Bittersweet Life (2005) and I Saw the Devil (2010), but place their characters in a moral universe we understand. Even Murder 2, which was clearly influenced by The Chaser (2008), brought in a kind of psychological intensity that made it more than just a thriller.

It explored loneliness, moral grey zones, and trauma in a way that felt rooted. He doesn’t just lift stories. He reshapes them for an Indian milieu.

With Saiyaara, an unofficial remake of the Korean film A Moment to Remember (2004), Mohit Suri continues this pattern, and it’s no different.

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But the film focuses on what Suri does best—tapping into deep feelings of loss, memory, and connection, while wrapping it in a cinematic style that appeals to Indian tastes.

However, not all of his films have clicked at the box office. Films like Awarapan (2007), Crook (2010), Hamari Adhuri Kahani (2015), and Ek Villain Returns (2022) failed to leave a mark. But Suri knows his audience.

He understands how to hold their attention with high emotional stakes, strong music, and characters who struggle with real human dilemmas.

His stories are often about broken people trying to find meaning, redemption, or love.

Another reason Suri’s films work so well is his use of music. The soundtracks of his films have become emotional anchors.

In many ways, they carry the weight of the story more than the dialogues do. The songs don’t just fill space. They add emotional texture.

They allow the audience to feel what the characters are unable to say. Even the most successful film of his career, Saiyaara, continues this tradition.

Yes, Mohit Suri has a formula, and most of his stories are borrowed. But there’s a reason they still find an audience. He has a clear sense of tone, emotion, and structure.

He knows how to make heartbreak look cinematic. His films are not about plot twists. They’re about emotional payoff, and that’s what keeps audiences coming back.

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