London. Bollywood has a fine tradition of remaking Hollywood hits, but the tables are turned now and an Indian comedy, Munnabhai MBBS, is set to be remade in the United States.
Munnabhai, MBBS, starring Sanjay Dutt, a flick about a gangster who pretends to be a doctor whenever his parents turn up, will be shot as Gangster MD. It will be directed by Mira Nair, best known for Monsoon Wedding in 2001.Nair said Chris Tucker, the Hollywood action star who came to focus as the wise-cracking cop in Rush Hour movies, would play the lead in Gangster MD.
Filming is expected to begin after Tucker finishes shooting Rush Hour 3 with Jackie Chan in Paris this summer.
Munnabhai MBBS is one of Bollywood's success stories. It tells of a gangster's decision to redeem himself by trying to become a doctor - which he hopes will also prove himself to the woman he loves and her father, superintendent and principal of a medical college and hospital.
Nair said she might cast some actors from the Bollywood original and is on the lookout for Indian stars.
