In a surprising twist to Indian cinema's remake culture, new revelations have emerged about the true origins of the hit film 'Thuppakki' and its Hindi counterpart 'Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty'. Contrary to popular belief, the Akshay Kumar starrer was actually conceived years before the Tamil blockbuster hit screens.
The Untold Production Timeline
Vipul A Shah, the producer behind 'Holiday', recently disclosed fascinating details about the film's development history. In a 2014 interview with Hindustan Times, Shah revealed that director AR Murugadoss had initially approached him with the story concept back in 2010 - two full years before 'Thuppakki' eventually released in Tamil cinema.
The Hindi version was actually the primary project from the beginning, with Shah immediately recognizing the story's potential to strengthen his creative partnership with Akshay Kumar. When presented with the script, Kumar enthusiastically embraced the concept, setting the stage for what should have been the original production.
When Plans Changed Direction
Despite the clear roadmap for 'Holiday' to lead the way, production realities forced an unexpected change in strategy. Shah confirmed that due to scheduling conflicts and time constraints, the Hindi version faced delays that ultimately pushed back its production timeline.
In an astonishing revelation, Shah shared that the 'Holiday' team had already commenced shooting schedules before 'Thuppakki' even hit theaters in 2012. This confirms that both projects were developing simultaneously, with the Tamil version unexpectedly crossing the finish line first due to the Hindi production's logistical challenges.
Star-Studded Cast Across Languages
The film featured impressive ensemble casts in both its iterations. The Tamil original 'Thuppakki' starred Vijay and Kajal Aggarwal in lead roles, supported by Sathyan, Vidyut Jammwal, Jayaram, Manobala and Zakir Hussain in significant supporting characters.
Meanwhile, the Hindi adaptation 'Holiday' featured Akshay Kumar as the army officer protagonist alongside Sonakshi Sinha as his leading lady. The supporting cast included Freddy Daruwala, Sumeet Raghavan, and a special appearance by Govinda that added extra star power to the Bollywood version.
Broader Impact on Indian Cinema
This revelation sheds new light on the complex dynamics of inter-language film adaptations in India. While audiences typically assume that southern language films get remade in Hindi after proving successful, the 'Thuppakki-Holiday' case demonstrates that creative flows can move in multiple directions simultaneously.
The success of both versions - with 'Thuppakki' becoming a Tamil blockbuster in 2012 and 'Holiday' achieving commercial success in 2014 - proves that strong storytelling transcends language barriers and production timelines.
Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar continues to maintain his diverse filmography, recently appearing in 'Jolly LLB 2' with Arshad Warsi and preparing for his upcoming project 'Haiwaan' with Saif Ali Khan, directed by Priyadarshan and inspired by the 2016 Malayalam hit 'Oppam'.
