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Licensed remakes often flounder. Unofficial tributes do well. A director who got it right shares the secrets to a fitting homage

- Karishma Kuenzang

Never heard of Hello Friends? Let's ruin your day, shall we? The unofficial Hindi remake of Friends aired on Zee TV in 1999. It was terrible. The cast of six included Cyrus Broacha (playing Cyrus, modelled on Chandler), Simone Singh (as a Monicatype Sanjana) and Nikhil Chinapa (a Ross-inspired Vikram). The same jokes are delivered badly. There's no comic timing. The series, 26 episodes, is rated 1/10 on IMDB.

Recreating any show, as an official remake or an unlicensed lift, is tricky. The 2000s Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty, la Fea struck gold with an American version, Ugly Betty, later in the decade. But it was the Indian adaptation, Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, that had the nation hooked from 2003-2006. Don't remember Karishma Ka Karishma (2003-2004), lifted directly from the '80s kids' show Small Wonder? Good. We're trying to forget too.