Reversal of Roles As Hollywood Remakes Bollywood Hit

After decades of borrowing from western movie scripts, Bollywood is poised to have one of its biggest films remade in Hollywood. Munnabhai MBBS, starring Sanjay Dutt, a hit about a gangster who pretends to be a doctor whenever his parents turn up, is to be shot as Gangster MD starring Chris Tucker, who is best known as the wise-cracking cop in the Rush Hour movies.

The Bollywood film is one of the surprise success stories of the last few years. It tells of a mobster'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, a hospital superintendent.

The decision marks a turning point for Bollywood, which has specialised in Hollywood "copycatting" scripts. In many cases there is little but language, actors and production values to separate America's films from their Indian imitations.

The director of Gangster MD, Mira Nair, whose films include Monsoon Wedding, told the the Mumbai Mirror newspaper that she may cast some actors from the Bollywood original, and is on the lookout for Indian stars.