Why Emraan Hashmi's remake of Malayalam movie 'Ezra' will become a box-office bomb

Emraan Hashmi, one of the most versatile performers in Bollywood, is now busy shooting his new movie 'Ezra', a remake of the Malayalam movie with the same name. The original version of this horror thriller that starred Prithviraj Sukumaran and Priya Anand in the lead roles was a decent hit at the box-office, and it apparently collected more than Rs 50 crores. However, the film had the potential to earn at least 100 crores from the box-office, as the production values of the movie were much higher than other Mollywood movies that entered the elite century club. But the disappointing climax of Ezra, along with over the board performance of Prithviraj spoiled the show, and thus, it emerged as one of the many horror thrillers that failed to stay in the minds of the audiences for a long time.

Ezra narrates the story of a young couple who faces paranormal experience after they buy an antique shop. Soon, they learn that the box is a dybbuk, and in order to solve the crisis, they seek the help of a Rabbi. The film is based on Jewish demonic concepts and considering its making style, the movie helped Mollywood audiences to escape from cliched ghostly entities that tried to scare the audiences using a white saree and sharp teeth.

However, when it comes to Bollywood, things are different, as several quality horror movies have reached the audiences ranging from 'Raat' to 'Raaz' over the years. Considering the cliched storyline of 'Ezra', the film could have been a blockbuster if it was released in the early years of 2000. But now, the time has changed, and audiences have now access to Hollywood horror thrillers made with perfection; all credit goes to online streaming platforms like Amazon Prime and Netflix.

The upcoming Bollywood version of Ezra is being directed by Jay Krishnan, who also helmed the original. If the director sticks to the same climax sequence, then it will become the most crucial factor that will negatively impact the movie's theatrical run. It should be noted that such hero-turning-villain climaxes have several times appeared on the screens, and it will do no good for the movie. Moreover, the climax sequence demands emotional outbreak of ghost possession from the lead male actor, and Emraan Hashmi may surely find it hard to express those complex emotions on the screen. 

Even though the Malayalam version did not have any intimate scenes between the lead actors, the romantic song 'Lailakame' offers Jay Krishnan a scope to add a liplock scene between Emraan Hashmi and the lead actress in the Bollywood flick.