The Worst Jaws Bollywood Remake You've Never Heard Of & Where To Watch It

For Bollywood fans, "Aatank" is a true anomaly. The "Jaws" remake is filled to the brim with Indian cinema icons like Dharmendra, his real-life wife Hema Malini, and Amjad Khan, who is widely recognized as Indian cinema's most mesmerizing villain actors. The secondary cast is nothing to scoff at either, with the comedic Kader Khan and the elusive Ranjeet populating supporting roles. The problem is that the film botches its A-list cast with a boring, repetitive narrative that doesn't particularly take advantage of its source material. 

"Aatank," which translates to "Dread," just barely borrows from "Jaws" to classify itself as a remake. The film follows a small fishing village in rural India, where Jesu (Dharmendra) and Peter (Vinod Mehra) are best friends. Both come from drastically different families but are in tune with one another, operating more like brothers than friends. Their little village is ruled by Amjad Khan's Alphonso, a nefarious kingpin who has a monopoly over the area. A majority of the film is occupied with Jesu and Peter trying to stop the evil Alphonso — a pretty typical plot for a Bollywood thriller at the time. Classics like the 1975  "Sholay" or 1979's "Mr. Natwarlal" all follow a similar narrative where an average individual takes back a city or area from a gangster. 

The issue is that "Aatank" is far more concerned with following this Bollywood trope than succeeding as a "Jaws" remake. In the film, the characters are forced to deal with a flesh-hungry shark after a series of convoluted events. "Aatank" isn't about a village stopping a shark — it's about a village that just so happens to be plagued by a shark. 

Thanks to Shemaroo Entertainment, the Bollywood "Jaws" remake is available to stream for free on YouTube. Yes, there's English subtitles.