Bollywood, a word enough to remind you of those grandeur sets and energetically charming dances, is often known to derive inspiration from multiple sources. One such film, which will never be forgotten by history would be Om Shanti Om. Paranormal, romance, comedy, drama, masala, the film encompasses them all. Commonly known to be derived from films such as Karz and Madhumati, the film explores the theme of reincarnation and revenge. But did you know that there’s one unlikely connection of Om Shanti Om with Hollywood and Broadway? That’s right, there are eerie parallels between Om Shanti Om and The Phantom of the Opera: Yeah, that musical by Andrew Llyod Webber!
Obvious SPOILERS for the two films, so grab some popcorn and watch em’ before we explore the similarities between Om Shanti Om and The Phantom of the Opera:
Om Shanti Om and Phantom of the Opera, both portray A Twisted Love Triangle: The Phantom and The Ghost, including two dark rivals…
The plots for both films revolve around very twisted love triangles. Om Shanti Om explores the themes of rebirth and even portrays the ghost of Shanti Priya, who’s a part of the love triangle composed of Om, Shanti and Mike (Shanti’s husband); Whereas The Phantom of the Opera revolves around Raoul, his fiancée Christine and Erik, the disfigured ‘phantom’ who lives beneath the Palais Garnier and whom Christine considers her ‘Angel of Music’.
Om Shanti Om and Phantom of the Opera: They got the same production design for Palais Garnier and RC Studios.
Now come on Bollywood, this one’s a blatant ripoff at this point! 😭 Literally the same set design but beautiful, nevertheless!
The Belle Époque Themes annnndd the The Masquerade Party!
The Phantom of the Opera is obviously set in the Belle Époque era while the Bollywood ‘counterpart’ shares similar aesthetics, especially for the finale song.
Moreover, if you take a closer look at the masks worn by the background dancers, you can’t help but note the similarities with the phantom’s mask!
Similar costume design and concept, for the final arc!
If anything, this reinforces the point about similar aesthetics. I mean, are we gonna pretend that these are different costumes!? But whatever, the medieval frill shirts sure go hard, especially for the finale in both films (not to mention it’s culturally apt for the Phantom of the Opera)! And do you remember how both the lovers of the love triangle face off each other in the end, and the female leads wonderfully take charge of the situation? Ahem, let’s pretend we did not notice that similarity.
The Final Nail in the Coffin: Fall of the iconic chandelier!
The fall of those chandeliers is one of the major climactic moments shared across both films. In Om Shanti Om, the ghost of Shanti Priya uses it to kill her former husband and abusive partner, Mike, whereas in the Phantom of the Opera, Erik (the titular character) uses it as a distraction to elope with Christine, when she pulls off his mask, revealing his disfigured face.
Last but not least: THEY BOTH GOT A COMMENDABLE SOUNDTRACK!
Okay, this is a similarity that absolutely stands out, but albeit in a different way: both movies are known to be musicals and for their melodious chansons (that’s French for songs, learn it!). Different musical styles, yet gentle to your ears. Om Shanti Om pays homage to Bollywood music across different eras while being completely original with their soundtracks. Wanna chill with some Om Shanti Om playlist to experience the magic yourself? Here you go:
However, Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer of The Phantom of the Opera musicals and the movie, has faced a fair share of those plagiarism allegations, especially for the title track of the musical/film. The signature part of the title track was plagiarised from Echoes by Pink Floyd and Till You by Ray Repp. Pink Floyd decided not to pursue the legal route, while Ray Repp filed a lawsuit against Webber that lasted for nearly a decade. Ultimately, the jury ruled in Webber’s favour in 1998, since he was able to demonstrate that he composed the song for Sarah Brightman, his then-wife. He further stated that the piece was inspired by his own previous works and some compositions in the public domain.
Listen to the comparison here:
Regardless, you can’t deny how amazing the soundtrack for the film is:
Overall, Om Shanti Om serves as a homage to those reincarnation movies, especially from Bollywood, and those timeless songs, which refuse to go out of style, all while borrowing some aesthetics inspired by The Phantom of the Opera. The Bollywood musical definitely stands out as its own thing. Meanwhile, if you wanna watch a bold experimental Indian film with some ‘video game-y’ music and Bulgarian choir in its soundtrack, don’t forget to click here and check out Tumbbad.
