Joseph Kosinski’s new racing film, F1, opened in cinemas worldwide on  June 27  and is already proving a major hit with both audiences and critics. Backed by the Formula One Championship organisation, the film has earned an impressive USD 153.3 million to date, although its budget is substantial, hovering around USD 300 million. ‘F1’ Movie Review: If Speed Thrills, Then Brad Pitt-Joseph Kosinski’s Racing Drama Is Quite the Winner!

In India, F1 is also enjoying brisk box‑office business, and prompting some quirky comparisons. A number of viewers have likened it to Ta Ra Rum Pum, the 2007 racing drama directed by Siddharth Anand and starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji. While some online voices suggest F1 has borrowed from the Hindi film, others insist Anand’s movie is far superior to the Hollywood release, which features Brad Pitt in the lead.

'Peak Brainrot'

The chatter has become so intense that Siddharth Anand himself has posted on social media, amused that his film is receiving renewed attention 18 years on.

So, is F1 really a remake of Ta Ra Rum Pum? Let’s compare the plots.

Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007)

Ta Ra Rum Pum was Siddharth Anand’s second film as director after his hit debut Salaam Namaste. Reuniting with Saif Ali Khan and Yash Raj Films, Anand opted for a family entertainer framed by the thrills of stock‑car racing.

Saif Ali Khan plays Rajveer “RV”, a champion driver happily married with two children. RV’s winning streak ends when a rival’s dirty tactics cause a serious crash. Although he recovers physically, the trauma leaves him unable to compete. Financial hardship follows as RV and his wife take odd jobs to keep the household afloat. Ultimately, with renewed determination and family support, he returns to the track, conquers his fears and wins the climactic race - while his rival meets the fate that once befell him. Ta Ra Rum Pum: Rani Mukerji Says Playing Mother in Saif Ali Khan Starrer Brought Out Her Maternal Instincts.

Watch the Trailer of 'Ta Ra Rum Pum':

Although the movie got decent reviews when it came out in theatres in 2007, Ta Ra Rum Pum was a commercial disappointment at the box office. You can watch the movie online on Prime Video.

F1 (2025)

Brad Pitt portrays Sonny Hayes, a former Formula One driver still haunted by a crash early in his career. Although reluctant to return to the premier circuit, he continues racing in lower‑tier events as a racer-for-hire, though his personal life is in doldrums and he is living in a van. Years later, an old friend persuades him to join a struggling F1 team teetering on bankruptcy.

Watch the Trailer of 'F1':

Replacing one of the team’s two drivers, Sonny is tasked with mentoring an up‑and‑coming talent, Joshua. His maverick attitude ruffles feathers - especially Joshua’s - and the spectre of his past crash still looms. Over time, the pair reconcile, and in the season‑ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, they work together brilliantly. Spoiler alert: In a dramatic finale, Joshua deliberately collides with Lewis Hamilton’s car, giving Sonny his one and only shot at a world title - and he takes it.

Fact Check: Not a Remake

Beyond a shared racing backdrop and the familiar sports‑film arc of a comeback after trauma, the two stories diverge. RV of Ta Ra Rum Pum quits racing entirely and battles to rebuild his family’s life, while Sonny never fully leaves the track and focuses on reviving a failing team and mentoring a younger driver. Such 'rise‑and‑rise‑again' narratives are staples of sports cinema rather than evidence of direct copying.

It is also worth remembering that, on release, Ta Ra Rum Pum itself drew comparisons with Hollywood titles such as Tom Cruise's Days of Thunder and Will Ferrell's Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Indeed, Anand’s film hews closely to Talladega Nights, albeit with more emotion and less outright comedy.

'Talladega Nights' Crash Scene

As for whether Ta Ra Rum Pum is the better film, that remains a matter of personal taste and, perhaps, a touch of nostalgia. Also, F1 doesn't have a banger of a song like "Hey Shona".

Fact check

Fact Check: Has Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Copied Siddharth Anand’s ‘Ta Ra Rum Pum’? Here’s the Truth Behind the Viral Comparison!
Claim :

F1 is a remake of Ta Ra Rum Pum

Conclusion :

F1 is not a remake of Ta Ra Rum Pum

Full of Trash
Clean

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 02, 2025 07:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).