Ratan Tata was a fan of Hollywood movies ‘The Other Guys’ and ‘The Lone Ranger’; binged on ‘Fauda’ series |

Ratan Tata, the legendary Indian industrialist and former chairman of the Tata Group, passed away on 9th October 2024 at the age of 86 at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai. As the nation and the global business community mourn the loss of one of India’s most iconic personalities, tributes have poured in from various quarters. Bollywood actors, filmmakers, and musicians have expressed their condolences, recalling fond memories of the visionary leader.
One of the lesser-known aspects of Tata’s life was his love for films, particularly action comedies.In a 2020 interview with the BBC, Shantanu Naidu, Tata’s close aide, revealed that the industrialist liked Hollywood action-comedy films. Among his favourites were ‘The Other Guys‘, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and ‘The Lone Ranger‘, which was recently remade in 2013, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer in lead roles.

‘The Lone Ranger’ was originally a Western film released in 1956, adapted from the popular television series starring Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels as his trusted companion, Tonto. It was the first of two films inspired by the series, with the sequel, ‘The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold’, arriving in 1958. In 2013, the story was revived with a modern remake starring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as John Reid, the Lone Ranger. The film reimagined their partnership as they team up to fight against greed and corruption.

In contrast, ‘The Other Guys’ is a 2010 action-comedy featuring Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell as Terry and Allen, two mismatched and disgraced detectives. Tasked with investigating a corrupt businessman, the pair must overcome their differences and rise to the occasion to become the heroes they aspire to be.

Naidu further shared, “A series about experiences in the Israel Defence Force called ‘Fauda‘ is Mr Tata’s favourite Netflix binge.” ‘Fauda’, which chronicles the covert operations of an Israeli Defence Forces unit, held a special place in Tata’s entertainment choices. The show’s intense narrative follows Doron, an Israeli soldier who goes undercover to hunt down a terrorist.

Despite his admiration for Hollywood, Tata had humorous observations about Indian cinema. In a resurfaced interview with Simi Garewal, he humorously critiqued Hindi films for their over-the-top violence, saying, “There is more ketchup spread in Hindi movies than in all the restaurants of Bombay.” He admitted that while his Hindi had improved over the years, he found Hindi films hard to avoid on television.