BOOKED FOR LIFE

As Vishal Bhardwaj helms a web show based on Midnight’s Children, we look at how literary world has swarmed the film and web universe

Remember films such as Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Devdas (several versions), Guide, Omkara, 3 Idiots and Raazi? Well, they are some of the most iconic Hindi films but there’s another element between them: all of them are movie adaptations of various bestsellers. While books would inspire a number of film-makers until the ’50s and ’60s, their interest levels dried up subsequently in the ’80s and ’90s. But now, filmmakers are clearly turning over a new leaf (quite literally), which experts attribute to “burgeoning storyplatforms” telling and “need or new, unique content”.

HE STARTING OINT

the latest instance, m-maker Vishal hardwaj is set to be the howrunner for idnight’s Children ased on Salman shdie’s 1981 Booker ze winning novel), ich will stream on an TT platform. The filmmaker, who has worked on a trilogy of films based on William Shakespeare’s tragedies, Maqbool (Macbeth), Omkara (Othello) and Haider (Hamlet), is also set to work on a trilogy based on Shakespearean comedies, with the first film being Chaudhvin Ki Raat, based on Twelfth Night. Bhardwaj admits the “dramatic writing and characterisation” attracts him towards Shakespeare. “What do we look for in the script? That the drama should be unique, it should be relatable. Look at the way Shakespeare plays with the psyche of human beings. That’s why his writing is relevant even after 450 years, and copyright is also not an issue (laughs),” he says. Also, Vikramaditya Motwane is working on an adaptation of the Marvel legend Stan Lee’s first Indian superhero character — Chakra the Invincible. Film-maker Neeraj Pandey is also set to turn his debut novel, Ghalib Danger, into a film or web series. “Yes, because I won’t be able to tell the story in one film, and making a threepart movie will be a bit too much. So, the logical thing is a two-part series, and even the structure is conducive for that as it’s about two generations of gangsters. Or, there can be a web series, wherein I can unravel the story at my pace. But I am yet to take a call,” says Pandey.

Plus, Junglee Pictures will debut in the digital space with a web series — an adaptation of Arnab Ray’s pulp-noir thriller, The Mahabharata Murders. Aamir Khan is also believed to be readying for a seven-part web series on Mahabharata in which he is likely to play Lord Krishna.

TRICKY PART

Also, in the pipeline is the Jacqueline Fernandez-starrer Ribhu Dasgupta’s official adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ 2015 novel, The Girl on The Train, and the Sushant Singh Rajput-starrer Kizie Aur Manny adapted from John Greene’s The Fault in Our Stars, among others. Sonam K Ahuja, who is working on a film adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s The Zoya Factor, will soon start work on Battle for Bittora. “I just love books. Sometimes, they have more stories to tell than people. It (book adaptations) used to happen [a lot] in the ’60s and ’70s,” says the actor, who also has the rights of Krishna Udayasankar’s Govinda. While authors/writers feel it’s “tricky” to adapt a book and “nervewracking” as well, experts feel it’s the dawn of great times ahead. “Now, viewers have access to quality content across platforms — web and films, so it’s great that makers are looking at our rich literary world for inspiration. At the end of the day, the idea is to bring in fresh tales. It will only broaden their horizon. In fact, that has been the trend in the West for many years now,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

PHOTO: IANS Aamir Khan is likely to be seen as Krishna in Mahabharata

Jacqueline Fernandez will be seen in an official adaptation of The Girl on the Train

Neeraj Pandey to adapt his book, Ghalib Danger(below); and Vishal Bhardwaj (above)