On the ‘write’ track!
What’s common to Parineeta (1953), Devdas (1955), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Guide (1965), Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), Junoon (1992), Maqbool (2003) and Bareilly Ki Barfi (BKB; 2017)? Well, they are all successful Hindi films. But what’s most interesting is that all the movies are based on various literary works.
RICH HISTORY
Right from the ’40s and the ’50s, Hindi film-makers have turned towards literature for inspiration, but now, after a lull of sorts, the number of Bollywood films taking inspiration from literary works, seems to be on an upswing again. Last year’s two films – BKB and Half Girlfriend – were based on a French book, The Ingredients of Love and Chetan Bhagat’s novel of the same name respectively.
But in 2018, what started as a stream is likely to turn into a barrage. While Alia Bhatt-starrer Raazi is based on Harinder S Sikka’s novel, Calling Sehmat, Vishal Bhardwaj’s next starring Deepika Padukone and Irrfan is based on one of the chapters from S Hussain Zaidi’s bestseller, Mafia Queens Of Mumbai. Rani Mukerji-starrer Hichki is also based on Brad Cohen’s autobiography, Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had. “Since our country has had a history of extremely rich literature, we should pick them up more regularly for inspirations and adaptations. Literary pieces will always bring different kinds of characters and people on life, which is fascinating to watch on the big screen,” says analyst Taran Adarsh.
GREAT IDEA
In the coming days, Bhardwaj is also going to adapt The Exile: The Stunning Inside Story of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda in Flight as a film titled Abbottabad, while Sonam Kapoor has acquired the rights of author Krishna Udayasankar’s bestseller series, The Aryavarta Chronicles. Also, the Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Thugs of Hindostan is believed to be based on Philip Meadows Taylor’s 1839 novel, Confessions of a Thug.
Experts as well as filmmakers feel it’s a “great idea” to take inspiration from literature. Trade expert Amod Mehra feels one of the reasons why film-makers are turning towards literature is because not “many writers and good original stories are available nowadays”. He adds: “What do you do then? You look for other avenues uch as literature for nspiration.” Probably that’s why the list ontinues. Nitesh Tiwari working on n adaptation f Varun garwal’s How I Braved nu Aunty And o-founded A Million Dollar Company, Sriram Raghavan is believed to be working on Vikas Swarup’s The Accidental Apprentice, and Randeep Hooda will star in the screen adaptation of Sujit Saraf’s 2009 novel, The Confession of Sultana Daku.
STAY HONEST
Ashutosh Gowariker is also working on a film version of Vikram Sampath’s My Name Is Gauhar Jaan and Anurag Kashyap-Vikas Bahl’s production firm has acquired the rights of Krishna Udayasankar’s Immortal. Also, producers Ronnie Screwvala and Ashi Dua are set to back an adaptation of author Karan Bajaj’s 2010 novel, Johnny Gone Down. Adarsh feels a film-maker needs to be “extremely faithful to what you are depicting on the screen”. “But when you pick up a literary piece, it will always find identification with people at large since such stories depict our culture, people and world,” he says. At the same time, filmmakers feel it’s challenging” to turn a book into a film. “Writers pen a book in detail. And unlike films, there may not be many plot points or ‘turning points’ in books. But in a film, all the cinematic elements have to be weaved in,” says BKB director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari. Half Girlfriend director Mohit Suri concurs: “The first challenge is how you turn the entire book into a two-hour film. So, a lot has to be edited but you have to still keep all the important points intact.”