Real life events, plays, etc serve as inspiration for a large number of writers. However, it is literature that is the most preferable to the scriptwriters and film-studios for movie-making. While reading a book may take several hours, a movie can represent that story in/around just two hours. Though, in this process, a significant part is often modified or out-rightly omitted.

Historically, Bollywood has been charmed by compelling stories found in Indian as well as foreign literature, and these adaptations provide the audience a fascinating book-to-movie experience. From tragic love stories to thought-provoking dramas and thrilling suspense, Bollywood has provided an array of notable films based on books. Here, we have presented a list of such movies:-

Best Indian Films Adapted From Books:

Tere Mere Sapne

Director: Vijay Anand

Cast: Dev Anand, Mumtaz, Mahesh Kaul

Year: 1971

This movie is based on ‘The Citadel’ written by A. J. Cronin. In ‘The Citadel’, Andrew Manson, an idealistic Scottish doctor, travels to the countryside to assist other medical professionals. After encountering a number of difficulties in the South Wales valleys, he realizes that only money can solve all the issues. Though the settings and events,the climax are slightly different, but the plot remains essentially the same and maintains a good standard just as the source material.

Devdas

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Maduri Dixit

Year: 2002

“Devdas,” is a timeless tale of love and heartbreak written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, it has been one of the most adapted books in Indian Cinema. However, the most notable among these is Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’ starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit in the key roles. This movie beautifully presents the tragic story of Devdas and his ill-fated love for Paro. With lavish sets, touching background music, and fantastic performances b the cast, “Devdas” remains a all-time blockbuster of Bollywood.

Maqbool

Director: Vishal Bharadwaj

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapoor, Piyush Mishra

Year: 2004

Filled with ambition, greed and deceit, the transformation of a dark tragedy like Macbeth into a Mumbai Gangster story is perhaps as captivating as the play is. Stellar performances by the cast, excellent narrative, and enchanting cinematography make “Maqbool” one of the best Indian films adapted from books.

Omkara

Director: Vishal Bharadwaj

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Ajay Devgn and Kareena Kapoor Khan

Year: 2006

William Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ is set in 17th century’s Venice, ‘Omkara’ is set in a traditional Indian village in the early 21st century. Despite the year and cultural differences in the setting, Vishal Bharadwaj has properly adapted the Shakespearean story to an Indian context while maintaining its plot and elegance. The characters are also very relatable, such as Othello becomes Omkara, Cassio becomes Ishwar, here Desdemona is Dolly, and so on.

Ek Thi Daayan

Director: Kannan Iyer

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Huma Qureshi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kalki Koechlin

Year: 2013

‘Ek Thi Daayan’ is a supernatural suspense thriller based on a short story ‘Mobius Trips’ written by Mukul Sharma. The movie delves into the theme of mystery and witchcraft. With its captivating storytelling, eerie visuals, and stellar performances by the cast, ‘Ek Thi Daayan’ keeps the audience hooked till the climax.

Lootera

Director: Vikramaditya Motwane

Cast: Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha

Year: 2013

Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, ‘Lootera’ features Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead roles. ‘Lootera’ is relatively less famous but worth watching by every movie enthusiasts. The story of the film is set against the backdrop of the Zamindari Abolition Act of the 1950s. It follows the tragic love-story between a charming conman posing as an archaeologist and the daughter of a Bengali landlord. This movie is inspired by a short story ‘The Last Leaf'(1907) written by O. Henry.

Haidar

Director: Vishal Bharadwaj

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Kay Kay Menon, Tabu

Year: 2014

‘Haider’ is inspired by ‘Hamlet’ wriiten by William Shakespeare. Here, Director Vishal Bharadwaj has added Indian color and flavour to the script, which is a remarkable in the context of the film as the plot is set in Kashmir. In spite of that, the play’s spirit is still present and palpable. The political climate of Kashmir offers a striking similarity to Hamlet’s journey, with a different climax. Shakespeare’s novels coming to life on the silver-screens demonstrate how relevant Shakespeare’s wide range of stories are, even today.