films based on literary works
a wonderful website that has a wealth of information on the novel, the film, golossary and commentaries. Considered to be one of the first urdu novels, Umrao jaan Ada was first published in 1899 by Mirza Hadi Ruswa. The novel was written as a recollection/conversation between Umrao jaan and the author. Quoting from wiki, “According to the novel, the story of Umrao Jaan was recounted by her, to the author, when he happened to meet her, during a mushaira (poetry gathering) in Lucknow.[3] On listening to her couplets, the author along with Munshi Ahmad, a novel and poetry enthusiast present at the gathering, convinces Umrao Jaan to share her life story with them. In course of time, Mirza starts noting down her story, and in the end shares the text with her. After initial annoyance, she eventually corrects it as well.[4] Thus the novel is written in first person as a memoir.[5] The book was first published by Munshi Gulab Singh and Sons Press, Lucknow in 1899.”
The website maintained by Prof. Pritchett of Columbia University (who also maintains an outstanding website on Ghalib) even includes the entire screenplay of the film adaptation in urdu and devanagiri. It makes for fascinating reading. Sharing the website link and posting the opening song of the film adaptation, here is a continuation of the theme post. My apologies if I missed someone’s post on this film.
here is the LINK
- Shatranj Ke Khilari : Kanha main tose hari -The Chess Players (1977)
- Suraj ka satwaan ghoda” , based on the novel of the same name, by Dharamvir Bharti ji. The film came out in 1992/93, Directed by: Shyam Benegal & Music of Vanraj Bhatia and had a stellar cast of actors. The film was a set of inter-connected stories, narrated by the protagonist Manek, which was played brilliantly by Rajit Kapoor.
- Zer to Pidhan Chhe Jani Jani is one of the finest Gujarati novels written in the 20th c. Manubhai Pancholi ‘Darshak’ created highly nuanced and sophisticated characters for this work. If you can read Gujarati, this is a highly recommended book. If not, wait for a good English translation (:) )This book was adapted for a 1972 movie. Haven’t watched it but I just found out YT has it! The songs are by Avinash Vyas – in his case it is almost always lyrics+music. The title track by Manna Dey is quite well known. Here it is.
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Garambicha Bapu… a celebrated novel by S. N. Pendse- ( गारंबीचा बापू- श्री. ना.पेंडसे)… was based in the Konkan area of Maharashtra. A movie by the same name was released in 1980, and here is a song sung by Ravindra Sathe- Ajab sohla..
अजब सोहळा, Ajab Sohala आठवणीतली गाणी Marathi songs, -
Kaajal was based on a novel Madhavi. The film was multicast starring Dharmendra, Raaj Kumar, Padmini and above all Meena Kumari. This song picturised on her is one of my most favorite filmy bhajans. Meaningful lyrics and delightful tune…
Kaajal – Tora Mann Darpan Kehlaye –
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Hamlet(1954) :It was based on William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark..The movie had total 5 songs, all the songs were simply brilliant…a lesser-heard….rendered beautifully by Asha Bhosle….
Composed by Ramesh Naidu and penned by Hasrat Jaipuri…
‘Chahe Sataye Woh Chahe Rulaye’… - Oscar winning movie Life of Pi. It is based on a novel by Yann Martel. It is a story about a young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery.
Pi’s Lullaby (Life Of Pi – Mychael Danna)
- Aisha, made in 2010, is an Indian adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, Emma. A romantic story about a rich, snob, know-it-all girl, who while being unsure about marriage for herself, sets out to find the perfect love match for her friend from small town. Well, she gets to learn some real life lessons along the way.Emma has inspired a few TV series and movies. A successful film from 1995 called Clueless was inspired by this story and it was also adapted into a film of same name with Gwyneth Paltrow.The song here is called Sham, sung by Neuman Pinto, Amit Trivedi, and Nikhil D Souza. Lyrics are by Javed Akhtar and Music by Amit Trivedi.
Sham Bhi Koi Jaise Hai Nadi…
- A touching novel ‘Pavittar Paapi’, written by Punjabi novelist Nanak Singh, was made into a film by Balraj Sah’ni starring Parikshat Sahni and Tanuja in leading roles. Music and lyrics were aptly provided by Prem Dhawan
- Film is “Karm 1977” based on Bengali novel “Pao Nai Parichay” — Starring Rajesh khanna and vidya sinha , produced and directed by B.R Chopra
- Meera Nayar’s film The Namesake was based on famous Indian writer Jhumpa Lahiri’s 2nd best-seller The New Yorker…Tabu and Irfan Khan’s intense performance made the film a successful…This song,”Yeh mera deewana pan hai”,originally from Susheela Raman’s 2nd musical album “Love Trap”(2003),was taken by Meera Nayar for this film The Namesake also and the song got some popularity. Singer is Susheela Raman…
- Ghare Baire (The Home and the World) is a 1985 film by Bengali director Satyajit Ray, based upon the novel Ghare Baire by Rabindranath Tagore. It features Soumitra Chatterjee, Victor Banerjee, Jennifer Kendal (in her last film appearance) and Swatilekha Chatterjee (Sengupta). Ray prepared a script for it in the 1940s, long before he made his first film Pather Panchali. It deals with a subject that has often appeared in Ray’s work: the emancipation of women and what it does to them and to the men who love them.The film was in competition for the Palme d’Or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival…The story is set in early 20th century India in the estate of the rich Bengali noble Nikhilesh (Victor Banerjee) and in the chaotic aftermath of Lord Curzon’s partition of Bengal into Muslim and Hindu states; the nationalist movement is trying to impose a boycott against all foreign goods (by claiming that imports are at the root of Indian poverty)…He lives happily with his beautiful wife Bimala (Swatilekha Sengupta) until the appearance of his friend and radical revolutionist, Sandip (Soumitra Chatterjee, the Apu of The World of Apu and a principal actor in many Ray films)…Sandip, a passionate and active man, is a contradiction to the peace-loving and somewhat passive Nikhil. He easily attracts the innocent and unsuspecting Bimala, creating a love triangle.
Although Nikhilesh figures out what is happening, he is a mature person and grants Bimala the freedom to grow and choose what she wants in life (as their marriage was arranged when she was a girl). Meanwhile Bimala experiences the emotions of love for the first time in a manner that helps her understand that it is indeed her husband Nikhilesh who really loves her.
Importantly, Nikhilesh tells Bimala that he would like her to have a life not only inside the home, but outside of it as well — a most controversial matter when the novel was written…..Posting a great song by Kishore from this movie….As per ray who is the best “Rabindrasangeet Singer”…. Chal re Chal sabe-GHARE BAIRE… -
Usne kaha tha ‘ is a wonderful story.The film is based on a renowned Hindi short story of the same name written by Chandradhar Sharma Guleri which was published in 1915 in Saraswati. The writing is critically acclaimed for the “perfection of technique, characterization and effect”
- Kati Patang is a 1970 Indian Hindi movie produced and directed by Shakti Samanta. The film is based on the novel “I Married a Dead Man,” by William Irish (Cornell Woolrich), and Hollywood had already filmed once before under the title No Man of Her Own (1950) with Barbara Stanwyck. It would be remade in French as J’ai épousé une ombre (I Married a Shadow) (1983), and by Hollywood again as Mrs. Winterbourne (1996).
- A Spy In Amber” was the reference for movie “Shalimar”
- For his second directorial venture, Rajiv Menon turned to Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility. His Tamil film Kandukondein Kandukondein was to a large extent based on Sense & Sensibility with Tabu & Aishwarya Rai essaying the roles inspired by Elinor and Marianne Dashwood from the novel – two sisters with very different philosophies in life. Mammootty, Ajith and Abbas played the three men they comes across during the course of the story. It was a reasonably well made film with a fantastic soundtrack by A. R Rahman.
- Noukadubi: The original story by Tagore has been placed on celluloid several times including twice in Hindi – Milan (1946) directed by Nitin Bose with Dilip Kumar and Ghunghat (1960), directed by Ramanand Sagar with Bina Rai. Bengali versions came out in 1932, 1947 and 1979. And January 2011 directed by Rituporno Ghosh!
- Meera : For film : ‘ Meera Dubbing of Tamil Lyrics into Hindi was accomplished by Narendra Sharma for Nightingale Shri Subhalaxmi ji. She says :
T. Sadashivam M. S. Subbulaxmi
SAVANT :
” The name Pandit Narendra Sharma is dear to us for nearly half a century. When a few years ago, someone suggested that Smt. Subbulaxmi should sing the Hindi renderings of the Tamil song of the Maha Kavi Subramanyam Bharti, we , spontaneously thought of Pandit Narendra Sharma to translate a few songs of poet Bharti into Hindi.”
During the production of my ” Meera ” in which Smt. Subbulaxmi was featured as Bhakta Meera, Shri Narendra Sharma’s association was of immense help to us. While we admired him as a great poet and a ” Savant ” in Hindi Literature we admired him as he was just simple and lovable. His fragile image with a beauty and friendly smile present all the time on his face could never be forgotten.- The lyrics for the Hindi dubbed version of Smt. M. S Subbalakshmi’s Meera (1947) were written by Pandit Narendra Sharma ji adhering not only to the sentiments of the Meera bhajans but more importantly adhereing to make the Hindi words suit the lip movements of the Tamil lyrics originally sung by M. S. Subbalakshmi for the Tamil original Meera released in 1945. I cannot imagine how difficult this task must have been for Pandit ji. It is amazing to compare the perfect manner in which Pandit ji has managed to achieve this match not in one or two songs but in all the nineteen or twenty songs that this classic film contained - GODAN
- GARAM HAWA: The film was an adaptation of Ismat Chughtai’s story by noted Urdu poet and lyricist, Kaifi Azmi. While the original story centred on a station master, stuck in the throes of Partition, Kaifi Azmi brought in his own experiences as a union leader, for the workers of a shoe manufacturing factory, to the film. He not just changed the profession of the film’s protagonist, but also placed him right in the middle of film’s emotional cauldron, as he watches his livelihood (shoe manufacturing) and family disintegrating rapidly, immediately making the trauma of the Partition personal, compared to the original story, where the protagonist is a mere observer, watching his friends and family migrate. This fulfilled the main object of the film, to show the human consequences, not social and economic consequences of a large political decision, like the Partition of India, to which none of its suffers, the people, were party, as in the words of film director, M.S. Sathyu, “What I really wanted to expose in Garm Hava was the games these politicians play…How many of us in India really wanted the partition. Look at the suffering it caused.”
- ’Nishkriti’ written by distinguished Bengali Author Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay for the common people of 20th century represents a family drama. The pleasures & grieves centering disturbances in a joint family in the contemporary social backdrop is the essential theme. The novel portraying a piercing analysis of human love & faith and also concerns about the interrelation amongst the members of the same family. The title finds its true significance in the concluding section where Girish finds solace or ‘nishkriti’ in transferring the property.
Basu Chatterjee adapted the novel in his real family drama novie ‘Apne Paraye’ in 1980. - Sarat Chandra Chaterjee’s ‘biraj bahu’…..
- RAVINDRANATH TAIGORE’s “Sampati” and Rajashri Production ‘s
“UPHAAR” 1971
Directed by Sudhendu Roy. This Beautiful Melody Is Written By Anand Baxi.
Tenderly Sung By Mohammad Rafi. The song is based on raag BAIRAGI..
Wonderful Rhythm and Orchestra Arrangements. Use of SANTOOR and FLUTE with GUITAR is mesmerising. Music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. - Vandanal oru sundari …..Shilappadikaram ( Jewelled Anklet ) is one of the immortal Maha Kava of early Tamil literature. Penned by the Poet Ilangoval this epic is not only a story of Kovalan and Kannagi but also a an important source of the sangam age of the history. The epic tells the story of Kannagi and Kovalan which takes place in the Pandya kingdom of Madurai in the rein of the king Nedunjeliyan.
Kovaln, the son of a wealthy mercahant of the city of Pugar or Kaveripattanam, married Kannagi, the only daughter of another merchant. For some time they lived happily, until, at a festival at the royal court, Kovalan met the dancer Madhavi, and fell in love with her. He bought her favours and in his infatuation forgot Kannagi and his home. Gradually he spent all his welth on Madhavi including Kannagi’s jewels. At last when penniless he returns to his uncomplaining wife Kanagi. Their only fortune was a precious pair of anklets, which Kannagi gave to him willingly. With these as their capital they decide to go to the great city of Madurai, where Kovalan hoped to recoup his fortunes by trade.
On their arrival at Madurai they found shelter in a cottage, and Kovalan goes to the market to sell one of Kannagi’s jewelled anklets. But the queen of Nedunjeliyan , the Pandya King of Madurai, had just been robbed of a similar anklet by a wicked court jeweller. The jeweller happened to see Kovalan with Kannagi’s anklet, and immediately seized it and informed the King. Guards were sent to apprehend Lovalan, who was cut down immediately, without trial. When the news was brought to Kannagi she fainted away; but she quickly recovered and , with her eyes ablaze with anger, she went out into the town, carrying the remaining anklet in her hand as proof of her husband’s innocence.
Then Kannagi shows her anklet to the king. On comparing it very carefully with the remaining anklet of the pair belonging to the queen, he realises that ;ovalan had been innocent. The king dies of shock and shame.
Kannagi then curses the city of Madurai abd the city starts burning, but at last the patron Goddes of the city interceded with Kannagi, and she agrees to withdraw the curse and the fire abates. Weak with loss of blood from her self-amputated breast, Kannagi struggles to a hill outside the city where, after a few days , she died and was reunited with Kovalan in heaven. Meanwhile the news of her death spread throughout the Tamil Land. She was deified, and temples raised and festivals held in her honour, and she became the patron goddess of wifely loyalty and chastity.
In 1942 R S Mani directed a film titled Kannagi based on Shillappadikarm With P.U. Chinnappa, U.R. Jeevarathnam, Kannamba, N.S. Saroja.
- sawan ki aayee bahaar re’ from Junoon (1978)
This Shyam Benegal classic about the crazy infatuation of a Pathan (Shashi Kapoor) for his young Anglo-Indian captive (Nafisa Ali) amidst the chaos of the Sepoy mutiny of 1857, was based on the short story “A Flight of Pigeons” by Ruskin Bond. Bond is a well known Indian writer (of British descent) who writes in English and most of his stories are based in the Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand. - Gumnaam based on Agatha Christie’s ‘And then there were none’ (had a controversial name earlier)
- KORA KAGHAZ : The film is based on a story “Saat Paake Bandha” by Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay and is a remake of a Bengali film by the same name Saat Pake Bandha(1963) starring Suchitra Sen.
- PHIR SUBHA HOGI : Ramesh Saigal’s adaptation of Dostoevsky’s ‘Crime and Punishment” as “Phir Subah Hogi” in 1958. Ramesh Saigal had already signed Raj Kapoor, Mala Sinha, and Rehman for the film. He went to sahir Ludhianwi to sign him as the lyricist. When Sahir queried who would be the composer, Ramesh Saigal had replied that it was likely to be Shankar-Jaikishen as Raj kapoor was the hero. According to a review in Hindu, Khayyam recalls how he became the composer of this classic film where Raj Kapoor gave one of his finest performances.”Noted music director Khayyam, who gave the music for “Phir Subah Hogi”, recalls, “It is a long story. Producer Ramesh Saigal went to Sahir Ludhianvi saab, and said he was making a film based on ‘Crime and Punishment’ for which he had already signed Raj Kapoor, Mala Sinha and Rehman. He wanted Sahir sahib to write the lyrics. Sahir Saab asked who will be the music director. Rameshji said since Raj Kapoor is the hero, the music will have to be by Shankar-Jaikishan. It seems Sahir Saab said, ‘Rameshji you are making a film based on a classic, and not a crime thriller. I will write the lyrics only if someone who has not only read but also understood the book composes the music. He mentioned my name. It so happened that I arrived on the scene just then.”
They then decided to go to Raj Kapoor. “It was an ‘examination’ for me. Raj ji immediately pointed to a tanpura and said it had been gifted to him by Lata ji. Raj ji was a clever man, he understood music. I also understood the game. So I cleaned the tanpura and composed the first tune. I then went on to compose five different tunes, from five angles.”
Raj Kapoor, he relates, “had a blank expression on his face throughout. He then took Ramesh ji out of the room and returned after 45 minutes. He repeatedly kissed my forehead, and said he had neither heard that sort of poetry nor that kind of music….”
As in the original novel, the film portrays the struggles of inequality, unemployment and social justice faced by a young man. His internal despair and hope against a better tomorrow featured prominently in the songs. The leftist sentiments were also displayed brilliantly by Sahir saab’s powerful lyrics and sensitive treatment by Khayyam to retain the spirit of this struggling hero and the stark reality of the society.
Kala Pani – Hum Bekhudi Mein Tumko Pukare – Mohd Rafi - Kala Pani was based on a book by AJ Cronin.
- Kapal Kundala” ,This film was based on a novel By Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay KAPALKUNDALA Published in 1866 ,Novel is also known as MRUNALINI.
- While most Hindi film adaptations have been those of noted Bengali works I tried to look into any Marathi works that may have been adapted into Hindi films.
A search into books and online revealed the following
author नारायण हरी आपटे- Novel “न पटणारी गोष्ट” -Film- Kunku/ Duniya na maane
साने गुरुजी -“रामाचा शेला “- Aage Badho
र वा दिघे -पाणकळा – Madhosh
नाथमाधव- डॉक्टर -Doctor Vidya- shikaleli bayko( marathi)
शांता निसळ- बेघर- Subah/Umbartha
चंद्रकांत काकोडकर- निलांबरी- Do Raaste
चंद्रकांत काकोडकर -“अशी तुझी प्रीत” – Main Tulsi tere Aangan ki
चिं त्र्यं खानोलकर उर्फ आरती प्रभू -“चानी” -ChaaniFilms based on famous Marathi plays-
पू ल देशपांडे -“सुंदर मी होणार” -Aaj aur kal
आचार्य अत्रे- “तो मी नव्हेच” -Woh Main nahin
वंसत कानेटकर “अश्रूंची झाली फुले” -Aansoo ban gaye phoolthe autobiography of noted veteran actress Hansa Wadkar was made into Bhumika by Benegal
and there are a few more.
Posting here a song from Dr Vidya based on ‘Doctor’ which was first made in marathi as Shikaleli Bayko( educated wife)..It was a statement on the society at a time when an educated wife was deemed a hurdle to a successful marriage.She was considered to be not a good home maker and too dominant and a headache for the simpleton hubby! 🙂 Shikleli Bayko was a big hit and considered one of Usha Kiran’s most outstanding films..I am not sure how successful Dr Vidya was. - Guide” is a 1965 Indian Hindi film starring Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman. It was directed by Vijay Anand, who also contributed to the screenplay.The film is based on the critically acclaimed novel, The Guide, by R. K. Narayan,
- Saraswatichandra-1968′ Is A Film Based On Gujarati Novel Written By Govardhanram Madhavram Tripathi.
- Crime and Punishment, by great Russian author, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, published in 1866, is a towering literary work. The genesis of this great literary work was that all crimes must follow punishment – the punishment comes outside when the crimes are detected, and for undetected crimes, the punishment comes from within us – from our growing sense of guilt. There is now running away from our own consciousnesses. The novel focused on the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Raskolnikov, the protagonist of the novel.This great novel was adopted for a 1958 Hindi movie, Phir Subah Hogi, by director Ramesh Saigal and featured Raj Kapoor and Mala Sinha. Khayyam scored the music and Sahir wrote the lyrics. All the songs of the movie are just fantastic.
A lesser-posted song, from this moive, sung by Asha, which is simply great poetry by Sahir and is fabulously composed and soulfully sung.
दो बूँदे सावन की हाय दो बूँदे सावन की - अमृता प्रीतम के उपन्यास पिन्ज्जर पर आधारित फिल्म पिन्ज्जर का एक खुबसूरत गाना- हाथ छुटे भी तो रिश्ते नहीं छुटा करते —गुलजार –जगजीत सिंह
- ghare baire ” adapted from the novel by the same name by kobiguru rabindranath thakur.. it was released in the year 1985…though satyajit ray made the script of this film in 1940’s before he made pather panchali..but he only filmed it much much later… the novel dealing with the theme of emancipation of women and what it does to their lives and how their husbands deal with the situation…needless to say this work by kobiguru was quite controversial when it was written !
- .Khushboo is a 1975 film based on the Bengali novel “Panditmashai” by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay,which was earlier filmed in Bengali in 1951 by Naresh Mitra. Khushboo was produced by Prasan Kapoor and directed by Gulzar
- Sangdil (1952) film directed by R. C Talwar. The film is an adaptation of the Charlotte Brontë classic Jane Eyre.
- Gulzar’s Aandhi, based on the Hindi novel “Kaali Aandhi” by Kamleshwar, told a story of a couple separated against the backdrop of politics.
- Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam: It is based on a Bengali novel, “Shaheb Bibi Golam” by Bimal Mitra.
- ANGOOR : This movie is based on the classic Shakespearean comedy.
- Film Rahi-1953 was an adaptation from Mulkraj Anand’s marvel – Two Leaves and a Bud…Outstanding movie by KA Abbas..
- The film Devdas, 1955 was based on a novel by Shart Chandra Chattopadhyay directed by BiMal roy.
O mitwa’ (sung by Talat Mehmood in Devdas) and ‘Mere man ke diye’ (Sung by Lata Mangeshkar in Parakh) are innovative examples of using the solo voice in the forefront with minimum instrumental accompaniment. This exposes another layer of their personal pain in the plot and makes it humane when the lovers are separated. Dilip Kumar whiling away his time in the orchards with his shotgun, singing O mitwa’ while missing Paro could not have been more aptly expressed.
(Source: Article ‘Beyond Borders’ authored by Manju Seal appeared in a book titled ‘The Man Who Spoke in Pictures Bimal Roy’.) - 1947 earth is one of excellent movie on partition based on novel .ICe candyman by Bapsi Sidhwa.
- KOHRAA’ 1964, starring Biswajeet & Waheeda Rehman.This movie was based on DAPHNE DU MAURIER’s ‘REBECCA ‘ published in 1938,
- tere mere sapne :This mivie is based on 1937 Novel by A.J.Cronin “Citadels”. It’s the story about medical ethics…
- A Classic from film Bemisaal, based on Novel “Ami Se O Shakha” by Ashutosh Mukherjee..
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