Several of the most successful movies shot in India originated from novels that sold well. These adaptations saw cherished characters and iconic stories come to life on the big screen and reach even more audiences. Let’s take a look at 10 bestsellers from India that were made into Bollywood and regional films.
The Guide by R. K. Narayan
The novel was made into a classic 1965 movie Guide starring Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman. The film not only maintained the themes of redemption and self-discovery from the novel but also emerged as one of the greatest classics of Indian cinema.
Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat
3 Idiots is inspired by Chetan Bhagat’s bestselling campus novel. The movie brought in a few new ideas, but the themes of friendship, school stress, and college life as an engineer remained.
2 States by Chetan Bhagat
2 States (2014) is based on Bhagat’s bestselling novel, and is about a couple who struggle with cultural differences between their Punjabi and Tamil families. The film was a critical success and a commercial success.
The 3 Mistakes of My Life by Chetan Bhagat
The novel has been adapted into Kai Po Che! A coming-of-age drama about being friends, being ambitious, and changing social realities. (2013) The performances and story were well received by the audience.
Half Girlfriend by Chetan Bhagat
The popular romance novel by Bhagat was adapted into Half Girlfriend (2017) starring Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. The adaptation was done to make the emotional love story more popular.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Winner of the Booker Prize, The White Tiger was made into a critically acclaimed film on Netflix. The film was an adaptation of the novel that was both critically acclaimed and widely viewed internationally.
Pinjar by Amrita Pritam
Amrita Pritam’s famous novel on Partition was adapted to Pinjar (2003). The movie is still considered to be one of the best depictions of the human tragedy of the Partition of India.
Devdas by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
One of India’s most adapted novels, Devdas inspired numerous film versions, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s lavish 2002 adaptation starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit.
Parineeta by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
The classic Bengali novel was adapted into a few films, and the Hindi adaptation of the same film from 2005 with Vidya Balan, Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt was extremely popular with the youngsters.
The Namesake (Jhumpa Lahiri)
An internationally bestselling novel, the book was turned into the acclaimed film directed by Mira Nair, The Namesake (2006). The narrative examines identity, family, and the immigrant story over two generations.
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