What better delights a literature enthusiast than a film adaptation of their favourite literary work? While there have been raging debates over whether a film adaptation of a literary work does justice to the original, it is no doubt that movies make them more accessible. Apart from accessibility, cross cultural adaptations also bring the stories closer to home. Here are five south Indian movies that were adapted to suit local tastes while maintaining the spirit of the original works:
Kandukondein Kandukondein (2000)
The Ajith Kumar starrer is adapted from Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility which revolves around the romantic entanglements of two sisters who are forced to live in more meagre conditions along with their widowed mother. Even though the novel was set in 1800s England, Rajiv Menon adapted it skillfully for the Tamil audience. Ajith plays the charming Manohar courting Tabu’s Sowmya while Mamootty nails the role of the alcoholic-yet-kindhearted Major Bala. The film won a National Award and was praised for the accurate portrayal of human struggles and relationships.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Watch a scene from Kandukondein Kandukondein
Iyarkai (2003)
Directed by SP Janathan, Tamil movie Iyarkai is a loose adaptation of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky’s six part short story White Nights. Set in the coastal town of Rameshwaram, Iyarkai features a love triangle between a sailor presumed to be lost at sea, a local resident and another sailor who returns from Rome after fourteen years. Despite not being a commercial success, Iyarkai won the National Award in 2004 and is a classic tale of love, heartbreak, and yearning.
Where to watch: Sun NXT
Watch the trailer of Iyarkai
Ashta Chamma (2008)
This Telugu movie directed by Mohan Krishna Indraganti is a delightful comedy of errors based on Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest. With Nani, Swathi Reddy and Srinivas Avasarala in lead roles, the movie revolves around Lavanya (played by Swathi Reddy) who is obsessed with the Telugu actor Mahesh Babu and vows only to marry a man named Mahesh. Enter our hero Rambabu (played by Nani) who lies about his name being Mahesh so that he could get Lavanya to fall in love with her. What unfolds is a hilarious web of entanglement involving Rambabu, his sister Varalakshmi, Lavanya and his neighbour Anand that is almost as entertaining as Oscar Wilde’s play.
Watch the trailer of Ashta Chamma here:
The Malayalam movie starring Shane Nigam and Nimisha Sajayan is an adaptation of what is considered a timeless tale of love - William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The movie directed by B Ajithkumar is set in the backdrop of political tensions in Kerala’s Malabar. Anand (played by Shane Nigam) and Aishwarya (played by Nimisha) come from politically rival families who are embroiled in a power struggle. Amidst the grapple for power, the couple manage to fall in love but will things be different for them or will their fate follow the star crossed lovers from Shakepeare’s play?
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Watch the trailer of Eeda here: