10 Indian Books that Deserve A Movie Adaptation

Movie or OTT media adaptation has become the new normal of today’s world. They include all sorts of the genre from science fiction to comedy from romance to horror. Writers are especially targeting OTT platforms to popularize their names and work. In this article, we are going to read about 10 Indian books that deserve a movie adaptation.

One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

A group of 9 people is trapped at an Indian Consulate of a visa office after a massive earthquake. Among them, there is Jiang, a Chinese-Indian woman in her last years along with her granddaughter; two visa officers on the verge of an adulterous affair; Cameron, an ex-soldier haunted by guilt; an Indian-American girl named Uma whose parents decided to move to Kolkata; an elderly white couple the Pritchetts; young Muslim angry man Tariq in new America. They begin to tell each other stories they have never talked about before.

Chronicles of a Corpse Bearer by Cyrus Mistry

Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer by Cyrus Mistry is set in pre-Independence India. The story focuses on the Parsi community of corpse bearers who carry the bodies for burial in Bombay. Phiroze is the son of a priest who compounds his family’s disappointment by falling in love with Sepideh, a corpse daughter’s daughter. He marries her and became a corpse bearer himself. Corpse bearer Phiroze Elchidana’s job is to collect the dead and perform the last rituals before the corpses are left to decay or consumed by vultures. Sepideh dies leaving her daughter and Phiroze in sorrow.

Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai

Gone are the days when Nanda Kaul played her role as a Vice-Chancellor’s wife. She has chosen to leave her family behind and spend it alone in the mountains of Kasauli in a bungalow called Carignano. One summer Raka, her great-granddaughter is dispatched to Kasauli. Raka is untamed and prefers the company of apricot trees and animals to her great-grandmother. Throughout the summer, Nanda’s dependencies and wounds come to the surface ending in tragedy.

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

This 2008 novel by Chitra Banerjee is a rendition of the popular Hindu epic Mahabharata from Draupadi’s point of view. The novel wanted to portray a woman living in a patriarchal world. It is about smart, courageous, and resilient Panchaali (Draupadi), her marriage with five Pandava brothers, enduring exile, and gradually learning about her mysterious best friend Krishna.

The Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh

The Calcutta Chromosome is set in Calcutta and New York City at some unspecified time in the future. This story is a medical thriller that portrays the adventures of people and their enigmatic turn of events. It is loosely based on Nobel Prize winner scientist Ronald Ross and his malaria research in the year 1898. The story focuses on Antar, a resident of NY working for the International Water Council. And, another main character of the story is L. Murugan who is an employee of the LifeWatch organization and is fascinated by Ronald Ross. The timeline is deliberately mixed up. It deals with these two characters and Sir Ronald Ross and his research.

Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai

This 2010 published novel Witness the Night is crime fiction. A girl in a small town in the heart of India is found tied to a bed inside a house where 13 people lie dead. The girl has been abused and beaten. She is held in the local prison awaiting interrogation for the murders believed to be committed by the local people.

The Illicit Happiness of Other People by Manu Joseph

The 2012 drama novel is set in Madras of the 1990s. Ousep Chacko is a wannabe novelist who wakes up regularly after drinking and threatens to hang himself from his lungi. Mariamma, his wife, talks to walls. Their son Thoma has fallen for an older girl. Even though the family is disintegrated they are together in grief. The grief is of losing Thoma’s brother Unni, who died three years ago after falling from a balcony. Ousep is desperate and shattered by the grief and sets out to find out the reason behind his suicide.

The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh

The Glass Palace is a historical novel set in Burma, Bengal, India, and Malaya. It spans a century from the Third Anglo-Burmese War and the fall of the Konbaung Dynasty in Mandalay, through World War II to the late 20th century. With the tales of small privileged families, the story depicts the struggles that shaped all these places into what they are today. It deals with several aspects of the effects of World War II, the economic downfall of Burma, dilemmas faced by Indians in the British Indian Army, and more.

Cut Like Wound by Anita Nair

The story begins on the first evening of Ramzan, August 1, 2012. It ends a month later on St Mary’s feast in September. In Bengaluru, on the first evening of Ramzan, a call girl decides to go out for the first time. The call girl is a trans person who is supposed to be a psychopath, lures a victim, and kills him. Several murders occur and past murders are also linked to it. The murder investigation is conducted by Inspector Gowda and Santosh. It eventually concludes that this is a work of a serial killer. The story depicts the geography, people, and customs of the city.

The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri

This 2001 published novel The Death of Vishnu by Indian-American writer Manil Suri is about the spiritual journey. The tale focuses on a dying man named Vishnu. He lives in a Bombay apartment and the story involves other residents living in the building. Vishnu lies dying on the staircase of the building. While others argue over who will play for the ambulance.

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