Some of these are available at OTT
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| Jaane Jaan dan The Freelancer (dok. Netflix/Jaane Jaan | dok. Disney+ Hotstar/The Freelancer) |
Books have long been an inspiration for Indian filmmakers to create stories in movies and serials. Not only does it benefit the filmmakers, but book adaptation movies and series are also made with the aim of introducing the works of bestselling authors to many people.
Throughout 2023, many Indian filmmakers released book adaptation movies and series. Curious what are the best 2023 book adaptation movies and series? Find the answers in the following reviews.
1. The Freelancer
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| The Freelancer (dok. Disney+ Hotstar/The Freelancer) |
The Freelancer is a Disney+ Hotstar release adapted from the book A Ticket to Syria by Shirish Thorat. The Bhav Dhulia-directed series features Mohit Raina in the lead role. The Freelancer tells the story of Avinash Damodar (Mohit Raina), a former soldier who goes to Syria to save Aliya Khan (Kashmira Pardeshi). After getting married, Aliya is trapped in Syria which is undergoing a massive conflict. The series released on September 1 with a total of four episodes.
2. Jaane Jaan
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| Jaane Jaan (dok. Netflix/Jaane Jaan) |
Jaane Jaan is the most popular book adaptation in India this year. The story in this movie is adapted from the book The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. Kareena Kapoor plays a single mother named Maya who kills her ex-husband in self-defense. Maya’s neighbor Teacher (Jaideep Ahlawat) offers to help her cover up the murder from the police.
Maya and Teacher work together to eliminate traces of the murder so that the police, Karan (Vijay Varma), won’t find them. Jaane Jaan topped Netflix’s most popular movies in several countries at the time of its release on September 21.
3. The Vaccine War
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| Perang Vaksin (dok. PEN Movies/The Vaccine War) |
The Vaccine War is a medical drama based on the book Going Viral by Prof. Balram Bhargava. Vivek Agnihotri’s film hit theaters on September 28. Set during the pandemic, The Vaccine War follows the struggle of scientists in India to find a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus.
4. Scam 2003: The Telgi Story
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| Scam 2003: The Telgi Story Volume 2 (instagram.com/sonylivindia) |
Sony LIV released the first five episodes of Scam 2003: The Telgi Story on September 1, and then released the remaining episodes on November 5. The series is inspired by Sanjay Singh’s book Telgi Scam: Reporter’s ki Diary. This is the second series of the Scam franchise. The series highlights the life of Abdul Karim Telgi (Gagan Dev Riar) who was involved in a stamp forgery scandal in 2003.
5. Khufiya
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| Khufiya (instagram.com/netflix_in) |
Amar Bhushan’s book Escape to Nowhere is being adapted into a Netflix movie called Khufiya. The espionage-themed movie releases on October 5. Tabu plays the main character named Krishna Mehra who is tasked with spying on his coworker, Ravi Mohan (Ali Fazal). The Indian government suspects that Ravi has exposed confidential state information to the enemy.
6. Sultan of Delhi
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| Sultan of Delhi (doc. Disney+ Hotstar/Sultan of Delhi) |
Sultan of Delhi is a historical thriller series set in the city of Delhi in 1962. The story in the series is based on the book Sultan of Delhi: Ascension by Arnab Ray. Sultan of Delhi features Tahir Raj Bhasin, Mouni Roy, and Mehreen Pirzada in the cast. The nine-episode series showcases the gangster life in India filled with bloodshed and betrayal. The series premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on October 13.
Books are easier to adapt into movies and series because the story is already available to inspire scriptwriters. The difficulty in releasing a book adaptation is choosing the actors and presenting a story that matches the expectations of the readers. Which book adaptations of Indian movies and series have you watched this year?