17 Indian movies based on books that are actually worth your time

By Muskan Mumtaz

17 Indian movies based on books that are actually worth your time

The relationship between Indian movies and literature is deep, but not always faithful. Too often, beloved books are flattened on screen—either over-romanticised, stripped of their political edge or turned into lukewarm costume dramas. But every now and then, a film comes along that doesn’t just adapt a book, it extends its life. It sees the story as something beyond a blueprint: a living archive to build something new.
In a country with over 22 official languages and countless literary traditions, some of the most powerful adaptations have come from outside the Hindi film industry—in Malayalam, Bengali and Telugu cinema, where the boundary between literature and film has long been porous. Whether it’s a Shakespearean tragedy transplanted into the badlands of Uttar Pradesh or a Partition-era novella translated into quiet devastation, these Indian films make a case for the novel (or short story) as a cinematic co-author.
Here are 17 Indian movies based on books, some iconic, some overlooked, that are actually worth your time.
1. Maqbool (Hindi, 2003)

Based on: The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Vishal Bhardwaj’s Maqbool recasts Shakespeare’s blood-soaked tragedy in the Mumbai underworld, with Irrfan Khan playing the loyal yet increasingly tormented Maqbool. As he is seduced by ambition and Abbaji’s mistress (Tabu), Maqbool spirals into paranoia, violence and betrayal. The film’s slow-burn intensity, shadowy visuals and haunting score amplify its psychological weight, making it one of the most sophisticated and morally complex Indian adaptations of Shakespeare to date.
2. Haider (Hindi, 2014)

Based on: Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1995 Kashmir, Haider follows a young student’s return home to find his father missing and his mother entangled with his uncle. Shahid Kapoor delivers a riveting performance as Haider, perhaps the best of his career, grappling with political unrest and personal vendettas. With a powerful supporting cast and striking visual metaphors, Haider doesn’t just adapt Hamlet, it indicts the machinery of state violence.
3. Pinjar (Hindi, 2003)

Based on: Pinjar by Amrita Pritam
Set during Partition, Pinjar follows Puro (Urmila Matondkar), a Hindu woman abducted by Rashid (Manoj Bajpayee) in an intergenerational act of vengeance. What unfolds is a deeply human portrait of forced displacement, gendered trauma and the idea of home. Remarkably faithful to Amrita Pritam’s novel, the film is understated yet devastating, elevating small moments of resilience and choice within a chaotic, fractured world.
4. Garm Hava (Hindi, 1973)

Based on: An unpublished short story by Ismat Chughtai
Set in Agra after Partition, M.S. Sathyu’s Garm Hava is a landmark in Indian parallel cinema. It tells the story of Salim Mirza (Balraj Sahni), a Muslim businessman whose family is slowly torn apart by suspicion, emigration and economic collapse. With its quiet yet radical commitment to realism, the film is not just about one man’s moral dilemma—it’s about a country grappling with the consequences of division, both literal and psychological.
5. Chemmeen (Malayalam, 1965)

Based on: Chemmeen by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
A tragic romance set against the coastal fishing communities of Kerala, Chemmeen follows Karuthamma, the daughter of a Hindu fisherman, and her forbidden love for Pareekutty, a Muslim trader. The film is rich in folklore, especially the belief that a fisherman’s safety at sea is tied to his wife’s fidelity. With its lyrical visuals and mythic framing, Chemmeen became the first South Indian film to win the National Award for Best Feature Film.
6. Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (Malayalam, 1989)

Based on: Northern Malabar folklore and literary reinterpretations
Mammootty plays Chandu Chekavar, a legendary figure from North Kerala’s martial folklore, often painted as a traitor. This film flips the script, offering a revisionist take that frames Chandu as a misunderstood anti-hero betrayed by his family and fate. Scripted by M.T. Vasudevan Nair, the film combines historical imagination with rich emotional undercurrents—a genre-defining epic that interrogates memory, masculinity, and honour.
7. Mathilukal (Malayalam, 1990)

Based on: Mathilukal by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Mathilukal is a prison love story like no other. Adapted from Basheer’s autobiographical novella, it follows the author (played by Mammootty) as he falls in love with a woman he never sees—a female inmate whose voice reaches him through the high wall dividing their cells. Sparse, lyrical and quietly profound, the film explores intimacy, longing and imagination in confinement, and is a masterclass in restraint and interiority.
8. Vidheyan (Malayalam, 1993)

Based on: Bhaskara Pattelarum Ente Jeevithavum by Paul Zacharia
Directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Vidheyan is a stark exploration of power, submission and moral awakening. Mammootty (yes, him again) delivers a chilling performance as Bhaskara Pattelar, a tyrannical landlord in coastal Karnataka, while M.R. Gopakumar plays Thommy, a devout Christian servant who becomes complicit in his master’s cruelty. As the story unfolds, Thommy’s passive obedience begins to unravel. Adapted from Paul Zacharia’s short story, the film is a slow, unsettling study of domination and internalised oppression.
9. Maa Bhoomi (Telugu, 1979)

Based on: Jab Khet Jage by Krishan Chander
Maa Bhoomi is a seminal film in Telugu parallel cinema, dramatising the Telangana peasant revolt against feudal landlords and the Nizam’s regime. Directed by B. Narsing Rao, it follows Ramayya (Sai Chand), a farmer radicalised by oppression. With its neorealist aesthetic and layman actors, the film is a searing portrayal of class struggle and revolution. It remains one of the most politically charged book-to-film adaptations in the history of Indian cinema.
10. Pather Panchali (Bengali, 1955)

Based on: Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay
Satyajit Ray’s debut film is a cornerstone of world cinema. Adapted from Bandyopadhyay’s 1929 novel, Pather Panchali traces the quiet joys and deep sorrows of Apu’s (Subir Banerjee) childhood in rural Bengal. With an unflinching gaze and poetic rhythm, Ray brings out the lyricism of everyday life, loss and longing. The film launched the Apu Trilogy and placed Indian cinema on the global map, earning it the Best Human Document award at Cannes in 1956, all while staying exquisitely faithful to its literary roots.
11. Ponniyin Selvan: I & II (Tamil, 2022 & 2023)

Based on: Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki Krishnamurthy
Mani Ratnam’s two-part magnum opus adapts Kalki’s sprawling historical novel set in the Chola Empire. With a cast led by Vikram, Aishwarya Rai and Karthi, the films trace dynastic intrigue, prophecy and betrayal during the reign of Raja Raja Chola I. Lavish, fast-paced and visually stunning, the adaptation distills the complexity of the five-volume novel into cinematic spectacle without losing the emotional stakes or historical richness of its source material.
12. Omkara (Hindi, 2006)

Based on: Othello by William Shakespeare
In Omkara, Vishal Bhardwaj transplants Othello into the heartland politics of Uttar Pradesh. Ajay Devgan plays the titular character, a political enforcer undone by jealousy and caste-driven insecurity, while Saif Ali Khan’s Langda Tyagi is a career-best portrayal of Iago. With its earthy language, unflinching violence and emotional heat, Omkara doesn’t just adapt Shakespeare. it indigenises him. It’s a tragedy where betrayal feels personal.
13. Saat Khoon Maaf (Hindi, 2011)

Based on: Susanna’s Seven Husbands by Ruskin Bond
Priyanka Chopra Jonas plays Susanna, a woman whose pursuit of love leads to the serial deaths of seven unfortunate husbands. Loosely based on Ruskin Bond’s short story, the film blends noir, black comedy and psychological drama. Vishal Bhardwaj’s direction leans into gothic excess, complete with shifting colour palettes and a theatrical structure. Saat Khoon Maaf is a messy but memorable experiment with literary bones and cinematic beauty.
14. Lootera (Hindi, 2013)

Based on: The Last Leaf by O. Henry
Set in 1950s Bengal and Himachal Pradesh, Lootera adapts O. Henry’s brief short story into a slow-burning period romance. Sonakshi Sinha plays Pakhi, a woman with a terminal illness, while Ranveer Singh stars as Varun, an archaeologist hiding more than just stolen artifacts. As the story unfolds, The Last Leaf becomes a metaphor for survival, sacrifice and love. With painterly visuals and quiet devastation, Lootera lingers long after the final frame.
15. Jaane Jaan (Hindi, 2023)

Based on: The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, Jaane Jaan reworks Higashino’s bestselling Japanese thriller into a moody, snow-drenched mystery set in Kalimpong, West Bengal. Kareena Kapoor Khan plays Maya, a single mother drawn into a murder cover-up with the help of her reclusive, genius neighbour (Jaideep Ahlawat). Unlike many Bollywood thrillers, Jaane Jaan slows down, doubling down on quiet obsession, buried emotions and ethical ambiguity, all while staying true to the twists of the original novel.
16. Aisha (Hindi, 2010)

Based on: Emma by Jane Austen
In this Delhi-set update of Jane Austen’s Emma, Sonam Kapoor plays a privileged, well-meaning meddler whose matchmaking schemes create more chaos than romance. With its designer wardrobes, art direction, and light social satire, Aisha is less about literary fidelity than aesthetic world-building. Still, it brings Austen’s themes of self-discovery and class consciousness into a new context, offering a fizzy, contemporary take on a classic heroine.
17. Bride and Prejudice (English/Hindi, 2004)

Based on: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Gurinder Chadha’s musical adaptation takes Austen’s Bennet sisters from rural England to Amritsar, turning Pride and Prejudice into a cross-cultural rom-com. Aishwarya Rai plays Lalita Bakshi, a sharp-tongued beauty skeptical of foreign suitors, while Martin Henderson is her stiff, socially awkward Mr. Darcy. With choreographed dance numbers, quick wit and global commentary on East-West marriage socio-politics, this adaptation is more playful than purist, but no less fun.

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