Plot twist! These shows and films are better than the books

Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones do a fantastic job of playing on-again, off-again lovers and friends in small-town Ireland, helped along by great cinematography and a tight, crisp script. Of course, the source material, Sally Rooney’s 2018 bestseller of the same name, is great. But there’s just too much internal monologue and too little punctuation. Plus, being able to see such tortured love play out on screen is a treat.

Sacred Games, 2018-2019

Vikram Chandra’s 2006 novel about cops and crime in Mumbai was critically acclaimed but not widely read. The show, Netflix’s first original Indian series, gave the story the platform it deserves. Saif Ali Khan is in top form, there are cliff-hangers, a cat-and-mouse chase, and characters like Bunty, Kukoo and Gaitonde. It’s the only Indian series to appear on New York Times’ list of 30 Best International TV Shows of the Decade. For good reason.

Forrest Gump, 1994

Let’s be honest, most people haven’t read Winston Groom’s 1986 novel. The movie took some liberties with the story (Jenny and Forrest don’t get married in the book, for instance) and turned into something of a classic. It’s well paced, visually stunning, just the right amount of ridiculous, and has lived long enough to see an Indian adaptation (Laal Singh Chadha, 2022).

Leila, 2019

When will we, as a society, wake up and realise that Huma Qureshi can do no wrong? This dystopian drama is based on Prayaag Akbar’s novel of the same name. The show painstakingly recreated the futuristic world of the book, where people live in a hierarchy of walled communities. It’s eerie because it is so familiar. Here’s hoping it returns to screens with a new season.

Killing Eve, 2018-2022

British author Luke Jennings’s 2017 thriller novel Codename Villanelle, started out as a series of novellas. But the show deviates deliciously from the source material, drawing viewers into the worlds of Villanelle, a talented killer, and Eve, a desk-bound security services operative who dreams of being a spy. Far-fetched murders seem oh-so-easy. The women’s chemistry heats up the screen. The book pales in comparison.

Umrao Jaan, 1981

Mirza Hadi Ruswa’s Urdu novel, Umrao Jaan Ada, was published in 1899 and tells the story of a courtesan and poet from 19th century Lucknow, as recounted by her to the author. The story has inspired films and TV series in both India and Pakistan, with adaptations as recent as the 2006 film by JP Dutta and Salim–Sulaiman’s musical play in 2019. But the 1981 film is the one to beat. Rekha, as the courtesan holds all the cards, retains her mystery and still seems vulnerable.

Call Me by Your Name, 2017

The 2007 coming-of-age novel of the same name by American writer André Aciman is often described as a masterpiece. Set in 1980s Italy, it follows the romance between a young boy and a visiting 24-year-old American scholar. On-screen, Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer play the lovers, against a rustic, languid Mediterranean landscape. If you’re curious about what happened to Elio, a sequel to the novel, Find Me, was released in 2019.

True Blood (2008-2014)

There’s something about delicious love triangles with two dangerous vampires. HBO took the first book of The Southern Vampire Mysteries, written by Charlaine Harris between 2001-2013, and turned it into a dark and sexy fantasy horror drama, without skimping on the gore, even mocking American conservatism along the way.

Mean Girls, 2004

Let’s be real. Many fans of the film still don’t know that it’s based on a book for parents. Rosalind Wiseman’s 2002 guide, Queen Bees and Wannabes, focuses on middle-school cliques and how to deal with aggressive teen girls. Tina Fey turned it into a classic tale of a young outsider trying to fit in and seeing the laws of the jungle play out in the lunchroom. If you liked the book better, you can’t sit with us.

Shanghai, 2012

Dibakar Banerjee’s political thriller was based on Greek writer Vassilis Vassiliko’s 1967 novel, Z. The novel itself is based on the 1963 assassination of Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis. It’s been translated into 32 languages and was the inspiration for an award-winning film (also called Z). Banerjee’s script adds currency to the 45-year-old story and shows how universal the tale still is.

From HT Brunch, April 8, 2023

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