Ponniyin Selvan: II (aka PS-2), the second part of Mani Ratnam’s Tamil-language epic historical action adventure film, just got released on April 28. Starring an ensemble cast including Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Sobhita Dhulipala, among others, it is based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s 1955 novel, Ponniyin Selvan. The first part, released in September last year, broke several box-office records. It grossed more than Rs 500 crore ($63 million) and became the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2022, the second-highest-grossing Tamil film of all time and the 15th highest-grossing Indian film of all time. Here’s looking at some of the most successful Indian movies in recent times that were adapted from books.
Devdas (2002)
The period romantic drama film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, stars Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit in lead roles, with Jackie Shroff, Kirron Kher and Vijayendra Ghatge in supporting roles. Based on the 1917 novel of the same name by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the film narrates the story of Devdas Mukherjee (Khan), a wealthy law graduate who returns from London to marry his childhood friend, Parvati ‘Paro’ (Rai). The film emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film of the year, earning approximately Rs 1.68 billion ($35 million) worldwide.
Parineeta (2005)
The musical romance film is an adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 1914 Bengali novella of the same name. Directed by debutant Pradeep Sarkar, the film stars Vidya Balan (in her Bollywood debut) alongside Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt in lead roles. The film has several notable allusions to Indian literature and cinema. It was a commercial success at the box office, grossing Rs 32.63 crore worldwide. At the 53rd National Film Awards, Parineeta won Best Debut Film of a director (Sarkar). It also won in four categories at the 51st Filmfare Awards, including Best Female Debut (Balan).
Haider (2014)
The crime thriller, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, stars Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Shraddha Kapoor and Irrfan Khan. Set amidst the insurgency-hit Kashmir conflicts of 1995, Haider is a modern-day adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet. It is also based on Basharat Peer’s memoir Curfewed Night. Haider is the third installment of Bhardwaj’s Shakespearean trilogy after Maqbool (2003) and Omkara (2006). It was a commercial success at the box-office, garnering attention from the media due to its controversial subject matter. It was the first Indian film to win the People’s Choice Award at the Rome Film Festival. Haider won five National Film Awards and five Filmfare Awards.
3 Idiots (2009)
The coming-of-age comedy-drama film is written, edited and directed by Rajkumar Hirani. Adapted loosely from Chetan Bhagat’s novel Five Point Someone, the film stars Aamir Khan, R Madhavan and Sharman Joshi in the titular roles, marking their reunion three years after Rang De Basanti (2006), while Kareena Kapoor, Omi Vaidya and Boman Irani appear in pivotal roles. The story follows the friendship of three students at an Indian engineering college and is a satire about the social pressures under the Indian education system. Upon its release on December 25, 2009, 3 Idiots received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success and is considered to be among the greatest Bollywood films ever made.
Bajirao Mastani (2015)
The epic historical romance film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, stars Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra with Tanvi Azmi, Vaibhav Tatwawaadi, Milind Soman, Mahesh Manjrekar and Aditya Pancholi in supporting roles. Based on Nagnath S Inamdar’s Marathi novel Rau, Bajirao Mastani narrates the story of the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I (1700-1740 AD) and his second wife, Mastani. Bajirao Mastani won seven National Film Awards and nine Filmfare Awards. It became the 29th highest grossing Indian film of all time.
Padmaavat (2018)
The historical drama, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is based on the epic poem of the same name by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. It stars Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, a Rajput queen known for her beauty, wife of Maharawal Ratan Singh, played by Shahid Kapoor. Sultan Alauddin Khalji, played by Ranveer Singh, hears of her beauty and attacks her kingdom to enslave her. Despite not being released in some states of India, it grossed over Rs 585 crore ($73 million) at the box office, becoming a major commercial success and the 12th highest-grossing Indian film of all time. It won four Filmfare Awards and three National Film Awards.
