Here's a treat for all Bookmark fans! We think some of these Indian books deserve a fantastic movie adaptation. Go through our list and tell us if you agree or disagree. Alternatively, if you've got a BETTER suggestion... be sure to tell us why in the comment section!
(And no, one word answers don't count)
1. Fasting and Feasting by Anita Desai
Published in 1999, and shortlisted for the Booker Prize for fiction, Fasting and Feasting is a heart-warming book on family dynamics. Set between India and the United States, the stories are about Uma, a spinster living with her parents, and Arun, the youngest boy in the family who gets a chance to go to America. Filled with varying emotions of envy, anger and disappointment within the family, the film would give a great insight into the lives of Indian households obsessed with having a male child, and the neglect that women deal with in such homes.
2. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
Set in Calcutta, The Lowland is the story of two brothers, one who ends up embracing the Naxalite movement, while the other leaves India and moves to America in search of a better future. It is interesting to see age-old traditions clash with modern ideas in this story about love, politics and heartbreak.
3. Those Pricey Thakur Girls by Anuja Chauhan
Two years ago, we were presented with Dilli Wali Thakur Gurls, a T.V. serial version of Anuja Chauhan's book. However let's not even start on how utterly horrible the whole thing turned out to be. If a decent director is reading this, we'd suggest attempt number two where we stick to the actual storyline and try to bring out this super fun narrative on the big screen. Set in 1988, the book is based on the Thakur family, which includes a judge, his wife and their five daughters who, interestingly enough, are named alphabetically - Anjini, Binodini, Chandrakanta, Debjani and Eshwari. Set in the heart of Delhi, the book is a beautifully written description of a family who, despite their ups and downs, manage to make things work.
4. The Immortals by Amit Chaudhuri
Set in Bombay (this is set in the ‘80s, so we can get away with calling it Bombay), the book follows the story of Shyam Lal, a highly regarded voice teacher who teaches songs for a living. When sixteen-year-old Nirmalya Sengupta, (we can totally imagine Alia Bhatt here), walks into his class to study Indian classic music, all hell breaks loose. We think the story of Shyam and Nirmalaya, along with the classical music back notes (hello Bollywood), would be the perfect weekend watch.
5. Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar
The story starts with a young man renting a room on the top floor of a house in Pune. The kids of the tenants, a Marathi family, fall in love with the young man, who is described as this mysterious man with no family or friends. Brother and sister, Tanay and Anuja, dream of life with the strange man until he runs away with Anuja and creates havoc. We sense a great B-town story here.
Are your spidey senses tingling? Comment and tell us about your favourite book that should be made into a movie. Got more time? Tell us which actor should play the protagonists!