Booked and Shot

Bollywood adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma hit the theatres recently. Christened “Aisha”, it met with rave reviews about the styling and clothes and not so hot feedback about the story, the screenplay, the dialogues etc.

I wanted to see the movie but it was an extremely busy, nerve-wrecking month at work and I didn't get the chance. So, now I will watch it on DVD sometime.

But it got me thinking about movie adaptations of books. Being a bookaholic, I generally find that movies do not live up to the book. In some cases, though, the movies make the book better.

So, I list here books that I thought were better as films and some which, I think, were unjustly treated by the filmmaker.

First, the good list:

Harry Potter 4, 5 and 6: 

I love JK Rowling’s world and the characters. But the fourth book onwards, I was seriously beginning to question where she was going with the story. Goblet of Fire had the endless Quidditch World Cup while Order of Phoenix and Half Blood Prince had some key characters being killed in what seemed like writer’s whimsy. The movie adaptations, on the other hand, got straight to the heart of the story. The amazing visual effects did not hurt either. Remember the underground lake sequence in the movie version of Half Blood Prince, where Dumbledore and Harry are standing on this slab of rock with a wild sea lashing around them? Breathtaking. Really.

Lord of the Rings Trilogy: 

I do not know how many people have read Tolkien’s epic work. It’s a fascinating world he creates but sometimes he gets so involved in the routine chores of Hobbits or the history of Middle Earth that he forgets that he is also telling a story. Peter Jackson’s movie adaptation, however, is flawless. From the stunning visuals shot in the harsh New Zealand winters to the wheezy, nasal tone of Gollum’s voice to Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn to the magnificence of Ents in an action sequence, the movies are a visual treat. The story is full of adventure and action, with nary the time to breathe between sequences. The tedium of endless descriptions that mar the book has been ruthlessly cut out of the movie. Three of the best fantasy movies I have ever seen.

Comedy of Errors: 

I have said this before. I am not very fond of Shakespeare. But Comedy of Errors is brought to hilarious life by Gulzar in Angoor. The movie, like the play, revolves around two sets of twins separated at birth and how when their paths unwittingly cross many years later, funny mayhem ensues. Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma are excellent in their respective double roles. If you have not watched the movie, you are missing out on a great weekend, time-pass movie.

Othello: 

It’s remarkable how some of the best Shakespearean adaptations are conceived and brought to stunning fruition by Indian directors. Vishal Bhardwaj, Gulzar’s protégé, created a gem in Omkara, an adaptation of Othello. A stellar ensemble cast ensured that the movie had great performances. Particularly memorable was Saif Ali Khan as Langda Tyagi, the Indian Iago. However, the true heroes of the movie were Vishal Bhardwaj’s story, direction and music. Set in the hinterland of North India, the film has the rustic twang and flavor in every dialogue, note and gesture.

Coming to movie adaptations that are most definitely not in my good books:

Pride and Prejudice: 

This book has perhaps spawned more adaptations, sequels, prequels and ancillary works than any other. It is also one of the greatest romances and my favourite book. That is why Gurinder Chaddha’s blasphemy named Bride and Prejudice made me really mad. Aishwarya Rai, one of the biggest non-actors we have, was cast as the vivacious Elizabeth Bennet. Rai looked haggard, listless and totally unsuited as the “not handsome enough to tempt” but intelligent and charming heroine of Austen’s masterpiece. A chatty Darcy and Indian Lydia’s snake dance must have had Ms. Austen turning in her grave. It was so bad that I had to get up in the middle of the movie. It makes the Keira Knightley version look like a work of art. Seriously, Ms. Chaddha, what were you thinking?

The Devil Wears Prada: 

Yeah, yeah, I know. The movie won great reviews. Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestley was sheer genius etc. etc. The book however, is far better. It captures the travails and tribulations of Andrea’s life in a more captivating manner. The dialogues are witty. The situations are humorous and poignant at the same time. While we all may not work at a big fashion magazine, don’t we all identify with Andrea’s helplessness, frustration and feeling of being permanently sapped? I know I do. Somehow, the movie did not make me feel the same. No doubt, Meryl Streep was amazing. The softly spoken words laced with heavy, authoritarian sarcasm that could cut you to pieces with such flair. The style diva with I-am-the-queen-of-all-I-survey attitude. That is why the slight smile of acknowledgement that Streep gives to Anne Hathaway / Andrea at the end seems so out of character and made me put the movie in this particular list.

Sense and Sensibility: 

Yet another Jane Austen novel that lost its essence on the silver screen. Emma Thompson as young Elinor Dashwood was something of a stretch. I have never understood the tendency of filmmakers to overlook the suitability of an actor to a role. Good acting skills are necessary but the actor also has to look the part. So, explain to me how Emma Thompson could play nineteen year old Elinor. Plus, her romance with Hugh Grant lacked chemistry. So, despite perfectly casting beautiful Kate Winslet as Marianne and Alan Rickman as the much older Colonel Brandon, the movie does not match up to the book.

The Bourne Identity: 

I am quite fond of Matt Damon but I do not quite see him as a deadly assassin who is the protagonist of Ludlum’s famous trilogy. Plus, the movie did not follow the book, taking one cinematic liberty too many and to someone who has read the book, it is quite disconcerting. So much so, I fruitlessly kept on trying to link the events in the book with the movie until I got fed up of the movie. Definitely a better book than movie.

Twilight: 

I have read the entire series. It starts with an interesting premise and degenerates into a near nonsensical, irritating and weird love triangle with a weirder climax. So, how difficult could it have been to better the book? Not too much, we can assume. But the movie fails. Let me count the reasons. One, Robert Pattinson’s make-up. He wore more of it than the entire female cast, including Kristen Stewart. Second, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s as the lead actors. He only stared out of a pasty white face and she cowered, cringed and stared back. There’s more to acting than that. Third, the real-life couple is completely devoid of any smouldering passion or spark on-screen. Stephanie Meyers’ best seller needed a sizzling onscreen couple. Well as sizzling a cold vampire can be. I actually preferred RPatz in the small role of Cedric Diggory in Goblet of Fire.

The Da Vinci Code: 

This is probably the only book for which Dan Brown would be remembered. It is riveting, informative, action packed and peopled with great characters. Robert Langdon is an unlikely and unconventional hero but he is likeable and believable (as an aside, I would not recommend the other two books that star him, especially The Lost Symbol). The movie adaptation has a rather unfit looking, middle aged Tom Hanks playing Langdon, who despite being in his mid-forties is quite athletic. Plus, the movie assumes that all its viewers would have had read the book. The screenplay was difficult to follow, with cryptic flashbacks and narrations. The discoveries and revelations which make the book fascinating looked cumbersome and labored on the silver screen. I was so disappointed with the movie that I skipped the big screen adaptation of the prequel,  Angels and Demons.

Little Women: 

The movie clubbed Alcott’s first novel about the March family with the second one, Good Wives, ending up with a mish mash of events that do no justice to this charming little saga. Winona Ryder as Jo march was a little too charming and pretty while Professor Bhaer looked too old (I maybe a little biased, since I  wanted her to marry Laurie). Somehow, the movie did not portray the quiet dignity, the simple joys and the delightful quirks of the Marches that we all know and love. 

Guide: 

You are puzzled, right? And you think I must have lost my marbles to put on this list Chetan Anand’s critically acclaimed masterpiece. The movie had timeless music, great story and the unlikely pair of Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman playing Raju, the titular guide and Rosie. So, why is this movie here? Simply because it fails to match the pathos and humour of RK Narayan’s lucid prose and storytelling. Raju of the book has my sympathy despite his betrayal of Rosie. Raju of the movie comes across as a scoundrel despite Rosie attempts to forgive him. Dev Anand with all his sauciness and charming ways somehow was not convincing enough as Raju.

There are books that I strongly disliked and therefore steered clear of their movie versions. Leading the pack is Chetan Bhagat’s One Night @ Call Centre. Its movie version is an atrocity called Hello. Since I found the book pretentious and amateurish, I did not care what the movie turned out to be like.

Then there are books which I found interesting despite not particularly liking the author’s pedantic ways. Midnight’s Children is one such book. I hear Deepa Mehta is working on a movie version of the same. I think the outcome would be quite intriguing to see. I am also looking forward to Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows, Part I & II.  Actually I can hardly wait for them.

On that note, I bid adieu. Until next time.

Characters in my Memory

I returned home early today and was thinking of what book should I spend this evening with. I pondered over an Amitav Ghosh, a short story collection and Great Expectations.  I finally decided to continue with The Idiot, which I have finished only half. As I picked up the book from my desk, another thought popped in my head: if I were to make a list of literary characters that have stayed with me over the years, who would feature in it.

So, I made a list (it’s not in any particular order) – some of them I always knew would make it but there were others that surprised me.

1.     Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice): In my humble opinion, theirs is the most romantic love story ever. It does not have the grandeur and tragedy of Romeo & Juliet. Or the passionate intensity of Cathy and Heathcliff’s saga. But Darcy and Elizabeth are real. You watch their love grow from a strong, mutual dislike into a strong bond. They are so different, yet so same. Quiet wit interlaced with the matrimonial ambitions of match making mamas provide a perfect backdrop to a love story that few characters in the book expected.

2.       Sidney Carter (A Tale of Two Cities): I had first read the book in abridged form when I was barely 13 years old. I read it unabridged only a couple of years back. As masterful Dickens’ description of the chaos called French Revolution is, even more beautiful is the characterization. Carter is an unlikely hero, an unsung lover. And his pain though never explicit, reaches out to the reader in subtle waves. His morals are always grey but his sacrifice true. He is, to my mind, Dickens’ greatest creation.

3.     Howard Roarke (The Fountainhead): Ayn Rand created a visionary in her landmark book. But more than the visionary, the man impressed me. He has principles and deep-rooted ideals but he also loves and feels. His relationship with Dominque, his love and Toohey, his antagonist remain with you as much as his speech on individualism in the courtroom.

4.     Michael Corleone (The Godfather): Michael Corleone and his father have inspired more movie portrayals than perhaps any other book characters of twentieth century – and in all shades and forms (from original The Godfather to the latest, Raajneeti). Don Corleone inspires awe and just a hint of fear. It is, however, Michael who evokes a larger palette of emotions in the readers – from sympathy to revulsion, admiration to disbelief. It is his transformation from a favourite son to the “Godfather” that makes this book a classic.

5.       Jo March (Little Women): Of all the March sisters, I wanted to be Jo, the most. She was smart, spunky, headstrong but responsible. Amy was the spoilt brat, Meg, the princess and Beth, the sweet invalid. Sometimes, I felt that she alone saw the March family through those difficult times. Now only if she had said “Yes” to Laurie!

6.     Jennifer Parker (Rage of Angels): One of the strongest Sidney Sheldon heroines. A woman who falls and rises again and again. A woman who suffers great personal losses, again and again, yet manages to walk away  the victor.

7.     William Kane (Kane and Abel): In the biblical stories, Cain is the first murderer. He kills his brother, Abel. But in the Jeffrey Archer classic, William Kane is a shrewd businessman with a heart of gold. The world sees Kane and Abel as archenemies, who spend their lives trying to destroy each other. It is only after William’s death that Abel discovers that Kane was the secret friend who had helped him in the most trying times. But even before Archer reveals this secret in the book, William Kane wins the epithet of the novel’s hero.

8.       Rebecca Luria (Acts of Faith): Not many people cite this Erich Segal book as one of his best. Predictably,  Love Story and The Class are considered to be his masterpieces. My favourite, however, is Acts of Faith. The very idea of love persevering and finally winning after 13 long years is, by itself, wondrous. Add to it, the conflict of faith, the politics of religion and the oh-so-familiar burden of great expectations and you have a page-turner. Timothy and Daniel are strong male protagonists but it is Rebecca who has to, arguably and like women in most places, overcome the most odds. She is the daughter of an extremely orthodox rabbi. She falls in love with a Christian boy, who decides to enter the Church. Her religion, her upbringing demand that she be docile and get married to the man her father has chosen. She decides to make her own path and becomes one of the few women rabbi of her time.

9.     Portia (Merchant of Venice): I have a confession to make. I have never liked Shakespeare. I would go one step further and commit blasphemy by saying that in my opinion, he is a tad overrated. But even I cannot deny the sheer magnetism and charisma of Portia’s personality. She towers head and shoulders above the men in her life – from husband Bassanio to the nearly doomed Antonio. She outwits a shrewd, sly and perhaps justly enraged Jew and in the process shows her man that she is the boss. Way to go, girl.

10.   Raju (The Guide): Very few Indian writers in English know the art of making India look beautiful. Fewer still know how to make it seem interesting and real without resorting to the descriptions of slums, hovels and the starving natives. R K Narayan was a master at both. The Guide, the book, is far better than the eponymous movie. It is the story of Raju, the guide and conman who becomes an unwitting saint to a drought-stricken village.  He is the soul of the book. Even when he is cheating on Rosie, you still keep hoping that he would redeem himself. Well, he does. Just not in the way you would normally expect.

11.   Hermione Granger (Harry Potter): Ms. Granger is a really interesting mix of caution and recklessness, prude and scandalous, practical and romantic. She exasperates and confuses Ron. She stands by Harry and solves half his problems. My favourite scene is where she punches Malfoy in The Prisoner of Azkaban. In Ron’s words, “That was bloody brilliant.”

12.   Scarlett O’ Hara (Gone with the Wind): The princess of Tara is not in the least likeable. But she is admirable. Her tenacity and will to survive make her a heroine. Her scheming mind and selfishness brand her a vamp. You never quite know what do you feel for her but you can never forget her.

There are plenty of other characters who come to mind but if I were to write about all, we would be sitting here seven days and seven nights. And I have a book and Richard Castle waiting. So, ciao and good night.