Indian cinema has earned a reputation for being a vibrant canvas where creativity, emotion, and powerful storytelling come together. In this article, you will explore 10 Indian movies inspired by books and discover how literature shaped some of the industry’s most unforgettable films. While Bollywood and other Indian film industries often receive praise for their original scripts, many viewers feel surprised when they learn that books inspired several iconic movies.
This pattern did not appear suddenly. Indian filmmakers began adapting novels in the 1970s, and the tradition continues to grow even today. Books offer rich characters, emotional depth, and well-structured plots. Meanwhile, films bring these stories to the masses through visuals, acting, and music. When both art forms combine, they create a unique kind of cinematic magic.
So, let’s dive into 10 Indian movies inspired by books and see how each story transformed from the page to the screen.
Table Of Contents
- Five Point Someone: What not to do on IIT (3 Idiots):
- Emma (Aisha):
- Susanna's Seven Husbands (7 Khoon Maaf):
- The Last-Leaf (Lootera):
- Saraswatichandra (Saraswatichandra):
- Karachi You Are Killing Me (Noor):
- Q&A (Slumdog Millionaire):
- The Three Mistakes of my life (Kai Po Che):
- Parineeta (Parineeta):
- The Guide (Guide):
Five Point Someone: What not to do on IIT (3 Idiots):
3 Idiots remains one of the most loved Indian movies inspired by books. The film comes from Chetan Bhagat’s 2004 novel Five Point Someone, which sold more than a million copies worldwide. The story became so popular that the Tamil film Nanban also drew inspiration from it.
The movie follows two major storylines. First, it focuses on three boys who constantly push back against the strict education system and the pressure it creates. Second, it explores the romance between one of the boys and the professor’s daughter. These combined elements created a narrative that connected deeply with students across the country.
Emma (Aisha):
Aisha stands out as one of the most appreciated Indian movies inspired by books. Many viewers loved its modern charm, and even today people return to it for its fresh energy. However, only a few realize that the film directly adapts Emma, the famous novel written by Jane Austen.
Jane Austen published Emma in 1815, and the book quickly earned attention as a “Comedy of Manners.” It highlights social expectations, class differences, and the everyday struggles of upper-class women in England. Moreover, Austen created a witty and independent heroine who constantly misreads the world around her. Because of this, the story offers both humor and emotional depth.
In the Bollywood version, the plot moves into an Indian setting. Yet the film still preserves the original themes of relationships, social pressure, and personal growth. In addition, the stylish presentation makes the story appealing to a younger audience. Ultimately, Aisha transforms Austen’s world into a modern, relatable narrative while keeping the heart of the novel alive.
Susanna's Seven Husbands (7 Khoon Maaf):
7 khoon maaf is another Indian movie that has its origin in literature. This was a novel or you can say a short story written by Ruskin Bond initially it was a 4 page short story which was later extended to 80 page novel. Vishal Bhardwaj (Director of 7 Khoon Maaf) wrote the script getting inspired from this book.
This movie was a massive success and the public really enjoyed it, the film even got 2 filmfare awards for best actress (critics) and best playback singer.
The Last-Leaf (Lootera):
A handful of individuals are aware that the lovely 2013 movie Lootera was inspired by O. Henry’s short story The Last Leaf published in 1907. The director Vikramaditya Motwane drew the character of Pakhi Roy almost entirely from O. Henry’s narrative while on the other hand, Nandu was a character born out of the director’s imagination.
The film didn’t just get good reviews for its direction, screenplay, and emotional storytelling but also for its music, which was the most significant factor in this case. Even today, the audience listens to the songs because of their calming and classic nature.
Saraswatichandra (Saraswatichandra):
The television series Saraswatichandra from 2013 is a memory for many viewers, but a very few people are aware of the fact that a movie of the same name from 1968 was the original source. Both gracing the stage of the same Gujarati novel penned by Govardhanram Tripathi. The publication was in four stages between the years 1887, 1892, 1898, and 1901.
The timeline of the narrative is set in Gujarat, 19th-century, and it very soon became a classic of Gujarati literature. It was a delight not only for the people in Gujarat but also for the whole of India. Its popularity was such that it led to several adaptations in the form of theater productions and even radio plays.
The influence of this novel is such that not a single book to date has been able to replace its position in Gujarati literature. The movie Saraswatichandra is one of the classic Indian movies that were inspired by literature.
Karachi You Are Killing Me (Noor):
In the year 2014, a novelist from Pakistan named Saba Imtiaz published a book titled “Karachi You Are Killing Me” which got a lot of critical praise and turned out to be one of the best-selling books in Pakistan.
Moreover, in 2017 an Indian film whose theme was taken from the book titled “Noor” was produced wherein the issues in the novel faced in Karachi were swapped with Mumbai.
Sonakshi Sinha played the main role in the film, but it was opposite to the novel that the movie did not do well at the box office.
Q&A (Slumdog Millionaire):
The film Slumdog Millionaire, which is a main worldwide winner, is based on the book Q&A written by Vikas Swarup.This movie has gained the widest international acclaim among the ten Indian films based on books.
The plot revolves around a young hostel worker who becomes the winner of a huge quiz show but gets caught up in the middle of a cheating case. He recalls, through flashbacks, how the various events of his life were the key to unlocking the questions.
The movie adaptation became very famous around the world and won eight Oscar Awards the most for any 2008 film—which includes Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Also it got seven BAFTA Awards including Best Film, five Critics’ Choice Awards and four Golden Globes.
The Three Mistakes of my life (Kai Po Che):
Chetan Bhagat’s book The Three Mistakes of My Life has been the source of inspiration for the film Kai Po Che! The plot revolves around the three inseparable friends’ aspirations and hardships in Ahmedabad. The mix of the aforementioned elements was done through the lens of business, politics, and personal development.
Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao, and Amit Sadh were all tremendous actors. The movie, therefore, got both critical acclaim and high box-office collections. Though it had a production cost of just 25 crores, it made almost 70 crores in India. The music score, particularly “Shubharambh,” was the main reason for the song’s popularity during the festival of Navratri.
Parineeta (Parineeta):
Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay penned the novel Parineeta in the year 1914. Subsequently, it was the same story that gave rise to the 2005 Bollywood film with the same name, which featured Vidya Balan and Saif Ali Khan starring in the lead roles.
The plot is set in Calcutta and revolves around love, social stratification and psychological conflict.
The book won remarkable acclaim in Bengali literature and it was translated into a number of Indian languages. The film was able to maintain the emotional tone of the book hence Parineeta became one of the most loyal Indian films based on literature.
The Guide (Guide):
The Guide, an English novel written by R.K. Narayan, was published in 1958 and, with its leading pair of actors Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman, became the basis for the movie.
The story is about Raju, a tourist guide who at last changes his life from being a sinner to that of a saint. The book earned him Narayan the Sahitya Akademi Award.
The film also got immense popularity. The music score for the movie, especially the song “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai”, has been and still is one of the best of all times. The film, just like the book, remains a highly valued part of Indian cultural history.
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FAQ
Some well-known Indian movies inspired by books include 3 Idiots, Kai Po Che!, Parineeta, Guide, Slumdog Millionaire, Aisha, Lootera, and 7 Khoon Maaf.
Several movies are based on his novels:
3 Idiots → Five Point Someone
Kai Po Che! → The Three Mistakes of My Life
2 States → 2 States (not in this list but also inspired)
Hello → One Night @ the Call Center
Movies like Parineeta (Bengali literature) and Saraswatichandra (Gujarati literature) are adapted from iconic Indian novels.
Not always. Filmmakers often change characters, scenes, or endings to make the story more suitable for cinema, but they try to retain the essence of the book.