Book-to-screen adaptation is a trend that has been going strong over the past few years. One of the joys of a book being made into a film is seeing those characters come alive. It's as if our imagination is being given a space to become reality. While some bibliophiles love watching their favourite characters from books come alive on the big screen, others hate the changes made to the original story.
In a session at the Times LitFest 2023, popular Indian authors and screenwriters including Anand Neelakantan, Ravinder Singh, Novoneel Chakraborty in conversation with author and member judge at the Consumer Forum, Harshali Singh discussed this booming phenomenon in length.
Moderating the session, Harshali put forth her first question to all three panelists. “What has been the journey like, from a published author to an established name, that studios want to take your books to screen even before you put your pen to paper?,” Harshali asked.
To this, Ravinder Singh replied, “Nobody has reached out to me before I've started writing a book. So I’m not in that fame clout. But to see interest from production houses when they make enquiry, it feels that beyond the world of my readers there is a different world who could become my consumer in a different format. I see myself as a creator but when I’m writing a book I don the hat of an author. When I’m writing as an author, from director to actor-- I’m everything. But when my book is being adapted somebody else takes the limelight. I’m a very egoistic person as a writer. I don't want big stars to work on adaptations from my book."
While Anand Neelakantan said, “It has been a 360 degrees process where the story comes from films to books and back to OTT shows. For some of my upcoming books, I’ve reserved the rights. Those books will come after they’ve been released on OTT. It's like I'm trying to integrate watching and reading."
Novoneel Chakraborty, who’s an author and scriptwriter for TV and original web shows, too shared his views on it. “My experience had been both good and bad after four of my books being adapted and two on floor right now. My high is when a filmmaker comes to me and proposes a vision for my book; that's quite a thing to ask for because half of the times people in the industry and production don’t even read the book. The moment the book is being adapted the role of the author ends there. It becomes someone else’s child," he said.
Next Harshali asked them about the key ingredients needed in a book for it to be adapted for the big screen or OTT. To this, Novoneel said that he feels there are no key ingredients that he can define. Formulas and ingredients are picked up from what's working, he shared.
While Anand said, “When I write stories for myself, I write novels. When I’m going as a screenplay writer, I’m working for the director. I’ve written more for screen than books. All books cannot be adapted, there are only certain kinds of books that can be adapted. Good stories that can be visually told tend to get adapted. What appeals to directors is the visual way you’re looking at it." Agreeing to this Ravinder said, “The book has to be visually adaptable. But the beauty is in the perspective. One might like it, one might not. The director or the filmmaker should have a vision to make that story, which is a good story to read, a good story to watch.”
The authors also discussed about the role of an author in the adaptation process and the rise in OTT platforms and their effects on creative content.
“With the advent of OTT things have changed for the better. At least production houses are looking at books because they need fleshed out stories. It has slightly taken the spotlight to published books which was completely missing before,” said Novoneel.
(Byline: Devanshi Batra)
