I know only snobs say, ‘But the book is better than the movie’ and I know we hate them. Although, to be fair, they are not completely wrong. The book is almost always better than the movie. This Julian Barnes quote explains why that is: “Books say: She did this because. Life says: She did this. Books are where things are explained to you.”
The same is true with movies. Movies like life have a time constraint. So, naturally insightful thoughts either get cut or lost in translation. So here is a list of movies paired with books, which explain better what the movie tried to convey in the limited time.
Amaravathi or Anasuya directed by Ravi babu – Red Dragon/ The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris: If you liked the ambience Ravi babu created with these two psychological thrillers, then you will like the books that created the character Hannibal Lectre who is presumably the inspiration behind the villains in those two movies.
Oye directed by Anand Ranga – A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks: Losing someone you love is never a bearable thing and losing him/her to an illness is all the more painful. If you connected with the subtle pain that Siddharth’s character portrays in the second half of the movie, you will definitely appreciate this book that travels through the same path.
Satyam directed by Surya Kiran – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Misunderstandings are inevitable in any love story, but to watch a story unravel because of miscommunication is painful to watch. If you are into that kind of mental torture, then Austen’s book is the mother of misunderstandings and pregnant pauses.
Yevade Subramanyam directed by Nag Ashwin – Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: “Happiness only real when shared” writes Christopher, the protagonist of the book, in his journal and that is the exact same thing Rishi from the movie says to Subramanyam. If you are someone like Rishi who has nomadic inclinations then you will appreciate this book and its insights.
Aditya 369 directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao – The Time Machine by H.G. Wells: Long before Balakrishna decided to exclusively make ‘bombastic’ movies, he starred in gems like this one. Time travel is a fun thing to fantasize about, because why not?!, and most of us are intrigued when this topic gets discussed. So it might be a fun pastime to read the book that has been cited as THE book that popularized time travel as a subject material for books and movies alike.
Business Man directed by Puri Jaganadh – Black Friday by Hussain Zaidi/Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil: We all adore Mahesh babu, so we did not protest much when he said that Mafia is a good thing. But a ‘milky’ boy does not run the real mafia. Naaaah. You don’t trust me? Then read either of these books that discusses the underworld and its demons.
Geetanjali directed by Mani Ratnam – The Fault in our Stars by John Green: Like I said, a person dying is never fun to watch, unless you are a psychopath that is. But Geetanjali manages to be funny and romantic while still being innately sad and the same goes with the book. The movie proves that Mani Ratnam can turn anything into romance, even death. John Green is no less; he takes dying teenagers and creates a romance around it. Sounds twisted, right? No, it’s bitter sweet. Go read.
Gamyam directed by Krish – On the Road by Jack Kerouac: Traveling, for whatever might the reason be, changes you, and when you travel with someone who is different from you, then that’s just fantastic. Companionship of a man who is flawed but kind and open to life changed the protagonist’s worldview. If you are one of those people who never understood a traveller’s passion, then read this book.
*Friendly Warning: If you hate the beat generation then stay away from this book.
Asta Chemma directed by Mohan Krishna Indraganti – The Importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: Who can forget the movie that introduced us actors like Nani and Avasarala. If you loved this exceptional film then read this play by Wilde, on which the movie is based, because his style of humor is something that cannot be missed.
Raju Rani directed by Atlee – P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern: I know it’s a dubbed movie, but we all loved it just the same. If watching someone you love die is painful, imagine having to move on after they leave. Even though the movie deals with this briefly, the book is all about it. Sounds like a tearjerker, doesn’t it? Well I am not going to lie, it is. Read through the tears, it’s really enjoyable.
Oye directed by Anand Ranga – A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks: Losing someone you love is never a bearable thing and losing him/her to an illness is all the more painful. If you connected with the subtle pain that Siddharth’s character portrays in the second half of the movie, you will definitely appreciate this book that travels through the same path.
Satyam directed by Surya Kiran – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Misunderstandings are inevitable in any love story, but to watch a story unravel because of miscommunication is painful to watch. If you are into that kind of mental torture, then Austen’s book is the mother of misunderstandings and pregnant pauses.
Yevade Subramanyam directed by Nag Ashwin – Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: “Happiness
Aditya 369 directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao – The Time Machine by H.G. Wells: Long before Balakrishna decided to exclusively make ‘bombastic’ movies, he starred in gems like this one. Time travel is a fun thing to fantasize about, because why not?!, and most of us are intrigued when this topic gets discussed. So it might be a fun pastime to read the book that has been cited as THE book that popularized time travel as a subject material for books and movies alike.
Business Man directed by Puri Jaganadh – Black Friday by Hussain Zaidi/Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil: We all adore Mahesh babu, so we did not protest much when he said that Mafia is a good thing. But a ‘milky’ boy does not run the real mafia. Naaaah. You don’t trust me? Then read either of these books that discusses the underworld and its demons.
Geetanjali directed by Mani Ratnam – The Fault in our Stars by John Green: Like I said, a person dying is never fun to watch, unless you are a psychopath that is. But Geetanjali manages to be funny and romantic while still being innately sad and the same goes with the book. The movie proves that Mani Ratnam can turn anything into romance, even death. John Green is no less; he takes dying teenagers and creates a romance around it. Sounds twisted, right? No, it’s bitter sweet. Go read.
Gamyam directed by Krish – On the Road by Jack Kerouac: Traveling, for whatever might the reason be, changes you, and when you travel with someone who is different from you, then that’s just fantastic. Companionship of a man who is flawed but kind and open to life changed the protagonist’s worldview. If you are one of those people who never understood a traveller’s passion, then read this book.
*Friendly Warning: If you hate the beat generation then stay away from this book.
Asta Chemma directed by Mohan Krishna Indraganti – The Importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: Who can forget the movie that introduced us actors like Nani and Avasarala. If you loved this exceptional film then read this play by Wilde, on which the movie is based, because his style of humor is something that cannot be missed.
Raju Rani directed by Atlee – P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern: I know it’s a dubbed movie, but we all loved it just the same. If watching someone you love die is painful, imagine having to move on after they leave. Even though the movie deals with this briefly, the book is all about it. Sounds like a tearjerker, doesn’t it? Well I am not going to lie, it is. Read through the tears, it’s really enjoyable.
