Great stories from books retold in Bollywood films

Aisha (2010) was inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma. Set in the world of Delhi’s elite, it offered a stylish reinterpretation of classic matchmaking tales. Although reception was mixed, the film highlighted how timeless English literature can be retold in a contemporary Indian setting, balancing tradition with fashion and youth centric storytelling.

Badlapur (2015), starring Varun Dhawan, took inspiration from Massimo Carlotto’s Italian novel Death’s Dark Abyss. The revenge drama stood out for its gritty realism, moral complexities and emotional intensity. It showed how global literature could be moulded into a raw, hard-hitting Bollywood narrative, redefining mainstream expectations from commercial thrillers in India.

Devdas (2002), adapted from Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic Bengali novel, remains one of the most iconic love stories in Indian cinema. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s version combined opulent sets, memorable music and powerful performances, retelling the tragic tale of unfulfilled love. It proved once again why Devdas has endured across generations of adaptations.

Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966) brought Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights into an Indian cultural landscape. The stormy passion of Heathcliff and Catherine was mirrored in Dilip Kumar and Waheeda Rehman’s characters. Its timeless themes of love, revenge and obsession demonstrated how Western literary classics could seamlessly adapt into Bollywood storytelling traditions.

Maqbool (2004), directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, brilliantly reimagined Shakespeare’s Macbeth within Mumbai’s underworld. With outstanding performances by Irrfan Khan and Tabu, the film explored ambition, betrayal and doomed love. Its nuanced storytelling highlighted how Shakespeare’s universal themes transcend time and geography, cementing the film as one of Bollywood’s finest literary adaptations.