7 Movie Adaptations Of Literary Classics That Should Be On Your Watch List
Whether you love reading books or not, reading old classics is not everyone’s cup of tea. From the ancient-sounding prose to the outdated setting, it can be hard to relate to the story at times, despite how well-loved it is.
MORE: Bollywood Movies Adapted From Foreign Literature
But these are stories that are loved for the most part, which is why there have been many attempts at adapting these old classics to the big screen, with hits like Romeo and Juliet and Pride and Prejudice. And while some adaptations don’t take too much creative license, there are others that take the original story and present them in a modern setting, with modern problems. Here are some of our favourite modern-day adaptations of popular classics…
10 Things I Hate About You movie still
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
This highly acclaimed rom-com has been adapted from William Shakespeare’s comedy Taming of the Shrew. The high-on-wit dialogue and swoon-worthy romantic moments (including the enduring memory of Heath Ledger serenading Julia Stiles in front of the entire school) have ensured that the movie has gained the status of a classic on its own. The movie is set in a high school where Cameron (a very young Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants to date popular girl Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). The only problem? Bianca’s dad won’t allow her to date anyone until her anti-social older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) also goes on a date. Enter tough-as-nails mysterious boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) who agrees to take Kat out on a date if Cameron pays him. Cue romance and angst.
Watch it on Disney+ Hotstar
She's All That movie still
She’s All That (1999)
George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmallion has been adapted more than a couple of times, most notably with the classic My Fair Lady (1964) starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. This modern-day adaptation is set in a high school and stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook. After getting cheated on by his girlfriend, popular jock Zack makes a bet with his friends that he would turn awkward and anti-social student Laney into the most popular girl in school and the next prom queen.
Watch it on Netflix
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Maqbool (2004)
In this adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the Late icon Irrfan Khan stars as the titular conflicted hero who works as a henchman for an underworld don (Pankaj Kapur). He is secretly in love with his boss’ mistress (Tabu), who instigates him to murder the don and take over his place as the next leader. The film garnered high critical acclaim at the time of its release and was also screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
Watch it on Disney+ Hotstar
Clueless movie still
Clueless (1995)
The OG high school queen bee Cher comes from this modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel Emma, this time set in sunny Beverly Hills. In the movie, popular high-schooler Cher (Alicia Silverstone) befriends a new student (Brittany Murphy) and decides to give her a makeover and improve her social ranking in the school. While well-intentioned, not all her best laid plans end well. The Jane Austen classic has also been adapted as the Bollywood movie Aisha (2010), which starred Sonam Kapoor.
Watch it on YouTube
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Omkara (2006)
This adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello features a star-studded cast, including Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vivek Oberoi, and Bipasha Basu. The story follows the betrayal of Omkara’s right-hand man Langda Tyagi, who feels slighted after not benign selected as the successor to the gang leader’s position. The goon plots to make Omkara believe that his wife is having a secret affair with the new successor Kesu and get his revenge. Like Bhardwaj’s other classic adaptations, this one garnered huge critical acclaim and swept awards for the cast and crew.
Watch it on JioCinema
Still from She's the Man
She’s the Man (2006)
This movie takes the inherent gender-bending aspect of Shakespeare’s original play head on by staying true to the OG. This adaptation of the Bard’s Twelfth Night stars Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum as high school soccer players. Viola (Bynes) pretends to be her brother to enter a new boarding school so that she could play in their soccer team. What she doesn’t account for is falling in love with her roommate and soccer team captain Duke (Tatum) who thinks she’s a man.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video
Haider movie still
Haider (2014)
Vishal Bhardwaj continued his quest to complete his trilogy of Shakespeare adaptations with this Shahid Kapoor and Tabu-starrer, Haider. In this haunting take on Hamlet, the director explores the rising insurgency and violence in Kashmir. Haider (Kapoor) returns to Kashmir to investigate his father’s mysterious disappearance and the involvement of his uncle (Kay Kay Menon) in it. The critically acclaimed movie also stars Shraddha Kapoor and Irrfan Khan.
Watch it on Netflix
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