Literature has always influenced society in one way or the other. It does not come as a surprise when in the recent times, literary works are influencing a number of TV series. A host of shows running on Indian entertainment channels seem to be inspired by different works of literature. In the past R.K. Narayanan’s Malgudi Days has been a pleasure to watch, so has R.K. Laxman’s portrayal of the common man in Wagle Ki Duniya. And now, there are shows like Sanjog Se Bani Sangini (Devdas), Lapataganj (inspired by Sharad Joshi’s short stories), Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chasma and Keshav Pandit (adapted from a book with the same title by Ved Prakash).
Many people from the TV industry believe that literature mirrors society, but since many don’t get a chance to read, it is always good to spread the message through a more popular medium like TV.
Says Dharampal Dhiman, creative director of Sangini, “Literature is a beautiful medium to express emotions and when feelings get expressions, it becomes more powerful. When a show conveys the message of the book accurately, it’s always a delight to watch,” he says, adding that one should be careful while adapting the story.
Explaining his point further, talking about his show that is based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic Devdas, he says, “We have not lifted the plot completely from there but the novel became our inspiration. Our show is a more contemporary version otherwise it would not have interested the audience.”
Agrees Ashwani Dhir, the writer of the show Lapataganj. “It’s always important to strike the right chord with the audience. Since satirical works by authors like Harishankar Prasad and Sharad Joshi fascinate me, I took up the project. But while writing the story, instead of adapting it completely I try to make it simple for an easier interpretation,” says Dhir.
And it’s not only the literary plotline that the TV shows get inspired from, but even the titles hook many. Gunahon ka Devta on Imagine TV shares a similar title of a famous novel by Dharmveer Bharti. Saurabh Tewari, programming head, fiction, Imagine TV, says that the title of the book has fascinated him since he first read the book during his college days. “I suggested the title because it speaks a lot about the storyline of our show,” he says.
However, contrary to others, Saurabh thinks that adapting a literary work into a TV show is a task. “Since most of the soaps are daily, one tends to kill the original plotline to run the show. This doesn’t make sense. But one-episode shows based on short stories like Lapataganj are always welcomed,” he says.