As I was idling on Social media over the weekend, I chanced upon this video of BR Chopra's interview with his younger brother Yash Chopra where he talks about the only remake in his lifetime - Dastan, which was a remake of his own movie Afsana. And that took me down the rabbit hole ...
As I researched more about Afsana, I discovered that it was a trend setter in many ways:
- first of 'double role' with identical twin brothers separated in childhood, an oft-used plot in Indian Cinema;
- second one of the first to use the international literature [notably its plot is inspired by The Corsican Brothers];
- and third, a pioneer in Film Noir category in Hindi cinema.
What impressed me is that the movies were so well integrated with what was happening on the global scene (even though adapted to the Indian audience). I set out to search more on this subject of how Indian cinema was inspired by literature and film making of the rest of the world. So let me take you through my ruminations and findings.
In 1951, a young B.R. Chopra was making his directorial debut with "Afsana," a film that would not only launch his illustrious career but also establish a trend that would become synonymous with Indian popular cinema – the double role. The film was initially offered to the legendary Dilip Kumar, but the actor declined the opportunity, instead suggesting that an 'older' actor should play the role, paving way for Ashok Kumar to step into what would become one of his most memorable performances, playing the dual role of twin brothers Ratan and Chaman.
Twenty years later, in 1972, Dilip Kumar's regret over declining "Afsana" had grown so profound that he approached B.R. Chopra with a request to remake the film. This request led to the creation of "Dastaan," a scene-by-scene recreation of the original, with Dilip Kumar finally essaying the role that had haunted him for two decades.
The transformation between these two versions reveals the evolution not just of Indian cinema, but of storytelling sensibilities themselves. "Afsana" was crafted as a serious dramatic thriller, embodying all the characteristics of classic film noir with its dark atmosphere, moral ambiguity, and psychological complexity. The film dealt with themes of mistaken identity, moral conflicts, and the consequences of past actions in a manner that reflected the noir tradition's exploration of the human psyche's darker recesses.
Film noir, a genre that emerged in the shadows of World War II, represents one of cinema's most psychologically complex movements. The term, meaning "black film" in French, was coined by critics who recognized a new darkness permeating American cinema of the 1940s. This movement was characterized by high-contrast lighting that created stark divisions between light and shadow, serving as visual metaphors for the moral ambiguity that defined its characters. The influence of German Expressionism, brought to Hollywood by European filmmakers fleeing the war, created a visual language where oblique camera angles and unbalanced compositions mirrored the moral instability of the narratives.
The archetypal figures of film noir – the morally ambiguous anti-hero, the seductive yet dangerous femme fatale, and the corrupt authority figure – populated stories that questioned the very foundations of justice and morality. Classic examples like "The Maltese Falcon," where private detective Sam Spade navigates a web of deceit surrounding a valuable statuette, or "Double Indemnity," with its tale of insurance fraud and murder born from fatal attraction, established templates that would influence filmmaking for decades.
In "The Big Sleep," Philip Marlowe's investigation through layers of corruption and "Out of the Past," with its fatalistic tale of doomed lovers and inescapable destiny, film noir created a cinematic language for exploring the complexity of human nature and the shadows that lurk within seemingly civilized society. These films shared common themes of betrayal, the corrupting influence of greed, and the question of whether individuals can truly escape their past – themes that would resonate across cultures and inspire filmmakers worldwide.
However, when B.R. Chopra remade "Afsana" as "Dastaan", the treatment underwent a change. While maintaining the same basic plot structure, "Dastaan" incorporated substantial comedic elements, apparently on Dilip Kumar's wishes, shifting the tone from the original's serious film noir atmosphere to a comedy-drama-thriller hybrid. This tonal shift reflected the changing sensibilities of 1970s Indian cinema, where audiences increasingly embraced films that combined multiple genres within a single narrative framework.
But irony of this transformation was not lost on critics or audiences. While "Afsana" had been a major commercial and critical success that established B.R. Chopra's reputation, "Dastaan" became a commercial dud, marking Dilip Kumar's first significant flop in years. The remake also demonstrated that recreating past success, even with superior star power and the same creative team, is far from guaranteed when the cultural and artistic context has shifted.
The double role tradition that "Afsana" helped establish has deep roots in the history of cinema. Surprisingly, the very first double role in Indian cinema dates back to the silent era with "Lanka Dahan" (1917), where Anna Salunke played both Lord Rama and Sita in this early work by Dadasaheb Phalke. However, this 'double role' was only meant to conform to the social necessities of the era where women were not allowed to act in drama, let alone in movies.
The proper 'double-role' concept for twin brother narratives in Indian cinema can be traced to "Nishan" (1949), directed by S.S. Vasan and inspired by Alexandre Dumas's "The Corsican Brothers". This adaptation marked the beginning of a long relationship between Indian cinema and the works of the French literary giant, whose exploration of themes like honor, revenge, and family bonds resonated deeply with Indian storytelling traditions.
"The Corsican Brothers," published by Dumas in 1844, tells the story of conjoined twin brothers Louis and Lucien de Franchi, who are surgically separated at birth but maintain a mysterious psychic connection throughout their lives. The narrative explores the tragic consequences of the vendetta culture in Corsica, with themes of loyalty, family honor, and the cyclical nature of violence and revenge. The story's blend of romance, adventure, and tragedy, set against the backdrop of Corsican traditions, provided a rich source for adaptation that could be easily transplanted to different cultural contexts.
Indian cinema's engagement with Dumas extended beyond "The Corsican Brothers." Various adaptations drew inspiration from his other works, including "The Count of Monte Cristo," one of literature's greatest tales of betrayal, imprisonment, and elaborate revenge. Specifically 'Jeevan Mrityu' (Hindi, 1970) was loose adaptation of 'The Count of Monte Cristo', while 1954 Tamil 'Karkottai' and Kannada 'Jaladurga' were direct adaptations. The story's themes of justice perverted and ultimately restored, the corrupting influence of power, and the moral complexities of revenge have made it one of the most adapted novels in cinema history as there are several Hollywood adaptations of the novel as well, the most recent being in 2002.
The influence of European literature on Indian cinema represents just one facet of a larger phenomenon – the cross-cultural migration of stories across the globe. Bollywood has created unique adaptations of European works that Hollywood has never directly filmed, while Hollywood has adapted Indian novels that have never received Bollywood treatment.
Indian adaptations of european literature include films like "Tere Mere Sapne" (1971), based on A.J. Cronin's "The Citadel", "Lootera" (2013), inspired by O. Henry's "The Last Leaf", Aisha (2010) based on "Emma" by Jane Austen, Raincoat (2004) based on "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, Raat Aur Din (1967) based on "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, Saawariya (2007) based on "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and finally Angoor (1982) based on "The Comedy of Errors" by William Shakespeare. These movies adapt the universal themes in the source material to Indian cultural lenses.
Conversely, Hollywood's direct adaptations of Indian literature include "The White Tiger" (2021) based on Aravind Adiga's novel, 'Victoria & Abdul' adapted from Shrabani Basu’s book "Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant", 'Lion' based on Saroo Brierley’s memoir "A Long Way Home", 'The Namesake' based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s acclaimed novel, and of course, 'Slumdog Millionaire' adapted from Vikas Swarup’s novel "Q & A". Hollywood adaptations often approach these stories from an outsider's perspective, creating interpretations that emphasize different aspects than Indian filmmakers might highlight.
While we talk of Hollywood adaptations, one notable mention is "Life of Pi" - adapted into a critically acclaimed Hollywood film directed by Ang Lee - is based on Yann Martel’s novel, an international work with references to Indian culture. And finally, one of the most deserving mentions, probably the only production from Bollywood meant simultaneously for Hollywood audiences - "Guide" (1965), based on R.K. Narayan’s novel - a groundbreaking film that remains uniquely Indian in its cultural representation but also uniquely modern, universal and western in its outlook.
As we continue to live in an increasingly connected world, the cross-pollination of stories between different film industries and cultural traditions will likely accelerate. I am also hoping to see more Hollywood adaptations of Indian literature, but more so with the Anime, K-drama and K-pop popularity rising in India, more collaborative projects spanning across Bollywood, Hollywood, Indian regional cinema, European, Chinese, Japanese, Korean cinema and so on.
Btw for the uninitiated 'English Babu Desi Mem' is the name of an Hindi movie from 1996 - with a plot and film making style not worthy of being mentioned in this blog post on classics!
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