TV adaptations
A very different blog post. I’ve been reading and watching book adaptations. Not Great Expectations, BBC One, but other books.
Because of the pandemic, many of us switched to the streaming services provided by Amazon Prime and Netflix. You’ve probably watched many mini series and didn’t even know that they were a book adaptation.
Here’s a list of some of my favourite books and recent TV adaptations.
Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng
This is Going to Hurt - Adam Kay
Anatomy of a Scandal - Sarah Vaughan
Persuasion - Jane Austen
And if you like fantasy dramas, my favourite is The Witcher - Andrzej Sapkowski. For historical fantasy adventure set in 1700 Scotland its Outlander - Diana Gabaldon and finally for a fix of Regency dramas, Bridgerton - Julia Quinn.
So when I heard that Daisy Jones and The Six was screening on Prime Video, I rushed to read the book before watching the series.
Image created on Canva, click to read the full Goodreads Review
Book Reviews
Book Blurb
For a while, Daisy Jones & The Six were everywhere. Their albums were on every turntable, they sold out arenas from coast to coast, their sound defined an era. And then, on 12 July 1979, they split.
Nobody ever knew why. Until now.
Daisy Jones & The Six Book Review - Goodreads
‘Jenkins Reid has a knack for immersing you into an era, and this brought back memories of being a teenager, the burning need to find out fresh revelations from your favourite band, it had a bit of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks history behind it.’
Read the rest by clicking on the graphic above.
Here’s my comparison with the TV adaptation, firstly the casting was excellent, just as I imagined the characters, excellent choice of actors, including Teddy Price.
The TV series explored a bigger theme of parental neglect and drug dependence. It examined Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) and how this formed their adult life. And adding those scenes and the additional scenes really helped to understand why Daisy and Billy sought each other out for comfort and reassurance. Personally, this adaptation felt far superior to the book, because it felt like there was a collaboration with the author, Taylor Jenkins Reid and the screenwriter. I loved both Daisy and Camila in this, although it felt less like the love affair Billy had for his wife from the book. The ending felt so much better to me. The book did not convince me of Camila’s influence on Daisy's decision to leave. This ending was much better and adding Billy and Daisy reunion was the best way to create a HFN. Hopefully, another series will come from this and we explore the double act of Daisy and Billy or even a reunion tour. I loved the whole ‘70s rock band vibe and the chemistry between Riley and Sam really catapulted the series into a must watch forbidden love trope. I’m even listening to the playlist, another favourite in my Spotify account.
Image: Unsplash
Why films are an important part of my life.
As the 25th anniversary of the UK Asian Film Festival approaches I thought I’d explain why films have been an important aspect of my life. Ever since I can remember, I’ve gone to the cinema to watch not only Saturday morning kids' club films at the Odeon but also Saturday evening/Sunday matinee watching of Indian Cinema, with songs that told of emotions but also entertained. There is a magic that draws me to the moving picture, to songs and dance numbers. Perhaps it’s because we had a black-and-white TV in our living room, when most people didn’t. Perhaps it was the Hollywood musical that filled up so much of the TV schedule. Perhaps there is an undeniable link in my DNA for music.
Recently I’ve been researching and reading about early Indian cinema for a book I’m planning, so when someone in the UK Asian Film Festival’s Film Wallah group recommended Jubilee, Prime Video. I thought I’d watch, and it did not disappoint.
Jubilee - Prime Video
If you watched Sardar Udham (Shoojit Sircar, 2021) and Gangubai Kathiawadi (Sanjay Leela Bansali, 2022), you’ll recognise the set.
This is a story of the beginning of the Indian film industry, focusing on Roy Talkies, a film studio looking for the next hot superstar to compete against Dilip Kumar, there are plenty of mention of film-makers and as for the story, there are shady dealings, love, ambition and a partition story.
The writing is excellent, each episodic break leaving the viewer wanting more. The story has multiple layers, revealing the conflict displacement with refugees in Mumbai and Jay Khanna. There’s the impact of the cold war with Russia and the USA on the Indian Film Industry. We see meticulous details, the lifestyle of the film stars, the affairs, the piracy, the evolution of technology and the politics of the money men and their scheming. The writing draws you into the lives of the characters. Rooting for Jay to find a place in new India, grieving with Sumitra as she searches for the whereabouts of her lover, Jamshed, hoping that Binod succeeds as Madan Kumar, watching Srikanth Roy as he continues to stay at the top with Roy Talkies, and Niloufer’s transition from a courtesan to a film star. All five actors who take up screen time provide a stellar performance expected on a big screen.
What I found most interesting was the mention of historical events that influenced the development of what we now classify as Bollywood. If you know anything about filmmaking in the early years. The cameras were enormously loud contraptions and made a lot of noise and in early talkies, the dialogue was dubbed in a sound booth.
Watch the Jazz Singer (Alan Crosland, 1927) to truly understand the constraint. I loved how they showed the introduction of playback singers in the ‘50s. Before that, many of the actors in Indian cinema sang as well, stars like Madhubala, Noor Jehan, Vyjayanthimala, Meena Kumari, and Kishore Kumar, who switched to playback singing. A lot of that was because of the travelling plays from Hindu scriptures that told stories in verse.
As for cinematography, it is more suited to the big screen than watching on a device, all of it artistically outstanding. Often, historical cinema in Bollywood falls short on research with costumes and setting, but Jubilee has surpassed expectations. The production aesthetic is in keeping with the ‘40s era, with the sets, costumes, and dialogue sticking closely to the era. Even the soundtrack composed by Amit Trivedi is hauntingly reminiscent of Sahir Ludhianvi/SD Burman and Shakeel Badayuni/Nausadh partnership. Evergreen songs that are still listened to for their musicality and their poetic excellence in the lyrics today.For this one I would urge you to watch it on as big a TV as you can to get the full benefit of the gem from Vikramaditya Motwane.
Image: Unsplash
Want to read a short story about partition based on a true event?
My father was in Karachi in the 1940s when news of riots and killing spread and was told to come home to Kathiawad. My mother waited for his return and news arrived in the form of a telegram that he’d gone missing and they declared her a widow for twelve days.
Excerpt Twelve Day Widow
The postman pulled out a telegram and handed it to her. Dhiruba pushed her son to Gulabbai as the postman took out a pad. Her violet thumb stilled, poised to sign.
‘Gargi,’ she screeched, ‘taar.’ The soft silk slipped to reveal her slick black oiled head. She glared with contempt and sneered as she turned and saw Gargi already in the courtyard. ‘Why are you out of your bedchamber?’
Gargi ignored her mother-in law’s outburst and reached for the envelope.
‘Let me read it, Ba?’ Kanak, Gargi’s young diyar, tried to snatch the message.
‘No.’ Dhiruba shooed him away. ‘You are late for school. Go. Go.’
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