PremiumRuskin Bond turns 90! Explore his magical universe with these screen adaptations
Celebrating Ruskin Bond at 90, we embark on a cinematic journey through his timeless tales.
Last Updated: 03.45 PM, May 19, 2024
Celebrate the renowned writer Ruskin Bond's 90th birthday by immersing yourself in the diverse array of films and TV shows that his enthralling tales have influenced. Experts have expertly adapted his works for the cinema, delivering a satisfying mix of historical drama, humorous stories, and terrifying tales. These new versions breathe new life into Bond's fantastical universe.
Whether it's the engrossing 1979 film Junoon, which takes place during the 1857 Indian Rebellion, or the touching and darkly funny 7 Khoon Maaf, every adaptation of Bond's stories succeeds in capturing his narrative spirit. Parchhayee: Ghost Stories by Ruskin Bond and Ek Tha Rusty are two more series that offer episodic pleasures to fans both young and old.
Join us to celebrate this literary giant by delving into the cinematic gems that do justice to James Bond's words on screen.
Ruskin Bond's on-screen adaptations
Junoon
Shashi Kapoor produced and Shyam Benegal directed the 1979 film Junoon. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 serves as the backdrop for the cinematic adaptation of the fictional book A Flight of Pigeons by Ruskin Bond. Govind Nihalani was in charge of cinematography, and Vanraj Bhatia was in charge of music. Naseeruddin Shah, Pearl Padamsee, Sushma Seth, Shabana Azmi, Tom Alter, Shafisa Ali, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Shashi Kapoor's wife, Jennifer Kendal, were all part of the cast. The film also featured Karan, Kunal, and Sanjana Kapoor, who are the children of Shashi and Jennifer. In the film, the girl's stubborn mother stands in the way of the young Anglo-Indian woman's marriage to the obsessive Indian Nawab during the 1857 War of Independence.
Ek Tha Rusty - Youtube
The Doordarshan show Ek Tha Rusty was based on novelist Ruskin Bond's stories. Shubhadarshini Singh produced and directed the show, featuring stars such as Zarul, Nadira, Pankaj Berry, Raj Zutshi, Ayub Khan, Vipul Gupta, Bhanu Uday, and Suhasini Mulay. Vipul Gupta and Bhanu Uday portrayed the adult Rusty characters in seasons 2 and 3. Seasons 2 and 3 featured guest appearances by Ruskin Bond, author of Rusty and other children's short stories, who hosted the show. Because many of the stories were based on real-life events and experiences with Ruskin Bond, the series could be considered semi-autobiographical.
The Blue Umbrella - Disney+ Hotstar
2005 saw the release of The Blue Umbrella, a dramatic film adaptation of Ruskin Bond's 1980 book. Vishal Bhardwaj helmed the film's leading actors, Pankaj Kapur and Shreya Sharma. Gulzar wrote the lyrics, while Bhardwaj made the music.
Living in a small village in the snowy and hilly region of Himachal Pradesh, India, with her wrestler brother and widowed mother, young Biniya leads a humble life. As she entertains a variety of tourists, she exchanges her bear-tooth amulet for a blue umbrella as she is interacting with Japanese tourists. Her umbrella captivated both tourists and locals. A restaurant owner named Nandkishore Khatri falls in love with this umbrella and tries to buy it from her multiple times—but to no avail. Later on, while she was out looking at her two cows, she realised she had misplaced her umbrella. She has the support of everyone in the village. After turning Nandkishore's house upside down, the cops still can't locate the missing umbrella, leading her to accuse him. The local villagers and tourists alike go crazy for the red-and-white Japanese umbrella that an enraged Nandkishore demands. Who or what took Biniya's umbrella, and will she ever get it back?
7 Khoon Maaf - Netflix
Vishal Bhardwaj directed, co-wrote, and co-produced the 2011 black comedy 7 Khoon Maaf. Vivaan Shah, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan, Alexander Dyachenko, Annu Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, and Usha Uthup provide support to Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the film. Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes, an Anglo-Indian woman, is the femme fatale of the film. She kills six people in her never-ending search for love. Originally from Bengal, she was a genuine lady. Hooghly's burial place is in the town of Chuchura.
In 7 Khoon Maaf, Ruskin Bond's short story Susanna's Seven Husbands takes centre stage. Bhardwaj, who saw screenplay potential in the short piece, suggested the idea for a film adaptation of Bond. After Bond turned his four-page short tale into an 80-page novella, Bhardwaj and Matthew Robbins collaborated on the screenplay. Bhardwaj composed the film's score, while Gulzar wrote the lyrics.
Parchhayee: Ghost Stories by Ruskin Bond - ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium)
This series brings to life the most terrifying horror stories written by the great Ruskin Bond. In this series of short stories, the paranormal or demonic forces at work in their world forever change people's lives.