Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri’s Swallowing the Sun heads to the silver screen

Embraced as a bestseller, the debut novel of Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, Swallowing the Sun, is set against the backdrop of the birth of India as an independent nation. Creator of critically acclaimed box office hits like Kahaani, Chorri, and many more, Vikram Malhotra, CEO of Abundantia Entertainment, is set to bring Puri's book to the screen. They announced an adaptation of the book into a series on Monday, in New Delhi.

Swallowing the Sun by Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri heads to the silver screen

In a distinguished diplomatic career, spanning 43 years, Puri was first in the Indian Foreign Service and then served at the United Nations. The book revolves around her life experiences as a daughter and a diplomat through the character of Malti as she navigated her journey to empowerment in the independence era.

Puri said that collaboration is mostly because she believes that Malhotra has an instinct for characters and an ear for dialogues that she wishes reached out across generations to all genders. Malhotra is known for presenting strong women characters on screen, especially the ones who narrate their own stories. He said, "We always do female-first stories, and hence this book has appealed so much to us."

Speaking to this newspaper, Malhotra mentioned that he is looking forward to creating a multi-season series on the book, with 2 seasons definitely in it with a lot of turns, twists and cliffhangers. "There is also a possibility of a sequel, or a different track for a particular character in a separate film; however, that's a later issue. Right now, the focus is on creating the series that would blend history with imagination and "do visual wonders".

The author too confirmed the venture and said, "It might not necessarily be a sequel per se, but maybe that of the next generation related to this story."

When asked if they have a particular colour palette in mind while adapting the book for the screen, Malhotra said, "The book lends itself to a very diverse and multilayered visual tapestry. The colour palette of the series will evolve as the saga of Malti's story progresses.

Although it's very early to talk about the kind of hues we will put in the frames, he said, the diversity of the literature is such that it would be almost unfair to limit it to the same kind of look.

Malhotra added, "As an outsider to the film industry, I have always found it weird that the flashbacks in period dramas are always insepia tone, black and white, and almost dry and boring."

"I have always asked why must stories be told in this manner. We at Abundantia try and change it, be it in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag or in Shakuntala Devi. "Those were some of the most colourful times, so why must they not be presented that way?" he said.

Puri said that the book travels through the mountainous roads of Shimla to the dusty corridors of Delhi, peeping through the ghats and Banaras, streets of Mumbai, Indore and many more. However, the essential theme of the book is the indestructibility of the human spirit that gives one the aspiration to attain what seems to be impossible. She said, "These themes ought to be intact in the adaptation, as the characters are touched by magic for daring to dream, to attain anything."

When asked if she is okay with the tales lost in translation and her take of artistic liberty, she said that "the adaptation is going to be another act of creation, and she wishes for all the liberty that the director wants to take". To this, Malhotra added that one of the best adaptations are the ones that work in conjunction with the actual creators, and he is glad that Puri, who has had the first-hand experience of the narration, is always a call away.

Initially named 'Dancing with the Puppeteer', Puri told this newspaper, "The original manuscript was 70,000 words long and had a 'sutradhaar' who would narrate Malti's journey, but since the concept doesn't go well for a piece of literature, it was reworked. However, she wishes to share the same concept and drafts with Malhotra and see if it can be inculcated in the screenplay."

The elusive concept of love through Malti and Guru's relationship is also a thing they look forward to portraying in a generation that's limited to shallow, superficial relationships.

Malhotra said that just on reading the first few pages, he knew that this book needs to be retold visually. He said that he could imagine the characters coming to life.

The book is being translated into Marathi, Telugu and Hindi, along with French, German and Spanish. Puri also mentioned that her next work, Saree Eternal, is to be released in January.

This article is written by Srestha Sarkar