Moscow and Mumbai are 5,025 kilometers apart geographically, but that gap is bridged culturally through the influence of Russian novels on Bollywood movies. Russia is home to what is regarded as the richest branch of world literature, celebrated for its exploration of complex human emotion and philosophical depth. Meanwhile, through its two main genres, Bollywood plays an important role in popularizing Indian culture globally. ‘Masala film genre’ combines romance, action, melodrama and comedy, while ‘parallel cinema’ focuses on realism and social issues. Though the similarities between the cultural giants of Russia and India may seem unexpected, they are undeniable. Russian literature serves as a great source of inspiration for Bollywood filmmakers, with the themes of existential struggle and moral complexity explored in the former often mirrored in the latter. The extent of this literary influence can be demonstrated through the movie adaptations of three well-known novels published by famous Russian authors during the early 1800s.
Inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky’s short story, White Nights, Sanjay Leela Bhansali released the film Saawariya in 2007. Dostoevsky’s story encapsulates the feeling of unrequited love, with the unnamed protagonist falling in love with Nastenka, who awaits the arrival of her fiance. Despite this, the protagonist desires Nastenka’s love. But unfortunately, she chooses her fiance in the end. Bhansali adapts Dostoevsky’s plot for an Indian audience through his characters: Raj (the unnamed protagonist in the original), Sakina (Nastenka) and Imaan (her fiance in the original).
The concepts of love and loneliness are prominent in both the short story and the film, as Bhansali uses his signature opulent visual style to capture the essence of Dostoevsky’s themes. The grand set design and motifs (e.g. the umbrella shared between Sakina and Raj), convey the four stages of love portrayed in the original text. The blue, green, and white scenes of the film resemble ‘white nights’, creating a deeper sense of loneliness. Bhansali uses beautiful dialogue, one liners and melodramatic songs to make the interactions between Raj and Sakina sound like poetry, echoing the poetic language of Dostoevsky’s protagonist.
Keeping to the narrative, Bhansali frames the novel in an Indian avatar by incorporating bollywood-style hindi music and dance, and by using desi festivals like Eid. The set mimics a fantasy world through architecture (eg: a clock that works anti-clockwise) that transcends time and societal boundaries, contrasting with the realistic world of White Nights. Despite these differences, the film beautifully captures the essence of the Russian novel and brings the two cultural industries together through cinematic poetry.
Though the film is widely appreciated today, it received criticism on The Box Office, India for its slow pace, screenplay and story when it was released. Saawariya is a more artistic and slow movie, when compared to the commercial masala film genre that is popular in Bollywood, and so, it didn’t receive the attention it deserved from critics as well as viewers.
Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina was the influence behind Vijay Anand’s Guide, a 1965 romance drama movie adaptation of the iconic novel. The book traces the life of Anna, who enters an affair with Count Vronsky and challenges the strict societal norms of Russian aristocracy. Through Anna’s experience with isolation and inner turmoil, the novel explores themes of love, betrayal and the effects of the constraints of society. Anand uses the characters of a prostitute’s daughter, Rosy (Anna) and a guide, Raju (Count Vronsky) in an Indian cultural context to create a plot that emulates the central themes and ideas of Anna Karenina.
The film and novel utilize their female protagonist to question social hypocrisy. Anand’s Rosy and Tolstoy’s Anna seek freedom from their marriage by committing adultery which defies the societal norms assigned to women. Anand challenges the conventional expectations of marriage and femininity in Indian society, mirroring the novel’s critique of Russian aristocratic society. Beyond the characters, the film dives into the psychological conflicts of Raju and Rosy which gives the movie a Tolstoyan depth. For example, Anand uses visual symbolism of mirrors to represent Raju’s journey with self-reflection and different color palettes to depict the character’s emotional state, similar to how Tolstoy employs visual imagery in his novel. Furthermore, the freedom that Anna and Rosy desire is represented through their expression of dance and movement in the film. While Tolstoy’s novel ends on a tragic note, with Anna commiting suicide due to social isolation, Anand gives his protagonist a second chance to undergo a spiritual transformation – exposing society’s double standards since women are always suffer more for defying social norms (eg: adultery). Unlike the novel, Anand incorporates spirituality and Indian dynamics of marriage into his film instead of solely focusing on romantic tragedy.
Although the film doesn’t adapt the entire plot of Anna Karenina, it shares thematic similarities including forbidden love, social constraints and personal transformation. It successfully adapts the complex relationships and societal norms portrayed in Tolstoy’s novel through a powerful and emotional climax in an Indian setting. Unlike Saawariya, this film gained recognition throughout India. Critics on IMDb considered it as the producer’s best film, since the core ideas of spirituality and worship resonated with the intrinsic values of the audience.
Alexander Pushkin’s romantic fantasy poem, “Ruslan and Ludmilla” was adapted into a Bollywood film, Ruslaan, by Mohit Sharma in 2009. The poem follows the kidnapping of a princess, Ludmilla, by the evil sorcerer, Cheronomor, prompting her lover, Ruslan, to embark on a journey to rescue her. Sharma’s adaptation acts as a contemporary interpretation of the theme of class divide found in the poem through the love story of Ruslaan, the wealthy protagonist, and Ruksana, the poor love interest.
Both Pushkin and Sharma use love as the central motif and driving force to win against evil. While the protagonist in the poem goes on a physical journey to rescue his lover, the film’s hero embarks on a mental journey to overcome societal hierarchies. Both narratives delve into the emotional struggles of the characters who suffer in despair, as explored through the themes of their parallel sacrifice and commitment. The slow music of the film mirrors the pace of Pushkin’s poem, resembling the depth of human emotions in romantic relationships.
Despite the vision of the director, the film wasn’t a success because it was released at a time during which Bollywood was experiencing a shift in audience preferences. People wanted masala films, rife with drama, which Ruslaan did not have, making it less appealing than other films. However, the movie was a successful adaptation of the gripping yet emotional storyline of Pushkin’s poem due to its music, visual elements and characterisation of the protagonists.
The amalgamation of two distinct, yet similar cultures has been brought together by Russian literary influence which led to the creation of the aforementioned Indian cinematic wonders, Saawariya, Guide and Ruslan. These adaptations combined Indian culture with the lyrical beauty and philosophical depth of Russian literature, fostering a cross-cultural connection that goes beyond linguistic and geographical boundaries. Furthermore, it allows the audience ti deepen their appreciation for timeless truths and universal experiences that unite them as human beings. Though there aren’t any recent direct adaptations in Bollywood, the intersecting ideas of parallel cinema continue to be a common point between the two. Borders weren’t and will never be a barrier stopping Russian storytelling from entering the frames of Bollywood movies.