Indian cinema is turning to books in a big way. Three of the most talked-about projects right now — Hanuman Ansh, Karan Johar’s R&AW biopic, and Operation Sindoor — all started as books before becoming films. Hanuman Ansh, made on a tiny ₹2 crore budget, has already crossed ₹352 crore worldwide. Meanwhile, Dharma Productions has locked August 11, 2028 for its film on R.N. Kao, and Vivek Agnihotri is adapting Lt Gen K.J.S. Dhillon’s book on Operation Sindoor. This shift is not just about a few big titles. Filmmakers and streaming platforms are increasingly looking at books as a ready source of strong stories.
Hanuman Ansh: From Divine Detour to a ₹352 Crore Hit
Hanuman Ansh is based on director Vishal Chaturvedi’s own book, Divine Detour: That Changed My Life, published in 2025. The book covers key moments from the life of Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Maharaj Ji. The film was released in theatres on August 7, 2026, and stars Shobhinaw Satyaa in the lead role.
The film tells the story of Lakshminarayan, a young boy in pre-Independence India who leaves home after his mother’s death. His search for God takes him across North India, and his journey eventually turns him into the revered saint Neem Karoli Baba.
The box office numbers tell a story of their own. The film opened with just ₹10 lakh and earned only about ₹1.50 crore in its first two weeks. Strong word of mouth changed everything. From its fourth week onwards, the film began earning more than ₹60 crore net in India every week.
After 46 days, Hanuman Ansh has collected ₹276 crore net in India (about ₹326 crore gross), with overseas earnings of $2.8 million. Its worldwide gross stands at ₹352 crore.
The film is the first part of a planned trilogy. A sequel has already been confirmed.
Karan Johar’s R&AW Biopic: R.N. Kao and Gentleman Spymaster
Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions announced a biopic on Rameshwar Nath Kao on September 21, 2026. The film is based on journalist Nitin Gokhale’s 2019 book, R.N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster.
Kao founded India’s external intelligence agency, R&AW, in 1968. The film will cover his journey from 1955 to 1971, including the formation of R&AW and its first major mission during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
The film is set for a worldwide theatrical release on August 11, 2028, ahead of Independence Day and the 60th anniversary of R&AW.
“Leo Media has painstakingly been researching and dramatising this narrative with passion for the past two years; we want this film to be a gripping story based on facts to pay homage to RAW and honour their milestone year with a solid motion picture. All of us at Dharma are so excited to get going.” — Karan Johar
The project is produced by Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective, the same team behind Bad Newz (2024) and Kesari: Chapter 2 (2025). Casting and director details are still under wraps.
Operation Sindoor: Lt Gen Dhillon’s Book Comes to the Big Screen
Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and Bhushan Kumar announced a film on Operation Sindoor in March 2026. The film is based on Lt Gen K.J.S. ‘Tiny’ Dhillon’s book, Operation Sindoor: The Untold Story of India’s Deep Strikes Inside Pakistan.
The book covers India’s targeted military operations against terror facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The film is described as a “cinematic reaction” to the 2025 Pahalgam attack on innocent civilians.
Agnihotri shared his thoughts on the project:
“Bhushan Kumar and I have joined forces for #OperationSindoor — a story that redefined security in the subcontinent and exposed Pakistan’s nuclear bluff.” — Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri
The film is being produced by T-Series and I Am Buddha Productions. It is currently in the production process.
A separate documentary series, Declassified: Operation Sindoor, premiered on Discovery and discovery+ on August 15, 2026.
Other Book Adaptations Releasing Soon
The page-to-screen trend goes well beyond these three titles. Several other books are being turned into films and series:
- Ramayana: Director Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part live-action adaptation is based on the Ramayana by Valmiki. Ranbir Kapoor plays Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, Yash plays Ravana, and Sunny Deol plays Hanuman. The first part will release worldwide on November 6, 2026.
- Last Man in Tower: Manoj Bajpayee stars in the adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s novel. The film is directed by Ben Rekhi, with a screenplay by Sooni Taraporevala. It released in Indian theatres on September 11, 2026.
- The Immortals of Meluha: Ranveer Singh is reportedly headlining the adaptation of Amish Tripathi’s bestselling novel. The first part is expected to go on floors in 2028.
- Randamoozham: Rishab Shetty will direct and star as Bheeman in the adaptation of M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s acclaimed novel.
- Black River: Saif Ali Khan and Hansal Mehta are adapting Nilanjana Roy’s book. Production is expected to begin in mid-2026.
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Why Books Are Becoming the Go-To Source
Streaming platforms and film studios are turning to books for a simple reason: books come with a built-in story structure, characters, and audience. As producer Sunir Kheterpal put it:
“As we seek more rooted Indian content, it is likely that we will see more book to screen adaptations from Indian literary material going forward.”
The trend covers many genres. Manoj Kumar Sharma’s Twelfth Fail became the film 12th Fail (2023). Satya Vyas’s Chaurasi became the series Grahan. Amit Khan’s books have been adapted for OTT platforms.
Some writers are now publishing non-fiction stories as books first, then developing them into web series or films. This approach allows them to build an audience before production begins.
With Hanuman Ansh proving that a small-budget book adaptation can outperform star-studded films, the demand for strong literary material is only growing. The list of upcoming adaptations shows that studios are ready to bet on stories that have already found readers.
For more updates on book adaptations and box office news, keep reading VvipTimes.
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