From The Namesake to Vanity Fair: 6 books that inspired Mira Nair's films and series

Indian Express

3 hours ago

Filmmaker Mira Nair has long brought stories of identity and migration to the screen, some adapted from renowned literary works. As her son, Zohran Mamdani, makes headlines after defeating Andrew Cuomo in New York City's mayoral primary, it is worth revisiting the books that shaped Nair's cinematic legacy.
From postcolonial satire to diaspora, these six books explore themes of belongingness. They continue to resonate with readers across generations—a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of identity and culture.
From Calcutta to Cambridge, The Namesake follows the life of the Ganguli family. Ashoke Ganguli, an engineer, adapts to his new life. While, his wife Ashima remains emotionally attached to home. Their son is named Gogol, after a Russian writer. Gogol's name, much like himself, is an identity in limbo, never fully American, never truly Indian. Adapted into a film by Mira Nair of the same title, this novel shows the discomfort of belonging nowhere and the slow, aching journey toward becoming your own person.
A biting portrait of ambition and hypocrisy of British society. Vanity Fair (Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 720 pages, Rs 435) shows two women on opposite ends of the moral scale. Becky Sharp, an orphan, with wit and ambition. And, Amelia Sedley, her sheltered, sentimental schoolmate. This book lays bare a society obsessed with status, exposing its vanity through the rise and fall of its unforgettable characters. Vanity Fair is a perfect portrayal of a world so obsessed with status that ambition is the only way up. No wonder Mira Nair chose to bring this book to screen.
The true-story Disney film The Queen of Katwe (Scribner, 245 pages, Rs 1,324), directed by Mira Nair, is based on a book by Tim Cothers. In the slums of Katwe, Uganda, where finding food is a daily struggle, Phiona Mutesi discovers an unexpected lifeline- chess. She is taught by a war refugee turned coach. Our protagonist learns the game barefoot on a dirt floor. And she rises to become a national champion by age fifteen. The Queen of Katwe is the powerful true story of a girl who defies every odd stacked against her, proving that greatness can come from the unlikeliest places.
Told as a monologue in a Lahore cafe. This novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Penguin India, 168 pages, Rs 250) shows the life of Changez, a Pakistani man who once chased the American dream. Then he begins to question everything after the 9/11 attacks. Changez begins to feel the slow erosion of identity and belongingness in a post-9/11 world. Adapted into a thriller by Mira Nair, it is a sharp and deliberately unsettling book. It poses a serious question- What happens when the world no longer sees you as one of its own?
Set in the newly independent India of the 1950s, A Suitable Boy (Aleph Book Company, 1,552 pages, Rs 1999) is part love story, part political story. Lata Mehra, a young woman navigating family pressure and personal desire as her mother, Rupa Mehra, searches for a suitable husband for her. Sprawling across four interconnected families, the novel weaves together love, caste, religion and politics. It's a story of ordinary lives caught between tradition and change. Mira Nair adapted this into her BBC series of the same title.
A mysterious royal claim, a crumbling palace and a reporter drawn into the story. The New York Times article The Jungle Prince of Delhi by Ellen Barry, follows the strange story of Begum Wilayat Mahal, who declared herself the queen of Oudh in the 1970s. She demanded lands from a kingdom that no longer existed. Barry's bond with Wilayat's son, Cyrus, leads her deep into the family's world. Through interviews and investigation, Barry reveals a tale shaped by Partition and a desperate need to belong. A haunting true story, which is now being adapted into Mira Nair's new series.
(The writer is an intern with indianexpress.com)