Old tales,new twists

PRIYA SARUKKAI CHABRIA
If I had more time,I would have given serious thought to Moby Dick — being told from the point of view of the saddened and hunted whale,with sumptuous underwater set pieces — but for now I think I might well choose Dracula. He slumbers on within the cramped confines of his coffin. The noonday sun pours into the room. In tiptoes his victim of the last night,a pale slight figure,draped in trailing lace. With a struggle,she heaves up the lid of his coffin. Dracula screams in horror,“Aaaaaaaggggh! The Light! Save me from The Light!” “Dracula,” she murmurs,“My Prince of Darkness!” She throws back the lid and daintily steps inside the coffin. “Bite me! Suck me dry! Come,” she coos,“You haven’t drained the blood from my toes….”
I don’t know who wins this round.

OMAIR AHMAD
I almost burst out laughing when I heard about Pride and Prejudice being morphed into a zombie story. I think all the ‘great stories’ we treat so reverentially should be given a twist and a treatment. I’d begin with Romeo and Juliet,and that’s because it made me ill. All the characters are so useless,and the only cool one is Mercutio,who gets killed for that pansy Romeo. So I’d make the book a mad science thriller,with Mercutio only planning on dying and,in reality,being the evil genius who engineers the whole thing because the specific DNA match between the Montagues and Capulet would lead to the creation of a mutant race — thus them being forbidden to marry.

MUKUL DEVA
I am quite sure that I would never attempt such a feat. I mean a cool book like Pride and Prejudice,you would want to leave it alone. I think the zombies and vampires would not go very well with the story — too outlandish,if that’s the word I am looking for. I would much rather have them fight evil politicians — the kind of stuff that’s more real and likely to happen.

ADVAITA KALA
I would love to do a spin-off of Cinderella. In my version of the fairytale,I would not let Cinderella transform herself and meet the prince. Instead,I would let her stay as she is and find him anyway. She wouldn’t need a pretty dress or a godmother. And there will be lots of fun elements. I think even in the original,the stepsisters are very funny.