Why Mumbai's Greek mythology fans, Nolan enthusiasts can’t wait for The Odyssey

Ever since the buzz around the Mumbai premiere of The Odyssey began, Mumbaikar Karen Fernandes hasn’t been able to contain her excitement about the film’s release on Friday, July 17.
She shares, “I’m extremely excited about the film. It’s less about the book-to-film adaptation and more just about seeing Nolan—who I think is one of the few directors who can pull something like this off—work his magic. Greek mythology in mainstream cinema does not come by as often as we would like, especially from an acclaimed director and such a power-packed cast. So, there’s a lot to look forward to rather than just a book being adapted.”
The Thane resident is one of many Mumbaikars who has also read the book. “The book is unlike anything in its sheer scale and expanse,” added Fernandes.
As she is an avid reader, the movie is a double treat for the city-based businesswoman, because not only does she love Greek mythology but also is a fan of Nolan’s films. Thus, this is going to be the best of both worlds for her.
“While I don’t think people should watch the film because of the movie, I do think it’s worth watching just to see how something of that magnitude has been visualised and condensed into a film.”
Such is her level of excitement that she is also actually considering re-reading ‘The Odyssey’ before or after the movie.
“Greek mythology is so intricate, elaborate, and imaginative, and also straight up insane. At the same time, they have ‘the human experience’ at its heart, which makes it a phenomenal reading experience. So much of it is so resonant, even centuries later, there’s something reassuring about it. There is always something to learn from the heroes in these myths,” adds Fernandes, who would have loved to go for the first-day first-show but found that it has been booked out in her neighbourhood.
Immersing in The Odyssey
Along with Fernandes, Colin D’cunha is another Mumbaikar who is extremely excited about the film.
“I’m very excited to watch the film but I’m not going to watch it because it’s solely a film based on Greek mythology. I will be viewing it more as a fun, winding tale of a story that was written way back when attention spans weren’t a thing and people were just focused on larger-than-life stories built to entertain and inspire.”
While D’cunha hasn’t read the book yet, as a fan of Greek mythology, he says he will be reading the book shortly after watching the movie.
“I just want to see how much of the film was off page and put in as entertainment rather than sticking solely to the source material,” he says, adding, “Greek myths just don’t sugarcoat it. They have deeply flawed people doing deeply flawed things for the plot and it resonates because we would make some of those flawed decisions too. It’s the gospel of mess around and find out, which is what we’re doing today.”
Even as he gets ready to watch the film, the Mumbaikar has some advice for those who have read the book.
“I feel like we should look at Nolan’s Odyssey as a film made to entertain, rather than educate. Even if it does a little of the latter.”
Elsewhere in Pune, Divya Ramesh is another bibliophile who is excited for the film.
She says, “I am excited especially because this isn’t about the Trojan war but about more interesting journeys in the story.”
Ramesh hasn’t read the book itself. However, she has read a lot of different adaptations along with bits and pieces of the Greek myth stories over the years by different authors in different forms, and even seen a TV show based on it. With the film here, she also isn’t sure if she will read it.
She explains, “I have a conception of the original Homer works being difficult to read, so I’ve never sought them out.”
However, being a reader, she’s always been curious to see how it is adapted for the screen.
“The stories and characters in Greek mythology are so fantastical and strange. There are immortal gods and monsters doing horrifying petty things, which makes you think about what comes with being all powerful and immortal. It throws the stories of humans into sharper contrast, and makes you think about things like death and war in a very story-driven and philosophical way without it getting too heavy or abstract,” she adds.
It’s not only the immersive world of Greek mythology but also the way these stories remain open to interpretation that continues to fascinate her.
“For example, I’ve read the story of Orpheus and Eurydice many times as this epic and tragic love story and the Netflix show ‘Kaos’ fully turned that on its head in a way I’d never have thought of, it was amazing. I especially love the very specific stories focused on Madeline Miller’s books which tell the story from different (queer/feminist) point of view instead of always focusing on the Trojan war. So I’m excited to see some of those same stories in this movie from a new point of view especially since these are so open to interpretation, and because it’s Nolan, so it’ll be grand,” explains Ramesh.
Navigating books that turn into films
Being one of many books that have been turned into a film, there is a growing interest among people to also dive into the books, and Crossword Bookstores has been observing the trend ever since ‘The Odyssey’ was announced.
Nidhi Gupta, who is the director of the bookstore, shares, ” We’ve definitely noticed renewed interest in ‘The Odyssey’ ever since Christopher Nolan announced his adaptation. A film such as this has a unique ability to bring timeless stories back into the cultural conversation. We’re seeing that translate directly into readers walking into our stores asking for different editions of Homer’s epic.”
Building on this interest, the bookstore is currently running a fascinating ‘Script to Screen’ campaign pan-India across their 40 stores, to pique the interest of Indian film buffs and readers alike.
 “The campaign celebrates books that have inspired memorable films and series, encouraging readers to experience the original story before or after they watch it on screen. Alongside ‘The Odyssey’, the collection features titles such as the ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ series, ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’, ‘Project Hail Mary’, ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’, ‘Fourth Wing’ to name a few,” Gupta adds.
However, being in the business of books, Gupta is first a lover of books and highlights, “We’ve always found that a great adaptation doesn’t replace the book. It sends readers back to it. Films spark curiosity. Books offer depth, nuance and imagination that only reading can provide. As a bookseller, it’s wonderful to see cinema inspiring a new generation of readers to discover both classics and contemporary favourites.”