''Das indische Grabmal'' ("the Indian tomb") is a 1918 novel by the German writer

Thea von Harbou Thea Gabriele von Harbou (27 December 1888 – 1 July 1954) was a German screenwriter, novelist, film director, and actress. She is remembered as the screenwriter of the science fiction film classic ''Metropolis'' (1927) and for the 192 ...

. It tells the story of a German architect who is commissioned by an Indian maharajah to create a large monument, only to learn that it is meant for the maharajah's unfaithful lover, who will be buried alive as punishment. The novel has been adapted for film three times, and was not translated into English until 2016.

Adaptations

A first film version directed by

Joe May Joe May (born Joseph Otto Mandl; 7 November 1880 – 29 April 1954) was an Austrian film director and film producer and one of the pioneers of German cinema. Biography After studying in Berlin and a variety of odd jobs, he began his career a ...

was released in 1921. It was released in two parts, titled '' The Indian Tomb'' with the subtitles ''The Mission of the Yogi'' and ''The Tiger of Eschnapur''. It starred

Conrad Veidt Hans Walter Conrad Veidt (; 22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German film actor who attracted early attention for his roles in the films ''Different from the Others'' (1919), '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), and ''The Man Who Laugh ...

and

Mia May Mia May (born Hermine Pfleger; 2 June 1884 – 28 November 1980) was an Austrian actress. She was married to the Austrian film producer and director Joe May and appeared in 44 films between 1912 and 1924. Her daughter was the actress Eva May ...

, the director's wife. A second German version was directed by

Richard Eichberg Richard Eichberg (27 October 1888 – 8 May 1952) was a German film director and producer. He directed 87 films between 1915 and 1949. He also produced 77 films between 1915 and 1950. He was born in Berlin, Germany and died in Munich, Germ ...

and released in two parts in 1938 as '' The Tiger of Eschnapur'' and '' The Indian Tomb''. Finally, von Harbou's ex-husband

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

directed a third German version also in two parts which premiered in 1959, also as '' The Tiger of Eschnapur'' and '' The Indian Tomb''.

References

1918 German-language novels German adventure novels German novels adapted into films 1918 German novels Novels by Thea von Harbou Novels set in India {{1910s-adventure-novel-stub