(CNN) -- Salman Rushdie will always be most famous for "The Satanic Verses," the 1988 novel that earned the author a death warrant from the late Ayatollah Khomeini. But for literary merit alone, some rate the earlier "Midnight's Children" as Rushdie's greatest work. Now, the classic novel is hitting the movie screen in an adaptation by Rushdie himself. The author's first foray into screenwriting was not an easy assignment, he admits. After all, the book encompasses 30 years of India's history, from independence from Britain in 1947 to the turbulent rule of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. CNN spoke with the renowned writer about the cinematic rendering of his book, directed by Deepa Mehta (out in limited release now). Below is an edited version of the conversation.
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Salman Rushdie adapted his novel "Midnight's Children"
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It is Rushdie's first screenplay, and he narrates the film
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He says the historical events of the movie are still relatable today
(I had) this serendipitous conversation with @placeholder where we actually met to talk about other things, and it suddenly popped into her head to ask about "Midnight's Children."