Adventures of a Writer

Guru Bramha, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara, Guru Sakshat Parabramha, Tasmai Shri Guruve Namaha On the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima (27 July, 2018)   it’s extremely apt that as students of cinema we doff our hats to the “Guru” of Screenplay Writing, Mr. Salim Khan. How worthy Salim Saab is of this respect is endorsed by his erstwhile writing partner, Javed Saab who at an event in Bhopal a few years back on stage very graciously mentioned that the one man he’s learnt the Art of Screenplay Writing from is Salim Saab and few people have an understanding of the craft that Salim Saab does.  It is ironical that even though writing is the most important cog in the wheel of a film’s success, few people in the film industry have an understanding of screenplay writing.  The Jai-Radha Storyline in Sholay Well the answer lies in the word itself – how a story is put into play with sequences, occurrences and happenings for an average duration ...

A writer is the backbone of a movie. If a filmmaker does not have a script, he/she can’t make a movie. And yet, screenwriters continue to be undervalued by the Bollywood film industry.   Writers need to be celebrated and valued as much as directors and actors.  I approached one of my dear friends JAIDEEP SEN to help me in my aim to showcase the work of legendary scriptwriters in the Bollywood film industry. Jaideep (or Raja as he is known in the industry) has spent years working with veteran filmmakers like Rakesh Roshan and Sajid Nadiadwala. He has scoured hundreds of scripts as Creative Director at Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, one of the top production houses in India. He is also a writer-director in his own right.   Raja responded with an enthusiastic ‘Yes’ to my request and said he would be happy to contribute articles showcasing the little known aspects of screenwriters. What’s more, he would love to put the spotlight on one of the most iconic of...