Scriptwriters are like condoms in our industry: ‘Delhi-6′ writer

New Delhi, From writing crime thriller “Tezaab” to comedy “Chalbaaz”, the path-breaking “Rang De Basanti” to forthcoming “Delhi-6″ – writer Kamlesh Pandey has penned many hits but says despite being in filmdom for two decades he hasn’t got his due. He claims scriptwriters are like condoms in the film industry – used and thrown.

“In our industry writers are like condoms – you use it and then throw it or hide in a place where nobody can see it. We writers don’t get our due. Salim-Javed were the exceptions and they got recognition because of who they were,” Pandey told IANS over telephone from Mumbai.

“We need visibility like stars and directors. We may not be as good looking as the actors, but we writers are the first star of a film and the industry must realise this. Stars can’t guarantee success without a script. Most of the films recently flopped because the script was weak,” he asserted.

When told that things have changed and writers are getting more recognition now, he retorted: “I still need evidence to accept that writers are getting recognition in our film industry. Everything depends on success here. I was in the industry for decades, but people rediscovered me after the success of ‘Rang De Basanti’.”

Talking about Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s “Delhi-6″ that releases Friday, he said: “‘Delhi-6′ was a more difficult film to write because we had to experiment with structure and treatment. We wanted to make a film that is serious yet entails a comic streak.”

Pandey has co-scripted the film with Mehra.

Pandey added that “Delhi-6″, which has Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles, is more unique and ambitious than Mehra’s earlier “Rang De Basanti”.

A striking similarity that is hard to ignore in the two films is that both are set in Delhi, but the writer says it’s just a coincidence.

“It’s a coincidence that both the films are based in Delhi. ‘Rang de…’ revolved around the political system of our country and since Delhi is the centre, it had to be based out of Delhi,” said Pandey, who hails from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh but has spent considerable time in the national capital.

“With ‘Delhi-6′, as the title suggests, we are targeting the old Delhi area of the capital. Rakeysh is from Delhi; so he knows the culture, area and attitudes of people there. Since he belongs to Delhi his experience brought that special something in the script,” he added.

The writer, who has scripted all of Mehra’s films, shares a great camaraderie with the filmmaker and says he loves working with him because both of them don’t believe in following the herd.

“Rakeysh and I share the same concern, philosophies and issues. We are completely in sync with each other. I would like to say that we have our own lane, we don’t care what others are doing, we don’t follow the herd. It doesn’t matter to us whether the film will be a hit or not; what is most important is the story and then complete honesty to the project. That’s what connects us,” the writer said.

Pandey, who started his Bollywood career by writing the dialogues of “Jalwa” (1987), went on to become a full-fledged scriptwriter with hit film “Tezaab”. He went on to pen movies like “Chalbaaz”, “Dil”, “Saudagar”, “Khalnayak” and “Zinda”.

Currently, the writer has various films in his kitty – B.R. Productions’ “Kohinoor” and “Consignment”, a sequel to “Mr. India”, Anil Kapoor Productions’ next and a big budget science fiction with Priyadarshan among others.

Does Delhi 6 capture the real essence of India?

An Interview with Delhi-6 director Rakeysh Mehra

Does Delhi 6 capture the real essence of India? Delhi 6 is a journey to discover this country. When I started this film, I didn’t know why I was making it, but through this journey, I found out the reason for doing this. You can say that Delhi 6 is about the people of our country, the place, the beliefs, the disbeliefs, their contrast in religion, how they live in harmony, how they live in conflict, the whole Hindu – Muslim thing, the caste system in our country, the marriages, the dowry, etc. and yet Delhi 6 works. Bureaucracy prevails but yet there is something great about it. Rakeysh Mehra Why do you think such things are still prevalent? This change has triggered with the turn of the century and I always wanted to know why such things are happening. It’s a funny place, this country is. Schools will have no books, if there are books, there are no teachers, if there are teachers, there are no exams, no results, if you pass out from your college, you won’t get a job, you get married, find a house where there is tap but no water. You are back where it all started from. How the hell does the country work. Along the line we discovered that it’s the people. I didn’t touch up on the writing process but as we were closing towards the final draft, we realized that there are too many problems which a common man himself brings up. Was making Delhi 6 a tougher challenge than Rang De Basanti? No questions about that. Yes, I was very nervous attempting Delhi 6. Cinematically, if Rang De was kinder garden then I am in first standard now. I can feel the growth. I hope when I come out of this film (after a pause) and I don’t know when I’ll come out. Maybe couple of years down the line when I look at it again, it will all fall in place for me. As of now, there is no objectivity in making Delhi 6. Will Delhi 6 weave the magic like what RDB did? I don’t know. There are no expectations. We haven’t structured the film in a way that it’ll walk the red carpet across the world. Though it’ll be wonderful to get an international recognition and at the same time, our Indian recognition. More importantly, if it can strike a chord with the audience, that’ll be great. I have departed totally from Rang De. There is not a single thought process that’ll echo. Somewhere subconsciously, I’ll be trying to tell the same story in a different way, even if try not to. Something or the other will seep into it. The story of Delhi 6 permitted me not to repeat myself. Why is there a mirror on the audio CD cover of Delhi 6? Is that giving away an important message? It does. The film tells us to look at yourself and so the mirror. The pre-climax gets triggered with the mirror. It’s not just look at yourself alone though. We look for so many things. We look for God in our own way. Some look for Ram, some for Allah, some for Jesus, some for Krishna, etc. Somewhere it’s got that kind of a ‘sufiana’ flavour to it. Abhishek has an accent in the film. How was the preparation process? It was Abhishek’s process. He worked on the body language and the American accent. Everybody worked on their individual accents. For Abhi, it came very naturally. In fact, he barely speaks through the film. He hardly has ten lines in the film. It’s his voiceover which takes us through the film. Aren’t there more mosquitoes interested in our talk today? I’m sure they are. They must’ve been snubbed by the pigeon which I have shown on the posters of Delhi 6 (laughs) The same time zone of Rang De before release and Delhi 6 before release. Can you tell the difference? During Rang De, I was blank. Now I am blanker (laughs). If Rang De was a political drama, Delhi 6 is a social drama. In terms of expectations, Rang De was a tough act to follow and sometime, your success becomes your biggest enemy. Everywhere I go, people recognize me and talk about Rang De Basanti. Now we did some test screenings of Delhi 6 and I found out that this is the first time I’ve sketched romance. That’s a major difference. Isn’t A.R. Rahman making your job tough by not being there in the crucial and a critical stage of the films release? Rahman called me half an hour after he received the award at the BAFTA’s and said, “I am feeling so guilty by not being there. Anything you feel irritated about the background score, just change that”. He just returned last night from the U.S. He landed in Chennai, was talking to his engineers and was so worried about the music of Delhi 6. In fact, the background score is much better than the songs in Delhi 6. Background is the film. What we tried for the background was that we didn’t score for the shot. We just sat and spent the whole month of December and not a single sound came out. Everybody was getting worried. Then Rahman won the Golden Globe, came back and he again sat and bits and bits happened. At one point, I and Rahman were discussing to postpone the release date of Delhi 6. We still couldn’t crack the background. So we decided to crack theme on the subject of the film. Not on some particular scene. Rahman went into a different world all together after that. He played all the instruments that were available to him and just went for it. He came up with ten themes and at one point we were confused of what to use. He is a true magician. When we put the theme with the scenes it would start and end perfectly. Can you believe it? Do you think you are losing your creativity by making one film every three years? I mean, if you made three films in three years, it could’ve been a much creative process. I am happy to make one film in a lifetime. Filmmaking is neither a race nor a number game. Though one thing (film) is stretching too much (laughs). I write, I direct, I produce. If I had sealed and bound scripts and good scripts, that will not quench my thirst! It has to be something cool which we can experiment with. Visually, the director is the writer. Then I have to produce because the kind of films I want to make, it’s impossible to find a producer. Rang De Basanti took three to four years to find a producer till we roped in Aamir and in turn Aamir roped in Rahman.

I will be back, hale & hearty: Shah Rukh Khan

Bollywood’s Badshah is back after his shoulder surgery. Lined up in future are some projects that might be physically very demanding for the convalescing star. In the next six months when Shah Rukh is, hopefully, back to his normal energised self, he is to start work on Farah Khan’s yet unnamed flick apart from a children’s action-hero film, which might be a challenge in itself, physically.

The actor had not even come out of the cotton gauze and the dressing on his arm, than he was sitting in a tête-à-tête with Spicezee.com and the press. Fidgeting imperceptibly in pain, and often trying to hide the winces that kept punctuating his replies, King Khan was his hospitable best.

Excerpts:

Q: How was your experience in the surgery? Were you scared?

Shah Rukh: The doctors were very nice. I was very comfortable.

Q: What have you been asked to do as exercise?

Shah Rukh: They will give me some exercises to do, but later. Right now for two to three weeks I don’t have to do anything.

Q: Why did you choose to be operated in Mumbai this time? You went abroad last time…

Shah Rukh: We have the best people in every field here in India. Besides, I decided to be operated here because I wanted to be with my children The team of Ali Irani and Sanjay Desai is very good. Last time I went abroad because that particular specialisation was invented by that doctor itself who operated me. By then the technique had not reached India.

Q: How long will it take for you to convalesce?

Shah Rukh: I will not be shooting for two and a half months, around eight to nine weeks.

Q: Reportedly, you have some high-action films lined up. How will you handle that strain?

Shah Rukh: I haven’t decided on that yet. When I am rehabilitated properly, I should certainly be up to that. It will be okay then.

Q: What will you do when you are laid up for so long?

Shah Rukh: I will sit down and work on the uncompleted stories of my upcoming movies, take up the preparatory projects, be with my children for their exams are near. There is a lot for me to do, in fact.

Q: There are the IPL matches. Won’t you be needed there?

Shah Rukh: For the IPL team I don’t need to be there all the time. Only one player needs to be bought. If I go, you all will just click good pictures of me, what else is there to do?

Q: Where will you be convalescing for the time you have been advised rest?

Shah Rukh: I will stay at home for three weeks. By the grace of God my home is big enough so there is much space at my home to move about.

Q: Will you spend your time watching your movies, like ‘Billu’?

Shah Rukh: I don’t watch my own films.

Q: If you are so ill, why did you agree for this press meet at all?

Shah Rukh: If I say no to meeting you people, you all would feel you were not interesting for me to meet. I saw so many of you waiting outside, in all that dangerous hustle-bustle, so I asked to arrange a meet here, at least we will be able to talk safely.

Q: Will you be able to get back your legendary high energy levels after this surgery?

Shah Rukh: Energetic again? I have had worse surgeries than this – the spinal surgery was the worst. I’ll be fine, don’t worry. What energetic thing do you want me to be doing? That young lady keeps asking me about some energetic thing to do… I feel like it is a proposal!

Q: Would you leave a message for all the fans who have been praying for you all these days?

Shah Rukh: I thank all of you. I understand my work affects and touches a lot of people, most whom I don’t even know. My illness is affecting a lot of people. I am an employee of you all. My life is dedicated to entertaining you all. I feel very bad when my illness adversely affects all of you. God willing, I will get well very soon.

Fearless King Khan

By the time you read this, Shah Rukh Khan’s shoulder surgery will long be over, and the actor will be recuperating at the Breach Candy Hospital.

Yes, that’s where he is doing it. Not London or LA. His orthopaedic surgeon is Dr Sanjay Desai. And the surgery involves shoulder arthoscopy to repair a tear in SRK’s supraspinatus muscle.

BT caught the Bollywood Badshah even while he was on his way to the hospital. “Have you seen Billu,” he asked cheerfully, not a hint of concern, worry or fear for the surgery lined up. But that is Shah Rukh Khan… unpredictable as ever.

“Surgeries are not new to me,” scoffed the actor who’s been under the scalpel earlier for his back and knee. “I work a lot and get injured every now and then so I’m not bogged down. In fact, I’m pretty fine.” But, this is the first time he’s being operated in India. “Why not,” he asked. “We have able doctors and fantastic hospitals here. Also, the next choice would have been Los Angeles. And I didn’t want to travel with the pain in my shoulder. It’s killing! Spending another 15 days away from home, too, wasn’t a good idea.”

Wife Gauri Khan, naturally, is anxious about the surgery; but not kids Aryan and Suhana. They’re as cool as SRK himself. “They feel their dad is Superman, a super hero. Nothing can go wrong with me. They’re both eagerly waiting for my return from the hospital. Aryan says, ‘Come back quickly, it’s been long since you played or slept with us.’ It’s true, because of the injury I wasn’t able to sleep with them. Nor was I able to hang out with them because I was shooting so much. But, post-surgery, I will have to rest for about two weeks. I will be immovable — but not bedridden. I will do all that then.”

He also intends taking up the book he is writing and adding a few more pages to it in this period. “…And developing the films I am doing like Raa-One and Happy New Year along with the filmmakers. But, most excitingly, I am looking forward to being with the kids.They have exams coming up.” Do his children see SRK’s films? What did they think of Billu? “Both of them laughed, but in the end they cried,” Shah Rukh said wryly. “Aryan told me this is the first film of mine which made him cry. Suhana is a sensitive girl, she cried a lot.”

Sonam Kapoor: Delhi-6 symbolizes India and its people

Saawariya was in 2007, Delhi-6 is in 2009. As a newcomer was it a good decision to take a year’s break right at the beginning of the career?
I will always think of quality over quantity. In these two years, I have been working the whole time… have been doing lots of magazine covers, events, and then working on Delhi-6. I am proud to have worked on this film as they say, Bhagwaaan acchi chizon ko fursat se banata hai (God takes long to make nice things). Rakeysh has made Delhi-6 taking his time and it has shaped up extremely well.

So you are glad that you took the break?
Yes it worked… because I am happy. I am not answerable to anyone, I am glad to wake up in the morning and go the shoot. I am in love with the film industry and its people… good, bad, ugly. My father also guides me as far as these decisions are concerned. I would be dumb to not pay heed to his advice. After all he has survived for so long here.

What is Delhi-6 all about?
It’s an out-an-out family film. Every age group will identity with it. The film is about India. You’ll find Delhi-6 in every city of India. Chandni Chowk is just a symbolic representation of India and its people.

Your character Bittu in the film is already a hit, thanks to Masakalli promos.
All youngsters can identify with Bittu. It doesn’t matter if she is from Delhi, she has the same values that any other Indian youth would have. She is a good child, doesn’t want to hurt her parents but yet be rebellious. The inner conflict that every youngster faces is what has been shown through Bittu.

How different was it portraying a Delhi girl, considering you being a Mumbaikar all your life?
Delhi girls are jhatak matak, have certain coyness and nakhras. Mumbai girls are cool… they know what they want and with them you get what you see. It’s the accent, body language that I had to work on.

Abhishek played a lot of pranks with you in the film?
He used to tell me the wrong things and I actually used to follow him as I took him seriously! Jokes apart he is fun as he too is young and we have a great chemistry and timing. He guides me well too.

Your dad has worked with Waheeda Rehmaan in Lamhe and now you too have shared screen with her in Delhi-6.
I only have two scenes with her and I often complained to Rakeysh about it. Waheedaji is the most graceful, dignified and intelligent lady I know. I aspire to be like her.

Delhi-6 will battle it out with Tom Cruise’s Valkyrie at the box office.
Valkyrie is a Holywood film and thus a multiplex film. I have even heard that it has not done well abroad. I don’t think it will affect Dlhi-6 in anyway.

Source: Times of India