|
Illa
Bedi Dutta is in an enviable position. She is writing the
screenplay of two of the most successful soaps on the tube
today - Mehendi Tere Naam Ki and Des Mein Nikla
Hoga Chand. She is also scripting the story and screenplay
of a tri-weekly on DD- Dishaein that ranks third in
viewership among DD's programs.
Illa is also ready with the script of a movie on the theme
of Partition - Lajwanti, which she intends to produce
herself. It's been a long haul for this young writer in a
relatively short span. Illa's natural flair for writing can
be traced to her impressive lineage. She is the granddaughter
of renowned writer Rajendra Singh Bedi and daughter of ace
director Narendra Bedi. In fact, the story of Lajwanti has
been developed out of a short story written by her grandfather.
The quiet, reserved lady who usually shies away from
the limelight took time out to have a tete a tete with indiantelevision.com
corrie Amar. Excerpts:
How did TV writing happen to you?
Actually, it happened quite incidentally. I had converted
one of my grandfather's short stories into a film script and
was meeting a couple of people with it when Aruna Irani, who
knew my father called me up one day. She said she wanted me
to do the screenplay of Mehendi Tere Naam Ki (MTNK).
For someone who had virtually no body of work behind her,
Arunaji showed tremendous faith in me. Since then, I've done
three projects in the last one year- the others being Des
Mein Nikla Hoga Chand (DMNHC) and Dishaein
which is ranked number three on DD in terms of TRPs.
Do you also develop the stories of your projects, or
are you just involved with the screenplay?
The concepts as well as the basic story structure of MTNK
and DMNHC are Arunaji's. I've helped her develop the
concepts further and of course, done the screenplay. But the
story and concept of Dishaein are entirely mine.
|
For
Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand, which has 45 minutes
of content, I write 18 scenes on an average
_________
|
|
What are the natural instincts required of an effective
writer?
A writer should be a well-read person. I've always been
a voracious reader and this reading habit that I've had since
childhood comes in very handy when I'm writing. My ideas and
thoughts flow rather naturally and there's never a dearth
of them. Besides you need a good sense of drama, which again
has to be primarily inherent; only then can it be developed
significantly.
Why do you avoid writing dialogues?
Primarily because I feel my Hindi does not conform to
the standards required in writing dialogues for serials. Or
let me just put it this way - I'm more comfortable with English
in which I do all my writing. Besides, my strength as a writer
is visualisation of dramatic situations, which has got more
to do with screenplay.
Do you plan out the ad-breaks when you write an episode?
I do it only for DMNHC, where I mark the freeze
points before each commercial break.
What are the points you keep in mind while fleshing out the
last scene before a commercial break or before an episode
ends?
See, the whole idea is to keep the audience hooked and
to ensure that it comes back after the break, or for the next
episode. With that objective, I provide an unexpected twist
to the story or create some suspense or curiosity. This twist
could be anything - a sudden illness, revelation of a bizarre
truth or something else. My last scenes in MTNK have
been particularly absorbing, which leaves the audience asking
for more.
Do you also like to set the time duration for each scene?
I ensure that none of the scenes exceed three minutes
because then the scene tends to be less gripping and the involvement
of the audience diminishes somewhat. It's very important that
the screenplay moves at a fast pace. For MTNK, the
actual content of which spans 18 minutes, I pack in eight
scenes on an average. For DMNHC, which has 45 minutes
of content, I write 18 scenes on an average.
How did you learn screenplay writing?
I haven't learnt it. I would say that it's in my genes.
I'm not even sure if I follow any format. Basically, my thrust
is on detail - the minutest detail of all that is going to
happen in a given scene, because this is what ensures strong
content. And frankly, it's content that matters, not the style
of writing.
Does writing require long hours of isolation in order to
concentrate?
I won't say so. Writing is all about thoughts and ideas
and these can strike you anytime. I've conceived some of my
best ideas while working out on the treadmill.
As a writer, which are the subjects closest to you?
Well, I would like to be versatile in my craft and would
love to work on as many genres as I can. In fact, I would
love to write a thriller, but I must confess I am not sure
whether I can write a successful sitcom at the moment.
|
|
I
feel it will be very difficult for me to do justice
to the story of Mehendi Tere Naam Ki beyond
130 episodes
|
How many projects can you work on simultaneously without
compromising on quality?
Three, which I'm doing now. I don't think I'm in a position
to take up anything new.
Aakash Khurana has been quoted as saying that there are
hardly any absorbing screenplays these days. Do you agree?
By and large, yes. But that's because almost all serials
are prolonged beyond a level that can be justified. See, a
story holds out only for a certain period of time, if it is
extended beyond that, it loses its sheen and that is where
the screenplay also sags. Even where MTNK is concerned,
I feel it will be very difficult for me to do justice to the
story beyond 130 episodes.
Scriptwriter Vipul D Shah has said that TV is a very restrictive
medium and that the scope for creating something new on TV
is extremely limited. Your comments?
This wasn't the case two years ago. It has happened in
the past two years when a whole lot of regressive programs
of the same kind have started to dominate the TV scenario.
Today, I'm afraid a truly path-breaking concept may get rejected
simply because it does not conform to the demands of the day.
Another scriptwriter Mir Muneer has said that story telling
today is virtually non-existent and that serials today are
just a collection of scenes. What do you feel?
I can't agree more with him. Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki
and Kyunkii Saans Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi are apt examples.
Are you happy with the money that TV writing gets?
Well, I wish it were a little more, but then I am also
a newcomer with just three serials under my belt. I have been
getting between Rs 6,000-8,000 per episode but that's okay.
I'll of course charge a lot more for the projects that I take
up henceforth.
Which has been the happiest moment of your career?
I would say the present phase has been the happiest because
very few writers can boast of having three serials on air
- all of them doing extremely well.
How do you see your future shaping up?
I would like to write for movies and serials simultaneously.
I have already completed scripting one movie - Lajwanti
that is based on the theme of Partition. However, at any given
point of time I would want to go on doing some television.
Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand Photo courtesy -
www.indya.com
|
