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He
may be a familiar face as an actor, but Akash Khurana is a
multi-faceted personality.
He
has a doctorate from the Tata Institute for Social Sciences
under his belt, and divides his time teaching Organizational
Behaviour and Business Environment at TISS and shouldering
responsibilities as the chief creative officer at Nimbus Communications.
His
foray into the field of scriptwriting was quite accidental.
It was while working on a Mahesh Bhatt film, Swayam,
that he chipped in when the script was being reworked. There
has been no looking back since. After writing the scripts
for feature films like
Aashiqui, Baazigar
and Daag
-The Fire,
he ventured into TV territory with Kuch
Ret Kuch Pani,
a soap that aired on Channel Nine Gold. While he wrote and
directed Kuch
Ret Kuch Pani
himself, he also wrote Plus Channel's Kabhie
Kabhie,
directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
If
his other virtues appear rather disparate from his writing
avatar, they also add in making him a more thinking and intellectual
writer. Excerpts of an interview with indiantelevision.com
correspondent, Amar.
How
did your writing career take off?
I was acting in a movie called Swayam with Waheeda
Rehman in 1988. This was a small budget movie that had to
be wrapped up in an intense 18-day schedule. However, the
script had some lacunae and we had to re-work it while shooting.
I re-worked the script along with Mahesh Bhatt and both of
us shared the writing credits. That's how my writing career
started. I later wrote the hit movies - Aashiqui and
Baazigar, besides writing a lot of TV software.
What
do you think is essentially required of an effective writer?
Your instinct, by itself is the most necessary factor.
Besides, understanding the craft of TV and film writing, experiences,
sensitivity to different situations, empathy towards unknown
characters are some of the instincts required of an effective
writer.
Which
subjects appeal most to you?
As far as commissioned programmes go, one really doesn't
have much choice as far as subjects are concerned. In fact,
I have learnt to operate in a way that I'm fairly comfortable
working on disparate subjects.
What is the starting point of your writing - an idea, a
concept, the complete story?
It could be anything- a thought, a conversation, an incident
from real life or it could be autobiographical stuff.
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"India is perhaps the only country where we have
such a sharp distinction between screenplay and dialogues"
__________
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Do
you agree with the adage that TV is a writer's medium?
I agree with it. The effort required in writing five episodes
is equivalent to the effort required in writing one movie.
Besides, TV has its limitations. Because it can't be shot
with the lavishness with which a movie is shot, the dependence
on dialogues is that much more. So, writing really is the
most crucial aspect in making a serial tick.
Why
is TV so verbose? Is it because of budgetary constraints that
are a hindrance to expensive outdoor shoots?
More than the budgetary factor, I believe it's because the
audience is too impatient to stay glued to a programme when
there is a gap between dialogues. On TV, more than the visuals
it is the dialogues that hold the audience rapt and the moment
there is a gap between dialogues they tend to move to another
channel.
How important is effective narration in selling a story?
It is indispensable. In India, the concept of a bound
script is non-existent. At the same time, people lack the
practice of extensively reading the scripts. In this situation,
effective narration is what matters most.
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"While a bad piece of work draws flak very easily,
writers seldom get due recognition for good work. "
__________
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Mir
Muneer has said that story telling is virtually non-existent
today and serials are simply a conglomeration of some very
dramatic scenes. Do you feel the same?
I wouldn't agree with him entirely. There are some serials
that have very good stories while others don't. So, it's really
a matter of personal opinion.
You
have been quoted as saying that there is no sincerity and
passion in TV writing, and no absorbing screenplays nowadays.
Could you elaborate?
Actually, I had said that these factors have diminished
today. And it is quite obvious too. From less than 100 hours
of entertainment programming in 1985, today we have some 5000
hours of entertainment programming. Obviously the ratio of
skilled writers has not grown in the same proportion, hence
the diminishing sincerity and passion seen in TV writing and
the resultant lack of absorbing screenplays. But having said
that, let me also add that I have a lot of admiration and
respect for people who have sustained themselves and consistently
done well as TV writers. I personally have found TV to be
an extremely taxing medium where I reached a burn out situation
rather quickly.
Why
do most veteran writers shy away from writing dialogues?
Because they are not qualified. Their level of knowledge
and usage of Hindi is rather pathetic. India is perhaps the
only country where we have such a sharp distinction between
screenplay and dialogues.
Does
TV writing pay well?
This
is a difficult question. Let's say it does pay better than
what a well educated and qualified person would earn in a
regular job. But if we speak in relative terms, yes, it should
pay more considering that TV is acknowledged as a writer's
medium. But, frankly, writing is one of the most unenviable
professions. While a bad piece of work draws flak very easily,
writers seldom get due recognition for good work.
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"My
generation of writers is far more literate and well
read than the generation that is coming up and there
can be no substitute to reading."
__________
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What
is your writing schedule like?
It's
pretty erratic and that is because I am into so many activities
- writing, teaching and then I have a whole lot of responsibilities
to shoulder as the Chief Creative Officer at Nimbus. So, I
really can't plan a definite writing schedule.
Do
you find channels' interference in the creative process overbearing?
No, certainly not. Channels are more concerned about their
product nowadays than they ever were. This has made them more
collaborative and involved. But yes, I do feel that the time
taken by them to respond on any issue is far too long. If
they can improve on this front, it would help do away with
a lot of the producer's uncertainties.
Does
writing require isolation from people in order to concentrate?
Ideally, yes. But it is seldom completely
possible. I have seen people writing on the sets also. It's
not that one cannot write when not alone, but isolation is
certainly preferred.
What
according to you are the major failings in new writers?
Well, my generation of writers is far more literate and
well read than the generation that is coming up and there
can be no substitute to reading. But then I also feel that
the new generation has grown up watching soaps and thus is
that much better versed in its writing unlike my generation
which hardly had an access to the electronic medium. But all
said, I do feel that the new writers who are just coming up
should be better read.
Which has been the happiest moment of your career?
My taking to writing was a happy moment. That I'm still
writing today makes another happy moment (laughs). Actually,
cracking a difficult scene makes an immensely happy moment.
The feeling is akin to one of having struck a cover drive
from the meat of the bat.
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