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A
alumnus from the National School of Drama, B M Vyas has experience
of more than 15 years writing for film and TV. Also associated
with Ekjute theatre, Vyas has written the scripts for Bharat
Ek Khoj, Athwan Rang, Circus and now, Aamrapali,
the new period epic about to launch on Doordarshan.
Among the Hindi films he has scripted are Ek Aasman Kai
Dishayen, Baharon ki Manzil and Kasam Teri Kasam.
Excerpts from an interview with indiantelevision.com correspondent,
Tuhin Amar.
When did you decide to become a writer?
I came to Mumbai in 1985 with a huge experience in direction
and teaching in theatre behind me. I came to become a director,
but breaks as a writer came easy. After being a writer for
a couple of years, I simply fell in love with it and then
stuck to it.
What are the natural instincts required of a successful
writer?
The two quintessential pre-requisites required of a successful
writer are the ability to perceive and the ability to express.
Besides, the writer whose perception and expression are in
absolute synergy is the one who is likely to be more effective
because many a time there is a huge gap between what people
perceive and what they express. Also, a modern day writer
needs to be adaptable, yet original. This is what channels
demand these days.
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Once
I had accomplished my task of getting TRPs for Kahaani
Ghar Ghar Ki, I did not feel the motivation or the urge
to continue, so I quit the serial.
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A still from Aamrapali |
Which subjects appeal most to you?
I like subjects dealing with human relations and human emotions.
What factors do you keep in mind before taking up a new
project?
I am basically concerned about the subject and how well it
goes with my sensibilities.
Have you ever taken up a subject you did not relate with?
Yes, it happened in the case of Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki.
Actually, both the producer and the channel had a huge stake
in the programme. It had been scheduled between two hugely
successful programmes - Kaun Banega Crorepati and Kyunkii
Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. As such, the TRP expectations
or rather targets were very high. Even though I did not relate
with the plot I decided to take it up only as a challenge.
By the end of 13 episodes, the TRP targets were met and the
programme had indeed taken off well. Once I had accomplished
my task, I did not feel the motivation or the urge to continue,
so I quit the serial.
Why do many veteran writers shy away from writing dialogues?
The basic reason is that they are uncomfortable with Hindi.
Besides, effective dialogue writing requires creation of a
separate speech for each character depending upon their personality
traits and other factors such as the region from where a character
hails. This requires far more concentration and hard work
compared to writing the screenplay.
Have you come across a situation where you've felt stagnated
in your thought process? How have you come out of it?
Yes, it happens. That's why as a matter of habit, I take
up the task of developing new concepts and new storylines
early in the morning when one is refreshed. Even otherwise,
whenever the thought process sags, the best thing to do is
forget the story for some time, think about different things
and come back to think about the story when one is feeling
fresh.
Does writing require isolation from people for purposes
of concentration?
Yes. That is very important. That is why I've hired a
separate writing room where I spend the day writing in peace.
Have you ever felt hassled by executive producers in channels?
Yes, that's happened and the reason for this is that executive
producers lack practical knowledge. I really don't know the
criteria on which they are selected but much of their interference
stems out of lack of specialised knowledge. But then I've
always maintained that one has to learn to adjust to this.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi |
Dialogue
writing requires far more concentration and hard work
compared to writing the screenplay.
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Are there any channel people you've really enjoyed interacting
with?
Kamlesh Pandey, Karuna Samtani and Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi
are some names I can think of immediately. It was a real pleasure
interacting with them.
Do you like to write with a team of writers or do you like
to be on your own?
As a matter of habit, I like to write alone but whenever
I have written in a team, I have enjoyed the experience as
well. See, it's best to work both ways. Working alone gives
immense creative freedom. At the same time, by working in
a group, one gets an opportunity to interact with other writers
and one tends to absorb the better aspects of other people's
work.
What are the major failings you observe in new writers?
The new generation wants instant results but is not willing
to invest adequately in terms of effort and perseverance.
What upsets me about most new writers is that they are not
well read. They are under the illusion that by bouncing a
couple of good ideas around, they qualify to become good writers.
The problem with such writers is that their stocks dry up
very fast. Forget sustaining themselves for a few serials,
they are normally not able to live up to their promise even
in the latter episodes of one serial. I would recommend intensive
reading of the work of eminent Indian writers for these so-called
writers.
How many serials do you feel you can work on simultaneously,
without letting the quality suffer?
Ideally, I would like to do three serials simultaneously
but often on TV, things don't happen the way we have planned.
So, there have been times when I have worked on five or six
projects simultaneously and other times when I've worked on
just a single project.
How many re-writes normally go into your final script?
Three to four.
Is
it important for a writer to be present on the shoot?
No, I don't think so. I feel that being present on the shoot
can unnecessarily distract the actors.
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