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I’m currently writing a film entitled “The Golden Road”. It’s a project that, over the past 8 months or so, has grown very near and dear to me. I’d like to believe that I’ve grown and matured with this film, at least in the capacity of a screenwriter. During this time the film has continued to evolve, almost taking on a life of its own.

It started off as a seemingly brilliant idea to merge a few stories that we had been toying around with; a Father/Son drama, a realistic portrayal of the struggles faced by people migrating from India to Canada, and a story chronicling a man’s life in a crime syndicate. Of course all these stories had to be altered when blended together, with the biggest change being that the crimes were no longer “street level” but rather of the white-collar, corporate variety. From there I worked on developing the characters individually, getting to know them on a very personal level, before working on the dynamics of their relationship and how it would change over time. Then I started to write the story, picking out the most important phases of the father and son’s lives (with the narrative shifting back and forth between both POVs).

Throughout it all I must say it’s been the most challenging story/screenplay I’ve ever worked on. I’ll elaborate more on that in just a minute. Let me first introduce the project itself.

It’s a Canadian feature with an Indian cultural backdrop (in the same vein as say a “Namesake” or “Partition). The plan is to shoot about 20-25 minutes of the film in Punjab (Chandigharh most likely) while the remainder is set in and around Vancouver, Canada, with roughly 75% in English and the remaining 25% in Punjabi to maintain authenticity.

At this point we’re still in the development stages. I’ve got a deadline to complete the 2nd draft by mid-Sept, by which time our production team (under the banner of Inner Karma/IK Films) will be submitting proposals to various Canadian Government funding agencies and of course be open to discussion with various other production companies/financiers for co-production options. Thankfully the other members of our team are busy working on those details, allowing me to focus on writing.

I mentioned earlier that writing this film has been much tougher than anything I’ve worked on before. That’s because I’ve usually stuck to stories that I personally found entertaining, and tried to tell them in a sensible way. I understand that comes out of the films I like to watch, as I’ve always preferred well-made masala movies, capers and yes even romantic comedies over hard-hitting, starkly realistic cinema.

With The Golden Road I’ve attempted to achieve that elusive fine balance between entertainment and realism. It’s a much more ambitious story than anything I’ve written before, covering a lot more ground. It’s also one that, if not given the required layers and depth in its treatment, could easily slip into clichéd territory. I had to overcome the urge to add in extra masala and all that, and concentrated on telling it in a straightforward way, trusting that the story has enough power and intrigue in itself to hold audience interest. I stayed focused on the core characters and weaved the story around them, their mindset, the worlds they’ve created for themselves and the circumstances that arose thereof.

I strived to keep it all plausible, as if this is happening around us as we speak. I wanted audiences to really get caught up in the central protagonists life (that being the son). But how does one ensure they will achieve that? He is, after all, a work of fiction, of imagination. Just a character. How can I make him real? I can try to relate to him, and his unfortunate circumstances. Try to attune myself to his train of thought and his random quirks. Easier said than done. This guys nothing like me, and more importantly I’m not going through what he’s going through. Thank God I’m not nearly as messed up as he is. And I would never, ever resort to the types of things he does. At least, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t…

Forgive me if I keep going off on tangents. Maybe the best way I can introduce you guys to this film that I’ve been so caught up in, is to present the revised draft of the one-page. All comments and criticisms will be much appreciated.

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THE GOLDEN ROAD

India, 1994. A nation plagued by corruption. Upright college professor Pritam Singh Dhillon grows increasingly frustrated by the decaying system. It’s even affecting his college, where sons of the rich and powerful show complete disrespect for the institution and its professors. An incident pushes the professor beyond his boundaries, and he concedes that India has no hope, taking his wife Malkiat and 11-year old son Harman as they migrate to Canada for a better future.

The shift is a difficult one. Professor Dhillon’s credentials do not match those of the Canadian Education System. Unable to go back to school to upgrade his skills due to the financial crunch the family is under, Professor Dhillon reluctantly becomes a taxi driver, retaining only the moniker of “Professor” from his past.

Meanwhile Harman has his own troubles adjusting. In India he was a vibrant, animated and street smart child. In Canada he’s a loner, spending most of his time in his room listening to his Indian music. He also becomes disinterested in school, struggling to make the grade.

This brings to life Pritam’s worst fears, that Harman will be indifferent towards his sacrifices and not amount to anything significant. He in turn puts a great deal of pressure on Harman, pushing him to study harder and succeed at all costs. It seemingly pays off though when Harman is accepted into a BBA program at a local University.

Upon graduation Harman becomes a suave, confident business consultant, surprising almost everyone around him with such a drastic turnaround. Nobody is more proud than his father.

However there is more to Harman that meets the eye, as he develops an intriguing split personality; as refreshingly down to earth and charming as he is shrewd and manipulative. Like a chameleon adapting to his surroundings, he oscillates between being the friendly guy rooted in strong family values to being the heartless con-man who has no second thoughts or remorse when taking advantage of his trusting clients and robbing them of their life-savings.

Under the guise of helping smaller businesses expand their operations, Harman is in actuality embezzling funds from them through a series of confusing money transfers and an overdose of paperwork. It’s only a matter of time before Harman moves on to more lucrative ventures, including a set-up to defraud investors in a major construction project. Of course, the higher the stakes, the greater the dangers…

A sexy female lawyer, Jasvir, who also happens to be a family friend, starts to pick up on the duality of Harman’s personality and wonders how he became so successful so quickly in the competitive world of consulting. Jasvir’s curiosity becomes a quest when she discovers how Harman has been defrauding his clients.

Things become even more intense when Jasvir turns to Pritam for help, pleading that they must stop Harman before he ends up getting involved in a big-time fraud which will put his future, even his life, in grave danger.

When they eventually learn of Harman’s actual motives for going down this path, it leaves them completely stunned. All along he was playing a twisted game of self-destruction, hoping it would ultimately lead to his redemption.

The Golden Road is an intense family drama with intrigue and suspense in great doses, and a jaw-dropping twist in its climax so shocking it will no doubt compel audiences to re-think the entire story from an altogether different perspective.

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