White
Considerning my lifelong quest for irony, there it is. ‘Black’ may (or may not) be beautiful (and I know I risk opening a frightening can of worms here), but white happens to be my favorite colour. Pristine. Unsullied. Receptive. Conjures beautiful images. Of clouds. The moon. Virginal doves and Yash Chopra heroines. A flag symbolising peace. But just now, this moment, I’m fighting the colour. As a teenager, I recall arguing with my mother over the abundance of white in my wardrobe. Why would anyone pay money and buy a non-colour, she’d question in exasperation. But I loved it. It made me disappear. And yet now, as I sit watching the white screen stare unblinkingly at me, I hate it. I’m almost afraid of it. It makes me frighteningly visible.
What a stew. Over a colour, too.
But anyone who has stared at a blank document or sheet — waiting, yearning, challenging, demanding, mocking, pleading to be filled – would know what I mean. The moments ticking away as thoughts are collected, deciphered, collated, expressed, then rejected. White. Little black squiggles. No, no, no. Select All. Delete. Scratch out. Crumple. A collective denunciation. Then white again. It’s painful. Traumatic.
I hear the sniggers. Only a writer could work up such dramatics, such inventive semantics.
Writers. A strange, dysfunctional, frightened, frightening, complex, Byzantine, tortured, torturous lot that fear they’ll never be understood and dread being understood. Lonely misfits we make a mockery of our own selves when we try to fit in… We’re not meant to. We don’t belong. We’re mere chroniclers, invisible historians of what we see and what it is. Always at the periphery, looking in. Party-crashing wallflowers.
Others live. We watch.
Examining people, studying their expressions, assigning backgrounds, painting imaginary stories, trying to look beyond what is seen. No one is spared this scrutiny. Certainly not our personal relationships. Every word uttered by us or to us is stored away for future reference. Every experience – inconsequential or life-altering – is fodder for a story or a layer added to a character we’re working on. Every person we know, love, hate, meet – finds himself or herself somewhere in some character. If the depiction is flattering, they’re pleased. Else, hurt. Every happiness we experience is explored, every sadness analyzed. There’s a part inside that’s always detached. The writer within suffers from perpetual insomnia.
The mystical alter-ego, the evil twin!
‘I feel a funeral in my brain…’
And yet, strangely, I can’t think of a single fellow-writer who can be called glib, who can hold an argument or a debate with flair. We get too passionate. Too involved. Too convoluted. And the objectivity is lost. Solitude is our best ally. In that, the silent space, we flourish. With an audience, we flounder. In my stories, the retort that I create – to a barb that I create too – is immediate… In real life, it never happens. So, we live vicariously within the pages of what we create. We’re the heroes there. But in reality, we’re the poor nerds that the popular students laugh out of the park.
Nowhere is this more vividly demonstrated than in the world of Hindi movies. A world where words are worthless. They have no place in the darkened halls where visuals and sound are everything. A writer is the least important player. And yet without him or her, there is no film. But we don’t fight our insignificance.
And so one endures the wasted two hours spent traveling to Nariman Point to meet a corporate nitwit who believes ‘Idream’ – mutilating the language, punctuation and the beauty of its thought with his cold clammy hands clasping each other as his shifty eyes dart round the room, perhaps searching for ricochets of his gargantuan idiocy even as I duck to save myself from being hit by them, for fear that stupidity of this level could be contagious.
Then, there’s the hopeless half-hour trying to explain to a pygmy-sized female star the greatness of another wordsmith going by the name of J.D Salinger and making her understand what the ‘big deal’ was about ‘The Catcher in the Rye’. Oh, the pointlessness of it all when she turns to someone else and asks if she should read ‘The Da Vinci Code’ instead or would that be a waste of her time too. Absurdity never had a more prettier poster-child!
The anorexic aging male star with a colossal ego and a microscopic amount of grey matter wanting a ‘narration’ (maybe they feel reading is not what they signed up for when they said ‘hey, I wanna be an actor’ or perhaps those blue/ brown/ green/ grey contact lenses can’t be exerted thus) enters the revoltingly ugly room with his stick-figure limbs and swagger, wants to know if I can summarise the 120-page detailed saga into fifteen minutes. All I can do is say a polite ‘No’ and walk out. What I’d like to do is catch the man right in the middle of his concave gut with a lance. But all I can spill is ink.
Warriors who hold a pen, what a funny picture! A caricature!
It’s outrageous that a respectable alumni, a temple of learning decides to hold a seminar and calls it ‘What’s Wrong With Indian Screenwriting’ or some such. And wants me to participate in it and offer my views about what I think is wrong… Can you imagine Shah Rukh Khan (whom I absolutely love, by the way) sitting on the dais and waxing eloquent on a seminar titled ‘Why do most Indian actors suck?’!!! It’s a joke that the most blindingly brilliant writer in the country is paid less than one thirtieth of what a more visible, but abysmally untalented member of the film world is paid. You see, the written page isn’t visible on celluloid. It’s hilarious how everyone from a director to a cameraman to an editor to a dress designer to a choreographer to a make-up man believes that he/ she can write as well if not better than most writers. But what can the writer do? Fight only with words… those weightless, unarmed missiles. Sound and fury, signifying nothing!
And so, like me, my talented wordsmith brethren quietly turn another page or open another document to try and pen down their angst and pain – the cut all the more deeper because he/ she always sees more, senses more, feels more – into the only channel they know. But the war isn’t over. There’s the white page, the blank unblinking document with that blinking mocking cursor. One more enemy to fight because it defines with alarming clarity their ability to fail in expression, their inability to articulate themselves, the simplicity of their thought or the ambiguity of their feelings… In staring at the white, we suddenly become naked, stripped of all power. All over again.
‘A Black, as of a Scepter’s cloak –
hid heaven and earth from view…’
Two pages are filled now. The white is vanquished. I feel revived, rejuvenated. For now.
‘I shut my eyes and groped as well…
Twas lighter to be blind…’
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
One WORD : WOW… ^:)^
Three more words : Welcome to PFC!!!
what a start! very warm welcome to PFC. pelhle onir phir santosh shivan aur ab app… PFC ke jalse ho gaye bhai..
hoping more from your experiences and also writing tips…
I would love to have left the ‘whiteness’ of the comment box, unstained, but couldn’t resist.
A well written introduction of your state of mind. :”>
swagat hai bhawani.
sapnon ke saat rang.unme black aur white nahi hai.
anyway,welcome again.8-|
A very warm welcome to PFC, Bhavani.
Like they say in Almost Famous, “It’s all happening!”
Bhavani – This is truly one of the most brilliant pieces of writing I have seen in my entire life. How did u spill it all out so well.
I have sinned before, about black on PFC. I was angry. Its simmered for now.
Awesome!!!
^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^
ohkkk .bhawani it’s absolutely brilliant peace of writing I welcome u at PFC but i m not convince with u at all…i m little cynical abt why they copied from “the miracle worker” if not what was the whole story. can u elaborate on that. n yes this is an excellent peace of writing which i read after a long interval.only a genuine writer could write with this color.
welkome to PFC. wud like to hear more from u.
now everybody knows that Black was a copy of The Miracle Worker. Mr. Bhansali had mastered the ary of copying. So could you genuinely explain ur contribution as a screenwriter for Black. Like to me your contribution was like showing Bhansali that here is a film that we can COPY!!! lol
kaku,
bouncer hai.copy cat writers aur directors ko hamlog izzat dete rahe hain.
original ki baat karna bewkoofi hai.
dont spoil the celebration.
celebrate mediocrity of our writers and directors and actors.
abhi to 50% mein hi distinction mil jata hai.
“I shut my eyes and groped as well
Good Lord Bhavani!!,
That’s a lot of anger. Stay away from ‘em gas ovens.
But seriously, the state of the film industry is what ‘we’ have made it. We, the makers, the writers, the actors, the audience.
And only we can change it.
I once was told to read a script and give my reaction on it. I read it and when I finished I asked, “Who the F wrote this script ? One of the worst scripts I have read. Sure flop” The guy replied, “It is written by the same person who wrote Black”. I was wondering how the same person could have wrote that. Maybe somebody else was responsible for that bad script. Or maybe I am not sensible enough. I don’t want to say which script.
I would like to know why a talented writer sometimes gives bad scripts. Also I feel that you play with words… words that I don’t understand.
And about my sensibility, I did not understand what you wanted to say through this post. :d Maybe it was about the importance of white in your life.
Hey Bhavani
Good to see you here…. very beautiful piece. … you forgot to add… even the actresses mother thinks that she can write better… hehe
He He Onir, that was a valuable addition, “actress mother,”
I think its so great to be on PFC, because when you really don’t get to communicate with so many people, I mean really communicate, here you realize that all the wrongs are not just happening to you but to everyone around.. even to the successfull ones. And the only thing you can do is fight and try and change the system….
Hey Onir. Thanks… Wasn’t really sure I wanted to… All the hate-mail directed to me kinda validates my initial misgiving. Either I need to develop a thicker skin… or quit…!
Ravptor, Dipankar… Many thanks.
Suchita… Thanks for the kind words. Nothing I hate more than being defensive, but I guess I have to say this. ‘Black’ was meant to be based on the life of Helen Keller. Due to issues with the Helen Keller Foundation, there was no way, we could make it as a biography. Any film based on the life of ‘Gandhi’ would have the Non-Cooperation movement, the Satyagraha et al. Likewise, any film based on Helen Keller’s life would have a teacher, Helen being disciplined at the dining table, and learning to say ‘Water’. ‘The Miracle Worker’ was based on William Gibson’s ‘The Miracle Worker’. If you’d care to believe me, I haven’t watched ‘The Miracle Worker’. I’ve only read the play. Also, it’s strange how most people don’t seem to recall that ‘Black’ had two parts. One when she’s young and the other when she’s older.
Anyway, like you say, a lot more people seem to have liked it than not. So…
Regarding ‘Main Aisa Hi Hoon’, there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip. There’s this huge chasm between the written word and what finally appears on screen. Easy to indulge in a lot of blame-laying and finger-pointing, but quite futile cos what’s done is done.
Oh, and the lines are Emily Dickinson’s. She’s one of my favourite poets. I’m hoping quoting someone isn’t ‘copying’, lest I’m faced with some more comments on my ‘mediocrity’??!!!
Kaku… Sure, sounds like that’s what I did… Point to a DVD. Got paid pretty well to do that though! Some silver lining, I guess!
Justin John… Since all I did was point to a DVD and ‘Black’ got made, why would you expect any better than what you read from the ‘F’ that wrote that script? I’d really like to know which one you’re talking about, though. Would you like to share it? I thought what I was trying to say in this post was pretty clear. Chalk it up as yet another failure then!!!
you can always repaint a picture by painting it white, first. that’s the beauty of colors; you can hide colors but words.
:-?
Justin John, Please have some professional courtesy to not talk about others’ in development projects. Would appreciate this and would like to see PFC’s straight forward honest readers to give some space to new authors for atleast a few posts.
Sorry Bhavani. I was making fun of myself.
[Admin note: enough JJ... we just don't get it. Check club]
admin note : comment edited… JJ give it a rest!!!
Hi and a warm welcome to PFC Bhavani. Isolation, the white screen and enduring all the ignorance around – you are so right – there
Bhavani, you have a beautiful mind. Do remember this, they can take away everything you have…but not that.
I’d like you to read my post and give me your feedback…
best
viczee
Wow! now that’s what I call an entry!! Welcome to PFC
Hey Bhavani
Trust you me…. negative comments/ hate mails are all a part of being in a public space. The good thing is our work is in public space and this space offers a place to interact and understand how one is perceived. At the same time each of us deep within know who we are and how much we value our intregrity… so we do not need to get worried about every comment… but it is nice to be able to go through this process and accept what one finds valuable… and yes I am sure there is more love and warmth in this space than hatered…. dont quit.
Hey Bhavani, thanx for replying… and if writers like you talk about quitting, people like us should have quit long time ago…
And as they say “what would you do if you couldn’t fail…. ”
So, “what would you do if you didnot get critiqued,”
Keep going…. the sky is the limit and in times to comes even that wouldn’t be a limit any more…
Thanx for being here…
Hi Onir and Bhavani,
Great to see you guys join the blog wagon. It helps us the aspiring types to get the “real” story behind the screen story.
From both your blogs, my thoughts are around the narration vs written word issue. I even heard Aamir Khan in a BBC interview that he prefers narraion because that helps him see the movie through the eyes of the director where as if he reads the script in the beginning without a narration he forms his own ideas in the head and that maybe different from the director’s. Taking this as the basis on which people prefer narattion and ignoring the other possible reasons like – reading a script and analyzing it requires talent and time which our guys don’t have – what do you guys think?
The core of the issue is even though, in the end, film is a director’s medium, it is fundamentally a collaborative art form rather than an indivdualistic art form. Having the script (including the dialog) written on paper forms the base on which the production designer, the dp, the actor, the editor form their ideas and how “they” see their film. Then of course, it is the director’s job to choose what fits into the overall vision and reject what does not. If in the beginning itself, the crew and cast are beginning with “what do you want and we will do it for you?”, the film loses it essential quality – the organic nature of an artist’s contribution to the story is lost.
But then, is film really seen as an art form in India? The “business” starts with “I don’t want to tell the whole story because even the writer might steal the idea” – it is so ridiculous. And then, how many directors are there in India who want to layout the whole story and script in the beginnng and be “vulnerable” to give a chance for others to criticize it?
Finally, though apparently I don’t subscribe to the idea of narration taking the place of having a script at all, there is an important aspect to it and place for it in the process too. Without being able to “narrate” and “express” one’s vision, how can the director ever discuss and draw out the vision from the rest of the crew/cast and merge the visions into one film? One has to be able to express in spoken words, right? Isn’t that an essential skill set for a drector?
Appreciate your thoughts. Regards and Best
Hi Vasu
I Think I do not essentially agree with the comment Amir made. A script that is bad cannot become good because of a narration. What very often happens is the “drama” behind a narration masks the real intricate details. As Bhavani will surely agree… most actors do not really have the patience to hear a two hours narration.
Also i think it as simple to discuss the vision of the film after the other person(actor/crew) has read the script. Actually the discussion is much more fruitfull.
Secondly I thnk you are confusing narration with communication skills of a director with his unit. Just because a director cannot give a script narration does not mean he cannot discuss in details with his crew/cast about the script. Neither was i referring to “narration” as equivalent to “express”. You are talking about communication. I am talking about narration as in reading out the full script to an actor. I am not talking about not discusssing ones vision.
Bhavani – I agree with Onir. The reality is that as a writer, as a creator, you are already judged today. You are judged based on how well your product does, how it is accepted. Blogging is, in a way, an extension of that, albeit one that opens you up more publicly than ever before.
There are lots of comments here that are adoring of your article. That’s a great sign. But understandably, like many creators, the comments that aren’t as complimentary affect you more.
You have to figure out where they come from – are they constructive criticism that can help you be a better artist? Are they ignorant criticism where you can correct the perception? Or in the worst case, are they malicious criticism that you just have to ignore?
There is a lot of good in the forum and a lot that all of us can learn from each other. I hope you will ignore the malicious criticism and continue to blog.
Hey, Bhavani Welcome aboard. PFC seems to be growing by the second. Loved the post. Hope to hear more such thoughts.
About hate mails and negativity as Onir says there is surely more space for love and warmth. Keep the words flowing.
Thanks, Onir. That’s the difference I want to bring out too. From the point of view of an actor/producer who does not know the director, it is valid to want to know two aspects – what is the script about and how does this particular director sees and wants to execute it. So, even if the script is great they would want to know how a particular director sees and “expresses” it. In which case, I am thinking that because of lack of time the actor/producer might want to combine the process (of reading the script and subsequently discussing the elements) into one sitting. In such a case there may be some validity to it – but if in that sitting, the actor/producer does not even allocate the required time, it is a mute point. What do they usually expect in the first sitting narration and how long do they last?
Bhavani, welcome to pfc….lovely post to start with.
others live,we watch…so true. n so let the hate mails n negativity be there..let others live.
about black…hav seen both the films. yes,black is much more than miracle worker for sure…as u said its in two parts. but its also true, that some scenes are frame by frame copy. but whats pissing off is that the white man with black snob goes around saying blah blah blah instead of accepting the fact that it does have similarity. u hate the film more for that man, may be.
Very few actors in our country insist on bound scripts. Also, I have heard about a very big director who started discussing the story and screenplay only a month before starting his movie, for which he had signed a huge starcast.
If this is the situation, then I guess we will have to wait a long, long time before things change and become professional.
On the other hand is this actor in Chennai who is amused to no end at directors acting out the script and the different characters, when he would just be comfortable reading a bound script.
There is also a problem with bound scripts though. And two big films illustrate this. Two writers have gone to court in Chennai saying ‘Sivaji’ and the under-production ‘Dasavatharam’ are their stories. They have claimed that thought the directors heard their stories, they were not part of the team when the movies were being shot. They are now seeking compensation and credit for their work.
Maybe they are just people who are trying to blackmail the production houses to shell out some money. But if their is even an iota of truth in their allegations, then imagine the fate of the writers who prefer giving actors and directors their bound scripts.
I think if they are intelligent writers they should anyway register their script…. and in that case if someone steals it… they cannot get away (unless it is anyway not original)… give you an example… couple of years back … URMI JUVEKAR went to the writers association and won a substantial compensation against Milind Somen’s company for using her script idea/ screenplay (with some modifications) and making ” RULES … PYAAR KA SUPERHIT FORMULA”… so if people follow the basic rules. There is hope.
Shripriya, that was such a wonderfully balanced and sensible take on the negative. Wish I could tackle it with such clarity. It’s my biggest drawback, a paper-thin skin and an inability to detach. And yes, like you put it, the comments that are hurtful impact greater. Which is rather sad, I agree… Thanks for your words.
Phoenixnu — you’re absolutely right. I think his attitude draws much more vexation and anger than his movies singularly do. One loves ‘Munnabhai’ even more because of Rajkumar Hirani’s child-like simplicity as a person. The view from a high horse, unfortunately, doesn’t allow for level-headedness, if you know what I mean! Yet, I feel the man is at times maligned too much. He is entitled to his cinema. And we’re entitled to our choices. If we don’t like something, we don’t watch it. I hate the commercial hitmakers saying ‘this is the kind of stuff you should make’ just as much as intellectuals declaiming ‘this is how cinema ought to be’. Why can’t both co-exist, so everyone has a choice? Why does it have to be an either-or scenario?
Regarding parts of ‘Black’ being frame-by-frame copies, I really cannot defend or react to that. I haven’t seen ‘The Miracle Worker’, and don’t think I ever shall. I wrote a film, I saw it play out in a particular way in my head. It didn’t translate that way. But the first lesson every writer needs to learn is detach, detach, detach. Still doesn’t come easily to me. I feel like I’m giving up a baby each time. Onir would testify to that! I was really low after I handed ‘Hamlet’ to him. Of course, when it’s a filmmaker aligned with your sensibility, it’s an easier ask.
Vasanbala, thanks a ton.
FenderBender, Smriti, many thanks.
Suchita. You’re really sweet! Honestly, I believe there are a million more talented and gifted writers out there and I’m sure you’re among them. I just got lucky. And a DVD!!!
Vasu, Onir is right. Actors want a narration in fifteen minutes. Between shots. While they’re getting make-up done. While a dress designer is taking their measurements. With a couple of journalists looking angrily at you because you’re eating up their time, and they’ve been waiting all day to get a few moments. Or during lunch. How can anyone narrate a script that you’ve put your blood and tears into, in this setting?
I don’t blame the stars, they really are pressed for time. If they choose to dance at a wedding, rather than hear a script, hey, it’s totally all right. I’m no one to judge. Which is where we say ‘here, this is my film’. From the first scene to the last. Read it. We don’t mean, say yes or no, on that read. But discussing a vision is so much easier when the actor knows what we’re talking about. And the clothes, make-up, food etc interruptions don’t really chafe that much.
I don’t prescribe with ‘lack of time, so let’s cram it all in one sitting’. Aren’t they in the movies? Aren’t scripts a rather important part of the movies? So, shouldn’t it get the respect and time it deserves? It’s like a banker saying ‘yeah, I want this money to multiply, but I don’t really have the time to analyse the financial options, so can someone send me a summary?’!!! Okay, bad example, but you get my drift.
Also, a narration in Hindi movies is quite different from what its definition implies. I’ve seen a director narrate thus… ‘The car pulls up. Screech! You get out of the car and look up. Chak Chak!’ followed by his hands going close to the actor’s face, implying a dramatic close-up. ‘And then there’s a blast. Dhishkyaon!!!’ I swear, this happened! Now can anyone out here match that?!
Venky, like Onir says registering your script does protect you to an extent. It is a risk yes. But when an actor doesn’t have the time to read, and doesn’t have the time that it would take to have it read to him/ her, where is the solution?!!
Bhavani,
If it is of any consolation, it’s the same in Hollywood. Very few actors/stars read a script (or read it entirely) and many directors don’t read a screenplay either.
There was a female writer that showed up on a set in Hollywood (writers are generaly not tolerated on the set here) and found out what scene the Director was shooting. She asked the Director why the heroine of the movie was in the shot. The director looked at her in disdain but also a little confused. The writer says, “the bitch died 30 pages ago”.
The Director is confused and there is a lot of very subdued, behind the scenes commotion where someone was asked to check the script etc and finally the Director acknowledged that he made a mistake.
The writer saved them a day’s production (someone would have found out eventually and they would have to re-shoot).
Guess who was not invited to the film’s wrap up celebration party?
Thanx Bhavani for those inspiring words, that dvd humour is still being carried on!! ha ha .. well carrying it further, even I am getting lots of DVD’S just not the right one! Imagine COPYING a DVD which you don’t even believe in.. Its like killing yourself every second of your life. Killing yourself everyday!
Registering a script…well I don’t know how much can it help. But I believe there are 6.5 billion people on this planet which means there are 6.5 billion ways we can tell one story, so I am sure no one can possibly copy ‘the one’ story which you believe in, except the one line of it… I hope I am making sense:(
On the other hand, I beg to differ…A lot of Hollywood screenwriters are treated like royalty, and have similar airs about them, and I can say this from personal experience…William Goldman,Ron Bass,Gary Goldman,Steve Zaillian,John Milius,Andrew Kevin Walker,Joe Ezterhas,Scott Frank, Richard Donner……etc, etc..Scripts are sold for an upwards of a few million dollars each..
That will take a long time to permeate into Bollywood.
Someone should start an agency like Mike Ovitz did, so that all Directors,Producers etc would have to go through agents to access quality writers,material and intellectual property…that would instantly up the ante, wouldn’t it?
Viczee, u forgot to add two big names there, Zach Helm and Charlie Kaufman but then they are both very down-to-earth.
LOL, Bhavani, I remember my childhood when we used to gather together after cricket in the evening and whoever has seen the latest film would “tell” us all the story…NTR draws his sword and jumps the wall…kling,klong,kling…
very impressive!
vivid description, I have to admit. The author is bound take up the pen once more
:D and more than once!
you are gifted! Bhavani,upon my word!
[admin note: edited... personal attack]
Great post and nice replies to tricky comments.
Welcome to PFC!!
As someone who takes to writing in the spare time I get, I could readily identify with what you wrote on observation. Many a times I have written characters whom I took from real life and wrote them on a piece of paper only to destroy for the fear of being found out. It is definitely a painful experience. At times i felt that writing something impersonal is easier, however have found out that even to create an outlandish character, one has to draw from within. To create a demon, one has to do the painful job of unearthing that damn thing from one’s self – things that are hidden and buried under the veneer of sophistication, courtesy and civil behaviour. How do you cope up emotionally after writing something that shakes you up personally? – Surely just a chat of detach detach and detach will not work always.
I have nightmares if I write something that really disturbs me.
Yet another consolation, if you take it so Bhavani — it’s the same story in the media too. The backroom boys and girls slogg their butts off and those who are visible get all the glory…it’s truly a thankless system out here…!!!
By the Way — are a fan of Sylvia Plath?
Hi Bhavani: welcome on PFC,
your article is a nice read.
This is beauty of PFC that writer of “Black” and one of the biggest critic of “Black”, both are writing on PFC. People in case, you and Anurag Kashyap.
Its though amusing that you have not seen “The Miracle Worker” the film, but its fine also because many who try to trash “Black” as mere copy or scene to scene copy of Hollywood film also have not seen the English film. That Oscar winner English film also has serious mistakes/lackings in recording the moments of Helen’s learning.
Sanjay Bhansali’s film surely scores over the original in many aspects but it can be easy because reference point was there. And then Black surely lacks at so many points before TMW. But no doubt about
Ayesha Kapoor >= Patty Duke,
Shernaj Patel > Ingwa Swenson
Dhritman Chaterjee > Victor Jory
and ofcourse Amitabh Bachchan is far better than Anne Bancroft, but then he had more role than the lady actress as English film is so short and her role is limited to the moment where Helen learns the words through touch, Black explores more the character of AB.
I have one big curiosity that when Helen Keller Institute was not willing to give permission to make another film on her life then not for a moment you and Sanjay Bhansali thought to make big change in the story/screen play and making character of Michelle as a male say Micaehl. When teacher’s gender was changed why not same change to Michelle’s character as perhaps then film could have been entirely different, because with female Michelle many important tasks are ignored in the film. Or both you and Sanjay never came across this thought and you wished to show Michelles’s infatuation with her teacher`?
Welcome again!
Its so strange tht u all complain tht the idustry is this, tht and wht not but still happily work over here with the same passion. You know wht Bhavani, if actors want narration in 15 min, give them tht bcoz its them who gonna make the film look the way u want it to look. got tht.
I don say ki its not gonna change, takes time, every thin takes time.
and I understand how it feels, u knw coz u write a script with a particular actor in mind and go to him for narration and got only 15 min to express, but eventually tht 15 min are more than enough if the actor u approach has tht vision to say yes to it.
have patience, MISS WHITE.
Sunny Lalany
every thin takes time
Every Thick takes even more time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bhavani,
Welcome to PFC!
Good luck with Purna Viram. Can you discuss cast and crew of this or is it too early. You can start a seperate Blog of this movie, here at PFC.
Please continue blogging here, love to read em.
hey bhavani
welcome to PFC
its really great to intract with all of such telented people.PFC is now place of Genius’s
i really appriciate your telent bhavani.
all best wish to you
DSantosh
Did not know where to post this message but since this is the only article close enough to a movie Mr.Bachchan acted in, thought this would be perfect here.
I was watching Star news and they were showing a heart wrenching coverage of two twin sisters, aged 15 but look like 5 years old due to some rare disease, look like babies and cannot get up. I was actually in tears looking at them but those two sisters were so happy and smiling, I really admired them for their will power.
Star News called many celebrities and made them talk to these sisters…Himesh Reshammiya, Asha Bhosle, Sanjay Dutt etc! Everyone was moved! Everyone agreed to their request to sing a song, even Sanjay Dutt! I must say I am floored by Sanjay Dutt now..I am now his fan for life…
But when Amitabh Bachchan came on line, all my admiration for this man fizzled out in an instant. He was cold, distant, unmoved, rude and curt! Buddy, these two girls are living a life like hell, their whole life is a bed they are in…today was their big day when a TV channel spotted them, the least you could have done was being nice to them…
I must say that the Amitabh we know on screen is totally different from the real Amitabh…
your post is beautifully written… and i really am glad that you guys have had such a healthy debate on this whole ‘narration’ issue… if your principal cast/crew cannot read a script i think it is futile working with them… communicating your vision and narrating a screenplay are two completely different skills. narration is more a game of histrionics and unfortunately a good narrator is often mistaken for a good writer/director…
bhavani, it is also natural for a sensitive person to react to hurt mail… i had a similar experience on PFC and have spent quite a few months sulking! your wonderful post has helped me come out of my shell… PFC is a wonderful place with many passionate, disparate minds finding expression… thanks to you, i feel like writing another post! welcome to PFC.
We are waiting, Hansal!
hey BHAVANI…welcome aboard…finally…yahi voh jagah hai jahan hum sab khul kar bolte hain… welcome.
“It
Swashbuckling start! Your post had many layers that we can talk about for several days.
I’m a strong believer that a movie is a director’s medium and screen-writing is quite different from other forms of writing. It should rarely have work for a wordsmith.
Dear Hansal, hi and thanks. I’ve heard so much about you and I’d really like to read your comeback post… Yes, I tend to do what you said, too. Withdraw and lick my wounds, wanting never to venture out again. But sooner or later, better sense prevails.
Dabba, the story doesn’t surprise me. And yet we keep coming back for more… Like Sunny pointed out. The love for cinema is greater than these stupid slights, I guess…
Aditi, thank you. Frankly though, I don’t care about the lack of visibility or being on the radar. It’s the absolute dismissal of the script and the process of writing by some, if not most, that gets my goat. And yes, I am a huge admirer of Sylvia Plath. Incredible talent and disturbed mind… Explosive and potent combination, I think…
AnnaBay, thanks. Jaiganesh, you said it better than I could…
ShawshankRedemption, am still in the process of finalising cast… Will certainly share it when the time is right..
Macchar, I’d like to share something with you, which perhaps puts this episode in a greyer zone, not as black and white as all that. I work with some organizations that help cancer patients who come from different parts of the country to bombay for treatment. They don’t have much money, their relatives who travel with them have no place to stay, and in cases where the patient doesn’t need hospitalisation and is an out-patient, even the patients sleep on the hallways of the hospital if there are some benign guards, or on the streets or railway stations. This is the condition of cancer aid in this city. I don’t know about elsewhere, am hoping it would be better and more humane.
I was at the Tata Memorial Hospital and a journalist happened to see me and recognise me from a photograph in some newspaper and wanted to do an interview with me. I was very pleased to speak, because greater awareness would mean aid for the helpless people all around, struggling with not just the life-altering disease and its emotional, physical and physiological ramifications but the bigger financial one that unfortunately overshadows all of these. But the journalist wanted to pitch the article as ‘writer of Black — a cancer survivor’. And then, there was another magazine that met us wanting to create awareness for cancer, using female stars and celebrities. And quite a few celebrities came on board. But the campaign — a photographic one — has these beautiful well-endowed women dressed in sexy singlets and jeans — coyly and sexily smiling at the camera… trying to create an awareness of breast cancer! Now who’s at fault? The celebrities? Or the magazine? Or the ideators of this abominable insensitivity?
Coming to the story of those young girls, do they care which actor talks to them or that they are on TV? They have their own definition of happiness which is vastly different from the TV channel and the journalist who feels Sanjay Dutt talking to them would make their day.
But for them, and for the thousands of cancer patients in Tata Memorial or elsewhere, a celebrity striking a pose or saying hello is an insignificant chapter to the pain they have to battle and live with all their lives. And yes, isn’t it absolutely incredible that they do this with the most enchanting smile that would put a million light bulbs to shame!
Cancer survivors/patients or not!
Millions of Indians , particularly boys and girls on the streets of India, doing labour without going to school, smile and laugh heartily without complaint, knowing that their life has probably no hope to get better, all the while observing how middle class and rich kids snob and complain having to carry book bags and lunch bags to school and show off their Harry Potter knowledge proudly. This itself is a miracle, for if it had been any other country, such a divide would have created angry uprise, unnecessary violence and daily muggings everywhere isn’t it? It is the patient and “accepting” people of India that make her tick in my opinion, while the middle class and the upper ones have energy and time to be passionate about “goals” and interests. I am disappointed that our movie industry, sitting on such a golden egg of a subject passes it by everyday for multiplex miracles. I donno how many scripts are being written on lives of these everyday heroes. We still have only one “Salaam Bombay” made by an NRI as a reference to a film on urban poverty and spirit. I implore writers like you to take this up and explore the phenomenon in detail as it would reveal the real “Gandhigiri” in all Indians who have shown patience in the face of social denial.
Unless we come up with stories of these “real” Indians, our cinema is going to remain bereft of “Passion” and our talented makers just children playing with their “XBoxes” instead of going ahead and realising the full potential of cinema.
I donno if this is something related, however I thought of writing it down in your post so that you can take a cue and make a change.
Offcourse I will get comments like, why dont u make your “own passionate” movie. I told u , bcoz u have a head start in the medium and are somewhat established.
Hi Bhavani,
Can I get your email? I want to talk to you regarding your work with cancer patients at the TMH. My wife and I are proud survivors – both cured at the TMH, thankfully living a blessed life. We are in the US now.
Regards
Vasu
vvangala@hotmail.com
your article gave me such an incredible high.
what one writes is, as you described, a reflection of what one sees, hears, feels and lives. but to form such a reflection of yourself, one in which many others can find their reflections, that isnt something that comes easily, does it?
about the negative posts, it only goes to show that youve got something that many others cant reach or comprehend.
also, youve brought out all the lows of creative work(cant fit in; others live, we watch…). it was all the more bitter for me as i could identify with every one of them. but thats still my fav part of the article. still, i wish next time around, youd chronicle the good times writers experience. i mean, there are so many great highs, rite?!!
Bhavani..Very well written article and you have clearly highlighted the plight of screen writer’s.
I am really impressed with your style of writing – especially the usage of words and art of conveying your message…
Keep writing and keep flowing….
Actually, I have recently joined this group and I really admire they way information and ideas flow from you all Onir, Vasu, Oz and everyone else….Thanks
hi Bhavani,
What’s up with u? Keep reading your stories in PFC.. drop in fe lines in my inbox gautamgohain@gmail.com