Written ‘and’ Directed by…
iView Author: Yusuf Tabatabai (Doha, Qatar)
Email: symehdi67 [at] gmail [dot] com
Written and directed by
In the good old days we used to have directors and we used to have writers. Most writers, of course, remained unknown or little known. Then came around Salim-Javed and films written by them used to be publicized with “Written by Salim-Javed” appearing in big bold letters on the hoardings. Anyways, Salim-Javed or whoever but mostly the two departments (direction and writing) were handled by different persons. There were a few glorious exceptions to the rule e.g. Vijai Anand and Gulzar. But nowadays it seems it has become the rule rather than the exception for the directors to write and direct.
Now when a new director talks about his next project he invariably says “I am working on the script”. As if scripting is now a part and parcel of directing. What happened to the directors, I mean just directors? If you look around most of the big and well known names in direction are writing their own scripts, or are at least involved in writing. Be it Anees Bazmee, Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, Rakeysh Mehra or even Siddharth Anand and Sajid Khan. Even some of those who kept away from writing in the past have joined the trend (Rakesh Roshan got involved with writing in Krrish). As of today, I think David Dhawan and Abbas Mustan are about the only big names who are content being just directors only.
There must be some reason or the reasoning behind this trend. I do not know for sure (obviously) but here is my take at understanding this phenomenon.
First of all we should understand that these guys not write because they want to become writers. No, they write because they want to become directors. Writing is their roadmap to the director’s chair. This way they can get there faster.
We should also understand that everyone who enters the industry wants to become big. And it so happens that the biggest stars are either the actors or the directors. So if you do not have it in you to become a star actor, you aim for the next best thing. That’s also why you see so many producers, actors, writers, cinematographers, choreographers and even dress designers, virtually everyone, migrating to direction after a successful, or otherwise, stint in their first domain.
Now, the way the film making process goes nowadays it makes it advantageous if you can write. To start from the beginning, to make a film you need a producer. If you have no previous track record (or if it is not a very impressive one) then no producer is going to touch you. So what to do? Well, get some star actor onboard and that will get the producers interested. Now, how to hook a star? Well, one sure way is to give them an opportunity to do something that they haven’t done before but would be game for. In other words give them a chance to extend themselves as an actor. That’s where your ability to write comes in handy. If you can custom write some script which shows this actor in a light never seen before, you are on.
That’s why this trend is seen most often in the first-time directors. There are too many examples. To name just a few, Sriram Raghavan, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Sajid Khan, Siddharth Anand, Tarun Mansukhani; why even Karan Johar and Farhan Akhtar started with self written scripts.
This theory gains strength when we see that some of these same names, once they have tasted success and got established, have shown the confidence to direct projects written by others. For example Farhan Akhtar’s Lakshya had screenplay by his father, Karan Johar’s Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna had Shibani Bathija and Niranjan Iyenger as writers. By this time, writing was not a necessity.
So, we see that being able to write is really a plus. It is a means to a coveted end. But sadly, it is not being regarded as an end in itself; at least not by too many. You hardly ever come across someone saying he has entered the industry to become a writer. Nor do you see established directors turning writers. It is a one-way traffic.
Tags: Direction, Writing
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Sorry to say but please don’t bore us with this half-baked ideas or pre mature conclusions.
“I think David Dhawan and Abbas Mustan are about the only big names who are content being just directors only”…it is because they do copy and paste mostly. No need for fresh writing.
Film writing/Story writing is most bankrupt deptt in our film industry. We should learn from hollywood. Pick some best selling novels, some real life hard hitting events or some good period drama and make a good movie. We are behind in that area. There are few attempts to make movies from best sellings but not many.
I hardly see movie on true stories. There are film on back drop of any event (like Gujrat roits interested many directors) but no movies on true events(could be best bakery or godhra).(i know there is black friday)
Till we do that, we will keep on missing real good stories, no matter a writer directs movie or a director writes movie.
I hope you don’t think of it as a negative trend, do you?
Dude,
I thought movie making was a team work. You have your own idea of how movies are made. Also you have an idea on how they are supposed to be made. Chill man. You cant push your idea of how it is or should be done on anyone. India is a democracy you know unlike…….
Let me tell you how i look at it and then you can agree or disagree, because you have the right to.
People now realize script is more important than getting big stars. So it is gonna make or break their career. One of the imp thing is that its team work man. I mean if someone writes the script and gives it you. You cant really do justice to it unless you fully understand the thought process behind it. To be able to recreate the magic on screen you need to intrepet it correct right.
Therefore when someone makes a movie out of a book. They say it is their own interpretation of the book. Because every one has their own interpretation and need not be same as the author’s interpretation.
For example while making godfather the movie copolla needed mario puzo on the script. Why couldnt he just read the book? Point being it is a team work. I believe bollywood was a little late on this realization.
I cant really spell it out more simply then this.
@AbhishekD: “There are film on back drop of any event (like Gujrat roits interested many directors)”
if you are refering to parzania and firaaq, there is no backdrop get your self some eye glasses and watch them again.
lastly i would say this “Every generalization is a lie to somebody somewhere” by your’s truly
So please dont generalize!!!!
If we go by your theory – that no producer in Bollywood will touch you when you are a first time director – your examples are a bit off mark. I mean, Mr. Akhtar and Mr Johar are from cinematic dynasties… I think they would have gotten work regardless…
this is the single most retarded article I have read on PFC….dude, do u even know what ure talking about? Do u know what ‘auteur’ means? Have u ever read any film theory? Its a shame what this blog has come to, really…
Buddy,
On what basis you are calling Anees Bazmee & sajid khan a writer.
they are copy paste writer sir.
even thy dnot know how to copy paste correctly.
.
Yusuf, I see ur point regarding the lack of people who enter the industry to become writers.
Yes, it seems that everyone’s after the director’s chair.
Anyone & everyone seems to be a director these days.
For so long, Hindi cinema has drawn in the crowds with Star Appeal alone.
It’s only of late that the script is given the importance it deserves.
It’s not only the job of Art/Parrallel cinema to have scripts anymore.
Lines blurred.
But, they’ll always be lovers of scriptless entertainers too :-)
Btw guys, weren’t some of the above comments just rude??
U don’t have to agree with the author, but surely there are other ways of expressing that, no?
C’mon guys…
No need for that…
what was the purpose of this article?
wasted efforts.
He has a point about attaching a star to ur spec script….it’s a plus with the producers
What a bore…and no research has been done before writing the post.
David dhawan has written the story of kyonki main jhooth nahin bolta (here is the link http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0297241/ )
As rightly pointed by abhishekD, DD is a pickup man, and the story of KMJNB was a pick of a hollywood flick, but wutever, the story write tag was in his credits.
Also he has written the screenplay of Partner (Again a pick from hollywood). But the fact remains same tht he was on board.
So do research properly bfor writing any such facts.
Nice article dude, i think half of the people here cudn’t understand what u are saying!! It’s true that writer and director’s job are totally different!! WRITER’S job is a lonly man job while director;s job is a teamwork.Still those who make films prefer to write it themselves…reason is simple it’s always very difficult to make anyone understand the depth of the story that too through words, its only the writer who can feel it, because in his mind the whole movie goes while writing. Writer understand this but when he narrate it to the director their r chances that he will miss intrprt it and shw the same content but not the way writer wanted…take this scene for an example (don’t copy it!!!) …
.a wife gives smooch n ask with excitment,”how was it??” the husband smirks n taunts,”i have been kissing the same lips for last…what 3 years…do u really think kissing is anymore exciting???”
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.
.
.
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Now the writer, for the above scene will see how bored is the man from his marriage & director will see it as ,”it’s A KISSING SCENE only”
so being writer n director both helps in understanding the depth of the story n showing it in the frame. Moreover only when u have written some scripts u can judge the scripts being approached to u…otherwise u’ll see the scripts like above n just call it a KISSING SCENE.
@Nick #5
Ok, so presumed that I am talking about Parzania and Firaaq. Fine. Dont know why, but I havent watched both the movies yet. even though I have DVD of Parzania. But as far as I know Guj roit is the backdrop of both the movies. If my eyes are not week enough to reconige nandita Das, Naseer, Tisca and shahana, then I saw there interview on NTDv and Nandita said that it is on backdrop of roits.
Here are links for those movies can you read what other people are saying?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1263679/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433425/
You are the first person who are saying so about these movies. You know something even director of the movie doesnt know.
I think film will have more impact if it will be based on stories written by writer it will be more mature, not just the ideas of directors which sometime is very foolish and wasting time of audience. There should be story first, then screen play and the practical experience of that story by film. Filmmaking is being commercial the focus is on money making there is no limitation for writing anything they can write and show. I don’t feel that there is any concept of writer in film industry these days. But even I appreciate the films like “A Wednesday” which touched the heart of people.