Lifestyle POWER OF THE WRITTEN WORD AND ANJUM RAJABALLI niece expect a storyteller to be? An ‘acclaimed seript writer with many feathers in his cap (se ox), Anjum has made his ‘marc in the fm industry with the power of his written word Anugya Chieransh caught "up with him during @ recent st fo Pune. Anugya (Q): You have a Masters in Clinical Psy- chology from the Pune University. How did. the transition to seriptwriting occur? ‘Anjum Rajaballi (A): Serpe ‘writing did't actualy feature in my fatute careers prospects My intention was to become by accident, tas rally an act ‘of serendipity that Ieame onto Seipteiting, stumbled upon it Dida lite i and enjoyed itso {took it up a hobby and grad nally it ae My degree was nat Intended! straining for my ob, butit does come in handy Q: Your first movie was Droh Kaal (1994). How did ‘you come upon Govind Ni hhalani? How did you come to know that he's working onit? ‘AcTL was a complete accident. ‘ida’ now what he was work ing on. One 1 had. admined Govind's work and it 80 hap pened that was once having coffe with Raique Baghdad and in walked Gotind Nila Rafique introduced us and we ‘SCRIPTWRITER: Anjum Rajaballi practicing paychoanalsst, So after my masters I went to Mumba in 1982 to start train- ing for psychoanalysis But it didn work out, Completely got talking, We ad Jong die- fusion about interests ad he insted me to se seripts he had writen T gave im my re action and he asked me to write a script for hie Q: Once you're done with the seript how involved are you with the actual flm- ing of the movie? Prakash ha actually said that he felt married to you when you were both working on ‘Aarakshan... 18: Yes, that's Because Prakash tana 1 worked very closely to- ether. In his case, even ding the shooting, T go quite often, Some amount of tweaking, pol: ishing, and changinga ie here for there is also done while the Shooting is on. I get involved in the edit and subtiting. All the write-ups, synopsis, sto ries and press releases, are all passed through me. T attend press conferences and premiers ‘of my fms. Depending on my ‘equation withthe deer, a involved in the entire process of ‘lm-making Q When you taught at the Film and Television Tnsti- tute of India CFTTD, you tused to start with an ance: dote by saying thatthe first movie show timing is 6:30 AM In’a remote’ mining town. How did you come ‘upon this titcbit? Why this particular ancedote? 1A Mukesh Bhat once told. me that in the interior especially in mining towns of Bitar, UP, Orissa and AP, there are shows as eatly as 6:30am. Workers finish their ight shits and alive into a film, This shows that einem has become an in legrl part of eur diy routine, ‘Tis was the point Iwas tying to bring, home tothe students this i the culture oe are ing in and thse Tnboorers sometimes spead a days wage to buy the movie ticket, Yet we continue to et them down ‘many times. All they expect sone decent stors, where the characters and station move ‘hem, The reason I narrate this aneodote isto ask them, “What were you doing? You're the one who's responsible. The story tnd the stricture ome from you. The acting, dancing and the rest ofthe things are embel: lshments on top but the seripe is not working, How are the heautful embishments going toworke™ Q:Isita conscious decision to work with serious mow Jes rather than the tpieal ‘masala fare? Why aren't ‘we seeing a Dabangg from oak AAS It’s a matter of choice in terms of sensibly. enjoy ex poring situation, a character, Challenges and those dramati ‘moments where the character has to face some intense sues that there's no eseape from, Those kins of situations en- Joy in my own imagination and tay, which is why Fn drawn, towards that kind of writing Secondly, have to admit that! won't know how to write a De Dang Q: Tell us about Chakravy- th, your upcoming movie. How did the story come shout? ‘Az Chakravyuh is astory I wrote standing. outside. a studio in November 1995. The theme of injustice kept recurring in my rind. What if we look at two sides that are not opposed and let the friendship of both the sldescome tothe fore? I worked Filmography Chakravyuh 2012 Aarakshan 2011 Rajneeti 2010 Apaharan (script consultant) 2005 Naina 2005 The Legend of |Bhagat Singh 2002] Pukar 2000 Kachche Dhaage 1999 China Gate 1998 Ghulam 1998 fn story of tw fends, one a palce acer and the other = rolling stone, 2 eootles, aim Tess sort of fellow. And Keeping, this in mind U wanted to: de velop a relationship, which gts lnvolved and entangled in the Maoist war. instantly, I wrote $ pages overnight hut it sat with me for 16 yous. ‘Then in November 2011, Prakash Jha wae not shoot. Jing and be asked me if nad a script. T narrated Chakrayyuh to him and he immediately ‘agreed todo it. Leomplted the seript overnight! Is the quick fest that Tve written and the auickest that hes ever made