Why The Legend stole Shaheed's thunder The answer, says Deepa Gahlot, is in the pen

Deepa Gahlot

Two films on the same subject released the same week. One is considered far superior to the other. And here is proof, if proof were needed, that the script makes all the difference.

Anjum Rajabali's well-researched, intelligent and emotion-charged script made Rajkumar Santoshi's The Legend Of Bhagat Singh a much better film than Guddu Dhanoa's action adventure 23rd March 1931 -- Shaheed --- written probably in great haste --- by Sutanu Gupta.

Everybody in the industry has a common refrain: "Writer kahan hain [Where are the writers?']," when they want to justify their shameless lifting of foreign films, lines, scenes and songs. In the case of Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, the title as well from My Best Friend's Wedding.

Anyone would think the writer is a precious commodity in Hindi cinema. The fact is, today, the writer is considered the lowliest of the low in the film hierarchy. Producers and directors seem to believe that anyone can write because, well, anyone can steal plots and scenes. If they have no respect for ideas and creativity, how can they have respect for the writer?

After the era of Wajahat Mirza, Akhtar Mirza, Abrar Alvi, and Khwaja Ahmed Abbas for a very short while in the 1970s, Salim [Khan]-Javed [Akhtar] managed to get the kind of money, credit, respect and stardom that first rate screenwriters deserve. But then only a good director can value a good script.

Today, there are no creative directors. Just DVD hacks.

When one thinks of the partnership of say, Guru Dutt-Abrar Alvi, Raj Kapoor-Abbas-V P Sathe, Hrishikesh Mukherjee-Gulzar, it does not take genius to figure that a great script is the foundation of great films. Prakash Mehra, Yash Chopra and Ramesh Sippy made their best films with Salim-Javed.

Things spiralled downwards to the point where filmmakers did not care where an idea came from or how the film turned out, as long as it made money. Only when audiences start rejecting every film the Bollywood bazaar throws at them, do producers, directors and stars even condescend to acknowledge the contribution of a writer to the appreciation/ success of a film.

In Hollywood, top writers make millions of dollars, and get paid respectable amounts to develop a script, whether or not the film eventually goes into production. Here, producers are appalled if a writer asks for money (Who does he think he is? A star!).

It is not enough for a writer to have talent to survive in this industry. He should also have infinite patience, a thick skin, a willingness to forgo credit, money or both, and the ability to see his work mangled beyond belief by the director. Who in turn has to take dictation from the star, producer, distributor and financier.

The writer also has to have an overwhelming desire to write scripts or, after a few hard knocks, he (and the occasional she), would be sorely tempted to dump everything and take over dad's business.

After a writer comes up with a brilliant idea, a typical scenario would involve the following:

* Make hundreds of calls to a director or wait hours outside a producer's office. The producer listens to the idea as if doing the writer a favour. If the director likes the idea, he puts in his two bit and insists on sharing credit or taking it all.
The director then makes the rounds of the producer's office to organise a narration. The producer invariably says, if you can get a star, I will back the film.

* Then begins the humiliating, tiring, endless round of star-chasing, who will whine about the lack of good scripts, but make no attempt to listen to one, leave aside reading it.

* All this while --- it could take many months --- the writer makes no money at all or very little. He either keeps his day job or does other things, usually ghost-writing, to survive.

Everyone talks of a 'bound script' as if it were a diamond-studded gold brick. But if the writer makes the mistake of sending the producer, director or star a complete script, chances are it will lie in a cupboard for years till the writer gets tired of asking for its return.

Or it will get pinched.

Producers pay stars in millions, but baulk at paying writers a few thousands.

After a few experiences like this, the writer will either give up in disgust, or say, what the hell, why waste time sweating over original ideas when the producer is perfectly happy with a script stolen from a foreign film.

If by chance the plagiarised film becomes a hit, the writer will be considered a lucky mascot and be offered more films and finally be paid for work he has not done. If the Gods are really kind, he might even get an award for it.

With a series of films that have flopped, the 'where are the writers?' cry is being heard with increasing frequency.

There are enough good writers and enough good scripts around. The point is, is the filmmaker willing to put his money where his mouth is?

Earlier column

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