DAY OF THE WRITER

We were the forgotten or worse the forgettable tribe. The one time, unshaven, stained kurta wearing, pan chewing, on the spot script making or peddling, anemic looking, prematurely greying, scurrying  - like - a- rat –behind – the – bollywood - producer - ready – to – be –kicked- writer, was buried, finally, some time back, with no honours and with no tears shed by anyone. And now you have malt sipping, cigar smoking, ready to kick back, kickass - writers like me. So what has changed and why?

What has changed is that now story has become king. The world of commerce and entertainment has realized that the abracadabra or magic formula for commercial success is not only the sensuousness of a Katrina Kaif, the ‘dirty’ pelvic thrusts of  Vidya Balan, but rather, the catchy headline – ‘entertainment, entertainment, entertainment’ penned by who else but a successful script writer.

Way back in the seventies Salim and Javed started a revolution, they could not sustain. Those two would hole up in a room in a five star hotel and not come out till they had written a script that would set the screen on fire. It is not without reason that ‘Deewar’ still remains the finest script written for a Hindi film. Then like humpty – dumpty they fought, fell and crashed and there was no one around to pick the pieces. Script writing also went to pieces and the era of the writer placed at the bottom of the food chain began.

But now there has been a course correction. Scripts are the new winners, the new, steaming derby horses, that are galloping and striding forward, sure of a win. Look at the roll call of their success - ‘Dirty Picture, Kahani, Vicky Donor, Delhi Belly to name a few. The writer in Bollywood speak is the ‘khota sikka’ of yesteryears who is the new mint for the new fangled producer. All power to the new, successful kid in town!