'I've Never Written With The Market In Mind'

'When I am working on a series, be it Paatal Lok on Amazon Prime or Kohrra on Netflix, I never take it for granted that we will be back with another season.'
'It's only at the end of the season that I ask myself if I still have it in me to take the story further and if I would like to meet the characters again.'
'If the answer is yes, then I find ways to make the journey exciting for myself, like taking Inspector Haathiram Chaudhary to Nagaland.'

He's never played by the rules.

He listens to his heart, tells the stories he wants to, in his own way. The result is hard-hitting films like Udta Punjab and Sonchiriya and Web series Paatal Lok and Kohrra.

Today, writer-creator-showrunner Sudip Sharma is as big a star as Jaideep Ahlawat but success rests lightly on his shoulders, even as he continues to tread new ground.

"These are difficult times with much less work happening as the films being greenlit are of a certain type, with producers taking very few risks. This is true for OTT platforms too. The credit for success goes not to the writer and the story, but also to the stars or even a popular song. For a script to become their calling card, writers need to give their best," Sudip tells Rediff.com Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya.

Within two weeks of its arrival on Prime Video, Paatal Lok Season 2 was the most-viewed Web series across platforms with almost 11.4 million views.
Did you expect this kind of popularity?

I was hoping it would though it is a little more niche than the earlier season which had become very popular for various reasons, including the fact that it came during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were locked up in their homes.

In fact, Part 2 rode on the popularity of the first. That was our intention because when you want to tell a story about Nagaland, it is best to do so as a second season of a show that has worked rather than pitch it as the first season of a new show which I don't know how many platforms would greenlight.

Having said that, I confess I was not expecting it to become this big.

For months, Manipur has been burning and yet largely ignored in the mainstream media. Then, suddenly Paatal Lok comes along and strikes a chord making the North East and its politics dinner table conversations across the country. How does that make you feel?

It was long overdue and I'm happy to have played a little part in taking these conversations forward.

In our mainstream media, films and pop culture, the North has always had a hegemonical presence.

Yes, in the last 15-20 years, we have been going to small towns and lesser-known places too, but they are mostly set in the Hindi heartland.

It was about time we looked beyond since our country has four corners and offers so much diversity, which, while hugely challenging, is also fun to explore for a filmmaker and a writer.

Had we tried to tell the same story in the Hindi heartland instead of Nagaland, it might have appeared stale.

A lot of the freshness you see in Paatal Lok Season 2 comes from the location and I hope more films and shows tap the less-explored parts of our country.

Stree 2 writer Niren Bhatt pointed out that this is the worst time for writers in the film industry which is feeling the dearth of original content and paradoxically, it is also the best time as only disruptors will survive today, and writers are the biggest disruptors.

I agree that these are difficult times with much less work happening, and not every writer is getting an opportunity to write for the screen, as the films being greenlit are of a certain type, with producers taking very few risks.

This is true for projects not only in the theatrical space, but on OTT platforms too, and of the stuff getting made. The credit for their success goes not to the writer and the story, but also to the stars or even a popular song.

For a script to become their calling card, writers need to give their best.

Even if it is something light, like a horror comedy, a popular genre today, they have to ensure that their writing shines through.

Talking of horror, you gave the genre a new spin with the fantasy-comedy Phillauri and the supernatural horror Pari. Today, why aren't you creating your own horror universe?

Honestly, I had very little to do with the writing of either Phillauri or Pari; I was just the creative producer and advisor.

The gestation period for a film or a show -- from the writing to the release -- is two-three years.

In my case, it's been longer. During this time, the market changes with demand, so I have never written with the market in mind.

I chase after what excites you with a certain degree of perfection.

Even with Paatal Lok Season Two, there was no deliberate plan to journey to Nagaland. We went there because it offered a distinct cultural and political landscape which we thought would be interesting to explore.

If someone were to give you a generous budget and the freedom to explore a subject of your choice, what would it be today?

(Laughs) Wow, I hope that day comes soon!

I guess it would be a personal story rather than another investigative thriller, probably set in Assam since among the North Eastern states, it is the one I understand best having grown up in Guwahati.

You have an MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad. Ever looked back and regretted moving to writing instead of continuing your career in the FMCG sector with a multinational company?

That's how I may have begun my career, but even back then, I was uncomfortable despite the MBA which had trained me for the job.

I was doing all right, but had I continued, I would have been miserable.

I realised this was not my calling early, during my two years on the IIM campus.

I had wanted to quit midway through the course but conventional wisdom was forced on me and I was urged to get my degree and then see how it goes.

So I completed the course, was a part of the corporate world, but had no fondness for it and was happy to leave it behind.

What was the family's reaction when you quit?

Predictable.

Why are you doing this?

Are you sure?

But I'm grateful my father allowed me the freedom to make my own choices even if he didn't agree with them.

It took around 10-12 years for my parents to make peace with my decision since it was so far removed from their way of thinking.

Your writing career took off with the 2008 Hindi film, Superstar, featuring Kunal Kemmu in a double role...

Before Superstar I was working on a short film with a few friends I had met during my management training days at Coca Cola.

One of them coincidentally was Puneet Krishna, the co-showrunner and lead writer of the Amazon Prime crime drama series Mirzapur.

I had just come out of business school, Puneet from XLRI (Xavier Institute of Management), Jamshedpur, and one day he suddenly asked me, 'Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?'

I responded by saying, 'No man, I want to make movies.'

We started working on the short film which never got made but during the process, I discovered my love for screenwriting.

It was like an instant calling.

I got sucked into it.

I was writing at airports, on flights, between client meetings, whenever I got time from work, which was pretty hectic.

I wrote a couple of scripts, they never got made, but they gave my life a new direction.

I realised I was enjoying this a lot more than the job I was being paid to do.

That's how this journey started.

And Superstar?

Superstar came my way early; I wasn't prepared for it.

Anyone who can write calls himself a writer but the question I would ask myself was, 'Can you become a good screenwriter?'

It took five-seven years and 8 to 10 scripts before I started feeling I could take this up as a profession.

Before that, I was throwing everything at the wall, struggling to find my voice.

The earlier scripts did not come from a place of talent, experience or method.

What would you say was the turning point?

I think it was the action thriller NH10 which released in 2015, but I wrote it in 2011-2012. That script gave me a lot of confidence.

The film was reportedly inspired by real-life honour killings which continue to grab headlines periodically. Ever thought of a sequel?

No. For me, it's all about treading new ground, both in its story and geography.

Once I have dealt with it with a certain degree of satisfaction, I move on, leaving it to others to explore the subject further from their point of view.

How then are you able to sustain interest in a long-running series like Paatal Lok. which will definitely return with season three, maybe four and five?

When I am working on a series, be it Paatal Lok on Amazon Prime or Kohrra on Netflix, I never take it for granted that we will be back with another season.

It's only at the end of the season that I ask myself if I still have it in me to take the story further and if I would like to meet the characters again.

If the answer is yes, then I find ways to make the journey exciting for myself, like taking Inspector Haathiram Chaudhary to Nagaland.

Will there be a second season of Kohrra?

Yes, the second season of Kohrra should be out by year-end.

This time, I'm not just the writer and creator, but also the director.

Direction is a little more work, but not much different from what I have been doing as a creative producer and a showrunner.

What surprises will you spring in Kohrra Season Two?

Suvinder Vicky's character, Sub-Inspector Balbir Singh, was very well received in season one, but he is not going to be a part of season two as I'm done with his story.

There's nothing left for me to explore even though he was the main protagonist and got a lot of love, so we are going to introduce a new character.

Sometimes you have to make these tough choices to keep the series exciting for the audience and you.