'I insisted only Jaideep could play Inspector Haathiram Chaudhary.'
'Yes, Jaideep is a really good actor but this was not just about the performance.'
'Even that tired walk of him reflects the mood and theme of the show.'
Spoiler Alert!
Sudip Sharma, who has written hard-hitting films like Udta Punjab and Sonchiriya and Web series Paatal Lok and Kohrra, told us he's "never written with the market in mind".
He looks back at Paatal Lok, and reveals that Imran Ansari, played by Ishwak Singh, is one of his favourite characters in the show.
Then, he reveals a shocker to Rediff.com Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya, "I have a picture with him on his last day on the set with a bullet mark on his forehead and it felt quite sad."
Paatal Lok fans are heartbroken by Imran Ansari's sudden death in season two. Ishwak Singh, who played this much-loved character, describes it as 'ruthless storytelling'. Was the twist in the plot written purely for its shock value?
No. The objective was not to create shock value in the middle of the season but to raise the stakes, both physically and emotionally.
In this case, two cops, ACP Imran Ansari and Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary, go to an unknown place, Nagaland, to investigate a murder.
One of them ends up dead, the other returns to Delhi and is asked not to pursue the case. But he is not okay with Ansari being made the scapegoat and returns to Nagaland alone.
This raises the stakes, and stories are all about raising the stakes.
If that doesn't happen, it is difficult to sustain the audience interest in the show.
But I admit it was a hard decision even for me because Ansari was one of my favourites and working with Ishwak has been a source of joy.
I have a picture with him on his last day on the set with a bullet mark on his forehead and it felt quite sad.
But you have got to do what you have to for the story to move forward.
Can you imagine Paatal Lok without Jaideep Ahlawat's Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary?
No. Jaideep is the heart and soul of the show.
We had never worked together but I had seen and admired his work. When Paatal Lok happened, I insisted only Jaideep could play Inspector Haathiram Chaudhary.
Yes, Jaideep is a really good actor but this was not just about the performance.
Even that tired walk of him reflects the mood and theme of the show.
Like Ansari, would you ever knock off Hathiram in the middle of a season?
(Laughs) You never know.
Let's flashback to the 2016 crime drama Udta Punjab which you wrote with Director Abhishek Chaubey. The censor board demanded 89 cuts and sought a stay on its release on the grounds that it was too vulgar.
Yes, it was quite a nightmare.
There was a lot of noise and it became too political.
All that I could do was argue logically but there was no logic in what was happening at that point of time.
The film eventually released with a single cut after the Bombay high court struck down the stay. Did the prolonged legal battle affect you?
It was quite difficult. There was a bit of a mental health scare as I slipped into depression.
That is one of the reasons I've stayed away from social media after 2016.
The film's subsequent release and the reception it received took away some of the negativity and today, I can look back on Udta Punjab as a learning phase.
Also, with a certain satisfaction because despite everything that happened, the story managed to reach those it was meant for.
Did you get any reactions from any real dacoits to the 2019 Chambal action drama Sonchiriya, another creative collaboration with Abhishek Chaubey?
(Laughs) Sonchiriya is one of my favourite films. It's the best screenplay I have written despite the fact that not too many people saw it.
Six years have passed, I can't remember exact reactions, but the cops and reporters we had got in touch with during our research were very appreciative of the film, praising the authentic setting and dialogue.
You have done a lot of path-breaking work. What's been the biggest challenge for you as a writer?
I think finding your voice and preserving it is a constant challenge in this town.
If you are not vigilant, it's very easy to slip away amidst all the noise and lights, the money and the conversations.
You need to keep coming back to what it is that you came here for, the stories you want to tell.
That is the biggest challenge, one which you have to deal with on a daily basis, and in a more spiritual way, year after year, to keep yourself constantly motivated.
After a successful season of Paatal Lok or Kohrra, how do you deal with the pressure of expectations?
The biggest pressure comes from deep within me as I'm very hard on myself.
When I look back on a film or a series five years from now, I should be able to tell myself honestly, with confidence, that we made it in the best possible manner, with the resources we had at that point of time.
That is the goal I keep chasing.
Looking back, is there a project you feel you could have done differently had it come to you today?
Oh yes, because the person who made it is not the same.
When I wrote NH10 13-14 years ago, I was a different person, possibly angrier and hungrier.
But with every work, you are evolving, not just as an artist, but also as a human being.
Dealing with life changes you, so whenever I revisit any work I have done in the past, I'm like, 'Oh, did I really write this?'
But while I may not feel the same way today, I have to acknowledge and respect the fact that this is who I was when I was writing this, see my evolution over 10-20 years.
Is there a story you have been carrying with you for a long time that you want to tell, but haven't got an opportunity yet?
Yes. There are stories I have written and felt fondly about but I don't look back at them with frustration or nostalgia because they did not get made.
That would be ungrateful to all the other stories I have been able to tell since.
You win some, you lose some, that's life.
What would be your advice to struggling writers?
Focus on the craft.
We don't talk enough about the craft of screenwriting in India.
A lot of time we get lost in the noise of who are the stars, how much is the budget, what's working and if it should be on OTT or a film.
It's important to keep such noise out of your life and focus on getting better as a writer every day.
To look back every year and reflect on whether you are able to tell stories close to your heart now.
Can a writer assert his voice with the corporates taking the major creative decisions?
I think so and I can say from personal experience that I was allowed a lot of freedom with stories across platforms.
A lot of the time what we call 'meddling' or 'creative interference' is people trying to tell you that they are not happy with the quality of your work, give you suggestions on what they think can make it better.
But if they are convinced you know what you are doing, doing it with sincerity, expertise and a sense of responsibility, they let you be.
You can tell your stories the way you want.
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