I have deep respect for Bengali writers: Sarang Mahajan

Sarang Mahajan

Sarang Mahajan, screenplay writer of the TV series Hatim and author of the novel Luwan of Brida, was in Kolkata recently. He is currently busy writing for Colors Bangla's new soap Rudrani, a tale of a warrior princess who is rebellious. In an exclusive interview with Tellychakkar.com, the writer spoke about Rudrani, his respect for Bengali writers, his writing style and more. Excerpts:

You earlier wrote for Hatim, which was liked by the audience. Now, you are writing another fantasy story called Rudrani for Bengali audience. How will you manage the language? And why do you think people will like to watch the serial?

I will write the main story along with the dialogues in English. And here the Bangla experts will translate them and write dialogues as per the need of the story. And for your second question, I would like to say that people will watch this story because it is a story of struggle. We get to see such stories in real life, fantasy stories and also in period dramas. A big challenge is waiting for Rudrani and she has to prepare herself for it. Eventually, she will become an achiever with the help of some mentors. Now, this is exactly the same with almost everyone. Har kisike life me ek struggle hota hai; us struggle me se unhe jana hai. So, it is a very real life situation. The first USP of the serial of course is the story. It’s a fantasy story where you will see special effects and Surinder Films is doing fantastic job on this. Second USP is the character of Rudrani played by Priyantika (Karmokar). People are going to adore her and also the character of Bhola played by Ripom Majumdar. Both the children are lovely. To yaha pe ye zaroor chalega. 

Have you taken inspiration from other women to create the character of Rudrani or it is an original creation? 

It is not based on any character we know. It is purely a fictional character.

Do you think Priyantika will be able to do justice to the character of Rudrani?

Look, the character I wrote was little younger than Priyantika but she is working well. So far whatever I have seen I found her to be quite expressive. She is bringing out that innocence, the intelligence and the wisdom that we get to observe in some of the children. She has the ability to think and that’s why she has a great mind and heart which are the two factors that guide her.

Many people avoid saas bahu serials as they feel such serials generate negativity. At such a scenario, Rudrani seems to be trying to create a difference. And it aims to cater to both types of audiences: kids and adults…

It has been around 10-15 years that the trend has changed. Earlier TV used to feature some really good serials. You know almost every human being is interested in gossip and the saas bahu serials are playing with this element which is not good because by gossiping zindagi me aap aage nehi jaoge! I will never be able to do that kind of work. Rudrani is about innocence, strength of character, courage, bravery…these elements will inspire the viewers.  It will teach you about the good things of life and how to become a better person. It has both entertainment and good things. Entertainment will keep the viewers hooked and the good things will enrich their minds

Your earlier project Hatim too was a fantasy story. Why do fantasies attract you so much?

It has to do with my childhood. I have always loved fantasy stories. Aladdin and the magic lamp was my first fascination. While reading I could actually feel like Aladdin. Some western writers have done amazing work in this genre. I would like to thank authors like J. R. R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan and J.K. Rowling for creating amazing stories. Reading their books has been the greatest joy of my life.

Tell us something about yourself. What kind of a writer you are?  

I love writing novels as I find peace of mind in it. I lose myself in the story. While writing I enter that fictional world as if I am writing all those things that I am seeing in that world. I love to dive deep into the story. I was into the IT sector but I wanted to do something creative and that’s why I decided to become a writer. I realized quite late that I want to be a writer. Now, I am enjoying the process of writing. I can write for fourteen-fifteen hours a day. If I am deeply engaged, I can write for several days or even months at a stretch. 

Compared to writing a novel, how different is it writing for a TV series?

Look, when we are writing for a TV series we have to keep several factors in mind like how much the budget is, what the format is, for how long the show will run, who our audience is etc. So when you are writing the screen play for TV soap or film, challenges are entirely different but I enjoy surpassing those challenges. Whatever you throw at me I will try to catch it and make something good out of it.      

The way you imagine a story, your director might not. So, don’t the imaginations clash while working? 

Yes, it happens. It’s a team work so if I have thought something in some way, another person can of course think the same thing in a different way. It’s not that only a director gives inputs, production team, set designers and actors too share their inputs. These inputs make me think. Sometimes I take the inputs and sometimes I do not. I ask them why can’t we do the story in this particular way and they are okay with my question. And sometimes their inputs add really good value to the content and it becomes even a better story. If my team members are suggesting something then as a writer it is my responsibility to use those thoughts to make the story better than I could have on my own. In a team work, imaginations might clash but to go ahead successfully listening and acceptance are important.  

What is your opinion about the writers of Kolkata?

I have deep respect for Bangla writers. Bengal has myriad legendary writers whose creations have enriched people. Bangla people are very creative; they are imaginative and have an understanding of realism. As a child, I would remain hooked to Byomkesh Bakshi (by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay) and Feluda (Satyajit Ray). Both of them were amazing writers. Satyajit Ray’s films are respected all over the world. My father is a big fan of Indian cinema and he was the first person to introduce me to Ray. He told me that Ray is a great film maker and we would watch his films with subtitles. I am unfortunate that I do not understand Bangla. I missed out a lot on Bengali literature but I will take this opportunity to learn this language.  

Please share some tips for our readers who are looking forward to a career in writing.  

One of the most important things is every writer wants to be a writer because some fame and recognition are associated with it. These people are in a rush. Once they are done with their first draft they look for a publisher. Don’t do that. Work hard on your draft and evaluate it critically. Find a publisher, or whichever medium you want to work in, only when you feel honestly that readers will read your work. Secondly, be a good observer; study the people. Characters are going to play crucial roles in your story so work on that; try to get their body language, behavior right. And lastly, concentrate on the story; use imagination. Once you have completed your story leave it aside and read it again after a few days. If you do not like your story, don’t be afraid of showing it the trash bin. Rewrite it. Work hard on your stuffs.  

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