The script is the bible: Saba Mumtaz

When we start liking an on-air show, we start appreciating it, start liking the twists and turns it takes and also start loving the actors for their work in it. However have we ever noticed the inventiveness of the person who comes up with these striking ideas in a daily soap? Tellychakkar.com speaks to Saba Mumtaz, who has written a host of shows such as Saraswatichandra (Star Plus) Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (Star Plus), Uttaran (Colors), Parvarrish (Sony Entertainment Television) and the latest Ek Boond Ishq (Life OK) when she talks about her shows and experiences as a writer at length. How did you evolve as a writer? (pauses) Well, I did my post graduation from Jamia Milia University (New Delhi) where I trained as a producer, director and a writer. Essentially wanting to become a director I came over to Mumbai to pursue my dream. But when I tried my hands at it, I gave up on it thinking that it was not my cup of tea. My friend Saurabh Narang, who was then directing Haqeeqat, a series that was airing on Sahara TV (now Sahara One), proposed me to write a script. From there on, I wrote a couple of other scripts which got nominated. I started writing weekly scripts. Then after I met Aruna Irani, she suggested me to develop my skills to write for daily soaps and believe me through that I got a breakthrough. In fact, the first script that I wrote was for a daily soap for Aruna Irani Productions’ Doli Saja Ke. After that I wrote innumerable scripts for Rajan Shahi (Director's Kut Productions). Currently I am co-producing and writing Ek Boond Ishq (Life OK). You are basically a writer. Then what made you take up production? (smiles) It’s just because as a writer, I have a solitary existence. Since I was trained to be a producer I thought of trying my hand at taking over a complete control over my product. As a writer I create the characters on paper but we writers do not get to be a part of the location, creativity, art direction, designing etc. So, now as a co-producer, I have a control on all these above mentioned departments. For the show Ek Boond Ishq I would say that I am more of a creative producer for the show. Earlier you penned a lot of shows such as Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Uttaran and Parvarrish amongst a host of others. What difficulties did you face while writing the scripts of these shows? (pauses) Let me explain. A writer feels and conceives something, but then television has its production and design aspects too. When I write, the channel is backed by so many people and the audience (television ranking system). So, according to my script, if a particular character should be behaving differently or do something different, the audience might not feel the same. Accordingly, I am then expected to mould the character as per the preferences of the audiences. Flipside benefiting the writer is that if the show happens to run smoothly, the faith of the channel increases on the writer. So, when we talk about daily soaps, the script is constantly evolving unlike a film script or writing a novel. We need to change the script based on audience research by the channel. Was there a point of time in your life when you doubted being a writer? No. In fact, even before I did my course at the Jamia University, I used to write and the art came very naturally to me. Many people complain of how a show starts off with a bang and then gets monotonous with time. Your viewpoint? (pauses) Look, every show is a six-month story that stretches for like 2 years when it goes on air. So the trick is to add interesting twists and turns to the running scrip. Now it’s up to the writer of how he writes an interesting script. Which of your written script is the closest to your heart so far? It’s that of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. It’s a brilliant script which has been running for 4 and a half years now and yet stands at no. 2 after Diya Aur Baati Hum. I think that has been my best work till date and the show is very dear to me too. I also like Ek Boond Ishq as it is a unique show. Tell us something about your experience with Ek Boond Ishq? It has been a mind-blowing one! Let me tell you a fact that I was pitching this story since three years but Star Plus refused to be a part of it because of the tagline ‘Rishta Wahi, Soch Nayi’ which did not suit the concept of the show. So, then I pitched the same to other channels and it again came back to Star Network for consideration. I really thank the people of Life OK who have invested so much of faith in me. They just heard the story and gave me a free hand. I do not think any writer would enjoy so much freedom as much as I am getting here where I can create the characters I want. My whole hearted thanks goes to the channel for their support. How do you project the characters? Does it grow with the script or you do so prior to that? First is the germ of the idea and then character description, post which we roll out the story. But as the story progresses, the idea, character and the storyline becomes a simultaneous process. What according to you is more important; the script or the cast? (pauses) Ahh… the script is the bible! If the script fails, the characters do not come out well. For example Diya Aur Baati Hum has an entirely new cast but yet it is one of the most watched shows. What message would you like to give to young aspirants? I would just like to say one important thing. If you have a knack of writing, just go for it. You do not need to spend lakhs to educate yourself learning how to write.