Writing is about feeling the words and penning everything that comes from your heart: Dialogue Writer Raghuveer Shekhawat

Ballika Vadhu on Colors is amongst the longer running shows on TV. What has kept viewers hooked to the drama series - apart from the story line - are the fabulous dialogues that the characters have been mouthing. And the man who has been penning these dialogues is Raghuveer Shekhavat who has been much rewarded for his flair with the spoken word. He is the one who has made you viewers laugh, cry or angry courtesy his apt writing. Tellychakkar.com strolled into Raghuveer’s writing room and chatted with him for a candid tete-a-tete as part of our the Behind the Lens series.. Excerpts: Tell us something about yourself? I am in this profession of writing since the last 18 years. I think my destiny was in the field of entertainment. Otherwise why would a person like me working as an anchor for shows of the Indian Navy in Vishakhapatnam, come to Mumbai and get influenced by the world of cinema. Since I started off writing for myself, one can say that writing was my passion. Slowly and steadily, this passion turned into my profession in this huge platform. Since the last 10 years, I have been writing for comedy shows and since 8 years for dramas and daily soaps. My first television comedy show was Family No 1 for Sony Entertainment Television. How has your journey been so far? For me writing is not a differentiation between any genre, I have dedicated myself to any and every given show. I believe in exploring my talent for my personal growth. I believe, if one does not challenge his/her own talent, then they cannot succeed. For me, trying different avenues has brought dignity and grace so far. What are the basics you follow before writing any story? (pauses) For me, writing is not just any profession but the idea that viewers will be able to study the kind of person I am through my story. Before writing anything, one has to keep in mind that the story belongs to you and it has to convey your thoughts to yourself in first place and then to the viewers. The only basic for me is that I write a story with my heart and brain involved in it. How is film writing different from that of television? In case of a film, one gets ample amount of time; it’s like sky is the end of your imagination but for television you have to be in you 1BHK flat and not outside it. Compared to films, television carries more difficulty because it’s on an episodic format and shown 5 days a week. In this case, the story has to be in continuity and maintain the sensibility. In films, on the other hand, you get your own time where you can make characters of your own imagination and create anything out of nothing. On the contrary, television get little hectic in everyday life because writers work in different shows and it’s quite a tough task to create new scenes and new dialogues on a daily basis. So, in short, television carries a greater challenge than films. How is narration important for any story to be successful? Narration is nothing but conveying of the story to viewers. It is considered to be the first brick of the building and slowly other things add up to make a whole building. In first place, the director needs to understand the narration part followed by actors because they will have to mouth the dialogues. The importance of words does count because any word here and there can create havoc. So the most important aspect of any story to be successful it has to be its narration. Does every actor do justice with your dialogue? Every writer has this complain that their story is not being conveyed effectively by the actor. It is because that they tend to take it as a piece of paper, but we put in our emotions in it. But, I consider myself to be blessed that all my producers, directors and actors have a faith in me and in return, it’s the same on my part. Right now, I am working on four different shows namely Balika Vadhu and Madhubala on Colors, Veera on Star Plus and Diya Aur Bati Hum on Star Plus. It should not sound that I am flattering myself when I say that all my shows are doing very well and it’s my privilege that two of my shows namely Balika Vadhu and Diya Aur Bati Hum are on the number 1 position. Your advice to aspiring writers? First and foremost one should learn to be patient because success come slow and with great honour. One should also be of the dedicated kind towards his/her profession. And the most important thing as a writer is to try and read life; give wings to your imagination and explore yourself to this beautiful world. Writing is not a task to be performed professionally, you got to feel the words and write everything that comes from your heart. One more secret of a writer is that he should start talking to himself. What are your future plans? Currently, I am working on a film for Viacom 18 which will release very soon. But I cannot disclose anymore yet; you will have to wait and watch. I am even writing for a daily soap which will soon be telecast on Sony Entertainment Television.