Boman Irani turns master storyteller in Bollywood

Gulf News

Actor talks about hosting 150 screenwriting sessions during Covid-19 lockdown  Read the full story: https://bit.ly/2GfpDMf   See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km  #Bollywood #BomanIrani #India

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00:00how can I teach writing if I don't write myself

00:03I was just wondering because some people get into it because you have the power like the

00:06clout like Boman Irani is a brand and therefore we we sign up

00:13Boman Irani it's been so cool to know that you have been spearheading script writing sessions

00:19and my first question to you is can you ever teach a person to write I asked this to my professor in

00:25journalism school as well can you learn to write isn't that just a you know either you are with it

00:31or you're not with it what do you think I don't agree I think you can teach a tone-deaf person

00:38music also I'm that I'm a belief you need not be the best musician in the world but you can

00:44teach music I would never put it past anyone to do anything the moment you say you're not a

00:49born writer don't do it then you know I I'm actually arguing with with the very nature that

00:56did not give you the writing bug I can't argue with that I think that screenwriting apart from

01:01being a creative thing process is also a scientific process poetry on the other hand is expression

01:10through a string of words that you put together and you choose the words and it becomes a beautiful

01:15beautiful lyrical thing that could be a little difficult but screenwriting is a scientific

01:21process believe it or not there is a structure to it there is a there is a an understanding

01:29and a timeline to it you can teach that at least so we learn every day I do not deny anybody

01:36that the the opportunity to say that no you don't have it the talent that I have may be a very less

01:43on a less of the scale than somebody else has okay but you can learn things did you enjoy the

01:50process of teaching and why screenwriting why not acting because the first thing that came to my

01:54mind when I read all your tweets about reaching landmarks about say 50 sessions I was wondering

02:00why screenwriting do we need screenwriters that badly that is where the vacuum is and therefore

02:05screenwriting and why not any other why did you choose screenwriting why not acting I think

02:10there's such wonderful actors around and there's such you know I tell you what when I started out

02:17I wanted to make a film when I was a kid I always wanted to be a writer director

02:24and you know me I don't believe in timelines I believe that you know you do it whenever you

02:30want whenever you feel you're in the mood for it just go ahead and do it so I did write a script

02:36many years ago to make my first film and I read it and I just realized that that script

02:42while it has got a lot of heart it does not have the science it just does not have the flow that

02:48you know is going and I decided to become a student and I realized the power of how important

02:55screenwriting is we have wonderful stories we have wonderful stories but we may not necessarily

03:00have great screenplays and I think I and that's the distinction I'm trying to make a good story

03:07could end up in a in a in a bad screenplay get it and we we lose out on a good story because

03:14the narrative of cinema is very different from reading a book or reading a synopsis or reading

03:20a 10-pager of it you've got to stretch it for two hours right and that takes a lot of craft in your

03:26case what have you discovered about you know I'm sure you have also listened into all the master

03:32classes what according to you makes for a good screenplay I think scene and characters it's

03:38interesting that you've chosen also screenplay because Bollywood is often criticized for not

03:42having a story they say if you have a star we'll make a story out of that and it's about getting

03:47the stars is that true or has it changed I hope it's changed but do you think so no what are you

03:53trying to tell me no come on man all in Hollywood sometimes you have you have the most bizarre

03:59movies making the grade and again you know there is a you know please please we we've made we've

04:05made some wonderful movies are you telling me Diwaar had no story are you telling me Sholay

04:09didn't have a story, Hrishikesh Mukherjee didn't have a story, are you telling me that even in a

04:15love story like Dilwale Dulhania has no story of course there are stories of course they're

04:22wonderful that's why they engage you that's why they run for years and years you know of course

04:28the star helps with his charm his charisma or her charisma and her acting talent but there has

04:34those movies and stories and that's why they succeeded Lagaan what an amazing film what an

04:41amazing story well we can't generalize can we everywhere in the world people are making good

04:46films and bad films everywhere yeah so you know it's very easy to criticize these days I don't

04:54know if you have seen these virtual online master classes with say Bobby Brown to learn about

04:58makeup the you know the world is shrunk so now I can learn from Bobby Brown or I can learn from

05:04Dan Brown on how to perhaps you know write a novel so these are do you think you know we are

05:10where we are living in the best of times I know social dilemma has kind of like ruined it for us

05:15but I'm just asking you do you think we live in the best of times where virtual education

05:19is at your doorstep you can learn anywhere you can interact with anybody I think these virtual

05:24classes with Bobby Brown or Dan Brown or Aaron Sorkin were always there for quite some time

05:33I'll tell you what the difference is the difference is now we have the time

05:39that's on there's nothing you could learn through books nobody stopped you from I have got a

05:47bunch of books on acting I've got a bunch of books on it's just that you need the time to

05:51read those books and this is even more accessible so it's great but we didn't have the time now we

05:58have the time better do something I truly believe and don't think I'm saying

06:03something controversial but I truly believe that just as this planet was given a breather

06:10to cleanse itself I think this lockdown for only for the fortunate who have a

06:21roof over their head and three square meals it's a time to cleanse yourself too there are

06:26some people who are struggling and struggling hard all right but for the ones who are sitting

06:30at home and grumbling learn something new man yeah you know this is a time for you to say that

06:37you know maybe what am I doing with my life it gives you time to introspect it gives you time

06:42to take stock of who you are I'm saying should I just go out there and look for a career no look

06:47for a look for a craft and the career will come come running for you you know of course

06:54other people are people are just networking networking networking with what I got a lovely

06:59story idea okay then what so this is the time to to to apply your mind to a craft that needs your

07:08time screenplay writing needs a lot of time and also screenwriting you need to be slightly

07:15vulnerable and reckless at the same time right you have to keep writing

07:20it's such a very nice you said something very you've got to be vulnerable and reckless

07:25how do you do that

07:28well well I think that's the only way to do that because if you're if you're if you're careful

07:37then you'll make something that I've seen before there'll be nothing unique there'll be nothing

07:42original if you're if you're reckless you're opening yourself up to a lot of criticism but if

07:47you are reckless with with us with with with science that's hardwired in your in your system

07:57you might come up with something magical if you're just going to go in and say let me not

08:01be reckless let me be careful you'll find you'll make something that boring but if you're reckless

08:07with a knowledge of I can do it within within the parameters of and break a few rules here

08:16break a few rules there you'll have something original you'll have something unique and you'll

08:21have a voice okay this is the time this is this is your time actually do you write often as well

08:28what kind of like every day how are we looking I know you as an actor but writer I'm not very sure

08:34so I don't even you a screenwriter are you an aspiring screenwriter I sit and write every

08:40single day with I write myself I help some of my students to write how can I teach writing if I

08:45don't write myself I was just wondering because some people get into it because you have the power

08:50like the clout like Woman Irani is a brand and therefore we we sign up okay okay no I gotta I

08:57gotta I gotta stop you there I gotta stop I'm sorry I gotta stop you I cannot run 150 sessions

09:05of screenwriting just because I have the clout that's true and that's the worst thing to do

09:11why would I do 150 sessions just because I have some clout and which I don't why you know people

09:17why do people come every day some people have attended 140 sessions can you imagine how many

09:23seconds I mean that's semester and some yeah yeah so I have to be sharp to answer

09:31any question that comes my way okay so I can't start a class because of with clout

09:38or with charisma with clout or charisma won't work it won't fly with the students

09:43they'll call you out for so long not for so long so that's so sorry I had to call you out

09:49there because yeah because I because the thing is you know you shouldn't apologize it is a

09:54question that no it's very important you have to put your money where your mouth is you know when

09:59you're teaching you're going to be convincing and true to the craft I've been studying for

10:05eight years with the best

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