Interview by – Ayushi Sandhya
Edited by – Robin Bhuyan
Written by – Shubhi Agrawal
Niren Bhatt is a screenwriter and lyricist who has given his pen to the creation of many phenomenal films such as Munjya, Bhediya, Made in China, Serious Men, the list could go on. He is also the writer of several web series, Asur being one among them. He has also worked on writing the show Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashma which is as popular as it can get. His upcoming project is Stree 2 which is all set to be released on August 15.
Munjya has been appreciated a lot and people have loved the concept. What was the initial idea behind the creation of the movie?
The initial script was written by Yogesh Chandekar, and it was in later stages that the movie director Aditya Sarpotdar and I came onboard. We went across many places and learnt about the significance of the story there. We also replicated certain places. The experience was really good, and we didn’t really think that it would get such great reception. We were confident that people will like it, but the love we got for it has been great.
Horror stories don’t generally receive such great response in India. However, movies like Stree have changed the concept of horror in minds of audiences and has set a benchmark. What would you like to say about it?
There have been movies before Stree as well, such as Bhool Bhulaiya, which is also a horror comedy. There were movies earlier too, even in the Black and White era. So, the genre has always been there, but it gets rejuvenated every now and then. It’s just a tricky genre to crack, you want to scare the audience and make them laugh at the same time. But if everyone is on the same page, you can pull it off.
How many horror stories have you been a part of?
I have been a part of many horror stories. My career started with a horror show called Ye Kaali Kaali Raatein. After that I wrote many more TV shows and then I got engaged with Maddock where I wrote Munjya, Bhediya, Stree 2, and there are some more projects in the pipeline.
We rarely see good horror movies. However, Stree had created a lot of buzz which is why people are very much excited about Stree 2. What has been your point of view and thought process when writing Stree 2?
The problem here is of the genre. Horror movies are always seen as B grade or C grade type of films because there was always a certain sleaze associated with them, such as females getting scared, some adult elements, and things like that. However, slowly people began experimenting with the genre and they invented something new out of the horror genre associating politics or social aspects or even comedy. So this is how cinema evolves. Even I tried doing something new with Bhediya where I tried attaching an eco-fable with it. So, that’s how it works, we keep experimenting and cinema keeps evolving.
How do you think that the cinema evolves? Is it the experimentations of the creators that evolve the audience perspective or is it that the audience keeps evolving which is why creators have to work on evolving cinema?
Audience has always been evolved. People thinking that the audience just needs mindless and vague content are wrong, because the audience is thinking at a different wavelength which you cannot judge as a creative. Audience is always ready, never underestimate their intellect. As a creative, you need to think if you’re ready to create something new.
When writing, does it ever come to your mind that I need to write it in a way the audience will perceive it, or you write by your own heart, exactly how you want to portray it?
You always have to write by your own heart, you cannot write according to what audience likes. Audience will like what you have written if it’s shown in the right way. So you just need to make it best as per your capability. As a creative, you cannot underestimate the audience intellect thinking what I have written will not be well understood. Such approach could also create blockage in our own heads, and it’s kind of arrogance too, such as you’re putting yourself on a higher pedestal of intellect and writing as if the others have a lower intellect. It could never work.
How would you describe the reasons behind the success of Asur?
The core idea behind Asur was of Gaurav Shukla who is the creator of the show. Earlier it was titled 72 hours and it was a forensic thriller as the idea behind the show was that both the main characters were forensic scientists and then one was kidnapped and made to do murders while the other one was decoding those murders from a jail cell. But once we started writing, we began thinking about the killers’ motivations. We came to several conclusions, but then we came onto the mythological aspect. It’s basically a story of child abuse where the killer was abused as a child, and it led to all his thoughts. So, there was a lot of brainstorming in weaving the story and this is how it happened.
Why do you think that the audience loved Asur so much?
Audience is always looking for something relatable, something that is coming from their life or culture. Talking about Munjya and Stree, they are all originated from Indian legends. Asur has also come from our culture which is deeply interwoven in the minds of the audience. Audience is able to associate well with such stories which makes them popular.
Can you please summarize your journey? What made you want to be a creative?
I have always been a playwright. However, I was good at studies, so I pursued ME and later MBA, and I was in the corporate world for a long time. But then I realised that I was not made for it and in 2011, I quit my job as a business consultant and became a full-time writer. In this role, I have written many movies, TV shows, and web series. I have even written several Gujrati movies and music albums for those movies. At a time, I also thought of getting into direction, but then there is a lot of management involved there and I had quit my job due to that only. I know I am a creative professional and that is what I try to be.
Is there any project that is very special to you?
For me, all my stories are special, be it blockbuster or even a flop. Every project teaches you something and the measure of success is not the money it makes, it is the level of personal enrichment that the project offers you.
How do you handle writers’ block?
Writers’ block is a myth spread by writers to get some more time. No professional ever has a block in their work. It’a a job and you need to treat it like one.
It’s difficult surviving in Bollywood, even when you have good stories. Some people don’t get opportunities. How can someone deal with that?
Influencers and actors have also made space for themselves by showing their skills and talents. There are opportunities everywhere, if you have the skills to show your talent, you can make it in the industry. The thing is no one needs you in the industry, everyone is there to show you out. You need to make the mark for yourself, and you must do whatever is needed to do that. That is as brutal as it gets.
Thank you for such a wonderful and intellectual session!
Thank you!
