Juhi, who has also penned Vicky Donor and Madras Café, shares her thoughts on cinema
Juhi Chaturvedi
After the humongous success of Piku, screenwriter Juhi Chaturvedi is now a star in her own right. Juhi, who has also penned Vicky Donor and Madras Café, shares her thoughts on cinema and more.
What does it take for a writer to click with the audience today?
For me it’s extremely important that whatever I write does not have that foul smell of emotional manipulation to evoke a tear, or a gag fit in it just to bring a few chuckles. The purity of story is supreme. Another thing is that while the script may belong to a writer, the film must belong to the audience. The writing must be able to transcend itself into an experience which when the audience goes through, it makes them feel that it all has happened to them and hence belongs to them.
How has your experience as a screenwriter been?
It’s been a great learning graph. Writing for Vicky Donor was still within the realms and format of a film but with Piku I enjoyed the liberty I took to let it go beyond the prerequisites of a film. While the screenplay was in place but still the scenes were written as conversations that were lengthy 8-10 pages on an average. The ‘first act-second act’ divisions have not once bothered me. The only thing that leads or dictates my writing is my characters.
Do you believe star value adds to a film’s appeal?
A film will ultimately be loved or trashed for its content. If that is in its right place, having big actors or names definitely supports a film. The audience still is more familiar with stars than stories. Thankfully, more and more big actors are willing to do well-written parts.
Tell us about your association with New Voices Fellowship for Screen Writers?
Year before last Bunty Chand of NVFS extended her warm welcome and I got associated with them as mentor. That experience was extremely awarding as one got to read some very good thoughts, ideas and meet aspiring writers. Such creative interactions are a sign that we are moving in the right direction. Meeting other fellow mentors like Jaideep Sahni and Anjum Rajabali was of course enriching at a personal level.
Can you tell us about your next film?
Right now it’s too early to talk about it. I am still writing.
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