Hyderabad: I first became aware of the compelling power of the unheard story when as a young girl, I watched Manju Singh's production 'Ek Kahaani' on Doordarshan way back in the eighties. In her mellifluous voice, she introduced a new story from Indian literature each week and I particularly remember Abid Surti's 'Teesri Aankh', Amrita Pritam's 'Jungli Buti' and Tamil writer Sundara Ramaswamy's 'Ondrum Puriyavillai' which was translated in Hindi. 'Darpan' was another show that presented a new regional story each week and made me aware of India's inexhaustible literary treasures.
I also became subliminally aware of the fact that the small screen has immense potential to open one's mind to diverse milieus, narratives and characters that mainstream entertainment doesn't usually make space for.
My formative years at my home in Kolkata were also imprinted by multilingual stories, books that ranged from Enid Blyton favourites to literature in Bengali, Hindi and English. And my grandmother too had a repository of tales sourced from the Vedas. These early influences led me to become a student of comparative literature and to subsequently approach television as a purveyor of undiscovered voices and narratives across various languages and formats.
The point I am trying to make is that our world view, who we become, how we interact with other cultures, languages and people is shaped by the stories we are surrounded by. And I feel, the search for the unheard story will define entertainment not just in 2024 but always.
This is because our hunger for stories can never be sated. As one of my favourite authors Margaret Atwood wrote, "You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built in the human plan. We come with it.”
What she means is that stories are a part of our DNA and my work with content has also been about showcasing vibrant storytelling traditions within India and in the Indian subcontinent. The goal is to take stories beyond linguistic and geographical boundaries. This is why at Zee Theatre, we have recently dubbed popular teleplays like 'Gudiya Ki Shaadi', 'Maa Retire Hoti Hai', 'Purush' and many more in Kannada and Telugu to expand their reach.
It also makes me incredibly happy to see the popularity of Zee Theatre's anthologies like 'Koi Baat Chale' and 'Yaar Julahe' that have led today's audiences to discover the brilliance of writers like Manto, Amrita Pritam, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Munshi Premchand and many more. Good stories will never lose their power over the popular imagination and the pan-Indian popularity of regional cinema elucidates this point. Audiences today are not only watching big blockbusters but also small-budget intimate stories in Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Gujarati , Marathi and Tamil to name just a few.
The search for fresh stories can also lead to the discovery of exciting new creators. In 1999, I ideated an Indian anthology tv series called 'Star Bestsellers' and many upcoming talents from the show including Anurag Kashyap, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Imtiaz Ali, Sriram Raghavan, Anurag Basu and Hansal Mehta went on add a unique dimension to cinematic storytelling.
The small screen and OTT streamers are also incubating a new generation of storytellers today who do not want to remain trapped in creative silos. They are creating shorts, long format shows, independent films and you can see them traversing various languages and genres with complete effortlessness.
Literature is also being revisited in interesting ways in recent times. Vikram Seth's 1993 novel 'A Suitable Boy' was adapted as a drama miniseries by Mira Nair. 'The White Tiger', a black comedy written and directed by Ramin Bahrani was based on Aravind Adiga's award-winning novel of the same name. ‘Grahan’, another web series, was based on the Hindi novel ‘Chaurasi' by Satya Vyas while Jigna Vora’s book ' Behind the Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison' inspired 'Scoop.' Vishal Bhardwaj's latest film 'Khufiya' referred to Amar Bhushan's espionage novel 'Escape to Nowhere' while 'Joji , one of the most stunning Malayalam films of recent times, was inspired by William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'.
This trend I believe will continue in 2024 and beyond because audiences want to experience stories that are nuanced, layered, thought provoking and enriching. Young writers and directors are increasingly realising this and daring to go beyond what's familiar.
Today's audiences are spoilt for choice, but they too are growing increasingly discerning in their approach to content. Their evolving consumption patterns will dictate the direction of entertainment and I hope, in the years to come, more untold stories will emerge. I truly believe that stories that visibilise the invisible, bridge divides, heal hearts, empower, and bring people together matter today more than ever before.
Shailja Kejriwal, Chief Creative Officer, Zee Special Project, Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd
