“Every Movie Is A Sheet Of ‘Kora Kaagaz’, Before The Story-Writer Comes Into The Picture” : Bollywood Celeb-Writer Kamlesh Pandey

Chaitanya Padukone

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan always insists that “the movie ‘story-writer’ is the unsung hidden hero of every film, because it is he  who decides the length and strength of  every on-screen character’.  Illustrious Bollywood story and screenplay writer Kamlesh Pandey took long leaps ahead of what Big B said,  as he proclaimed,  “Story-screen-writers are like Gods, because they give birth to characters and plot their entry, graph and exit” amidst thunderous applause by over 500 invited members of SWA ( Screen-Writers Assocn) at the 2^nd Taleem Masterclass  where he spoke at length on  ‘Why Do We Need Stories?’ . Besides his commendable contribution in conjuring up classy ad- commercials  Kamlesh Pandey has successfully won theatre-audiences through feature length films including  Tezaab, Dil, Beta, Chaalbaaz, Saudagar, Rang De Basanti and Delhi-6. When the small-screen harnessed his writing craft, he  penned hit television dramas including Karamchand, Kachhi Dhoop, Kurukshetra, and Kuch Toh Log Kahenge. During his live interaction, Kamlesh  admitted that his Tezaab was a modern 1987 version of the iconic R K movie ‘Awaara’ (1951) when it came to introduction of Anil Kapoor’s anti-hero character ‘Munna’. . The dynamic Pandey accepted the ‘Rang De Basanti’ (2006) movie writing assignment  for a “very less remuneration” . There was his reasoning that most producers were skeptical to back a subject which had that patriotic Bhagat Singh-like period fervor.  “ It took me nearly six years to get the socially relevant yet unconventional subject ( RDB)  to be made into a landmark film. Even the crew ‘spot-boys’ got more payment than me for that maverick movie, “ quipped Kamlesh whose famous quote is that “Every movie is just a sheet of ‘kora kaagaz’ before the story-writer comes into the picture”.  is a staunch supporter of writers getting their deserving dues, that too on time. “Like star-actors,  writers should enter into an MBC ( Minimum Basic Contract) also get a fixed ( four) percent of the production budget of the movie. A time may come in future where stories would be ‘auctioned’ to bidding producers like the way they do in Hollywood,” shrugs charismatic Pandey  who feels that ideally a story-teller should have the combination of the energy of a five-year old, concentration of a chess-player, the faith of an evangelist and  guts of a rock-climber ..

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Tags: Bollywood, Bollywood News, Bollywood Updates, Television, Telly News, Kamlesh Pandey, Kora Kaagaz