In conversation with acclaimed writer Varun Grover.
Anchor: Irfan
1:31 Intro "गीत दिमाग से कहानी दिल से"
3:21 The (mis)match between serious writing and humor.
4:20 Not a 'safe' career. Distaste for 'ordinary', 'regular', 'predictible'
6:48 But why is 'typical' troubling?
7:06 Uday Prakash, Creativity as Elixir
8:52 Growing up, family, support, and Books.
11:09 India Today helped the 'escape'
11:59 Lucknow, "Getting caught" in the career trap, Scope for artistic pursuit
14:14 Free thinking lies away from the comfort zone of home
15:02 Banaras and BHU
15:40 Risk and Hopes vs Safe and Dull
17:28 Film writing vs classic writing of Literature
18:52 'Underprepared' for being 'an author'- "Not in a hurry"
19:18 Great Indian Comedy Show, The tradition of humor and the leap to Commercial American humor. Missing of the local storytelling tradition of communicating humor.
20:26 Varun's way with Comedy
22:15: Upbringing in UP and impact on Varun's liking for political humor.
23:57 Beliefs that make Varun write films he does.
25:41 Complete caution and attention for tine and space- the most important element in Cinema writing
26:59 Aware of the privileges and prejudices that accompany those: a constant resistance in action to combat those prejudices
29:05 Indian cinema becoming more genuine?
30:30 The acceptance of identity- wearing your language and stories.
31:35 Constraints in Marketing in Film Industry: Hopes
31:56 Majhi, Ketan Mehta, 'Mobile' Cinema
33:33 Amused? Culture of writing for free for newcomers
34:32 Gulzar and people's references to 'obscurity' in his songs
35:36 Hukka Baar, Dil Se, and what is simple writing?
36:26 Industry? No rules, no timings, no identities..
36:47 People get magnified or nullified in a matter of days- enigmatic but also thrilling
38:15 Irfan counters. Calls 'enigma' as a calculable product of people's actions. "AnuMalik," says Varun.
40:03 Varun's craze for songs. The 50s, 60s, 80s, and AnuMalik
40:50 Amit Kumar, Jaspal Singh, Hemlata- 'disappeared'!
41:11 Jatin Lalit's surprising 'exit' from the 'A league'
43:03 Speculating/Decoding the 'enigma'- zero risk-taking approach of Bollywood
44:48 Small budget films, Bheja Fry, Satya, Ram Gopal Verma, Company, Shool
46:05 "No Satya meant No Masaan". Satya as torchbearer for Anurag Kashyap, Jaydeep Sahni, Sheenit Amin
46:41 Camp division in the industry for Lyricists; Hook-Like songs
48:13 Success of Independent cinema in Hollywood
49:08 Rajendra Krishna- Vast canvass, rich vocabulary- Anand Bakshi
50:10 Limitations of 'alternative' block. "Ye Moh Moh ke Dhaage" still needs an extra Moh to match the rhythmic needs.
51:04 Aarzu Lakhnavi, B. N. Sarkar, Raichand Boral
51:16 "Is there something amiss?"
51:24 Balancing between the needs of directors and your own wishes in songwriting
52:09 Limitations? Yes. But striving for the 'limitless'
52:38 Masaan, materials, inspirations- Banaras, Neeraj Ghaywan, ground research.
53:45 Hindi Literature in Masaan; Vinod Kumar Shukl - "Diwar me ek khidki rahti thee" and "Hataasha se"; Satyajeet Ray- "Ratan Babu"
56:03- Concluding: "There is always a door open. Never stop yourself."