Category: Storytelling

Craft analysis and narrative technique exploration through film, TV, and story structure.

When the Wrong Hero Takes the Journey: The Narrative Collapse of Thamma

In Hollywood's mythology, vampires have always ruled the supernatural hierarchy—elegant, eternal, and terrifyingly in control. Even when pitted against werewolves, they stood at the top of the food chain. But in Maddock's...

Storytelling

Shifted Lens: Reframing PK and E.T. Through Fresh Eyes

I believe it was in some interview, where Director Govind Nihalani was discussing his film Ardh Satya (1983). The film was revered by masses and critics alike as India's first corrupt cop movie. That would mean an entire nation...

Storytelling

How Chennai Express Found Characters, While Param Sundari Settled for Stereotypes

Bollywood loves its North-meets-South romances. We've seen them in Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), and 2 States (2014), where cultural clashes act as shorthand for conflict. But let's set those aside. For...

Storytelling

Param Sundari (2025): Why Bollywood’s Love Stories Keep Falling Flat

Param Sundari (2025), starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles, is positioned as a romantic comedy. Param, a wayward second-generation entrepreneur, loves investing his father's wealth in new startup ideas—one...

Storytelling

Why Do Your Characters Feel Like They’re Trapped in an Echo Chamber?

There was a time I'd instinctively look away when an ad came on. Who wants to be sold something in the middle of a story? Now it's the reverse. I lean in, sometimes even replay ads just to admire their storytelling. Meanwhile,...

Storytelling

What John Abraham’s Tehran (2025) Teaches Us About Our Viewing Choices

So, it was a long weekend, and I was browsing for something good to watch. My rule is simple: I give the first 10 minutes to any film or series and see if it compels me to continue. If not, I skip it. This time, I stumbled upon...

Storytelling

What Tumbbad Got Right — and Ramayana Might Miss

Just a while ago, I was on Instagram, doom-scrolling, and I stumbled upon a trailer that caught my eye. It was for an animated adaptation of the Ramayana. At first glance, it was a visually polished effort. I almost said to...

Storytelling

What Is a Storyteller’s Job?

Not what the books told you. What did you expect?! Let me start with a confession: I’ve mentored writers before. But I never taught formulas. No Hero’s Journey. No Story Circle. No Freytag’s Pyramid. Sure, I’ve read them...