Tag: storytelling

The Storyteller’s Instinct: Where the Techniques Fail

At the agency, a task force was formed to explore AI filmmaking. They approached me to give them a crash course on storytelling. My first reaction was to laugh. But then it struck me — saying no would be a disservice. So I...

Verses

The Hero’s Act

The Hero's Act Sun sinks in the sky’s lament, Still you wait for your moment, Caged in your self-made shrine, Dreaming of your day to shine. "There must be a better way," you say, "One day I’ll rise and make my hay. Today’s...

Room Notes

The Anatomy of a Spark: How a Random Social Media Post Pulled Me Back to Direction

When I wrote and directed Stripped, I made myself a promise: I would never direct again unless every ingredient was right. Stripped got its share of attention. It travelled, got reviewed, went viral organically, and in many ways...

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...

Shop Talk

Have You Watched This? Or Do You Like That?

At the agency I work for, I once asked an influencer on my team to direct a spoken poetry video. It was a conceptual narrative with every chance of collapsing under a first-time storyteller. She panicked. She yelled that she had...

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...

Room Notes

Room Notes #1: Where Does the Time Go?

So, today is Saturday. I woke up at 11 AM, and I swear on my heart, the first thought was the screenwriting project that I'm supposed to deliver today. The very specific scene that's pending, while the rest of the screenplay...

Fiction

The Frog, the Prince, and the Wishing Well

The story goes... Prince was eight years old when he first came to the town of Wishing. Back then, it was the kind of deadbeat place people passed through without stopping. He wouldn't have been there either, if not for his...

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...