Guftagoo with Varun Grover

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."

Видео Guftagoo with Varun Grover канала Rajya Sabha TV