Tarun Jain: Storytellers need not be socially responsible

Tarun Jain

After quitting his job in the economic sector, Tarun Jain learned the art of writing, acting and comedy in Los Angeles. He came on board as a writer for Luv Ranjan's Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2; post which he launched his first web series, Life Sahi Hai, on YouTube in 2016.

After receiving positive reviews for the series, Jain released the second season on Zee5 this month. The "terrible actor", as he calls himself, talks about life as a writer, testing different genres, and more. Excerpts from the interview:

Would you say you have significantly struggled to get a break in the industry?
No. Frankly, I've been pretty lucky because Luv Ranjan is my cousin, and well-established in the fraternity. I am an engineer who left his education to explore a career as a comedy writer. So far, things seem to be going good.

When did you decide to work on Life Sahi Hai?
The idea of a web series appealed to me because we had material to explore. I could be inspired by the goings-on around me. We decided to make this into a web series because films can be restrictive. We can't abuse in films, and humour has to be curtailed. So, web was the better option. As for the characters, I had a few etched out in my head, courtesy, my friends from college.

The character of Jasjit Singh, played by Suhail Nayyar has been criticised for objectifying women...
Jasjit's character is based on one of my best friends. Like him, I too didn't believe in serious relationships. But things changed after I met the woman who is now my fiancée. There are people who believe in living in the moment. He is not a wrong character. He is just flawed.

As a writer, where do you draw the line between material that's appropriate and not?
I don't. I like to talk about everything that seems funny. There are things I don't explore, not because I don't find them funny, but because I know the audience won't. As a creator, I need to be sure that the audience appreciates my work, else it won't sell. For instance, I don't believe in religion, but others do. If I use religion to humour people on my show, they may not appreciate it. Ultimately, I don't care about offending anyone, but, if people don't like the material, my show will not work. I don't believe in social responsibility. I'd rather stay away from it. Having said that, I won't promote incorrect notions. My shows are written to simply entertain. When I write, my conscience is clear because I know what I'm writing is harmless. If I make light of issues like violence or rape, it would amount to being socially irresponsible. I won't do that. Asking all storytellers to be socially responsible is not right.

Do you think censorship will find its way into the digital space too?
No. Logistically, it is difficult to regulate things in the digital space. I hope it doesn't.

How do you ensure that your material has potential to humour people?
I test it in conversations. I slip in a joke or two from my script in interactions I have with strangers. If people laugh, I know it will sell.

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