The book keeper

Sidharth Jain is working on the screen adaptation of Trial By Fire, which is all about the Uphaar fire tragedy, that took place in Delhi on June 13, 1997

Although producer and writer Sidharth Jain had been working in the film industry for almost a decade, with his production company iRock and a stint as creative head at Hotstar, it was in New York in the summer of 2017 that he realised the power of the story. He had been lucky to convince filmmaker and stage director Bill Hopkins to spend the summer teaching him acting, writing and directing.

"He liked where and I was coming from, and somehow agreed to give me one-on-one classes. So, we would spend the mornings talking about the -story- and its anatomy, and in the evening, I would assist him at his classes at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute," he tells us.

Jain returned to start Story Ink in 2018, a platform that bridges the gap between the author and film producer or OTT platform. "With the boom, everyone is looking for a story. And the best way is to look at books, as they are a ready treasure trove of stories." Since 2018, he has managed to get 100 book options - which basically means the producer pays the writer 10 per cent of a decided cost, and then spends a year looking for funds and "development". If the year doesn-t get the desired results, the writer gets to keep the money, and look for another producer. If it works out, you get a bulk amount for your story. "A 100 have happened in the last year, and by the end of this year, at least eight of those books will be turning in films and going on floors. By the next year, 20 per cent will be getting made. Development is a hell hole, and it takes time for a movie to find all the right parameters working for it," says Jain.

Vanara by Anand Neelakantan

But ask him what kind of books he is looking for and he is clear. "They have have to be binge-worthy. That-s what works these days - so mystery and thrillers top the list. I also do a lot of customisation. So a producer will come to me and say, -we have this platform, and this director; get something to fit their aesthetic-." Next comes looking at what is clutter breaking, what kind of poster can be made, what sort of marketing will be employed. "The good thing about books is that so much work is already done - the characters and story is fleshed out. So, it-s easier to make it into something worthy."

Trial by Fire by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy

Right now, he is most excited about Trial by Fire, by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, the parents of two children who lost their lives in the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy in Delhi in 1997. "They fought a case against the Ansals, the owners, for all 59 victims for 23 years. The project has been taken on by Endemol, and we have got director Prashant Nair on board, whose Tryst with Destiny, has been making waves at film festivals. We have an OTT platform on board now." He also has Chitra Divakaruni-s yet-to-be unannounced book, and Vanara by Anand Neelakantan, which is under development right now. There is also The Maharaja Mysteries by author Arjun Raj Gaind, being made again in collaboration with Endemol Shine Group. "My aim is to make sure books aren-t lost but turning into films. They deserve to be."

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