India pays writers, what we pay clerks

Oscar jury member Krishna Shah was in Mumbai to conduct workshops on the art of pitching and goal-setting. He told iTALK why Indian producers should start shelling out mega-bucks for good scripts

Krishna Shah first smudged the boundaries between Indian and Western cinema in the late 1970s, when he cast Dharmendra and Shammi Kapoor in Shalimar, a film that starred Hollywood-heavies Rex Harrison and John Saxon.

Green's the magic colour

Having worked on scripts for episodes of iconic TV shows The Six Million Dollar Man and The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Shah says his acceptance in Hollywood had to do with the power of his scripts. "The only colour that matters in Hollywood, is the colour of money. And since my scripts generated cash, it was smooth sailing," he says.

Of course, being married to an American may have won him a few brownie points. "For a while, I was like a white man in Hollywood," he admits. "I got a deeper understanding of the culture and became part of the system. Although India has always been a part of me, I had stopped being Indian."

Aane wala kal

Indian cinema has just hit the tip of the iceberg. He expects to see serious experimentation over the next five years. The veteran who faith in the younger generation of filmmakers like Nishikant Kamat and Dibakar Banerjee.
There will always be room for Ghajini and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, but young filmmakers are beginning to revolutionise Indian cinema. Having watched, "Lucky" by Chance, the night before this interview, Shah enthusiastically offers its example. "The movie ended so engagingly u2014 it's like a blend of art and a masala film."

Worshipping the actor

While in the West, the script is king, India will continue to worship the star. "It is impossible for Westerners to understand how or why Raj Kumar's death would prompt 15 suicides, or why people would sacrifice their lives so that MG Ramachandran has a successful heart surgery," he smiles.

But he's happy to see burgeoning talent, at the workshops he conducted in Mumbai giving him a glimpse of what India can produce. While Hollywood spends about $18 million on script-development each year, India dedicates just $8 million. "Dhoom-dhadaka drama and special effects are alright, but strong scripts have the power to generate empathy among diverse audiences. We pay writers like clerks, and if the script falls short, we add an item number."

Although he's been working on a script for seven years, Shah is excited about churning out a new breed of Indian writers. His aim is "to set up a storytellers' institute in India."