A film grows like a living organism: Khufiya screenwriter Rohan Narula

Haider Omkara Chachi 420 Maqbool and 7 Khoon Maaf ndash Whatrsquos the one thing that is common to all five we ask Itrsquos the Bollywood filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj behind these gripping thrillers who is also proficient at adapting literatureHis latest adaptation laced with the striking screen presence of Tabu the bewitching charm of Wamiqa Gabbi and the finesse of Ali Fazal ndash lsquoKhufiyarsquo will premiere on Netflix on October 5 On this occasion we reached out to the writer of the film ndash Rohan Narula who is foraying into Bollywood screenplay writing with this projectThe cinematic adaptation draws its storyline from Amar Bhushans thrilling espionage novel Escape to Nowhererdquo The film revolves around Indias Research and Analysis Wing RampAW agent who is on a mission to locate a mole involved in the illicit trade of defence secrets ndash all while struggling with the conflicting facets of her identity as a spy and a loverFeeding the filmrsquos plotldquoWhat drew us to this book were the elaborate accounts of how RampAW works Finding a book of this nature was a rather unusual experience When you watch a spy film from the west the slick storyline and the intricate plots are highly pronounced On the contrary there is very little information available on how RampAW works in India Thus it was the details that made us turn it into a screenplayrdquo tells Narula to MiddayThe bookrsquos uniqueness is amplified by the fact that it doesnt contain any chapters The thrill of the rush is rapid without any full stops ndash keeping the reader glued to the very climax ldquoWe really enjoyed the pulsepounding narrative which factored in largely when we decided to adapt it Though the storyline is based on the novel we have given it our unique spin to itrdquo adds NarulaThe first draft of the script was prepared in November 2016 while the shooting began in 2021 Narula believes that a film grows like a living breathing organism Hence it took multiple drafts and exhaustive reading sessions to feed the filmrsquos dynamic storyline ldquoOne of the best experiences of working with a script is living through its evolution We never faced writerrsquos block rather ndash we finetuned the script over regular and riveting draftsrdquo shares NarulaOnce the writers got to the final chapter of Khufiya ndash they decided to pitch it to the online video streaming platform ndash Netflix ldquoThe team was on board pretty quick and thatrsquos how Khufiya happenedrdquoVishal Bhardwaj The visionary filmmaker and writerldquoWith Vishal Ji the working equation has been smooth as he is a cowriter in the film We brainstormed minute details and complex nuances of the film togetherrdquo shares Narula Bhardwaj is an outright director but very few people know that he thinks like a writer This addon capability lent itself perfectly to the writing sessions and helped Narula roll out a script that the duo enjoyed mountingNarula thanks the heavens for the opportunity to work with Vishal ldquoItrsquos a dream come true for me to work with someone whom I have admired and idolised over the years He is a very generous person to work with and lends his ears to any idea you have to present Frankly I was relieved that Vishal Ji is on board since he has the ability to take big decisions under pressurerdquoFew directors work with a unilateral mind and are not open to suggestions Bhardwaj is quite the contrary in the opinion of Narula He observed how Bhardwaj has a collaborative style of working as opposed to solo riding ldquoHe is someone who listens to everyone and thinks that the film can get better at any point in timerdquo Such an experience can enrich writers who need a cinematic visionary as a counterpartBhardwaj has established himself as a novelty in his somewhat thriller and noir genre of filmmaking He has dished masterpieces that involve complex character arcs along with intricate climaxes So how is it to witness his wits in person ldquoNot only is he decisive but he is highly creative People call him a genius and working with him I got a firsthand chance to learn why he is sordquo reveals NarulaThe burden of staying true to original storyAdapting a book into a film can be tricky Every story has its own medium and it unfolds through its own unique language As opposed to a novel a film is crafted with multifaceted audio and visual mediums For instance Bhushanrsquos book delves deep into the characterrsquos internal thoughts and personal motivations just like a book is supposed toTo illustrate this better Narula cites the example of the film lsquoThe Godfatherrsquo which is an adaptation of the crime novel lsquoThe Godfatherrsquo by American author Mario Puzo The book highlights the shenanigans of the mafia world through multiple chapters and characters But when you watch the movie ndash you learn that the focus is only on Michael CorleoneldquoWhen we began reading through the book ndash we were intrigued by the original story but that was not enough We realised that the filmrsquos world needed to be populated with more than just the basic plotrdquo informs Narula Thus the makers of the film did not take the burden of responsibility to be true to the book Rather they developed the film to make it work for the big screenApart from the tangible world of the film the makers of the film focused on building the emotional quotients of the characters What sets Khufiya apart from other spy films is the drama entwined with sentiments Itrsquos a story of dual identities ndash the spy keeps their own secrets which they keep from the world These elements are intended to engage the audience beyond the obvious thrillKhufiya will take the audience on a journey of an RampAW agent ndash Krishna Mehra who has been assigned a critical mission which is to find the mole in the organisation As she gets into the mission she gets an insight into not only the mole but also his family which brings us to Wamiqarsquos characterFrom finance to filmsThis is Narularsquos first Bollywood film and he is seemingly excited Previously he has adapted two Robin Cook medical thrillers with Ravi Udyawar He is also writing Bhardwajs first international feature film Abbottabad based on The Exile by Cathy ScottClark and Adrian Levy Additionally Narula has also written a feature adaptation of the Korean blockbuster Dancing QueenNarula comes from the world of finance where he used to trade derivatives in Singapore Yet he found his calling in writing for films which made him pursue the course ndash Dramatic Writing from New York University NYU in 2014 Currently he serves as an Adjunct Professor at NYU where he teaches screenwriting at Tisch School of the Arts