As a child growing up in Raipur, listening to stories about progressive Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz from his maternal grandfather, Syed Shadan, 24, would never have guessed they would one day turn him into a writer. Today the youngster is in Mumbai, writing for the film industry.

“Nanaji was a shayar and an economics professor. Faiz had come to Bhopal in the 1980s, and my grandfather was part of that mehfil, when he wrote something for the celebrated Pakistani poet and author. My mother still remembers that, and for a good part of my life, I have heard her tell this story over and over again,” he said.